They use a number of methods to dispose of the debris (mainly by burning it via atmospheric reentry or through salvage), accomplished through the use of EVA suits.

On a routine debris collection run, Yuri Mihairokov finds a compass, the only keepsake of his deceased wife, and is rescued by Hachirota "Hachimaki" Hoshino.

Fresh recruit Ai Tanabe is added to the crew of the Toy Box 2 as a replacement for Hachimaki when he leaves to become a Jupiter Mission candidate.

At the trials for the Jupiter Exploration Mission, Hachimaki learns his friend Hakim Ashmead is a terrorist bombing of an elevator.

Tanabe meets and befriends The Baron, a fellow debris hauler who claims he is an alien from the planet Retikle on a mission to make a hundred friends on Earth.

After returning from a holiday on Earth, Fee and the crew of Toy Box 2 find a piece of classified debris, a United States Navy orbital mine.

Fee recounts her experience with her uncle in the American South, particularly the racism that he encountered as an unemployed, reclusive black man living in the woods.

The crew of Toy Box 2 are returned to Earth, where Fee goes home to her family and attempts to resume her life as a mother.

The captain of Von Braun struggles with the speech he will give when the ship reaches Jupiter, resulting in him being hospitalized with a stomach ulcer.

[11] The final settlement of the conflict is also unique in that it is not resolved by any of the main protagonists or antagonists, but by a compromise struck between powers above their heads.

While the manga deals more with existential themes, and humanity's relationship with space, the anime further expands the political elements of the story.

[3] The manga was nominated for a Angoulême International Comics Festival award in the Raja Eco-Fauve Selection category in 2023.

[28] Pop Matters described Planetes as one of the best sci-fi manga due to the setting chosen and how Yukimura executes the characterization of the main characters.

[29] Mania Entertainment initially praised the handling of Hachimaki and Tanabe who possessed their own unique dreams and traits in the manga despite working together and enjoyed Yukimura's artwork, standing not only for the character designs but also backgrounds.

[30] In a following review,[31] Otaku USA liked the artwork for the detailed character designs, most notably their expressions and also recommended the manga due to its focus on human relationships.

[34] For the climax, Mania enjoyed the new conflicts Hachimaki's career faced and how he still fought to decide what to do with his life alongside Tanabe.