"In the beginning the Universe was created. This had made many people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move." The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Douglas Adams, October 1980. Print.
Earth Solar System
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A solar system is a star and all of the objects that travel around it—planets, moons, asteroids, comets and meteoroids. Most stars host their own planets, so there are likely tens of billions of other solar systems in the Milky Way galaxy alone. Solar systems can also have more than one star. These are called binary star systems if there are two stars, or multi-star systems if there are three or more stars.
The solar system we call home is located in an outer spiral arm of the vast Milky Way galaxy. It consists of the Sun (our star) and everything that orbits around it. This includes the eight planets and their natural satellites (such as our moon), dwarf planets and their satellites, as well as asteroids, comets and countless particles of smaller debris.
Major Worlds
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The Major Worlds hold the future of Humanity. These are planets that are very much like Earth, with breathable atmospheres, decent climate, and great potential for life. As of 2179, there are 5 Major Worlds (Alexandria, Hilo, Micor, New Eden, and Tartarus), and all are being rapidly developed by the Corporations which own them. Populations range from 2 million to 50 million, but all 5 worlds have high-tech manufacturing, heavy industry, and are nearly self-sufficient.
Colonies
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Colonies are established on worlds which are fairly livable, or which have been adapted to human use. A Colony has two important attributes: a spacecraft service base and manufacturing capability. The exact level of technology available varies with each Colony, but all have at least some ability to manufacture their own goods and be self-sufficient in the most vital commodities: food, water, and atmosphere. More advanced Colonies even have full high-tech manufacturing and heavy industry.
Terraforming and Mining Worlds
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These are the smallest and simplest of Humanity's settlements, and they are placed on worlds that are not desirable for human habitation. While some have Service Bases, none have more than rudimentary manufacturing ability. Terraforming Stations are placed on worlds that have potential but involves decades of expensive work before the world is truly habitable. Mining Worlds are much easier to create, but lack the long-term value of a world that can be made habitable. "Mining" in this sense includes the collection or harvesting of unusual life forms as well as the gathering of minerals and other inorganic substances.
Garrison Systems
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These are systems which do not include inhabited planets, but which have been fortified for defensive purposes. The fortifications consist of deep space sensor arrays, to detect the arrival of ships in the system, and a number of System Defense Frigates and other spacecraft. In some Garrison Systems, there are also top-secret military and scientific facilities. Weapons tests, unusual research, and high-security prisons are placed here.
Jump Systems
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Between the systems listed on the Starmap are numerous Jump Systems. These are the stepping stones, which link the worlds of Humanity.
Sectors
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Each of the worlds of the ICC are organized into several different Sectors, which are the areas developed by the major exploration Corporations.