Space station

A space station is an artifical structure that is constructed in space, and is often built to sustain life-forms. Space stations serve many purposes, they can be administrative stations, mining stations, defensive stations, or listening or intelligence stations, or provide maintenance to starships. Space stations are usually constructed in orbit of planets, but are also built to be self-sustaining in deep space.

All of the major powers of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants have developed and built space stations throughout their territories, and along their various borders. Border outposts are usually strongly armed in case of any conflict, such as Deep Space 9, which is located in the Bajor system. Despite being built by the Cardassians as a mining station, Starfleet had adapted DS9 into a floating fortress following the discovery of the Bajoran wormhole and first contact with the Dominion.