In 2335, the destruction of the Lucifer super destroyer collapsed the Sol jump node in Delta Serpentis, severing all contact with Earth.

 

The fate of the Terran home planet remains open to speculation, though a number of scenarios are possible. As the center of an interstellar community, Earth could not survive in isolation without a radical transformation of its political and economic structures. On this point, there is no disagreement. However, the question remains whether this transition occurred peacefully or whether Terran society collapsed into anarchy. Strong arguments have been advanced for both sides.

For generations, Earth had been the political, economic and cultural center of Terran civilization. Humans still measured time in hours, days, months and years. They named their ships after the mythological figures of ancient Terran civilizations, and systems were still identified according to the constellations observed from Earth. The planet served as a capital of the GTA, and the bulk of the Terran industrial base was located in the Sol system. Offworlders identified their nationality according to the old Earth boundaries, though nation-states dissolved after the discovery of subspace and the emergence of an interstellar Terran society.

Though necessity has diminished Earth's practical importance in the post-war era, discovering the means to return home remains a high priority.