The Global Coalition Orbital Assembly achieves permanent crewed status — the first neutral geopolitical space of the post-Upheaval era.
The GCOA station was the only infrastructure project all five major ground factions contributed to — because none could afford to be absent from low Earth orbit while the others were there. It functions as diplomatic neutral ground and industrial platform.
The GCOA controls access to orbital assets every faction depends on: weather satellites, communications relays, surveillance infrastructure. This makes it extraordinarily powerful and perpetually threatened.