Gaia pod

Gaia pods are experimental terraforming devices that were developed prior to the arrival of the Storm in the solar system.

Capabilities
Gaia pods are able to terraform small areas into habitable zones on an otherwise uninhabitable planetoid. These devices function by drawing in nearby basic components of the environment and converting them into breathable air and fertile soil. As such, they can only fully function when both the air and soil in which the pod is planted on receives some sort of continuous nourishment. Much to the irritation of UEC officials, Gaia pods could only produce reliable results in a three mile radius from the pod itself, and thus multiple pods were required for creating a settlement the size of most on Earth. This, in addition to several other issues with the device, resulted in the project ultimately being deemed a failure, though all terrestrial colonies were given a number of Gaia pods for scientific purposes or used per the will of a planetary governor.

Known uses

 * Ceres — six pods were used to support minor, failed colonies on the dwarf planet's surface. Only three remain operable.