Earth

Earth is the birthplace of mankind and was the only human-inhabited planetary body in the solar system for many centuries. In the early 21st century space travel was available only to governments and large corporations, making space exploration primarily a scientific endeavor.

Though many believe the great terrestrial exodus was driven solely by the turmoil surrounding the First Human Revolt, in truth there were a great many factors which made space exploration an appealing option to 21st century pioneers. The sudden devaluing of human labor in combination with the economic boom brought on by the robotic revolution created an highly unstable political and ecological situation on Earth, making life in the 21st century full of strife. Despite its dangers, the promise of freedom and exploration was enough to cause many pioneers to pack up their ships and head for the asteroid mining colonies.