Long before megastructures, a maturing civilization fills near-orbit with machines. Constellations of thousands of satellites knit the planet together, watch its climate and weather, and lay the groundwork for orbital industry and power.

It marks the moment a species stops being purely planet-bound: the sky becomes worked space, the staging ground for the orbital belts, collector shells and elevators of the full Type I climb.

The model shows the satellite layer at the opening rung of the Type I progression — multiple orbital planes of craft circling the world.