offplanet

Offplanet refers to anything located outside the surface of a planet. It is both an adjective and an adverb used in science fiction, space policy discussions, and speculative futurism to describe destinations, habitats, or activities not on a planet’s surface. The term is often hyphenated as off-planet or used in its closed form offplanet, though off-world and extraterrestrial are common synonyms depending on context. In general usage, offplanet denotes space environments or planetary bodies other than the primary planet under discussion, including orbital platforms, moons, or spacecraft traveling between worlds.

In science fiction, offplanet is used to characterize colonies, civilizations, or expeditions that operate beyond a planet’s surface. It covers a range of settings from space stations in Earth orbit to outposts on the Moon or Mars and ships traveling through interplanetary space or interstellar voyages. The term helps contrast terrestrial or planetary-bound activities with those conducted away from a planet.

In real-world spaceflight, the phrase is less formal and often replaced by more precise terms such as orbital, lunar, Martian, or deep-space. Nonetheless, offplanet remains a common idiomatic descriptor in fiction, journalism, and public discourse about space exploration and future human settlement.