Zero-X
Derek Meddings' 7 foot (2.1m) model of the Zero-X spacecraft, displayed in the launch sequence that opens the film Thunderbirds Are Go (1966)
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| First appearance | Thunderbirds Are Go |
|---|---|
| Affiliation |
Glenn Field Spaceport (2065–67) Spectrum Organisation (2068) |
| Launched | 2065 |
| General characteristics | |
| Auxiliary craft | Martian Exploration Vehicle (MEV) |
| Armaments | 1 x missile gun (onboard MEV) |
| Propulsion | nose cone: 2 Rosenthal-Hodge Dynamics sustainer rockets lifting body 1: 8 variable-cycle turbo-ram jets, 4 under each wing; 5 centrally mounted variable-mode gas turbine jets; 2 wing-tip booster jet engines lifting body 2: as above main body: 8 variable-mode engines operating as chemical rockets in space, or as variable-cycle jet engines using air intakes in atmospheric flight; 2 pitch and yaw rockets MEV: 2 chemical booster rockets; variable-mode gravity generator providing internal artificial gravity and additional lift and hover capabilities on planetary surfaces and during take-off |
| Chassis | Aluminium |
| Mass | 11,460 tons |
| Length | 1,190 feet |
| Width | 780 feet |
Zero-X (spelling variants include "Zero X" or "Zero – X") is a fictional Earth spacecraft that appeared in two of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's Supermarionation productions, the 1966 film Thunderbirds Are Go and the 1967 television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. Although publicity material for the various Supermarionation series, and the TV Century 21 comic, made references to connections between the Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet canons, Zero-X is the only official link between the two series.
The first manned craft to land on Mars, the metallic-blue Zero-X comprises a number of detachable sections. The main body houses the chemical engines which provide the craft with the thrust required for lift-off and the subsequent journey to Mars. The Martian Exploration Vehicle (MEV) is attached to the front of the main body where it serves as the spaceship's main control centre during spaceflight. During atmospheric ingress or egress, two remotely controlled "lifting bodies" (self-propelled "flying wing" aerofoils) are attached to the main body at the front and rear of the craft. Finally, a heatproof nose cone with an aluminium exoskeleton protects the MEV during take-off and provides further aerodynamic flow to the vehicle in atmospheric ascent; it is jettisoned just before leaving the Earth's atmosphere, and is the only non-reusable part of the spacecraft.
The lifting bodies act as wings to allow the craft to operate from a runway like a conventional aeroplane, and carry multiple jet engines to reduce the amount of fuel needed for the main body's chemical engines. They separate from the main body when the craft is at a sufficiently high altitude and fly back to base; on re-entry, they rendezvous with the spacecraft and dock with it to again act as wings and provide propulsion in the atmosphere. On reaching Mars, the MEV detaches from the main body, which is left in orbit piloted by a single astronaut, and descends towards the planet's surface. At the surface the MEV extends caterpillar tracks to negotiate the rocky terrain.
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