Artwork of an orbital ring around the Earth. At its most basic, an orbital ring is a cable encircling the planet at any altitude, spinning just faster that orbital velocity to hold it taught. Currents circulating in this ring turn it into an electromagnet. Structures can but hung from this ring, or built onto platforms adjacent to it but not touching it. Held in place by magnetic forces, they would stay in the same position above the Earth. Cables hanging from the ring could serve as space elevators. Additionally, because the ring is moving at orbital speeds, it could also be used as a launch platform.