Orbitor

An Orbitor is a broad classification of which was used prior and during the. Originally coined at some point prior to Mars' colonisation and subsequent in, Orbitors were strictly defined as any ship too large to operate within a planet or moon's atmosphere and too short-ranged and/or unreliable to make interplanetary trips without support. Such vessels were typically larger than and were often designed for providing a variety of roles, from repair and refuelling to orbital fire support to ballistic missile deterrence. However, as the range of starship's increased this eventually referred only to ships which could not support their weight in an atmosphere.

Due to the significant expense in creating warfighting starships, Orbitors came to symbolise the impressive capabilities of any country's military. Despite this, their firepower was often far inferior to those of traditional maritime vessels due to the enforcement of Space Armaments Regulations. These regulations limited gun calibres and missile payloads, and forbid nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. While diligently followed during the early decades of the twenty-second century, the lack of easy identification of a given ship's role set and combat abilities would see the term abandoned in favour of traditional maritime equivalents, especially as warship diversification increased during the Interplanetary War.

List of Known Ships

 * Canberra-class combat orbitor
 * Lightning-class stealth orbitor
 * Lightning-class stealth orbitor
 * Lightning-class stealth orbitor