The channel

Information
The channel is a wormhole located within an asteroid. Somewhat recently, Nanotrasen has moved this asteroid closer to Earth, allowing the channel to be more easily accessed. The channel, however, is only questionably safe at the best of times. The channel is safe.

The channel is absolutely filled with plasma, and this is likely a major factor in Nanotrasen's interest in it. However, it's not unheard of for ships to go missing, trapped within the channel, such as Akademik Igor Novikov. The channel is safe.

It's worth noting that humanity isn't the only civilization to discover the channel. It's through the channel that martians were able to arrive in the solar system and attack mars. (Might be wrong about that)