THE SERIES
The year is 2099. Mankind has been travelling in space for 150 years. But, space travel can be hazardous to humans, so a new breed of space explorer has been perfected. Five Super Intelligent Machines (SIMs) are now the trailblazers to the stars. Travel with them to the far corners of the solar system, places too dangerous for human exploration, in the scientific adventure of a lifetime - Destination Space.
Destination Space blends science fact and science fiction to create an imaginative new half-hour animation adventure series.
Produced by Nugus/Martin Productions, one of the UK’s leading documentary producers, in association with Pearson Television International, Destination Space uniquely combines specially created state-of-the-art 3D animation with original footage from NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California.
To ensure complete scientific accuracy, two prominent astronomers have acted as script and technical advisors to the series, enabling Destination Space to predict the space explorations that could actually happen in the next century; and to create an innovative intergalactic adventure.
For their journey, three explorers Hover, Legs and Wheels are housed in the transfer vehicle Lander. They are carried to their destination by the mother spaceship, Earthlink. On arrival, the three SIMs set out on their assignments, using specially designed equipment. But, in the alien environments in which they find themselves, things don’t always go according to plan.
Destination Space takes you through the fiery volcanoes of Venus and into the icy world of Neptune; to one of Jupiter’s moons; and even to an Earth-threatening asteroid. Each adventurous mission reveals amazing facts and hidden dangers as the Universe is explored.
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SIM 1 Code Name: EARTHLINK
(Captain and Mission Control)
Inter-planetary spaceship. Creates and maintains the flight plan. Houses the super-computer and data base. Authoritative, calm and organised.
SIM 2 Code Name: LANDER
(Ground Operations Manager)
Transfer vehicle and safety refuge for the three explorers. Cautious and practical.
SIM 3 Code Name: LEGS
(First Officer & Co-Pilot)
Armed with holographic camera, laser cannons, and winch. LEGS explores and releases geological samples. Strong, proud and protective of WHEELS and HOVER.
SIM 4 Code Name: WHEELS
(Science Specialist)
A laboratory on wheels. Indispensable. Collects and analyses space samples. Adventuresome and risky, and will stop at nothing to complete the mission.
SIM 5 Code Name: HOVER
(Aerial Scout and Surveyor)
Remote sensing of surfaces and gases. Energetic, impatient and restless, and the joker of the team.
THE 26 PROGRAMMES
(each programme = 26 minutes)
DESCRIPTION OF THE ADVENTURES
Programme 1
Mission to Mars
In 2037, the SIMs make their fourth mission to the Red Planet. Legs is new to the team. His predecessor was badly damaged in an accident on the moon a few months earlier.
The aim of the mission is to find a site for a second manned base by testing for water and other essential materials. En-route to Mars the SIMs fly into a shower of uncharted metal objects, which turn out to be part of the Mars Observer from way back in 1992. Although they are struck by one of the larger chunks of debris they sustain minimal damage.
They land close to Olympus Mons, the mightiest volcano in the solar system, more than 3 times taller than Everest. The SIMs have to contend with Martian winds - which can blow at up to 400 miles an hour. They gather intriguing samples. The SIMs are almost caught by a massive dust storm. Whilst trying to escape they set off a rockslide which traps Wheels. Legs frees Wheels and they race back to Lander which takes off in the nick of time. They plunge into a canyon to avoid the full force of the storm. Despite being buffeted between the rock walls they manage to dock with Earthlink and return safely to Earth.
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Programme 2
Mission to the Moon
In 2041, the SIMs make their sixth mission to the Moon. They are scouting for sites for another manned base. Hover has a special task - to search for Helium-3, which is urgently needed for fusion reactors to stop an energy crisis on Earth.
On the three-day voyage to the Moon the SIMs review historic shots of the epic first Moon landing of Apollo XI, and the subsequent exploration by US astronauts. They also call in to repair SETI-L1; an old, unmanned space station, which for the past 40 years has been searching for radio signals from life in outer space. Whilst on SETI-L1 a jammed docking port delays their departure to the Moon.
After a week on the surface of the Moon Hover discovers traces of Helium-3. An unexpected meteor shower almost wrecks the SIMs. Wheels is knocked down. Hover uses a specially-adapted grapple to haul Wheels out.
The meteor storm intensifies. With meteors crashing around them, the SIMs make their escape.
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Programme 3
Mission to Halley's Comet
In 2062 Halley’s Comet swings in from outer space. It sweeps round the Sun and close to Earth. The SIMs are sent on a mission to intercept it. They have to fly up through its tail of gas and dust, and try to land.
It is a risky mission since it is not known whether the surface will be hard or soft. Even if they can land the SIMs will have to deal with very low gravity. At the orbiting space station they are equipped with special micro-gravity anchors and safety tethers.
As they fly up through the tail of Halley’s Comet, Earthlink is struck by debris, which is larger than anticipated. Hover flies out to inspect the damage. It is not serious enough to abort the mission, so they close in on Halley’s nucleus.
Lander cautiously approaches the surface, and locates what seems to be a solid enough area. Wheels and Legs manoeuvre carefully on the surface. They deploy their anchors. Meanwhile, Hover flies up through the tail. He has a great time surfing on the gas jets.
Legs wants to move off to a new exploration area, but a few steps out, he plunges through the surface crust and gets stuck. As Wheels begins to freeze-in Hover tries to lower a grapple. The micro-gravity means the grapple floats away and Hover cannot secure it to Legs. With the aid of a new arm device Wheels attaches the grapple. As the Comet gets closer to the Sun and the surface activity becomes more violent Legs is pulled clear, and the SIMs escape.
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Programme 4
Mission to Venus
In 2042, the SIMs set off on their second mission to Venus. They are very aware that their first landing ended in failure. The tremendous heat and pressure caused Wheels to overheat and Legs to buckle. The mission had to be aborted without collecting any samples. This time they are equipped with special cooling systems and extra strengthening.
As they journey to Venus the early Pioneer and Magellan missions are recalled from Earthlink’s archive and reviewed. The SIMs are briefed on how the dense clouds surrounding Venus were finally penetrated by radar mapping.
As they approach Venus, Lander uses a parachute brake to prevent them burning up. Despite being battered by 500 mile-an-hour winds they land safely. The modifications seem to work efficiently so the sample collecting begins.
But, as the work proceeds the SIMs notice that the temperature below the surface in certain areas is rising rapidly. This suggests imminent volcano activity. Wheels gets bogged down in some sticky lava and starts to sink. Hover removes Wheels' sample pack. The SIMs systems are melting. Wheels is sucked further into the lava. Lander orders Legs and Hover to abandon Wheels and return with the sample pack. ‘Take no risks’. But Hover decides to rescue Wheels. With seconds to spare Wheels is pulled clear and the SIMs race back to Lander.
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Programme 5
Mission to the Sun
The SIMs' hottest mission yet, an operation to repair an unmanned space observatory circling very close to the sun. From there Hover will plunge deep into the solar corona, where the temperature is millions of degrees, far hotter even than the Sun’s surface.
In order to combat the heat and radiation, the SIMs dock at a space station circling the Earth where Wheels, Legs and Hover are painted with a special polymer protective coating.
An electric discharge from a solar storm strikes Earthlink causing a systems shutdown. Hover emerges to investigate. Massive electrical currents and blasts of particles bombard him.
Once this storm is past, the SIMs reach the space observatory. Lander touches down. Wheels and Legs repair the space telescope and obtain extraordinary pictures of the Sun’s surface using X-ray and ultraviolet images.
Hover takes off to dive into the corona in a race against time; the protective covering will only last for 300,000 seconds. Initially, the coating keeps Hover’s systems cool. Hover is carried away by the observations of the corona. The time ticks away. Wheels and Legs come to the end of their endurance and re-board Lander. Hover’s coating is evaporating.
Lander takes off to the rescue. As Lander plunges down towards Hover a huge solar flare explodes sending a vast cloud of gas and flame boiling up towards them.
Hover boards just in time. Lander and the SIMs make it out just ahead of the solar storm, sending a vast cloud of gas and flame boiling up towards them.
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Programme 6
Mission to Europa
In 2047, a large meteoroid strikes Europa, the smallest of Jupiter’s moons. The SIMs mount an emergency mission. They aim to reach this strange ice-covered world in time to use the cracks and fissures created by the meteoroid, to explore the centre of Europa.
As they set off the SIMs grumble that they have not had sufficient time for training and simulations. Hover describes the special Plutonium-powered penetrator he will be using to drill down through the ice.
As they race towards Jupiter, the main communication antenna on Earthlink jams, they cannot pick up the final simulations being sent from Earth control. Disaster threatens until Hover is able to release the antenna and Earth comes back on line.
On arrival at mighty Jupiter, 300 times larger than Earth, Lander ferries the other SIMs down to the surface of Europa. While Wheels and Legs gather samples, Hover sets off on the hazardous mission to find a deep crevasse leading to the centre.
Hover finds one four miles deep. At the bottom of the crevasse. He lowers the penetrator which breaks through into a concealed lake and samples.
But as Hover rises up through the crevasse, Jupiter’s massive gravity pull starts earthquakes on the surface of Europa. The walls of the crevasse close in threatening to trap Hover.
Hover just managers to squeeze out and races back to board Lander. As a major earthquake rocks Europa, Earthlink and the SIMs set off back to Earth.
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Programme 7
Mission to the Asteroids
Out beyond the orbit of Mars lies the Asteroid Belt, thousands of small worlds - none larger than 600 miles across. In 2044 the SIMs have set out to discover which asteroids have scarce mineral deposits.
The asteroids have virtually no gravity, so Legs and Wheels have to be fitted with special safety equipment: magnetic boots for Legs and a ballistic anchor for Wheels.
En-route, the SIMs fly past the moons of Mars. They review film of the pioneering Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous mission which first sent back photographs.
On reaching the Asteroid Belt, Hover checks out 471 Papagena. The team spend months exploring the belt and retrieving samples.
Finally, they land on the asteroid Psyche where Legs and Wheels start to discover rare mineral deposits. But, overzealous Wheels tries to reach further than her safety line can stretch. The anchor is dragged out. Wheels shoots off into space.
Lander, Legs and Hover have to execute delicate and complex manoeuvres to guide Wheels safely back on board.
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Programme 8
Mission to the Comet Swarm
In 2064 the SIMs travel four billion miles to the outer regions of the solar systems to the ‘celestial deep freeze where the comets of the future are stored’. These frozen rock bodies were formed during the genesis of the solar system. If a collision or a shift in gravity deflects them, they fall towards the sun. The increasing heat causes jets of dust and gas to stream back for millions of miles in the form of a comet.
Earthlink is equipped for the long journey with a new and more powerful rocket motor, the Omega 9, and an innovative solar electric propulsion system.
En route they explore a volatile asteroid from which gases are escaping, a sign that it is turning into a comet. Earthlink heads for the Swarm avoiding the pull of Neptune’s gravity, which could send them off course.
After weeks of investigating the Comet Swarm, by hovering above the rocky surfaces, the SIMs are able to land on one of the largest bodies, KB 20 10 78. As they collect some amazing specimens, Earthlink sends out a recall alert. The space radar has picked up approaching debris. With a collision imminent Earthlink powers away. The debris crashes into KB 20 10 78 narrowly avoiding Earthlink. The SIMs return to Earth.
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Programme 9
Mission to Jupiter
In 2072 the Super Intelligent Machines voyaged to explore this giant ball of gas, with swirling clouds and hurricanes which can blow up to 300 miles an hour. Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system - three hundred times the mass of Earth and 1,000 times its volume.
To reach Jupiter, Earthlink and the SIMs have to cross through the Asteroid Belt. They face disaster when their radio transmitter fails. Legs has to use the telescope to fly them safely through avoiding the asteroids.
As they approach Jupiter, Lander flies the SIMs to the surface of Amalthea, Jupiter’s most hospitable moon. Legs and Wheels undertake a research programme to try to establish its origins. Hover, equipped with Megajets, specialised boosters to give him extra power, makes the hazardous journey to Jupiter. He plunges into the Red Spot, a hurricane larger than Earth which has been blowing for at least 300 years.
As Hover descends into the tempestuous winds he is blown into a near-fatal spin. Despite the dangerous flying conditions Lander skilfully flies to Hover’s rescue.
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Programme 10
Mission to a Black Hole
A routine trip to Mars, to research a potential site for a base, develops into an extraordinary journey to a Black Hole, one of the Universe’s most mysterious phenomena - created when stars explode, and set up a region in space into which matter is sucked never to return.
At the start of the mission disaster almost strikes when the Theta rocket motor fails on take off. Earthlink and the SIMs narrowly escape being burned up during an emergency re-entry.
A few weeks later Earthlink takes off again using the usual gamma boosters. They arrive on Mars where they set up balloons for holographic cameras. The video sensors on the balloons will take accurate 3D surveys required for planning the next base. Wheels searches for raw materials to build a base. After a trouble-free mission on Mars they fly home.
On the journey from Mars to Earth. The ex-ray detector monitors a star in the constellation. Cygnus is blown up. Earthlink gives a briefing on Supernovas and Black Holes from which nothing escapes, material from Interstellar space is drawn into the hole. The SIMs power down for the journey home. Sometime later they are re-started…. 3000 years out of their designated time destination, it is 5039. They are on the edge of a Black Hole.
Lander lands on an asteroid within the gravity field of the Black Hole. Hover decides to investigate and flies towards the centre. The shattering strength of the gravity sucks him into the interior in a flash of light. Legs follows. He is gradually stretched and snapped. His legs become hundreds of times the weight of his head. He too disappears. Lander has severe difficulty, even at 53,000K an hour accelerating in mega-drive to connect with Earthlink. Finally they dock. Earthlink goes into mega-drive, but even at 56,000K cannot break out. Earthlink begins to disintegrate. When all seems over the world returns to normal. Black Hole, was in fact a virtual reality simulator, having survived their virtual reality tragedy the SIMs return to Earth.
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Programme 11
Mission to Io
As the end of the 21st Century approaches the SIMs mission to Jupiter’s moon, Io, will be their most hazardous.
Io’s surface is the most deadly in the solar system. The radiation levels are highly toxic. Random and unpredictable lava flows erupt. The SIMs are specially equipped to resist Io.
The approach to Io is highly dangerous. Hover discovers a lava tube. Wheels and Legs explore a volcanic tunnel. Suddenly a huge lava explosion rips through the rock. Wheels and Legs only just escape the massive lava wave.
Lander lifts off the SIMs in a swirl of poisonous gases.
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Programme 12
Mission to the Orion Star Factory
The SIMs head towards Jupiter and its moons. After an eight month voyage they land on Ganymead, a moon of Jupiter. Throughout the journey they continually gather data on the Orion Star Factory. In the Orion Nebula stars are created and powered up within a mass of gases which are highly toxic to man. Four hot stars began to flood the nebula with their energy a few million years ago, around the time humans emerged.
The Virtual Reality Simulator will store star data and simulate the Star Factory. Legs is fitted with a jet pack. He will match Hover for mobility on this mission. Molecular analysers, star forming aerial locator x-rays and an ultra violet detector, are wired up in the updated telescope.
As they approach Jupiter, the Star tracker malfunctions. Hover exits Earthlink to check it out. Hover burns off paint frozen onto the surface of the Star tracker lens. The information flow to Mission Control starts up again.
As they land on Ganymede Lander looses radio contract with Earthlink. The SIMs explore the tortured surface. Once data is compiled Earthlink powers onto the Orion Star Factory.
Earthlink flies to the heart of the Orion Star Factory. The radar crowds with planetesimals which threaten the ship. Earthlink retreats to less crowded Space. Lander touches down on a shimmering, 400 degree planetesimal. Hover is hit by a shower of rocks and crashes into the planetesimal. Hover smashes to bits and explodes. Legs and Wheels are ordered to work on collecting samples. Another massive planetesimal threatens the SIMs base. Wheels and Legs speedily load up. Lander takes off as the planetesimal closes in. The planetesimal collides with Lander. The SIMs are seemingly destroyed, until Earthlink does a ‘reality check’. The Virtual Reality Simulator has been in operation. The SIMs are all fine.
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Programme 13
Mission to Saturn and its Rings
The SIMs voyage to explore Saturn, and its rings in the year 2080. Most beautiful of the planets, Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun, and is orbited by nine moons and moonlets…
The SIMs have to discover the origin of the rings. Lander is fitted with a new radar system to track the numerous incoming rocks and moonlets. Micro-gravity environment kits are installed in the SIMs. An extra multi-layered, ceramic outer casing protects Hover.
As Earthlink approaches Jupiter there is a computer malfunction which drains vital energy reserves. Mission Control have to figure out the complex problem as Earthlink employs ingenious energy saving tricks. The mission is on the verge of being aborted. But, at the last minute Mission Control fixes the computer.
Lander orbits within Saturn’s rings and finds a small moonlet for a base. After a heavy landing the SIMs set to work. As Hover flies off to test the Saturn atmosphere, a huge, metallic rock mass crashes towards the moonlet. Wheels and Legs take cover. The rock bounces clear. Wheels and Legs fear the next one. Hover launches probes, mesocopters, through the ring system and down towards the gases of Saturn. As Hover flies back to Lander, a rock smashes into his right thruster jet. After a difficult take off Lander rescues Hover from the swirling rocks.
Mission Control anticipates that the SIMs’ information will solve the mystery of the rings of Saturn.
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Programme 14
Mission to the Space Observatory
In 2045 the SIMs journey to the Space Observatory, an immense astronomical observatory, a million miles from Earth. It is strategically placed beyond Earth’s atmosphere where it can detect and explore planets, stars and galaxies. The SIMs have to modify the radio telescope and install new instruments. There is a delay on take off which almost causes the mission to be aborted. With moments left on the 90 second take-off window, the computer link is restored. As they speed towards the Space Station, space junk smashes into Earthlink. The damage is superficial but the heat shields need fixing. At the space station the repairs to Earthlink’s exterior panels take a month. The landing area on the Observatory has zero gravity so magnetic clamps and pads are loaded.
Three hours from the Space Observatory the navigational instruments fail, Earthlink is flying blind. The telescope is deployed to plot their position and course. After a bumpy landing on the Space Observatory platform, the optical telescope and the radio telescope begin to drift away from the platform’s position. The SIMs realign the Observatory. The SIMs power up the magnetic adhesion pads and set to work on upgrading the solar panels and the optical scope which seeks out Earthlike planets orbiting stars. The infra red telescope reveals two stars colliding deep in space. The resulting gamma rays knock out Earthlink’s systems momentarily but Legs' control systems explode. All systems down, Legs spins towards the radio telescope. Hover speeds out and rescues Legs. Safely, all back on board the SIMs return to Earth.
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Programme 15
Mission to Mercury
In 2058 Mercury reaches its closest orbit to the Sun. At the space station the SIMs receive a special protective coating to guard against the heat. The flight path to Mercury takes them past Venus where probes are precision launched into the gaseous atmosphere to measure wind speeds and temperature. The first probe fails as it falls through the chlorine gases and sulphur haze. The second and third report back a mass of information way beyond the SIMs’ expectation.
On through space to Mercury - a planet of extreme temperatures where neither atmosphere nor water have been recorded. The fractured terrain makes the landing difficult. The SIMs analyse the surface of this heavily cratered planet. Hover and Lander fly to a region where the sun does not penetrate. Hover locates water-ice, millions of years old - an important new discovery.
Legs overheats. His systems go into manic overdrive. Legs cracks up and powers down. Wheels hauls Legs back to Lander, and the shade. Gradually Legs cools and re-energises.
On the return journey Legs’ software is re-installed. The SIM is ready to go for another mission….
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Programme 16
Mission to Titan
2077. Titan, Saturn’s Moon, is the second largest moon in the solar system and the only one known to have an atmosphere. A world blanketed by an orange haze of choking clouds rich in carbon, and below a solid surface covered in ice and dotted with lakes. Titan has changed little since it was formed 4 billion years ago, frozen in time. Was Earth like this before life began?
At the space station the SIMs are modified for amphibious work. Wheels doubles as a boat and sub. Legs is fitted with a propulsion unit. Hover will be flying through an atmosphere like soup, thick with organic molecules.
Earthlink journeys towards Mars. With a gravity assist boost round Jupiter they will be catapulted onto Saturn. As they pass Jupiter an intense burst of electro-magnetic energy - a gamma ray burst - powers down all Earthlink's systems. They are in danger of losing the gravity boost window. With seconds to go the SIMs re-ignite the systems which enable Earthlink to reset the right trajectory for Saturn.
At 20,000 miles per hour Earthlink hurtles to Saturn. Using the surface scan radar Legs maps out a safe place to land. As they descend the heat rises and the atmosphere thickens. Hover zips out of Lander with an oxygen bottle, which on Titan is highly combustible. Hover drops the canister and it explodes. Legs demands that Hover pays a penance for this reckless action.
Aqua-Wheels explores a Titan lake. Wheels grabs a small, metal meteorite from the bottom, but the liquid is so cold that her systems overload and the SIM powers down. Legs leaps into the lake and paddles hard towards the stricken Wheels. Legs cools rapidly in the freezing lake. He slows down but keeps pulling Wheels out of the lake. Hover lowers a cable to help drag Wheels out. Lander flies to the lake side to re-power Wheels.
Hover locates an ice volcano which is still active. Hover has made amends for the oxygen accident. Lander takes off with the SIMs all online. They re-dock with Earthlink and head for home.
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Programme 17
Mission to the Earth Threatening Asteroid
Towards the end of the 21st Century astronomers locate a rogue asteroid on a collision course with Earth. It will cause massive destruction. The asteroid is half a mile across and hurtling towards Earth at 10,000 mph. The ever-present cosmic threat is now an imminent disaster. Twelve days before the asteroid’s impact the SIMs are launched on a mission to deflect the asteroid and save the Earth.
The Martian mission planned for five months hence is cancelled. Military security and Earthnet security are alerted - for the first time in the SIMs' experience. The SIMs take off on their secret mission. There is a news black out. The 2000 digit number to unlock the coded instructions is sealed until they reach the space station. New equipment and Archie, a robotic controller, used by the military are loaded. Earthlink will take instructions from Archie.
As they head towards the asteroid, Earthlink’s computer software fails. Hover stands on Earthlink’s wing using his radar to navigate. On the asteroid the SIMs explore and find a suitable place for the mass driver. This will excavate rocks and then fire them from the asteroid. It is anticipated that the rocks will shift the asteroid’s flight path. After hours of firing rocks, Archie orders the SIMs to stop the mass driver. The angle of the canon is wrong. Fuel is running low. A solar collector is positioned to gather solar rays to power the mass driver. After two days of firing rocks at a new angle, news comes through from Earth that their efforts have failed. Time is running out fast. The SIMs have an Earth-saving idea but Archie is unable to assimilate the complex information. Earthlink overrides Archie. The SIMs drill through the asteroid surface in order to release hidden gases. Archie issues orders and is again overridden by Earthlink. Two hours before the asteroid impacts with Earth, the SIMs dismiss Archie as a liability. Rays from the sun deflected by a solar collector activate gases within the asteroid. The gas streams from the massive rock turning the asteroid into a comet and changing its course. It misses Earth by a thousand miles. The SIMs return as heroes.
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Programme 18
Mission to Triton
Triton is three billion miles and one year’s flying away. It is a weird intensely cold world of ice, three quarters the size of Earth’s Moon. This mission will take the SIMs beyond Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus to the farthermost large planet - Neptune and on to Neptune’s largest moon Triton, a mere speck of light in Earth’s largest telescopes.
At the Space Station the SIMs are provided with weather proofing to protect against the near zero temperatures. Legs is fitted with nuclear, mega-watt blasters, extra internal heaters and cryo-fluids which do not freeze. The ice, two hundred and fifty miles thick, will be solid nitrogen, not solid water as on Europa. A cryo-crawler is loaded.
As they pass Mars, Earthlink is re-deployed to rescue a shuttle which because of human error is in the wrong orbit. The shuttle, loaded with urgent, essential supplies for the Mars manned base, is on a collision course with Mars’ moon, Phobos. It is in a desperate race against time. As the shuttle is about to collide with the on coming Moon, Hover secures it and they narrowly avoid a collision.
Lander flies over Triton and finds a safe landing place on the icy surface. The SIMs explore the plume vents. They find all kinds of gases and radio-active rocks.
Hover has to make an emergency landing within a deep fissure. Wheels throws down a grapple and hauls Hover up. They explore a cave below the surface. The temperature rises. Legs causes an avalanche by melting too much snow for sampling. He uses the nuclear mega-watt blasters to blast his way out. As the SIMs re-load Lander senses tremors caused by the nitrogen ice melting and turning to gas. As Lander takes off a new gas plume erupts in the centre of the landing area.
The cryo-crawler is left in the hazardous conditions to send continuous data back to Earth.
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Programme 19
Mission to Uranus
Uranus, the seventh planet from the Sun and two billion miles from Earth. The SIMs mission is to explore Miranda, one of Uranus’s moons, a world of awesome cliffs with vertical rock faces which rise five miles high.
The SIMs, space pioneers, are faced with one of their longest missions. The take off is delayed while central control sends off a rescue mission to save a manned space ship on Mars. At the space station they load up with plutonium power supplies. Their flight path is changed to go via Mars. But a space ship was damaged on take off from Mars and was knocked out of orbit. Now it circles Mars helplessly. The only signals come from the flight recorder. No signals are received from the flight deck. The only hope is to replace the propulsion system. The SIMs are reminded of the emergency on Apollo 13 in the 1970s. The journey will take three months - a race against time.
On arrival in the Mars orbit, Hover checks the damage to the ship. The crew are still alive but in cryo-sleep. The SIMs change the propulsion system, and the ship powers up. The astronauts are re-awoken and return to Mars. The SIMs set off for their six month voyage into deep space.
Uranus has ten narrow rings. Rocks swirl within the outer rings. As Lander flies through the rings they are hit by debris, however, the effect is minimal. Whilst Lander maps out Miranda, Hover flies into the icy clouds of Uranus. He releases the mesocopters which spin through the poisonous gases to the freezing surface of Uranus. One mesocopter malfunctions and starts destroying the others. Hover explodes it.
Lander becomes wedged in a slot canyon. Hover helps Lander navigate out of the confined rock space. Lander’s gas thrusters are low on fuel so he makes an emergency landing. Unfortunately Lander miscalculates and slides towards a chasm. Just in time Lander slows and stops but he is balancing precariously on the edge. Hover’s swift action saves Lander from crashing into the chasm. Whilst Lander is re-energised, the SIMs, in temperatures of 400 degrees, explore and analyse the rocks of Miranda.
Wheels senses vibrations. The ground shifts. A crevasse cracks open separating Wheels and the precious rock samples from the others. Lander rejects Hover’s offer to collect the samples - and abandon Wheels. Lander and the SIMs fly over the crevasse and rescue Wheels - and the samples.
After all the chaos on Miranda the SIMs look forward to a quiet journey home.
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Programme 20
Mission to the S.E.T.I. Telescope
The SIMs modify a space telescope and construct a new telescope on the dark side of the moon, with the aim of searching deeper into space for extra-terrestrial intelligence.
At the Space Station new equipment is loaded for the space observatories: a signal to noise radiometer; a ten billion channel radio spectrum analyser and a coherent signal monitor which scans all the natural radio noise throughout the solar system and isolates artificial noise. Most of the equipment has been flown on ahead in the shuttle. Legs is fitted with a jet pack.
From the Space Station, Earthlink is despatched on a rescue mission. A satellite transmitter, launched an hour before, is spinning out of control. It is part of the network for communications for the S.E.T.I. telescope and the space observatory. If the satellite is not fixed, vital information cannot be sent back to Earth and the mission to S.E.T.I. will have to be abandoned. The satellite has a gas propellant leak. Hover inspects the satellite. With seconds to spare, Earthlink receives instructions from Earth control on how to close down the leak. Hover stabilises the satellite.
Earthlink sets off on the two million mile journey to the Space Observatory. At the Space Observatory they work with the Human Brain Computer 1. Legs and Hover have to join two telescopes, Dish Castor to Dish Pollux, and set them rotating slowly, sweeping the sky searching for intelligent signals. The tether holding the dishes snaps. Wheels and Hover lock on and stop Castor from crashing into the space laboratory. Then they speed to rescue Pollux from floating into deep space. With the twin telescopes scanning the solar system, and a telementory link set up to the Human Brain Computer, Earthlink sets course for the dark side of the Moon.
Once on the far side of the Moon, Lander comes down in a huge crater, which has the perfect dimensions. The SIMs line the crater with thirty thousand reflector tiles to make up a gigantic radio dish. The Human Brain Computer 2 is set up. One of the protective screening panels around the Human Brain Computer 2 falls over. In the short time it takes the SIMs to re-set the panel the H.B.C is seriously affected by a virus caused by the heat and radioactivity. The SIMs pick up the virus from H.B.C.2 and malfunction, badly. Earthlink re-aligns the H.B.C.2 and the SIMs. The S.E.T.I. telescope begins transmitting. The SIMs load up. Lander re-engages with Earthlink and they head for home after another successful mission.
Meanwhile, Castor and Pollux track a particular star cluster - there could be something there….
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Programme 21
Mission to Neptune
In 2082 the SIMs returned to Neptune with the objective of exploring its turbulent atmosphere. Hover was specially reinforced so that he could withstand up to five hundred times the pressure on Earth and plunge deep into Neptune’s clouds, battered by the most violent winds in the solar system.
As their two-year round trip took them closer to Jupiter, the SIMs were diverted to rescue vital samples from a cargo shuttle which had gone out of control.
Once again, the SIMs made their base on Triton, where Lander had an unpleasant surprise when landing on its icy surface. Legs too faced unexpected problems when a leg of the cargo shuttle carrying extra equipment collapsed during landing. He ended up underneath and Hover had to amputate his leg to release him.
Finally Hover set off on his trip to Neptune, descending to record depths to release a special new type of ‘No-crash’ transponder. But on his return journey he too got into difficulties and had to call on Earthlink for a rescue…
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Programme 22
Mission to the Snows of Mars
In 2086, the SIMs take off to Mars’ moon, Phobos to build Space 1, a base for missions to outer solar systems and across to Mars. The cargo shuttle has gone ahead with heavy construction equipment. As they travel through space the main data transmitter fails - no information can be received from control on Mars or Earth. The situation becomes urgent as Earthlink approaches Mars. A replacement is flown up from Mars by a manned space ship. Hover flies over to the manned ship to retrieve the transmitter replacement. As Hover is about to board the magnetism tag on the transmitter fails and falls slowly into space. Hover catches up with the floating transmitter and successfully fits it into place in Earthlink.
Lander lands on Phobos and the SIMs start construction on Phobos Space 1, Lander lands beside the awaiting shuttle. The SIMs check the strength of the surface and analyse the rock structure. A few weeks later, work on Phobos 1 is completed. As hoped it will be the ideal low gravity platform for launches to Mars and other planets.
Earthlink flies to the Snows of Mars where the SIMs collect crucial samples and chart the history of water on Mars thereby discovering more about the climate changes. Through the five miles of carbon dioxide clouds they fly down to the ice cap, temperature - 60 degrees. Wheels and Legs are faced with the arduous task of collecting ice and rock samples from a valley floor. Wheels gets stuck in an ice field. Legs blasts the ice blocks away with mega-lasers. The search continues but for rocks which are specific to the ice cap. Legs slips on the ice. Wheels cannot lift Legs alone. Legs has to lie and wait while Hover drops a test charge into a canyon. The charge will ascertain the stability of the ice, or not. Suddenly the ultra sound picks up deep rumbles. Hover just makes it out of the canyon as it crashes inwards. Hover hauls Legs back upright. The rumbling intensifies. The charge was too explosive. The SIMs load up in the nick of time as the surface of the ice collapses and rocks smash around them. They fly home precious samples which will unlock further mysteries of the red planet.
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Programme 23
Mission to Pluto
Beyond Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune lies Pluto and its moon Charon. Pluto is the smallest of the planets. The SIMs aim to discover the origins of Pluto and Charon. It is an eight billion mile round trip. Earthlink will be powered by an Anti-matter Propulsion Engine, (A.P.E) to reduce the journey time. At the moon base a carbon composite transmitter, to assist communications over the long distance from Earth to Pluto, is loaded along with a crycrawler which will be left on Pluto and seismographic equipment to probe deep inside Pluto.
The first stop is on Mar’s moon, Phobos. Space 1, the station which the SIMs constructed on a previous mission, has grown. It now has an anti-matter factory. As Lander transfers the A.P.E towards Earthlink. The A.P.E drifts off its orbit and hits Earthlink. Legs and Hover retrieve the A.P.E. Hover engages the A.P.E with Earthlink. The A.P.E powers up and at a speed of five million miles an hour they speed towards Pluto.
On Charon the SIMs collect samples and analyse gases. They travel from Charon on to Pluto to ascertain whether it really is a planet - if it has a rock core it is a planet. The cryocrawler and the seismographs are deployed. The results show Pluto has a rock core. Whilst exploring, Legs topples over and falls down a crevasse. Hover and Wheels cannot haul Legs up because his safety rope is snared around rocks. Legs has to hang on while the cryocrawler slowly makes its way across Pluto. As the cryocrawler untangles the rope, Pluto’s atmosphere begins to change. Wheels and Hover drag Wheels back to the surface. The SIMs board Lander and take off just as dangerous nitrogen snow starts to fall.
The cryocrawler remains on Pluto to continuously transmit data back to Earth.
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Programme 24
Mission to the Moon's South Pole
The SIMs are sent on a special investigation to explore the South Pole of the Moon for ice deposits. New sources of water are desperately needed to support the colonies on the Moon. In addition, water is the key to long haul space travel because hydrogen and oxygen can be split to provide fuel for long distance journeys.
As Earthlink docks at the space station there is an emergency in the engineering department. A massive blast wave from an oxygen explosion propels the station into a spin making it impossible for other space shuttles to dock. Earthlink undocks and clears the space station. Lander, Wheels and Legs fly out and lock onto the space station. They fire their engines on maximum thrust. Gradually the SIMs' powerful jets arrest the revolving station.
Earthlink sets course for the South Pole of the Moon. En route they link up with the space observatory’s on going extra terrestrial search programme. Legs spies a planet in Sagittarius which has similar properties to Earth. The SIMs consider what aliens would seek out if they came to our solar system, and conclude, planet Earth. They review an exquisite aerial view of the living planet.
Earthlink takes up a polar orbit above the Moon in order to maintain data links and communications back to Earth. Lander lands on the potential South Pole base. Hover sends out a ground penetrating radar in search of ice. Lava tubes riddle the area. Sector by sector they search. The drilling rig is deployed. The telescopic shaft can sink two hundred feet down. As Legs monitors the surface, he feels it breaking up. He crashes into a lava tube. Hover tracks Legs on the radar. Legs works his way along the lava tube and eventually finds an opening. At seventy feet down the SIMs find shiny crystals, one percent water, but enough to extract fuel and support a human base station.
For two weeks the SIMs continue to map the rich vein of the icy soil three dimensionally. Earthlink picks up vibrations. The lava tunnel nearby begins to collapse. Wheels speeds over the rumbling surface. The tunnel gives way. Legs leaps over the crashing rocks. Legs and Wheels just make it back to Lander for an emergency take off. Lander re-docks with Earthlink after a highly successful mission - water has been discovered at the South Pole of the Moon.
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Programme 25
Mission to the Milky Way
Towards the end of the 21st Century the SIMs had explored most of our Solar systems. Now their investigations would spread out to encompass the whole of the Milky Way Galaxy. Their missions would range out far beyond our sun and its planets to reach for the stars.
In 2090, to start this phase of exploration, they return to the Space Observatory to install new equipment, which would complete a system to detect and monitor mysterious dark matter which had been spotted - the remnants of dead stars surrounding our galaxy.
Having successfully completed this phase of the operation, the SIMs link up the Human Brain Computer to their Virtual Reality Simulator, and set off on a mission to sweep far out into the Milky Way.
They encounter a massive dark star whose gravity field starts to suck them into disaster. Only by using all their booster power are they able to pull free, but Hover has to be abandoned in the process. Then Earthlink passes close to a pair of stars, which are merging. The resulting supernova explosion surges after the ship as she tries desperately to escape….
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Programme 26
Mission to Remote Galaxies
The frontiers of space exploration are extending far beyond our solar system. The SIMs have to assemble a giant star ship with advanced rocket technology and a new breed of super intelligent robot which can travel light years into remote galaxies. In order to reach star flight velocity the ships will use anti-matter to fuel the rockets.
The space station in Earth’s orbit is being dismantled and recycled. Mars is now the starting point for missions to the stars and galaxies. En route to Phobos Earthlink employs the Virtual Reality Simulator to take the SIMs to a remote emerging galaxy. They speed through space and time, out through a star factory and beyond to a giant star cluster. Finally they stop, at twelve thousand light years on from the Milky Way, where the galaxy is still ‘young’. This far back in time, and space, the galaxy is still cooling down after the Big Bang. A star bursts nearby. The violent energy rays cause the SIMs to go into meltdown and explode. The simulation ends. Earthlink restores the status quo and soon they fly into orbit around Phobos.
The giant ship’s component sections float in Phobos’s orbit. Hover and Legs fit the massive sections together. Lander and Wheels fly down to Phobos and perform the highly dangerous manoeuvre of loading the cradle holding the flask of explosive anti-matter. Wheels has two minutes to insert the flask into the giant ship’s fuel bay. The gravity field securing the anti-matter begins to fail. Wheels has even less time before they are all blasted into the far reaches of the solar system. As the seconds run out Wheels lowers the flask into the fuel bay. The onboard generator restores the gravity field. They are safe.
Gradually the SIMs complete their task. As they assemble the final sections of the ship the SIMs hear a strange noise from within one of the numerous storage pods. Earthlink receives instructions on how to open the pod. It is cramped with androids - robots with human features and human brain computers. The SIMs cannot compete with these interstellar explorers. The SIMs are being retired but they will be famous. They are to be the main exhibits in the new museum of Twenty First Space Exploration.
The interstellar ship disappears into the distant galaxies. It will take five centuries to bridge the fifty light years gulf to reach its target, a planet which seems very similar to Earth, which had been called Miron.
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