Nothing epitomizes the grandeur and scale of science fiction better than fictional space ships. Here we list out the space faring vessels we've all grown to love and (at times) fear.
Millennium Falcon
If we are talking about spaceships, we have to start with Millennium Falcon. Originally known as YT-1300 492727ZED, the ship served many owners until Lando Calrissian lost it to Han Solo in a game of Sabacc. The Millennium Falcon served as a key element in the Star Wars franchise.
USS Enterprise
Featured in the Star Trek TV series and movies, the USS Enterprise or Starship Enterprise, or just the Enterprise, has been THE spaceship for many. The series itself created such a religious fan following that NASA changed the the initial flight-test space shuttle’s name to Enterprise after a successful letter writing campaign.
USG Ishimura
A lot of the horror in Dead Space can be attributed to the USG Ishimura, a colossal ‘planet cracker’ ship that offers both awe-inspiring and vertigo-inducing open spaces, and claustrophobic corridors with vents that are the perfect ambush spots for the necromorphs.
Endurance
Interstellar’s Endurance is responsible for no less than the survival of the entire human race. The Endurance’s recognisable circular shape was designed keeping in mind the concept of centrifugal forces so that the astronauts could enjoy relatively normal earth-like gravity.
Normandy SR1/SR2
Is there a videogame spaceship out there that’s cooler than the Mass Effect series’ Normandy? The ship doesn’t just look cool but has a whole gamut of abilities (explained comprehensively in the games’ codex) that help it stand-out as the fastest stealth ship in the galaxy.
Hiigaran Battle Cruiser (Homeworld 2)
Arguably the most devastating ship in Homeworld 2, the Hiigaran Battle Cruiser is pimped to the gills with weapons including heavy ion cannons, kinetic burst cannons and pulsar beams. Basically, if you’re up against this Battle Cruiser in Homeworld 2, you better make sure your forces are at 120%.
USS Discovery One
Designed to be a research ship designed to carry astronauts and scientists to Jupiter to investigate the target of a mysterious alien signal, the Discovery One instead becomes their tomb thanks to rogue AI HAL. Director Stanley Kubrick designed the Discovery to be as realistic as possible although he did make a few concessions to not confuse moviegoers.
Event Horizon
Ah, the only ship in this list that literally went to hell and back, Event Horizon pretty much symbolized the gothic horror atmospherics that permeated the rest of the titular movie. The ship’s design was influenced by the Notre Dame cathedral but what happens inside the ship is as far removed from the concept of going to church as possible.
Serenity
Well, you really didn’t think we’d leave this one out, did you? Serenity has been described as “tenth character” by Firefly creator Joss Whedon and we can’t imagine that Mal Reynolds and the rest of the crew could do much misbehaving without a ship to depend on.
Battlestar Galactica
To round out this list, we have the venerable Battlestar Galactica, a warship on the verge of retirement which ultimately became mankind’s only hope. There are many parallels you can draw between William Adama, the commander of the ship, and the ship itself, and the Battlestar Galactica is as much an important character in the TV show as him.