A federation comprised of 7 planets (the last being Mars, which has had its own planetary government since the conclusion of the First Contact War), the USS is democratic with its government residing on a large space station orbiting Saturn (although large, not near the colossal size of the Citadel). Since being formed in 2257, the USS has led humanity to become one of the most dominant forces in the galaxy, and its influence unmatched even by two of the most prominent species in the galaxy combined.