Zenostium

Zenostium (Qers'nok: Nilatite) is a commercial name for a particular type of exotic matter used in the construction of anti-gravity plates.

Acquisition
Rare and difficult to acquire, zenostium is virtually only found in an energetic state in flux tubes. In its raw plasma form, zenostium quickly breaks down at room temperature and pressure. It can only be harvested using machinery that generate immense magnetic fields, where it is then isolated and refined into a solid-state metamaterial with exotic properties. This process is extremely power-intensive and requires significant industrial infrastructure, and is so costly that the UNSC has pursued research in alternative materials, such as Tyrkal.

Zenostium was initially only found in the flux tube between Sol's Jupiter and moon of Io. Since then, colonies such as Nephis now act as major exporters for the material.

Usage
Discovered in the twenty-third century, zenostium initially only had fringe industrial and scientific applications until its gravitatic properties were discovered in the late twenty-forth century. Since then, it has become the primary material needed to produce economical paragravity plates used for establishing artificial gravity. In the 2500s, most smaller warships such as frigates use these plates to keep themselves airborne when operating in a planet's atmosphere.