L5 Lagrange Point

The L5 Lagrange Point (L5ラグランジュポイント, Eru Go Raguranju Pointo) was one of the five Earth-Moon Lagrange points, located approximately 384,400 kilometres from Earth in the direction opposite to the Moon. In the Cosmic Era timeline, L5 served as the location of the PLANTs, the space colonies that housed the Coordinator nation. The L5 Lagrange Point was the site of numerous key facilities, battles, and events during the First Alliance-PLANT War.

Overview

Lagrange points are positions in space where the gravitational forces of two large bodies (in this case, Earth and the Moon) create regions of relative stability. The L5 point, along with L4, is particularly stable, making it an ideal location for long-term space settlements. The PLANTs were constructed at L5, establishing it as the heart of Coordinator civilisation and the primary target of Earth Alliance military operations.

PLANTs

The PLANTs (Productive Location Ally on Nexus Technology) were a series of space colonies constructed at L5, serving as the home of the Coordinator nation. The PLANTs were organised into various colonies, each serving different functions:

Aprilius One – Capital colony and headquarters of the PLANT Supreme Council
Junius Seven – Agricultural colony destroyed in the Bloody Valentine incident
Various other PLANT colonies housing millions of Coordinators

The PLANTs represented the pinnacle of Coordinator technology and civilisation, demonstrating their ability to create self-sufficient space habitats that rivalled or exceeded Earth’s capabilities.

ZAFT facilities

The L5 Lagrange Point housed numerous ZAFT military facilities, including:

Boaz – Defensive space fortress protecting the PLANTs
Jachin Due – Defensive space fortress and site of the final battle of the First Alliance-PLANT War
GENESIS – ZAFT superweapon facility destroyed during the Battle of GENESIS

These facilities formed a defensive network around the PLANTs, designed to protect Coordinator civilisation from Earth Alliance attacks.

Strategic importance

The L5 Lagrange Point’s strategic importance was immense, as it was the location of the PLANTs and the heart of Coordinator civilisation. Control of L5 meant control over the Coordinator nation, making it the primary objective of Earth Alliance military operations during the First Alliance-PLANT War.

The location’s distance from Earth (approximately 384,400 kilometres) made it a challenging target for Earth Alliance forces, requiring extensive space operations and long-range deployments. However, the Earth Alliance’s determination to eliminate the Coordinator threat led to multiple major battles at L5, including the climactic Battle of GENESIS.

Notable events

Bloody Valentine

The Bloody Valentine incident occurred at L5 when Earth Alliance forces destroyed Junius Seven, an agricultural PLANT colony. The attack killed over 240,000 Coordinators and marked the beginning of the First Alliance-PLANT War.

Battle of Boaz

The Battle of Boaz saw Earth Alliance forces launch a massive assault on the ZAFT defensive facility Boaz at L5. Despite fierce resistance, the Alliance eventually destroyed Boaz, opening the way for their advance towards the PLANTs.

Battle of GENESIS

The Battle of GENESIS was the climactic final battle of the First Alliance-PLANT War, fought at L5 over the GENESIS superweapon and the Jachin Due fortress. The battle saw the intervention of the Three Ships Alliance, which successfully prevented the use of GENESIS and brought the war to an end.

Behind the scenes

The L5 Lagrange Point is a real astronomical location, one of the five Earth-Moon Lagrange points discovered by mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange. The L4 and L5 points are particularly stable, making them ideal locations for space colonies in science fiction. The use of L5 as the location of the PLANTs demonstrates the scientific accuracy of the Cosmic Era setting.

Appearances

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny

External links

Lagrange point on Wikipedia
L5 Lagrange Point on the Gundam Wiki