Pyrite Mons 2140

Pyrite Mons was discovered and named by the French crew of the HAAS European Class ship HAAS Louis Pasteur in 2140. The Pyrite Mons name refers to the solar system and was chosen in reference to the exceptionally mineral rich and dense asteroid belt located across the habitable zone. The scientific crew concluded that in fairly recent times (astronomically speaking), a rogue planet must have entered the solar system and crashed into an Earth like planet, causing the mutual destruction of both planets that spread around in orbit. In finding so much iron ore, that produced a near golden glint on the asteroid belt, and in imagining the heat of the cataclysm of the destruction that must have occurred, the name 'Pyrite Mountain' was chosen, as pyrite has the same Greek word route meaning fire, and the golden glitter given by 'fools gold'.

There is a planet on the very inner part of the habitable zone named Bugul Noz but it is uninhabitable without purpose built habitation. It is very hot due to very high levels of carbon dioxide and it technically could be terraformed but as there is no large ocean, Oxgae would not be a very effective method.

There is also a super Jupiter like planet with five moons that was given the name Yan-gant-y-tan, although it is referred to as 'Yan Tan' for short. 'Tan' was tried but it didn't carry enough of a unique sound to survive in common parlance. Yan Tan both causes asteroids to clump and to be ripped apart again by impact from other asteroids pulled by its orbiting gravity.

All the metals you would find on Earth, including the iron core, can be found in the asteroid belt, twice over and in useful size chunks. Unsurprisingly interest in the system is huge and only the large cost of portage (also known as portaling) has prevented rapid exploitation. On news of its discovery REC redeployed its entire Belter mining and construction fleet to Pyrite Mons to build a shipyard-trading hub called Cuidightheach REC and establish a s base to study Bugul Noz.

The science base on Bugul Nozis is unimaginatively called Science Base Bugul Noz, and it studies the use of plants to terraform, but due to its very small size it serves very little practical scientific purpose. Bugul Nozis was actually established as a legal risk hedge on access to the territory of the system of Pyrite Mons, particularly the asteroid belt. The lawyers know that judges are influenced by evolutionary instincts and in regards to territory claims, they weigh a flag stuck into some dirt as worth more to a claim than the far larger and more established space station Cuidightheach REC. SBBN is no more than a flag in the ground, even if it is officially looking to terraform the planet. The scientists known this and don't care; they love their jobs and can visit Cuidightheach REC at any time.

Pyrite Mons is not a colony and no settlements exist, although it is expected to evolve into an Aetherial analog due to the high amount of Belter migrant workers.