Orbital Era

The Orbital Era (shortened to OE) is the calendar that took the place of the Current Era calendar after efforts to colonize space expanded past Earth towards the edge of the Asteroid Belt.

Series

 * Mobile Gear Gundam Blues

Before Orbital Era
Earth, suffering from overpopulation and an increasing lack of hospitable space, went through a tumultuous period of time where various countries attempted to take each other's land by force. Wars cropped up across the planet, which reduced the number of livable environments down even more. Plans involving mass genocide and population control began to appear as well, trying to stave off loss of necessary materials as long as possible. Governments crumbled and dissolved, the borders shifted and outright disappeared, people were dying, and the problem was neverending.

The American government, having taken most of North and South America, soon began trying to seek a more peaceful solution to the crisis under the new presidency of Nicolas Kleiner. Opposing countries either sought partnership with the US, or attempted to launch attacks in an attempt the land it had already accumulated. With military superiority and allies willing to work alongside it, the United States dissolved most hostile governments into itself. This amalgamate government soon rebranded itself as United Earth.

To solve the issue of overpopulation, Kleiner resolved to move humanity into space, as it seemed to be the only viable future available. The first Space colonies were rapidly built and filled up, alleviating the problem for a time. More colonies were built overtime, with the plan to leave 25% of humanity on Earth while the rest were moved into space so that the Earth could rest and recover.

Turmoil began again, however, as the colonies started to clamor for independence from United Earth, citing restrictions placed upon them which leave them helpless. War began again as the colonists and those of the UE grew violent against each other. Despite beginning with little to no power, the gathered colonies funneled resources until they had a weapon that could best anything the UE had: Mobile Gear. Reverse engineering the colony builder machines into highly mobile weapons platforms, the colonies fought hard and long until the UE relented and granted them complete independence from the Earth, with the exception of colonies which wanted to stay with the UE.