New Caprica

For the Video Game's "New Caprica", see New Caprica (Video Game).

New Caprica as seen from space.

New Caprica is the name given to the harsh but fairly habitable planet found by The Fleet. It was discovered by Racetrack by mere happenstance -- after the Raptor she was in Jumped to the wrong coordinates.

Due to the surrounding nebulae, DRADIS is rendered practically useless -- an attribute which made the planet prime for colonization by the Fleet's survivors. With this news, and unable to continue jumping to Caprica, Racetrack jumped back to Galactica, providing information and sensor readings on the planet.

The planet later becomes a galvanizing issue which Tom Zarek believes -- correctly, as it turns out -- would swing the vote Baltar's way (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I).

Upon Baltar's ascension to the presidency, he ordered the colonization of the planet. Settling on the planet, the major population center on New Caprica became New Caprica City, which itself is populated by over 39,000 survivors. Over a year after settlement, there were major shortages of basic living materials and medical supplies. Most of the population still lived in canvas tents instead of permanent homes of some sort. It appears many among the population of New Caprica City, including Tyrol and the workers' union which he now leads, blame Baltar and his policies as president for most or all of the continuing economic/social problems facing the settlers on New Caprica. (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II).

380 days after colonization, the Cylons discover New Caprica, lured by the energy signature caused by the detonation of the nuclear warhead that destroyed the Cloud 9. When the Cylon fleet jumped into orbit, the fleet jumps away to an unknown location while President Baltar surrenders (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II). Obviously, these events will have some effect on the permanence of New Caprica as a homeworld for humanity.

The exact population of New Caprica City is 39,192.

Significant colonials on the surface of New Caprica (for our purposes, anyway) when the Cylons arrived include former President Laura Roslin and current President Gaius Baltar, Colonel Saul Tigh and his wife Ellen, Major Cottle, Captain Kara Thrace and her husband Samuel Anders, Chief Galen Tyrol and his wife Cally, Presidential aide Felix Gaeta, and Maya and her adopted daughter Isis.