Orbital Ring

Orbital rings are large artificial rings surrounding planets, with cables connected to various points on the planet's surface allowing for easy transport to and from space. They consist of an interior ring, which is spinning fast enough to maintain orbit around the planet, and an outer ring, which is magnetically suspended around the inner ring, allowing it to remain stationary relative to the planet's surface without collapsing. They act as spaceports, efficient surface-to-surface transportation, microgravity factories, and even agricultural and housing facilities. Orbital rings are present around almost every habitable world settled by Humans, as well as many uninhabitable but settled planets and planetoids. Many worlds, especially those in Earth Space possess systems of multiple, sometimes interconnected orbital rings. Orbital rings have largely replaced older, less efficient but cheaper space elevators, and are foundational to the modern economy and space transport.
Orbital rings largely eliminate the need for spaceships to land on inhabited planets, as they can simply dock with the ring and unload any passengers or cargo, which can be lowered by cable car to the planet. Most rings possess trains that travel their entire circumference, as well as many dozen cable cars to various points on the surface, allowing those on the ring to easily reach most important locations roughly below the ring. This also allows those on the planet to travel to the ring and take a train and cable car to another point on the planet. Unlike space elevators, orbital rings do not need to be stationed at a planet's equator, meaning that multiple rings can encircle a planet on different orbits, which allows more locations to be connected to orbital rings. Rings can also be connected to each other, as they are functionally stationary, allowing for networks of interconnected orbital rings to be constructed.