On 8/12/2017 12:54 PM, tmr0195@comcast.net wrote:
> Afternoon PDT Phil Pugliese,
> My apologies for not editing my response back to the original post and
> for not being clear in my post.
> If a planet does not have any sort of permanent ground presence I can
> see that it probably has only an orbital port.
> Here is how I think ports may be established:
> The inhabitants start with a ground installation to reach orbit.
> Expanding throughout their system they establish orbital facilities. In
> Traveller once the jump drive comes on-line one or more of the orbital
> facilities get upgrade to a star port and/or new facilities get built.
> Ground facilities for the original space program may or may not be upgraded.
> Worlds that are being terra-formed or be colonized might have orbital
> facilities first and then have ground facilities built later.
> Tom Rux

The vast majority of inhabited worlds in the 3I are colonies, I believe.
  There aren't any natives, no "original" space program.

There may well be worlds that had to climb back out of their gravity
well during/after the Long Night, to reclaim the orbital facilities
already waiting there, but I submit that's a different sort of situation.

--
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Kelly St. Clair
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