The Laputa Space Stations are a series of small, experimental space stations designed for robots by the United Nations International Space Cooperation (ISC). These stations have no pressurized compartments or life support systems, resulted in significantly lower construction and operational costs compared to traditional designs. As part of the Alice Project, they serve as bases for Alice, the first true artificial intelligence robot in the Sunset Era, to conduct space missions.
Name
Original name: These space stations were initially named “Lanting Space Stations” (兰亭系列空间站), after the Chinese classic “Lan Ting Ji Xu” (Chinese: 兰亭集序 “the Preface to the Poems of the Orchid Pavilion”) by renowned calligrapher Wang Xizhi (王羲之) from the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The name was chosen from the phrase “looking up at the vastness of the universe and looking down at the abundance of our world” (Chinese: 仰观宇宙之大，俯察品类之盛).
Renaming: Alice later captured the retired Galileo Space Telescope and mounted it on Lanting-1. Her classmate thought the look of the combined structure reminded her of “Laputa,” the Castle in the Sky from a famous animated film. Embracing this idea, Alice hand-painted “Laputa” over “Lanting” on the station without permission. While adults disapproved her behavior, the new name was well-received among children, and the project ended up changing its official English name to “Lanting Space Stations”.
Structure
Petal shields: The exterior of Laputa-1 resembles a multi-petaled flower bud, with each petal made of cushioning material to protect against space debris while also serving as heat radiators. Equipment and supplies are attached to the inner wall of each petal.
Ovary studio: When not on missions, Alice resides in the central area known as the “Ovary,” which contains tools for assembling and repairing spacecraft. The station’s opening faces Earth, allowing the soft blue earthlight to illuminate its interior during the day.
Canopy telescope: At the back of this “flower bud” is the retired Galileo Space Telescope. The telescope was originally scheduled to burn up in the atmosphere, but Alice insisted on keeping it for repairs. Surrounding the telescope are solar panels arranged in rings, creating a tree-like appearance reminiscent of Laputa from Castle in the Sky.
Plans
The first phase of the Laputa project aims to build three space stations in low, medium, and high Earth orbits for robot spaceflight tests.
By the time Alice joined Class 3, Laputa 1 was already operational in low orbit. She used it as a base for satellite repairs, rescues, and debris cleanup.
The constructions of Laputa 2 and 3 in medium and high orbits are still pending; they are planned to be launched in parts to Laputa 1 for assembly before moving to their designated orbits.
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