Nerva Beacon

The Nerva Beacon (a.ka. the Ark) was a space station located in the Sol system.

Origins

 * The Doctor made an ambiguous statement to the effect that "all this" originated in the 31st century, possibly meaning the space station itself or possibly technological refinements to the station.

The original purpose of the space station was to act as a beacon (hence the name) to warn spacecraft about the planetoid Voga. Nerva had a transmat link to the breahtable interior of the planetoid. (DW: Revenge of the Cybermen)

Later history

 * An unknown number of centuries or millenia passed.

Several thousand years later, the beacon had moved to Earth orbit. Nicknamed "the Ark", the beacon now acted as a cryogenic storage facility. Genetic samples of Earth flora and fauna, and the bodies of specially selected Humans were placed into suspended animation for thousands of years due to solar flares which had temporarily made the planet unlivable. The transmat link now connected the station with Earth, rather than Voga.

Due to a Wirrn infestation, the Humans overslept by many thousands of years. (DW: The Ark in Space)

During those thousands of years, the Nerva Beacon became a legend, the lost ark of mankind, sleeping while the rest of humanity was expanding their empire into the rest of the galaxy and beyond. (DW: The Sontaran Experiment)