Local Cluster
SOL
Mercury
A handful of solar power stations exist on “peaks of eternal light” at the north and south poles of Mercury. The difficulties imposed by the planet’s proximity to the sun and high orbital velocity have limited development.
Population: 340
Orbital Distance: 0.39 AU
Orbital Period: 88 Earth Days
Radius: 2440 km
Day Length: 58.7 Earth Days
Atmospheric Pressure: Trace
Surface Temperature: 430 Celsius
Surface Gravity: 0.38 G
Earth
For detailed information, please refer to the standard issue Alliance Galactic Codex. Earth orbit is riddled with debris generated by “bootstrap” space development; use of kinetic barriers is recommended at altitudes over 85 km.
Population (Surface): 11.4 billion
Population (LY and LS stations): 250,000
Orbital Distance: 1 AU
Orbital Period: 1 Earth Years
Radius: 6378 km
Day Length: 23.9 Earth Hours
Atmospheric Pressure: 1 Earth Atmospheres
Surface Temperature: 23 Celcius
Luna
An early source of helium-3, Luna is now mined for materials used in space habitat construction. Two dozen major stations have been constructed at Earth’s L4 and LS Lagrange points, all from lunar resources.
Colony Founded: 2069
Population: 4.1 million
Capital: Armstrong
Orbital Distance: 384,403 km (from Earth)
Orbital Period: 27.3 Earth Days
Radius: 1737 km
Day Length: 27.3 Earth Days
Atmospheric Pressure: Trace
Surface Temperature: -53 Celsius
Venus
With its molten temperatures, sulphuric acid clouds, and crushing carbon dioxide atmosphere, Venus has only a handful of aerostat research outposts.
Population: 800
Orbital Distance: 0.72 AU
Orbital Period: 224.7 Earth Days
Radius: 6052 km
Day Length: 243 Earth Days
Atmospheric Pressure: 90 Earth Atmospheres
Surface Temperature: 465 Celsius
Surface Gravity: 0.88 G
Mars
Once considered a prospect for terraforming and colonization, the discovery of faster than light travel turned Mars into a quiet backwater. Its southern pole is a historical preserve centered on the Prothean ruins found there. Immigration and development are restricted as the search for Prothean artifacts continues.
Colony Founded: 2103
Population 3.4 million
Capital: Lowell City
Orbital Distance: 1.52 AU
Orbital Period: 1.88 Earth Years
Radius: 3402 km
Day Length: 24.6 Earth Hours
Atmospheric Pressure: 0.06 Earth Atmospheres
Surface Temperature: -138 Celsius
Surface Gravity: 0.38 G
Uranus
After the development of mass effect FTL drive, distant Uranus was the target of a “land rush” to exploit its combination of plentiful helium-3 fuel and shallow (for a gas giant) gravity well. Today Uranus is the largest producer of He-3 in Alliance space.
Population: 371,000 Capital: Sakharov Station
Orbital Distance: 19.2 AU
Orbital Period: 121.1 Earth Years
Radius: 25,559 km
Day Length: 17.3 Earth Hours
Neptune
Though Neptune, like Uranus, has plentiful helium, its remoteness made it an unpromising target for mining before development of mass effect drive. With Uranus cheaper to exploit, it has never seen extensive development. The only permanent human presence is a small research facility on Triton.
Population (Triton): 70
Orbital Distance: 29.1 AU
Orbital Period: 164.8 Earth Years
Radius: 24,764 km
Day Length: 16.1 Earth Hours
Jupiter
Jupiter’s deep gravity well and lethal radiation have kept its moons from being significantly exploited. The largest outpost is Binary Helix Corporation’s Nautilus facility, attached to the underside of Europa’s ice sheet.
Population (all moons): 9100
Orbital Distance: 5.2 AU
Orbital Period: 11.7 Earth Years
Radius: 71,492 km
Day Length: 9.93 Earth Hours
Saturn
Saturn has been a major source of helium-3 fuel for fusion plants since the 2150s. The moon of Titan is mined for hydrocarbons, and used as a hostile environment training facility for Alliance Marines.
Population (orbitals and Titan): 117,000
Capital: Huygens Dome
Orbital Distance: 9.5 AU
Orbital Period: 29.5 Earth Years
Radius: 60,268 km
Day Length: 10.3 Earth Hours
| Saturn has been a major source of helium-3 fuel for fusion plants since the 2150s. The moon of Titan is mined for hydrocarbons, and used as a hostile environment training facility for Alliance Marines. Population (orbitals and Titan): 117,000 Capital: Huygens Dome Orbital Distance: 9.5 AU Orbital Period: 29.5 Earth Years Radius: 60,268 km Day Length: 10.3 Earth Hours |