Re-Watching Space: 1999

[Marc]

Could the fourth flaw be that they had an inexhaustable supply of the damn things ala: Voyager shuttles?

When I was doing a series watch earlier this year (late last year?), I thought about counting how many got blasted, but I was already halfway through season 1.




Did they really have smelting facilities? If they had some spare parts I could see them building a few new Eagles.

Like voyager we've never given a count on the number of eagles but they probably salvaged a few.

We're also given a view of the main eagle bay though I can't remember the episode.

 

[diankra]

There is a number given in one episode, but that is of course only at that point.
It makes better sense for a base like Alpha to have construction facilities than a ship like Voyager..

 

[Christopher]

It makes better sense for a base like Alpha to have construction facilities than a ship like Voyager..

Voyager has replicators. As long as they can mine raw materials from asteroids or planets, they can fabricate literally anything in seconds. It's always bewildered me that people think it's implausible that they could replace shuttles or quickly repair damaged components. That's just not thinking through the ramifications of replicator technology. Heck, we actually saw their capability to build new shuttles demonstrated in "Extreme Risk," which should've resolved the question once and for all.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Voyager has replicators. As long as they can mine raw materials from asteroids or planets, they can fabricate literally anything in seconds. It's always bewildered me that people think it's implausible that they could replace shuttles or quickly repair damaged components. That's just not thinking through the ramifications of replicator technology. Heck, we actually saw their capability to build new shuttles demonstrated in "Extreme Risk," which should've resolved the question once and for all.

Didn't the Delta Flyer take weeks to build? Of course it had some new features, plus Tom insisten on retro buttons and switches.

If we use DSC as a guide, the way they reproduced parts for the second angel suit, making parts for a shuttle should have been easy.

As far as Space 1999, if they had even once mentioned or shown manufacturing facilities it would be easier to imagine. We saw the base, we saw one hangar set, some tunnels. Maybe they had something like the Army Corps Of Engineers build the base and most/all of the heavy equipment left with them.

 

[Marc]

As far as Space 1999, if they had even once mentioned or shown manufacturing facilities it would be easier to imagine. We saw the base, we saw one hangar set, some tunnels. Maybe they had something like the Army Corps Of Engineers build the base and most/all of the heavy equipment left with them.

What became Alpha was originally planned as an extended Moonbase if another season of UFO had been produced so yeah there might have been equipment left behind (the Big Finish adaption of Breakaway gives a nod to this with a line about Alpha's use in secret military operations in the early 1980s)

Or the Eagles could have even been built on the moon so the production facilities are there

 

[Christopher]

Didn't the Delta Flyer take weeks to build?

So? In six years (since the first shuttle loss wasn't until season 2), they lost somewhere from 10 to 17 shuttlecraft, and the most shuttles lost in a single year is 4-6 in season 5. The fastest rate of shuttle loss is in early season 4, where they lost as many as 4 shuttles in the span of 5 consecutive episodes, but otherwise they lost no more than 3 shuttles per year, so they would've had plenty of time to replace them.

Also, the Flyer was significantly larger than a typical shuttle, plus it was a prototype, so it stands to reason that it would've taken several times longer to design, test, and build than it would take to churn out a new copy of a proven, standardized shuttle design.

As far as Space 1999, if they had even once mentioned or shown manufacturing facilities it would be easier to imagine. We saw the base, we saw one hangar set, some tunnels. Maybe they had something like the Army Corps Of Engineers build the base and most/all of the heavy equipment left with them.

We saw a huge sprawling underground complex holding at least a dozen Eagles. I find it easy to imagine there are extensive repair and rebuilding facilities beyond it.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

We saw a huge sprawling underground complex holding at least a dozen Eagles. I find it easy to imagine there are extensive repair and rebuilding facilities beyond it.

Nope, nope, no see the facilities = not teh canon! Hell, even a sign would've been enough. They had lots of signs.

 

[Christopher]

Nope, nope, no see the facilities = not teh canon!

So I take it you assume they had no restrooms? How did they manage that?

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

So I take it you assume they had no restrooms? How did they manage that?

Same as Star Trek, they held it in a reeeealllly long time

Though I'm sure, like the Enterprise, there are some blueprints out there that do, in fact, show those facilities.

 

[Marc]

Nope, nope, no see the facilities = not teh canon! Hell, even a sign would've been enough. They had lots of signs.

pffft signs.

What would they know about signs?

Afterall they nearly missed the signs the nuclear waste dump was going to go ka-boom

 

[Noname Given]

So I take it you assume they had no restrooms? How did they manage that?

The same way they managed for the 5 year mission on Star Trek.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

pffft signs.

What would they know about signs?

Afterall they nearly missed the signs the nuclear waste dump was going to go ka-boom

Wasn't that an indictment of the world in general at the time, with all their nuclear stockpiles?

 

[diankra]

The missing, but also unnesecesiry scene is
Koenig: I'll check it out in Eagle One.
Morrow: Replacement Eagle is still being built. Ready in five days. Until then Eagle 4 is fully fitted.

 

[Mysterion]

There is a number given in one episode, but that is of course only at that point.
It makes better sense for a base like Alpha to have construction facilities than a ship like Voyager..

Did a search - in The Last Sunset, Carters states they have 27 serviceable Eagles.

The Black Sun
A step up from Matter of Life and Death. Some nice character moments in this one, and even some of the secondary characters get a moment to be more than background. A couple of things that struck me -
Okay, we can build a shield to protect the base, but what happens to the rest of the moon?
The being(s) inside the black sun return the moon and the escape Eagle, but what happened to the other poor guy and his Eagle?
Still struck by how good the show looks, even compared to shows from a few years later that had larger budgets (i.e. Battlestar Galactica).

 

[diankra]

Did a search - in The Last Sunset, Carters states they have 27 serviceable Eagles.

I was avoilding spoilers
Also, couldn't remember!

Warching season one a few years ago, I kept track, but you have to assume they build more, and renumber.

 

[Mysterion]

I was avoilding spoilers
Also, couldn't remember!

Warching season one a few years ago, I kept track, but you have to assume they build more, and renumber.

I consider it a minor thing, and it doesn't give away any big plot stuff.

 

[diankra]

I consider it a minor thing, and it doesn't give away any big plot stuff.

Oh, definitely. Eagle lost is not a spoiler, just a pre-credits!

 

[Mysterion]

Oh, definitely. Eagle lost is not a spoiler, just a pre-credits!

Plus that number in of itself doesn't necessarily tell the whole situation, either. 27 serviceable....new total minus Eagles lost so far? Including Eagles rebuild from salvageable parts of Eagles lost so far in the series. 27 comprising of exiting Eagles and new Eagles built from spares since they left Earth?

 

[DarrenTR1970]

All this talk about Eagles and personnel got me to doing a little research.
Thanks to 'The Catacombs' website here is list of every Eagle and every fatality across Space: 1999's two seasons:
Note that the highest numbered Eagle seen/mentioned onscreen is Eagle 29 in the episode 'Collision Course' (so figure maybe 30+ Eagles stationed at Moonbase Alpha prior to the episode 'Breakaway') and that Season Two has the fewest number of fatalities.
Space: 1999 – Personnel/Eagles
Season One
Breakaway
Personnel – 311. Numerous fatalities including Jim Nordstrom, Eric Sparkman, Frank Warren. The population of 311 is presumably the figure just before the 'Breakaway', which killed several pilots. 311 – 3 = 308
Eagles - Eagle 1 (Simmonds, V.I.P. pod); 2 (Earth shuttle); 14 (cargo); 26 (cargo); Collins' Eagle; Koenig's NDA1 Eagle (crashed); remote Eagle (crashed); at least two cargo Eagles destroyed.

A Matter of Life and Death
Personnel – 0 Fatalities
Eagles – Eagle 1, Eagle 2

Black Sun
Personnel – 1 Fatality. 308 – 1 = 307
Eagles - Eagle 1 (Ryan, destroyed); 5 (lifeboat); Alan's laser Eagle

Ring Around the Moon
Personnel - 2 fatalities: Ted Clifford, Donovan. 307 – 2 = 305
Eagles - Eagle 1 (Koenig); 3 (Alan & Donovan, crashed)

Earthbound
Personnel - 1 left Alpha: Simmonds (presumably deceased). 305 – 1 = 304
Eagles - Eagle 1 (Alan, Rescue); 2 (Rescue)

Another Time, Another Place
Personnel – 1 fatality, Regina Kesslann. 304 – 1 = 303
Eagles – Unnumbered Eagles travel to the second Moon and Earth

Missing Link
Personnel – 0 fatalities
Eagles - Eagle 1 (crashed); 4 (Rescue); 7 ("Cargo", with a winch platform)

Guardian of Piri
Personnel – 1 fatality, Sarah Graham. 303 – 1 = 302
Eagles – Eagle 4 (Koenig's final Eagle); 6 (Irving and Davis); 10 (Medical); 24 (Alan); 26 and 27 (named)

Force of Life
Personnel – 4 fatalities, Anton Zoref, Hilary Preston, Mark Dominix, guard. 302 – 4 = 298
Eagles – None

Alpha Child
Personnel – 0 fatalities. One birth. 298 + 1 = 299
Eagles – There is a flight of 3 Eagles, unnumbered

The Last Sunset
Personnel – 0 fatalities
Eagles – Eagle 1 (search); 2 and 7 (initial probes); 4 (corrosion proof); 9, 12,1 4, 15, 19, 24 (named); 28 (crashed)

Voyager’s Return
Personnel – 2 fatalities, Ernst Queller, Abrams. 299 – 2 = 297
Eagles – Eagle 1 (Alan); 2 (Abrams, destroyed); 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 (defense flight)

Collision Course
Personnel – 0 fatalities
Eagles – Eagle 1 (Alan); 4 (Rescue); 10 (bomb, no pod); 11, 12, 29 (named)

Death’s Other Dominion
Personnel – 0 fatalities
Eagles – Eagle 1

The Full Circle
Personnel – 1 fatality, Sandos. 297 – 1 = 296
Eagles – Eagle 1 (Koenig); 2 (Alan); 3 (Victor); 6 (original landing party)

End of Eternity
Personnel – 2 fatalities, Mike Baxter, Orderly. 296 – 2 = 294
Eagles – Unnumbered initial Eagle and laser Eagle

War Games
Personnel – 0 fatalities (128 dead in the alternative timeline plus Koenig and Carter)
Eagles – Eagle 1 (Alan: internal number is 9); 2 (in flight 1); 6 (Koenig, unarmed); others. In the end none are destroyed.

The Last Enemy
Personnel – 0 fatalities
Eagles - Eagle 1 (Alan); 2, 5

The Troubled Spirit
Personnel - 3 fatalities, Dr. James Warren, Laura Adams, Dan Mateo. 294 – 3 = 291
Eagles – None

Space Brain
Personnel - 3 fatalities, Cousteau, Wayland, Kelly. 291 – 3 = 288
Eagles - Eagle 1 (Wayland and Cousteau, destroyed); 4 (Rescue); 7 (Koenig, fastest); remote Eagle (crashed); cargo Eagle.

The Infernal Machine
Personnel - Unknown number of fatalities: perhaps 2 laser tank crews (so two crewmen in each tank? 2 + 2 = 4), 3 Eagle pilots. 288 – 7? = 281
Eagles - Eagle 1 and 2 (armed); 4 (supply) (2 Eagles are destroyed)

Mission of the Darians
Personnel - 1 fatality, Lowry. 281? – 1 = 280?
Eagles - Eagle 1 with passenger module.

Dragon’s Domain
Personnel – 1 fatality (Tony Cellini). 280? – 1 = 279?
Eagles - Eagle 1 (Cellini, left with Ultra probe); 2 (pick up); 3 and 4 (escort)

The Testament of Arkadia
Personnel – 2 deserters: Luke Ferro, Anna Davis. Bergman says there are over 300 people on Alpha. Note by The Metamorph there are just 297. 279? – 2 = 277?
Eagles – Eagle 1 (initial landing party); 2 (unarmed survey); 3 and 5 (pursuit); 4 (Luke and Anna, left on Arkadia).

Season Two
The Metamorph
Personnel – 297. 3 fatalities, Ray Torens, Lew Picard, Eagle pilot. One addition, Maya, so the population at the end of the episode is 295.
Eagles – Eagle 1 (Fraser, destroyed with planet); 4 (rescue); 5 and 6 (combat). Three Eagles are destroyed- Eagle 1, the remote bomb Eagle, and an Eagle over a launch pad.

The Exiles
Personnel – 0 fatalities
Eagles – Eagle 4 ("Rescue"); Recovery Eagle

One Moment of Humanity
Personnel – 0 fatalities
Eagles – None

All That Glisters
Personnel – 0 fatalities
Eagles – Eagle 4 ("Rescue")

Journey to Where
Personnel – Population 297. 0 fatalities
Eagles – None

The Taybor
Personnel – Population 297. 0 fatalities
Eagles - Eagle 1 (Andrews); two others

The Rules of Luton
Personnel – 0 fatalities
Eagles - Eagle 1 (Koenig); 4 (replacement)

The Mark of Archanon
Personnel – 1 fatality (possibly). 295 – 1 = 294
Eagles - Eagle 1 (Koenig); 3 (rescue)

Brian the Brain
Personnel – 0 fatalities
Eagles - Eagle 1 (Tony); 2 & 10 (investigation).

New Adam, New Eve
Personnel – 0 fatalities
Eagles – Eagle 1 (Alan); 4 (Koenig)

Catacombs of the Moon
Personnel – 0 fatalities
Eagles – Eagle 1 (Koeing)

The AB Chrysalis
Personnel – 0 fatalities
Eagles – Eagle 1 (Koeing)

Seeds of Destruction
Personnel – 0 fatalities
Eagle – Eagle 1 (Koeing, Tony)

The Beta Cloud
Personnel – 1 fatality (Tom Graham). Three guards are attacked and left injured or dead for the duration of the episode. 294 – 1 = 293
Eagles – Eagle 6 (Graham)

Space Warp
Personnel – 0 fatalities
Eagles - Eagle 1 (Koenig); 2 (Refueling); 4 (Maya, crashed)

A Matter of Balance
Personnel – 0 fatalities
Eagles – Eagle 1 (Koenig); 2 (Shermeen)

The Bringers of Wonder Parts 1 & 2
Personnel – 1 fatality, Clive Kander. 293 – 1 = 292
Eagles – Eagle 10 (Koenig, crashed); 1 (Pursuit Eagle, although spacesuit badges indicate Eagle 5). Unnumbered Eagle used by Alan (spacesuit badges indicate Eagle 2).

The Lambda Factor
Personnel – 2 fatalities, Sally Martin, Mark Sanders
Eagles – None

The Séance Spectre
Personnel – 1 fatality (Greg Sanderson). 292 – 1 = 291
Eagles – Eagle 1 (Koenig - 2nd, crashed and damaged); 2 (Koenig - 3rd); 3 (Tony); 4 (Koenig - 1st); 6 (Alan).

Dorzak
Personnel – 0 fatalities
Eagles – None

Devil Planet
Personnel – 298 population (1 more than The Metamorph). 1 fatality, Blake Maine. 298 – 1 = 297
Eagles – Eagle 1 (Koenig, crashed); 2 (Fraser, rescue).

The Immunity Syndrome
Personnel – 4 fatalities, Lustig, Les Johnson, 2 others. 297 – 4 = 293
Eagles – Eagle 1 (disintegrated on ground); 4 ("Survey", crashed); 3 (Fraser).

The Dorcons
Personnel – 2 fatalities, Thompson, another pilot. 293 – 2 = 291
Eagles – Four combat Eagles including Eagle 4 are destroyed.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I did love the design of the guns they used, and I haven't watched the series in a while but I do remember one episode you can see a hand off camera handing someone their gun which was supposed to have just materialized out of nothing.