Inner Colonies

The Inner Colonies were the first worlds terraformed and colonised by the UNSC, relieving the overpopulation pressure on Earth that resulted from the Interplanetary War. The majority of them were settled between 2310, which marked the launch of the first colony ship, and 2490, when Reach became the UNSC's military center. As the UNSC began settling the Outer Colonies, the Inner Colonies, with their established social and economic infrastructures, became the political and economic basis of the UNSC, supplies with raw materials from the newer settlements.

Numerous ships were pulled from their positions in the Outer Colonies to defend the Inner Colonies. Old ships, such as the Halcyon-class Cruiser Pillar of Autumn, were refitted and brought back into service to supplement the remaining defense forces.

At the beginning of the Battle of Reach, dozens of Inner Colony planets were bypassed by the Covenant Fleet attacking Reach, so it can be presumed that a number of those Colonies survived, especially given to the fact that the next Covenant attack was against Earth.

Known Inner Colonies
Epsilon Eridani system Sol system Sigma Octanus System
 * Reach - glassed by the Covenant in 2552.
 * Circumstance - Status Unknown.
 * Tribute - Status Unknown.
 * Earth - Human controlled.
 * Mars - Status Unknown, most likely to have survived.
 * Jupiter - Status Unknown, most likely to have survived.
 * Pluto - Status Unknown, most likely to have survived.
 * Sigma Octanus IV - Human controlled.