Suspended platforms on Pioneer Station, one of the most dangerous mining operations in the outer shell. Based on the asteroid 8250 Ji Xiu, teams of miners enlist for periods of 4 months at a time to source valuable resources such as Buckminsterfullerene, Tritium, and Taaffeite. The asteroid’s elliptical orbit sends it millions of miles away and then back within striking distance of its parent world Chrysus, allowing the periodic transfer of materials to the surface – a process that Chrysus authorities argue is more energy-efficient than using shipping back and forth between the extremes of the orbit. At its closest point, Pioneer Station is visible in the Chrysus sky for several days, during which the ‘homecoming’ of the last group of miners is celebrated.
