Series · 2003
Planetes
プラネテス
By 2075, passenger spacecraft regularly connect Earth, space stations and the Moon. Hachimaki collects orbital debris for a living while dreaming of owning a spacecraft. New recruit Tanabe joins his poorly regarded department, where everyday work brings her into conflict with colleagues whose attitudes differ sharply from hers.
The debris is made of discarded satellites, rocket parts and fragments left by collisions, all still moving through orbit. Hachimaki's apparently unglamorous job deals with the material left behind by routine space travel. He is also a salaried worker, four years into the occupation, trying to decide whether this work can lead to the future he wants.
The station is a workplace with offices and employee accommodation, while the crew go outside in an ageing collection ship called Toy Box. It is thirty years old but still carries two smaller craft for retrieving debris. That combination of corporate routines and serviceable old equipment gives space travel a practical texture. The people keeping orbit usable work with the tools their department has, rather than stepping into a pristine future.
Complete series · Approx. 11 hours · 26 episodes
The complete original 2003–2004 animated television series, episodes 1–26; not the manga. Viewing time is approximate.