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Space stations in fiction have a tendency to be very large, sometimes housing an entire city. Many have adopted a wheel design for a centrifuge-based system of gravity (unless [[Artificial Gravity]] is employed), but this is not obligatory. If sufficiently large to support a sizeable permanent population, a space-station may be referred to as an "orbital habitat" or "space colony". [[Colony Drop|Don't drop it!]] The problem of gas exchange and food production is often solved by incorporating a closed ecosystem and green plants onboard, sometimes in dirt, sometimes hydroponics, sometimes algae aquaculture.
Please keep these to stations that play a major part in the plot of a show or movie. This trope is pretty much ubiquitous in [[Speculative Fiction]], of all levels on the [[Mohs Scale of Sci Fi Hardness]].▼
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▲* As ''The Tough Guide to the Known Galaxy'' notes, [http://rocketpunk-observatory.com/spaceguideS-Z.htm#station space stations] used to be common in [http://rocketpunk-observatory.com/spaceguideF-L.htm#habitat habitat] role early on - in the context of colonizing Sol System. But between organizational and economic implications (it's essentially a space ship minus ability to move around at will, with the same requirements and expenses) those mostly vanished when interstellar settings with FTL became common. What's left are mostly mining bases attached to asteroids and orbital trade/supply ''ports'' over planets, both of which obviously make sense.
▲Please keep these to stations that play a major part in the plot of a show or movie. This trope is pretty much ubiquitous in [[Speculative Fiction]], of all levels on the [[Mohs Scale of Sci Fi Hardness]].
* Very large space-stations are integral to the background of the ''[[Gundam]]'' anime universe(s). The designs are lifted almost verbatim from O'Neill's ''[[The High Frontier]]'', which was new when the first Gundam series was in development.
* [[I Don't Like the Sound of That Place|The Doom Satellite]] from ''[[Calvin and Hobbes: The Series|Calvin and Hobbes The Series]]''.▼
=== [[Comic Books]] ===▼
* The [[Justice League]] have the Watchtower and its larger, improved successor, Watchtower II. Its position in orbit with a giant laser cannon pointing down become a point of contention with the US government.
** And for many years before the Watchtower, the JLA had an orbiting satellite space station, through the 70s and part of the 80s (until the "Detroit League" era and the Crisis finished it off).
▲* [[I Don't Like the Sound of That Place|The Doom Satellite]] from ''[[Calvin and Hobbes:
* ''[[Moonraker]]''
* The wheel-like Station Five seen in the opening space scenes of ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey]]'' is perhaps the most famous of all sci-fi movie space stations.
* ''[[Star Wars
* ''[[Project Moonbase]]'' (1953) had the protagonists stop off at a US military space station on the way to the moon. We see people walking along the corridors upside down past people going the other way due to its variable [[Artificial Gravity]].
* ''[[Conquest of Space]]'' (George Pal's 1955 sci-fi flop after his previous blockbusters ''[[Destination Moon]]'' and ''[[When Worlds Collide]]'') had The Wheel, whose design was taken from the famous illustrated book of that name.
* The space station over Solaris in ''[[Andrei Tarkovsky|Solaris]]'' is large, but falling apart due to madness and disuse.
* Disney's ''[[Treasure Planet]]'' featured a space station shaped like a crescent moon.
* Disney Channel "[[Zenon]]" movies, a lot of the action is based in Space Stations.
* In David Wingrove's ''[[Chung Kuo]]'' series, there are gigantic space stations for growing food.
* Most of the action of ''[[Vorkosigan Saga|Ethan of Athos]]'' by [[Lois McMaster Bujold]] takes place on Kline Station. A significant portion of the action of both ''The Vor Game'' and ''Komarr'' take place on stations (in the Hegen Hub and near the wormhole connecting Barrayar and Komarr respectively).
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* Part of [[Sergey Lukyanenko]]'s novel ''Competitors'' takes place on a large, disc-shaped station called the Platform or Bun. Nobody knows for sure who built the station ({{spoiler|it was the Bugs}}), but ordinary people keep getting sent there and are given enough funds to purchase a small ship and start their career in space. Occasionally, the Platform undergoes attacks by a race known only as the Bugs. No matter their clan affiliation or criminal status, all gather to defend the station.
* ''[[Babylon 5]]'' takes place on an O'Neill Cylinder.
** Various fluff even call all ''Babylon'' stations ''O'Neill''-class.
** The other human stations are wheel-shaped. Centauri stations look like two pyramids attached at the base.
* ''[[Star Trek
** ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' is set on the titular station.
** Also Spacedock in ''[[Star Trek III: The
*** Plus Spacestation K-7, which had a problem with Tribbles...
* ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000
* ''[[Blake's 7
* ''[[Destination Space]]'' (1959). Pilot for a TV series that was never taken up. Involved a space station damaged by a meteorite and efforts to send a rescue mission.
* ''[[Earth II]]'' (1971). Another pilot for a never-filmed TV series about life on a large space station. The cast was led by Gary Lockwood of ''2001'' fame. The plot involved efforts to stop a nuclear weapon launched by the Chinese from reaching the station.
* Ingrid's space colony in ''[[Starstuff]].''
* ''[[Thunderbirds
* ''[[Stargate]]'' showed a few space stations, including the ISS. The only Goa'uld space station shown was in the Hasara system and used as a meeting place for the System Lords. It was later destroyed by the Replicators.
** The Midway station was located [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|halfway between]] the Milky Way and the Pegasus galaxies and served as a hub for the McKay-Carter Intergalactic Gate Bridge, until the Wraith captured it and set the station to self-destruct.
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* Many space stations of various shapes and sizes are shown in ''[[Andromeda]]''. The largest one is the Arcology, a massive space habitat filled with [[Technical Pacifists]]. The Arcology does have a [[Faster-Than-Light Travel|slipdrive]], although it's ancient (almost [[Steampunk]]-like) and non-functional.
* Most Starports in [[Traveller]] have an orbital component to deal with heavier traffic and a component planetside. Aside from that there are research stations, minor outposts and the like and occasionally (if the jump range is
* [[Space Station 13]]. Obviously.
* Stations are one of the types of constructs that players can design and build in ''[[Star Ruler]]''. They can carry massive defensive weapons, function as a trading hub, orbital refinery, a dry dock, or any combination of the above. Typically placed in orbit around planets, but it's possible to tow them to a new position using a massive carrier, or by yanking it out of orbit with a tractor beam.
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* ''[[Vega Strike]]'' has a lot of orbital installations... which is a good thing, since ports in planetary gravity wells take a lot of time to visit even with very easy simulation. All 3 major spacefaring species and some of the others have Agricultural Station, Mining, Gas Mine, Refinery, Factory, Shipyard and Medical, plus military Fighter Bases and heavy fortresses; Human, Rlaan and Uln also have Commerce Center; Humans and Aera have dedicated Research stations, Humans-only (so far) installations include Outpost (habitat), Relay and (Shaper faction only) Bio-adaptation station. Also, there are occasional "Diplomatic Center" stations.
▲=== [[Web Original]] ===
* There are two very important space stations in the ''[[Global Guardians PBEM Universe]]:'' the orbital headquarters of the Global Guardians itself, and the Stronghold Orbital Super-Maximum Detention Center.
* These are implied to exist in the universe of [[Nexus Gate]] though none have been officially named.
* ''[[Fenspace]]'' has over two dozen space stations at the Earth-Luna L5 point, and others elsewhere. They know in-universe about all the pitfalls described in ''The Tough Guide to the Known Galaxy'' (as mentioned above), but they don't care.
== [[Real Life]]
=== USSR ===
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