Starbase
From Hidden Frontier
A starbase is a facility that can serve as a research station, a military base, a place for interstellar trade or a seat of administration. Some starbases provide various services to starships, ranging from basic starship repair and resupply, rest/recreation and medical facilities (often more extensive than those found onboard starships) to full-fledged spacedocks capable of refitting or constructing a starship.
Starbases can be partially or completely located on a planetary surface, or be limited to strictly spaceborne installations. Some are a combination of both elements.
The term "starbase" is often specifically used to refer to facilities of the Federation's Starfleet. Starbases are generally commanded by a flag officer and fulfill a major support role in Starfleet operations. They coordinate starship activity and provide supplies and maintenance to Federation starships. Some starbases, like Deep Space Nine, are jointly operated by local governments. Major Federation starbases are numbered sequentially, totalling more than 700 in the 2360's. Besides the numbered "regular" starbases, Starfleet also operates so-called "Deep Space" outposts, usually located outside Federation territory or in the interstellar void.
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