Category:Class 5 planets

With a more complex infrasructure even than class 4, these worlds are the most intensively developed. At present, there are 6 planets listed as class 5.

A class 5 planet is usually envisioned as a single giant city, spanning an entire star system. Satellites around every world are connected by pressurised bridges, and downlines can be used to support buildings which could never support their own weight even with the most advanced modern materials. At this stage, the mineral wealth of the system has been almost completely plundered. Planets' crusts are warrens of underground factories and living space, dug out once the surfaces became too crowded. The rock left behind by this process is carried into orbits around the planet or the star, and used to build artificial asteroids on which a scattered world-like settlement can be constructed. This often takes the form of many artificial planetoids in the same orbits as the original rocks, connected by downline and elevators. There are also large elevators connecting every inhabited body in the system, with bubbles of 'waste' rock (which are often large enough to be considered a city by a less-developed world's standards) strung along the lines every 10-50 miles.

Before a world can be considered a class 5 world, all mineral wealth must be mined simply to provide habitation and there is no land left for farming. Massive satellite constellations provide power, and the only possible form of primary industry is advanced hydroponics (although there is no way this could keep up with the nutritional needs of such a large population). There may be industrial sectors, but most people will be employed in service industries, research or data industry.

Although class 5 is currently the highest level of technological and engineering infrastructure, there is some speculation (especially among science fiction authors) that a Dyson sphere could be considered a class 6 world, should such a thing be constructed.