Alien: USCSS Nostromo | Ship Breakdown

Spacedock delves into a 1980s Sci-Fi Icon. The USCSS Nostromo from Alien.
#Alien
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Spacedock does not hold ownership of the copyrighted materiel (Footage, Stills etc) taken from the various works of fiction covered in this series, and uses them within the boundaries of Fair Use for the purpose of Analysis, Discussion and Review. Produced by Daniel Orrett. Owner/Executive Producer at Spacedock.

[@Spacedock]

If you enjoy Spacedock, consider supporting us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/officialspacedock?ty=h

[@jorgnocke991]

Hello please can you talk about the Andromeda ascendant from gene roddenberry's Andromeda es endet thank you so much please keep up your amazing work stay safe and live long and prosper

[@philrm99]

Awesome break down.

[@jameretief8327]

How did it go interstellar? Engines or jump points?

[@TerryMcQ79]

Nice use of the Mass Effect 2 music

[@edwardfletcher7790]

The cat was called Jones, no "y" on the end...

[@joshmorton3392]

Nice to know that even in the far future, Rolls Royce is still out making engines for pretty much anyone.

[@jervishorton7372]

The SPACEBACH

[@NikiKiji]

it adds SO much realism though, doesn't it? imagine if, in the far future, RR are building spacecraft engines! SO cool and a great little bit of world-building! plus if their current research into nuclear rocketry is anything to go by, they might actually do that!

[@commanderlestat]

R/wallstreetbets

[@earth117]

@@commanderlestat r/foundthemobileuser

[@icarus_falling]

I wonder how much it cost rolls Royce to be mentioned? Though considering it's current level of business there's no reason to think it won't be successful into the future. Space engines made in Wales haha

[@blueneptune5860]

It was just a tow truck. The most realistic Alien mover ever made.

[@Plasmacore_V]

imo it's a tug boat not a tow truck. Same but different in a way that makes more sense.

[@blueneptune5860]

@@Plasmacore_V Ha ok you win if it feels good to ya.

[@silentdrew7636]

@@Plasmacore_V tugboats rarely pull ships across the ocean.

[@norm3380]

@@silentdrew7636 Still more likely than a tow truck. Lol. 😉

[@Howdy606]

@@silentdrew7636 Unless they are Russian ships ;)

[@GaldirEonai]

One of the coolest ship designs of sci-fi history, and it's basically a glorified truck.

[@michaelmorton5698]

And the crew are glorified space truckers.

[@silentdrew7636]

Yeah, it's up there with Firefly and half the ships in star Wars.

[@gregorysaugustine5236]

Have you ever seen a volvo truck? Now that's a glorified truck.

[@zippy-zappa-zeppo-zorba-etc]

A glorified truck with Rolls Royce engines

[@Groza_Dallocort]

@@michaelmorton5698 part of Red Frog Freight then

[@thegreenmanofnorwich]

I do like how the nostromo has clean, white, utopian looking interiors, dark, grungy, industrial looking interiors, and areas that actually look homely around the bulk areas

[@RadeUeMasq]

Because it was built that way...

[@Zodroo_Tint]

@@RadeUeMasq Your made a comment.

[@justinbaker5749]

If you want to see more about the sets, I watched this video called "The Satire Hidden in ALIEN's Production Design | Making Alien" and it had some fun details and factoids about how they came to such an iconic look.

[@tba113]

"Ship's complement: 7 [various roles] +1 cat" Nice touch.

[@hoojiwana]

Jonesy was the ships Rodent Population Control Officer - hoojiwana from Spacedock

[@wanekiacook9257]

@@hoojiwana The UK has a Mouser In Chief for 10 Downing Street.

[@Hy-jg8ow]

Cats are essential.

[@Prich319]

And the cat outlived them all. Jonesy was the real winner in the end.

[@SImrobert2001]

I mean, lets face it. Its clear that Jonsey is the odd character out. He's in charge of vermin control, yet never alerts the crew at the xeno, not even offering to help track down the creature. Jonsey helped lure Brett into the cargo hold, and spend LONG periods of time, cleanly enough time to tell the Xeno about the escape craft, and the self destruct system. How else could the xeno know to leave and wait for Ripley?

[@NimbleTack]

One thing that I figured as head-canon for why the Nostromo looks so primitive in comparison to even current tech is that it's built along the sam lines as military vehicles. It's stuck in deep space for so long that everything has to be fixable. You can't just carry around replacements for everything. So simpler thing like switches would be far easier to repair than touch screens.

[@Groza_Dallocort]

Makes sence I mean probe we send out today got like playstation 1 hardware since it proven to work and it's quite hard to repair something for us if it's at pluto or something

[@andreww2098]

@@Groza_Dallocort They just got the 50 year old design computers on the Hubble working again remotely, so yeah most space tech is older already proven reliable stuff at least 10-20 years old at launch

[@timberwolf1575]

Computer tech is particularly vulnerable to cosmic radiation. An incoming high energy neutron or gamma ray can penetrate most spacecraft pretty easily, since the weight optimization of spacecraft design precludes extensive shielding. Any atom hit by the radiation may be ionized or otherwise denatured (fission, etc.). When you look at modern computer chips fabricated on ~10nm fab processes, the "wires" in the chips are only a few dozen atoms wide. If one of them is hit by cosmic radiation, it could destroy that part of the chip. Ceasing function in such a case is preferrable to unreliable operation, which is why pretty much every spacecraft carries multiple backup computers. Incidentally, cosmic radiation due to prominences and stellar mass ejections are a large contributor to the cessation of the US moon landing program. IIRC, a couple of days after Apollo 17 landed on earth, there was a radiation wave that would have baked the astronauts like a TV dinner. Everyone kind of looked at each other in awe realizing that radiation waves came in that intensity and then started wondering how they would be able to protect the astronauts. (Shuttle flights were close enough to Earth to be shielded by the Earth's magnetic field, ditto for the ISS.)

[@richlisola1]

Well, like the Prometheus was a state of the art, small research vessel, designed to observe, analyze, scan, and perform laboratory and stellar observatory and cartographical functions-On research and exploration missions. Hence the state of the art tech, computers, displays. Whereas the Nostromo needed to be vastly overpowered, durable, tough, and simplistic and self automated in its function. It was operated by a skeleton crew, most of the loading was likely automated and machine powered. And no one could be expected to make major repairs in transit Thus, it was built simply from the operators point of view, for day to day crew activities-Simple displays, simplistic computer interface. But overall durable, nearly unbreakable, with redundant key systems. The fusion reactor wasn’t going on the fritz mid-trip.

[@antoniobrignoni3722]

or maybe the movie was made in the 1970s

[@pyroknight419]

I remember being so surprised when I found out how massive the Nostromo was, I genuinely thought it was a small, gunship-sized freighter

[@d3m0n54in7]

Really puts the size of the refinery into perspective as it dwarfs the Nostromo

[@timberwolf1575]

@@d3m0n54in7 That refinery should have a measurable and maybe even meaningful gravity. Maneuvering it within a star system would be all kinds of fun.

[@EksaStelmere]

To be fair... The Nostromo IS pretty small as far as interstellar ships go. It's a wee itty bitty baby.

[@Sakhmeov]

@@EksaStelmere An itty bitty boat? I don't believe it.

[@EksaStelmere]

@@Sakhmeov Has a lot to do with the fact that, in space, the outer layer scales only with the square. This means you only need A portion of the armour necessary to protect a much larger volume. That alone means bigger is always better in space. Now look at interstellar distances plus the fact that it has a refinery. You need room for reaction mass, room to allow efficient heat management, then room for all the resources to get it all moving. 'Course, no clue how FTL drives work on heat management (the biggest issue in space).

[@kingssman2]

I love 80's ship design. Everything looks industrial like an actual oil ship.

[@grahammaxwell2112]

how to make a movie 101

[@3Rayfire]

That's 70s. The post Star Wars ILM revolution where space movies stopped looking hokie and just started looking straight up real.

[@millimetreperfect]

Wait, do you mean 2080? 😉

[@bbbf09]

@@3Rayfire Sorry - there is nothing 'hokie' about USS discovery - in Kubricks movie 2001 Space odyseey 1968. Thats beyond real. Example - The astronauts ipads and the 'computer graphics' (artwork animation) apparent on the large flat screens on odyseey now look way more convincing to modern eyes in 2021 than the 16bit graphics displayed on old school cathode ray tubes of the nostromo. Or indeed anything in Star Wars. Star Wars itself owes more than just passing debt to 2001 - it was straight lifted from 2001 (including same effects teams and workshops) but then implemented in a pulpy and less realistic way - but one that I admit suited the genre of space opera.

[@3Rayfire]

@@bbbf09 I agree, and keep forgetting that set the standard first. Not that Kubrick should go into categories with others. But 2001 didn't alter the trajectory of sfx the way Star Wars did, even though it looked better.

[@NimbleTack]

A brilliant design by the much missed Ron Cobb. The Nostromo had amazing feeling of weight and reality to it. The only thing that has dated somewhat is the interface on the main computer. Oddly I'd never noticed that the engines connected directly to the cargo refinery even though I've watched the film many times. One quick note, I think the reason why the crew were forced to investigate LV436 was because they were required to follow up possible distress signals rather than signs of intelligent life.

[@d3m0n54in7]

Intelligent life was a corporate level requirement hidden behind the obvious maritime distress signal response. I'm pretty sure it was just chosen for brevity vs ignorance because you could spend quite a lot of time unraveling the reasoning behind their orders to investigate.

[@luclin92]

The screens i actually like, because it reminds me of basically any ship i have been on. Where most screens still don't look like modern stuff. Since its not really something that is that important. Now i would like more civilian ships to be more what we think of as high tech

[@silentdrew7636]

Pretty sure Nasa still uses computers like that.

[@qdllc]

People think the equipment looks dated today, but it’s probably more true to form. Space travel isn’t safe. Modern computer technology would not endure the stresses of space. So, everything would have to be beefed up and very durable so you’d not risk failure during flight.

[@robertcampbell8070]

Am I crazy? Haven't watched in awhile, but I could have sworn they said it was in the contract that they had to check out any unknown signal as potentially alien. EDIT: just double checked and yes, it's "any systematized transmission of possible intelligent origin." So they weren't in the dark they might have to investigate "alien" signals.

[@DrownedInExile]

"Mother, is Ash protecting the Alien?" "Yes." - from the novel

[@lillith3159]

Ash: violently sweats milk

[@Joshua_N-A]

Ian Holm said to hate milk. Was he?

[@ronengle9524]

True. Ash uploaded into the mainframe

[@arcturionblade1077]

@@Joshua_N-A Apparently, Ian Holm got violently sick from ingesting some of the spoiled milk/yogurt product that the special effects team used for his fake android blood. Yuck!

[@ganador13]

@@arcturionblade1077 That was, actually, Lance Henrickson who got sick, in the second film.

[@sonicguyver7445]

I love the ships of the first two Alien movies. They are very practical and believable in their engineering.

[@getsideways7257]

Apart from the artificial gravity... But yes, both Nostromo and Sulaco are in the league of their own.

[@FabledGentleman]

As sideways said. Practical maybe, but they lack artificial gravity. Crews inside those ships clearly have downward g-forces, but the ships aren't spinning. Which kind of totally makes your argument quite flawed. They can't be believable when they quite simply are unbelievable.

[@RoninAquila]

When I first saw the film, I was always under the impression that the colossal “Cathedral” like refinery was part of the ship, making it seem even *more* like a Gothic Castle within which a phantom lurks within the depths of its cavernous shadows…

[@oddities-whatnot]

Yes, until i watched this video I thought the same. I learn something new every day seemingly.

[@sorcerous8401]

I know people will say its dated, but i love the retro futurism aesthetic of the ships interfaces and terminals. I really wish they stuck with it for the prequels instead of generic sci fi touchscreens and holograms

[@Joshua_N-A]

Don't forget the clear glass touchscreen. It's everywhere, really. And they look fragile. Space need something rugged at least.

[@Santisima_Trinidad]

True. I do kinda understand how they are justifying it in the prequels, those being cutting edge state of the art interstellar ship's, not everyday hauling ships where having a low running and maintainace cost is higher priority that being the best for doing to jobs. But the cramped and rugged aesthetic really feels like the interior of a ship, whilst the prequels have load of very open areas which aren't as shipy.

[@earthb67]

Yeah. 100% agree.

[@earthb67]

@@Joshua_N-A Seen SpaceX? Touch screen spacecraft!

[@Joshua_N-A]

@@earthb67 I don't think those are just some regular glass. It's like something that regular people couldn't get easily and Elon likely to have those things designed in-house.

[@planetdisco4821]

The pre production work that went into this movie was astonishing. I’ve got a book on it lying around here somewhere. The design team is basically a who’s who of legends in the industry. The Nostromo undocking and landing sequence is still amazing to watch to this very day especially when you consider that it consists of a four foot model sitting on top of a shopping trolley spray painted black and pushed by two stage hands off camera! Absolutely brilliant piece of practical effect work. You can actually feel the mass of a giant spaceship when the drive kicks in.

[@planetdisco4821]

@Gregory Dahl Tesla/Yutani model Q lol

[@planetdisco4821]

@Gregory Dahl did you check it out? It’s literally what they used!

[@xXYannuschXx]

"The pre production work that went into this movie was astonishing." Absolutely and it shows in the two movies that use this source material (Alien 1 and 2), aswell as in the game Alien Isolation. I really dont get why the modern "Alien" movies try to strafe so far from the originals, it just doesnt work and misses the entire feeling of what makes Alien "Alien" (I cringed when I saw the flatscreens and holograms in Prometheus, didnt feel at all like an Alien movie).

[@johnathonyoung4799]

What's the book called?

[@planetdisco4821]

@@johnathonyoung4799 I think it was called “filming the future” and was mostly about blade runner. I might be wrong because it’s been a really long rime and because I’m basically a hoarder it’s lying in a crate somewhere. But the actual names involved with the initial alien movie include Syd MeAde, Ron Cobb< Chris Foss and Jean jirac moebius as well as various other utter legends of science fiction design and illustrations hope this helps…

[@killerdoritoWA]

I started watching Alien last night! That movie is a classic. You realize after watching a couple of times that the true movie villain was not the xenomorph, but the company aided by Ashe.

[@BigBadJerryRogers]

Pretty much. It's like thinking sharks are villains somehow. No different.

[@FabledGentleman]

You are aware that xenomorph just means Alien in greek right?

[@mooseyman74]

The real villain was the face hugger, for hooking up then never calling

[@Zodroo_Tint]

Do you really need to watch a couple of times to realize that? :

[@singaporeghostclub]

I resonate with the Nostromo and it’s crew since I’m a hauling trucker.

[@papa_xan]

I've seen the movie Alien dozens of times over the years, even saw it in the theater when it was released, and never realized that the large refinery wasn't part of the Nostromo. I actually thought that the ship that set down on LV-426 was a shuttle of some sort and not the Nostromo itself.

[@BigBadJerryRogers]

I think that's what everyone thought.

[@VanAleph]

This movie looked so much better than most sci-fi movies today. Not one blue hologram in sight

[@Joshua_N-A]

Also, clear glass touchscreens are everywhere in today's sci fi shows. Where's the privacy in that? They look fragile too. I'd rather have something rugged as this is space travel.

[@johnspence8141]

One of the key reasons some of those cargo decks were sweltering hot with high humidity is because they were probably using those rooms as the exhaust of cooling systems elsewhere in the ship, essentially air conditioning other rooms, and heating this room...no doubt venting some off into space periodically.

[@TheHeroRises]

This is by far my favorite ship in sci-fi. Just a straight up tow truck. Lol

[@avramnovorra]

The Nostromo will always have a spot in my heart as one very memorable shop, and even now, seeing it feels like im looking at a real, feasible ship design..

[@stephendedalus4566]

Nostromo is, as mentioned, a hint to outcast Italian seaman Nostromo, from the novel with the same name by Berditjev (now in Ukraine) born Teodor Józef Konrad Korzeniowski, and Sulaco is a harbour town in the province with the same name in the fictive state of Costaguana, thus referring to Cartagena. Nostromo works for the grim cpt. Mitchell, and the name for Nostromo is a playword vis-à-vis Italian “Nostro Uomo”, which might translate to “our man”, a derogatory term for underprivileged working class people. The tow-ship is the poor but useful Italian sailor, and a genius conjunction if you replace Cpt. Mitchell with Weyland-Yutani Corp.

[@williamrendfeld3027]

The cat probably got the happiest ending of any character in that franchise. Just saying.

[@getsideways7257]

The kitty deserved it.

[@mackenziebeeney3764]

Kitty was chillin it up back home as the oldest cat alive.

[@ArmyJames]

Just saying what?

[@williamrendfeld3027]

@ArmyJames Well everyone else died or was horribly traumatized. Jones was a lucky kitty.

[@ArmyJames]

@@williamrendfeld3027 Ah OK. 👍

[@mattp1337]

And here I thought I knew everything about the Nostromo. Glad to be wrong. I'm still not a fan of the new narration, but they're becoming less lifeless in their delivery. Wish them all the best and further confidence.

[@getsideways7257]

What do you mean by "less lifeless"? Or are you talking about "Aliens"?

[@mattp1337]

@@getsideways7257 Their delivery is a little monotonous, but it's becoming more animated over time. Cool accent and very clear speaking, tho.

[@getsideways7257]

@@mattp1337 Ah, you were talking about the channel.

[@jackroyaltea5034]

Yeah. Daniele had a way of delivering data dumps in a way that made it all sound cool. This guy started off making cool things sounds sleepy. I’m not trying to bash this new dude. I just missed the way Daniele delivered lines.

[@mattp1337]

True, true.

[@carpemkarzi]

Ah the Nostromo…my fave sci-fi ship period. I remember first seeing it in the theatres and just being stunned by its realistic design. A beautiful ship to be sure. Thanks

[@SwiftGundam]

Following this video, it would be excellent if the next entry is the USG Ishimura from Dead Space. The fact that the Remake is happening would also make it perfect.

[@d3m0n54in7]

I second that sentiment

[@paullittle835]

Yeah, cover the JMC Planet Crackers, please!

[@Joshua_N-A]

With how Visceral met its fate still remembered by gamers, I would politely refuse the offer of boarding the hypetrain even if it's for free.

[@theholyduck5520]

I appreciate the thought that went into how one starship would tow a structure so much bigger than it. Giving the refinery ports to channel the thrust from the Nostromo is simple and pretty brilliant, actually. And water as reaction mass makes sense too. Scifi tends to pretend that water is rare, but it's one of the most common compounds in the universe.

[@frankharr9466]

The Nostromo always felt very real and practical to me in a way that Serenity does and the Millenium Falcon does not. Cool. :)

[@merafirewing6591]

And the Falcon is missing a bathroom, lmfao!

[@frankharr9466]

@@merafirewing6591 I keep forgetting that those get forgotten. Good point. I'm sure it's somewhere.

[@tearstoneactual9773]

This is such awesome coverage over the Nostromo and it's shuttle. I didn't realize the Nostromo was actually an FTL ship.

[@getsideways7257]

I think a more amusing part is that the escape shuttle is also one...

[@Dushess]

Wery well it is. Space has SO MUCH BIG distances to reach almost something, that you actually has less time in your life than passing it in your STL speed.

[@KingofPotatoPeople]

The Nostromo and Narcissus are named after Joseph Conrad novels as an indirect reference to Heart of Darkness also by Conrad as a link to the plot.

[@Dushess]

But what's the name of 2nd shuttle?

[@nobbynoris]

Ridley Scott was a Conrad fan. That's why.

[@Ricardo-cl3vs]

@@Dushess Salmacis

[@jameslorcan8195]

Love the narration over this short film. I don't know whether it is accurate or not but for me as a fan, it is fascinating to watch. I did know it was the Nostromo that went down to the planet but was unaware of the positioning of the landing struts in C Deck which some viewers also did not pick up on and I never realised there were two escape shuttles and one was inoperable at the time of the alien intrusion onboard. The depth of content here is terrific. Thank you for making an old Alien fan happy.

[@raven4k998]

you know alien shows that Microsoft got beat out be a simple GUI OS by someone else scary isn't it?

[@strykenine7902]

"They can bill me." - Ripley

[@druunderwood5602]

It Blade Runner 2049 Retcons Aliens back too 2079 old timeline we going to need too take 100 years off everything in the Colonial Marines Technical Manual, Dates 2022 Blade Runner timeline, I have a vague suspicion Avatars date wrong as well? 2054 not 2154, Bet you didn't see that coming. I keep doing it just too see if anyone twigs?

[@ingvarhallstrom2306]

I always love a narrator that talks about fiction like it was real...

[@raptor050]

That eerie music from Mass Effect sums up the ill-fated Nostromo perfectly.

[@danielhaire6677]

Being a fan of the extended Aliens/Predator universe, I can now see where Weyland-Yutani probably had integrated technology from Yautja hunters over the years such as hypersleep and the tachyon shunt hyperdrive.

[@druunderwood5602]

It Blade Runner 2049 Retcons Aliens back too 2079 old timeline we going to need too take 100 years off everything in the Colonial Marines Technical Manual, Dates 2022 Blade Runner timeline, I have a vague suspicion Avatars date wrong as well? 2054 not 2154, Bet you didn't see that coming. I keep doing it just too see if anyone twigs?

[@losttribe3001]

I love that in 1979 the model makers just threw a bunch of model kits, toys and wood together to make a spaceship for Aliens…and here we are 40 years later watching a video with model numbers and technical specs!

[@kristopherlewis6074]

The Death Star wars a hodgepodge of plastic models on ping pong tables lol

[@druunderwood5602]

It Blade Runner 2049 Retcons Aliens back too 2079 old timeline we going to need too take 100 years off everything in the Colonial Marines Technical Manual, Dates 2022 Blade Runner timeline, I have a vague suspicion Avatars date wrong as well? 2054 not 2154, Bet you didn't see that coming. I keep doing it just too see if anyone twigs?

[@ponyperson7513]

Even though it's only a simple cargo hauler, the Nostromo is a impressive vessel

[@Dushess]

Seems like it has been fitted in almost multipurpose ship role

[@Exospray]

Something I've just realised, the shuttles/escape pods only had 6 hypersleep pods for a 7 man crew. Would hate to have to decide who was going to be left behind.

[@lawrenceschneider5637]

1 was a driod

[@Stukov961]

@@lawrenceschneider5637 Yeah but the crew didn't know that. And it might not have been the case on every ship of its class.

[@thereisaplace]

@@lawrenceschneider5637 Great point! Perhaps that was an Easter egg / clue and normal ships compliment was six.

[@TigerofRobare]

On a ship like that, it's as safe bet that anything that goes wrong will likely take out all or most of the crew.

[@arcadealchemist]

i wish Games like ED and Star citzien where more DETAILED with their ship designs too.

[@Maddock_]

Uhh, I don't think SC needs to put more time into doing even MORE detailing for their ships, at least until subsystems are properly implemented

[@arcadealchemist]

it's more about Method than anything, CIG already do a lot of this method ship building, but they will need to adapt it to the social aspects of the game to be truly successful in the long term, the way communication in game works is trash needs to be overhauled, and I really do belief a VR version of the game that allows VR players to play rolls in the verse that doesn't even involve ships. Like my vision of what star citizen is slowly becoming is totally taking time but so worth it.

[@Joshua_N-A]

@@Maddock_ for some reason new contents like ships are presented as advertisements. Wonder Weyland-Yutani market their starships like that.

[@fury9800]

*cough cough, Star Citizen Reclaimer ship has entered the room...

[@arcadealchemist]

you are short sighted bruv the market is all going VR by 2030 you don't follow the technology trends, people will be earning money in virtual jobs at this point. if lock downs don't stop then you'll expect this, it's nothing new it's been planned for many many years. it's just injecting another level of reality to the process that can be taped off and quarantined. but you're right CIG is suffering from lack of direction right now.

[@mitthrawnuruodo7517]

Love the style of "alien".

[@duaneclarence8758]

Nice touch with the eerie Mass Effect 2 music!

[@maggieo]

I've been waiting for this video since 1979. Well done!!! OK, one quibble- the cat's name is simply, "Jones." Brett called him "Jonsie," as a nickname, but his name is just "Jones." I know this because I still have "The Book Of Alien," all about the making of the picture. Signed, Someone Who had an orange cat named "Jones" from 1979-1985

[@raven4k998]

yeah they fly the shuttle like a drunk man and two apes are flying it

[@BON3SMcCOY]

Can we get Daniel just ranting about the ship designs in this franchise? Good breakdown btw

[@MonsieurPopu]

i love that ship. the emptiness of it - brilliant.

[@sdhubbard]

Basically a space 18-wheeler.

[@anuvisraa5786]

a sea tug actualy

[@Stukov961]

@@anuvisraa5786 Buddy, the Nostromo literally has a fifth wheel. Tugs don't tow stuff across oceans. Neither analogy is perfect since it's a space craft, but a crew of long-haul truckers in a tractor trailer

[@anuvisraa5786]

@@Stukov961 man i am a merchans oficer and have work on suply vessels towing oil rigs. that is exactli what the nostromo is doing

[@samanli-tw3id]

@@Stukov961 there are oceangoing tugs

[@Dushess]

@@anuvisraa5786 Not very know all that stuff, but Nostromo is a long-range commercial cargo unit. SO, you still know it better.

[@luthermcgee3767]

I really like all videos about the NOSTROMO . Even after 43 years- support of this iconic movie is still in the works. Also, great narrative.

[@MenoMusing]

Such a cool and detailed ship design, loved this!

[@sothatsdevintart2562]

I remember thinking about the channel’s lack of Alien (1979) content a couple days back, good to know the first film’s getting some love!

[@noahgrenlie6709]

This was great. Loved seeing a full breakdown of that glorious ship. I’d love to see some videos on Homeworld stuff. I think the Kushan and Hiigaran destroyers and cruisers from both games would be awesome.

[@joefreemanwilliams3570]

Space dock vid about my favorite film of all time? Made my day

[@rfletch62]

Always wondered what the pillars in that bay were. Thanks for showing it was the landing gear!

[@tlshortyshorty5810]

Interesting to hear that the Starcub is made by Lockheed Martin.

[@ttrestle]

Outstanding work

[@karlsaintlucy]

I love the Mass Effect 2 cue here; I always think of Alien's score when I get to that part in the game

[@williamsiyanko4631]

I’m am now your number one fan. Great job on this Documentary on the Model you have made.

[@ukmediawarrior]

Hm, not entirely sure that Mass Effect soundtrack in the background works for this sort of info heavy video. Its tense atmospheric music doesn't really go with listening to someone reel off tech details, LOL.

[@Marcus51090]

I wish I could put the ships self destruct sound as my house alarm

[@ashemgold]

Love the video, the tech specs and, of course, the Battlezone music!

[@johncanalese588]

Interesting fact, Nostromo is the Italian word for 'boatswain' in English. A boatswain is the officer in charge of the ropes, lines and sails etc on a sailing ship - perhaps not accidental. So from where I'm from (AUS), the Nostromo would be called the "Prime Mover" to the semi-trailer.

[@davidmcconnell-booher2443]

Love the channel. Our first litter of sled dog husky puppies were all named for starships, including Nostromo.

[@bbaker4117]

Special Order 937 should be "ensure" not "insure" unless Wayland Yutani want to sell the xenomorph a life insurance policy.

[@hoojiwana]

Yep, but thats how the movie spells it! - hoojiwana from Spacedock

[@bbaker4117]

@@hoojiwana I know. I'm saying the art dept on the movie messed up.

[@Spacedock]

@@bbaker4117 Tbh I wouldn't put it past Weyland-Yutani to try and sell insurance to a xenomorph.

[@GaldirEonai]

I've read a silly little fanfic where a xenomorph hive manages to communicate with humans. Within a few weeks of first learning to understand english the aliens are already utterly disgusted with W-Y :P.

[@bbaker4117]

@@nicksterj Merriam-Webster are all communists, so they aren't to be trusted.

[@truslyd]

The complexity and detail is lovely

[@charleslennonbaker]

BRAVO, and FINALLY, someone has sufficiently explained the FTL drive, the hypersleep functions, and the ship interior!

[@permeus2nd]

3:12 and as someone thats lived in the same place for 36 years thats a lot of mess, its amazing how much junk us humans collect over time.

[@corporategunner5972]

It sure is one awesome ship, also have you considered making a video on the VF-1 Valkyrie from Macross?

[@ravurmovie]

5:30 garden hose pipe. Love the creativity back than. Still a master piece and the best scifi horror ever.

[@joeywall4657]

My favorite episode so far!!

[@ericfleming5522]

As a crewmember, you have to look sideways at any ship you step aboard where it's clear the designer's principle consideration was, "how could I make it more clear that people will eventually be murdered in this compartment?"

[@shawarden]

There has to be a HFY short story where the human boards a ship or station, looks around and says "Nope. I've seen this movie." And goes right back to their cabin... You know, the one with air ducts that allow nothing larger than a fingernail to pass through and are capped off with molecular shredders for anything larger than an oxygen, nitrogen and water molecules.

[@ericfleming5522]

@@shawarden I'd read it! It sort of reminds me of that scene from Galaxy Quest where Gwen (also Sigourney Weaver, ironically enough) encounters the hallway with the chompers. Gwen: "What is this thing? I mean, it serves no useful purpose for there to be a bunch of chompy, crushy things in the middle of a hallway. No, I mean we shouldn't have to do this, it makes no logical sense! Why is it here? Jason: Because it's on the television show. Gwen: Well forget it! I'm not doing it! This episode was badly written!

[@shawarden]

@@ericfleming5522 Perfect chance for a "it's for security." It's the unwelcome MAT. The, what? Studies have shown that they are most unwelcoming to Murderous Alien Types

[@Dushess]

@@shawarden Btw, reasonable not-bug airducts is key. But such thing as that xeno just has BEEN created for such operations. It is a truly mass hestruction bio-weapon. You can remember Predators, since I heard about a theory, they especially modified this specie to be ideal killers and they using it as lions on ancient Rome arenas. Btw we don't know much about it.

[@dakchang63]

By far the best spacedock episode I've seen thanks for the memories and new info of both ships

[@Lahurtful310]

Such a great video!! Thank you so much!! I’m geeking TF out right now!!

[@Party_Doll]

Of the countless channels on YT, this one satisfies my nerdy spacecraft tech hunger like no other...

[@eatthisvr6]

1 of my favourite spaceships ever. its a space truck as long as an aircraft carrier!

[@aswissarmyrabbit]

Could you make a video about the premise of space ships and stations for research of hazardous or contagious objects/entities, like the Talos 1 space station from Prey or the U.S.S. Sulaco in Alien: Colonial Marines, and how such spacecraft would need to be handled?

[@getsideways7257]

You never seen "Aliens"? That's where Sulaco comes from originally (the second movie).

[@aswissarmyrabbit]

@@getsideways7257 I know, but in Colonial Marines, Wayland Yutani transformed the Sulaco into a research ship (more like a breeding vessle) for Xenomorphs.

[@getsideways7257]

@@aswissarmyrabbit I'd say it's best to pretend that nothing past "Aliens" ever happened (ok, "Alien 3" wasn't exactly horrible). All those other movies and especially the games are merely fanfics at most.

[@aswissarmyrabbit]

@@getsideways7257 I took the Sulaco as second example because I couldn't think of any other spacecraft which fulfilled the category I was trying to give examples for.

[@druunderwood5602]

It Blade Runner 2049 Retcons Aliens back too 2079 old timeline we going to need too take 100 years off everything in the Colonial Marines Technical Manual, Dates 2022 Blade Runner timeline, I have a vague suspicion Avatars date wrong as well? 2054 not 2154, Bet you didn't see that coming. I keep doing it just too see if anyone twigs?

[@dgrays2800]

Getting geared up for Starfield. cool video.

[@alexnikolas1991]

My favourite ship from the franchise, a gorgeous vessel.

[@Prich319]

At least the cat survived in the end.

[@KMCA779]

it survived beyond the end. Hell, it's possible that it outlived Ripley... doubtful but possible.

[@SergeyPRKL]

Funny how lifeboats didn't have the capacity for the crew. And second was broken...

[@jedigecko06]

Ironically, if Ash were willing to out himself as an android, and they trust the backup cryotubes; 2 shuttles could carry six crew. (Probably not safe for Jones to ride in anyone's tubes)

[@Lemonhead209]

Any ideas what the 2nd shuttle was called

[@hoojiwana]

@@Lemonhead209 Salmacis - hoojiwana from Spacedock

[@cgi2002]

@@jedigecko06 best bit is, if you read some of the additional Aliens books, you find that Ash survived (in a way) by uploading himself into the Narcissus flight computer. He is the actual reason Ripley wasn't found for so long, he turned off the ships beacon, and went looking for another Xenomorph. It wasn't until he found one that the ship was found. But that's another story and telling it would need major spoilers. Suffice to say, Ripley ended up back aboard the Narcissus and back in cryo sleep without Ash in the systems anymore, but the beacon was still disabled and the ship floated slowly through most of human space for years. What should have been 6 weeks ended up as decades all because of Ash.

[@PetersonZF]

When I was a kid, I didn't get that the Nostromo wasn't the whole thing. It blew my mind when it clicked, years later.

[@lorrewatkins5925]

Awesome dude great job, and keep up the good vid's !

[@diegoviniciomejiaquesada4754]

2122... Great! We have 101 years to make this happen.

[@druunderwood5602]

It Blade Runner 2049 Retcons Aliens back too 2079 old timeline we going to need too take 100 years off everything in the Colonial Marines Technical Manual, Dates 2022 Blade Runner timeline, I have a vague suspicion Avatars date wrong as well? 2054 not 2154, Bet you didn't see that coming. I keep doing it just too see if anyone twigs?

[@charlesmaddison212]

Is the background music from Mass Effect 2 or KOTOR 2, either way it's a very good atmospheric choice.

[@LeonDuhaney]

Thank you for this video bud.

[@stinkletoes8285]

Never really knew detailed specs of these movie ships exsisited.....Fascinating!

[@riep69]

What happened to the old narrator? I think i missed some news (Great video btw!)

[@Spacedock]

I'm still here! There's just two of us now. If you check out the video prior to this one it's me. - Dan

[@riep69]

@@Spacedock Oh well, glad to know you're still there! Keep up the awesome work !

[@--SHEPHERD-OF-MOTHER-EARTH--]

not nuff smartguns om board... that was the problem... 🤔

[@Joshua_N-A]

*For military use only.* Unless the whole world embrace the 2nd Amendment.

[@DanielIKing]

There are some great vids out there about the actual used equipment that went into the sets. Pieces taken from old bombers and such with real grime from long use! And bought cheaply to stay within budget!

[@oldschooljack3479]

If I remember correctly, in the book the Nostromo wasn't pulling an ore refining plant, but a petroleum refinery... It was explained that humans had long surpassed the need for fossil fuels but were still addicted to plastics. So petroleum was extracted from other planets and refined into feedstocks on the journey home. The Nostromo was just a big tug boat pulling an automated oil refinery.

[@sebchambers7140]

its not really a space craft, but have you considered making a breakdown for the USS argo from Godzilla KOTM? its a ship that doesn't have much info about it, but im really interested in it.

[@Joshua_N-A]

Wonder what's the fuel consumption of that thing. Ace Combat 6 air carrier needs what, like 6 to 8 air tanker to refuel.

[@sebchambers7140]

@@Joshua_N-A from what ive heard its got an onboard nuclear reactor much like the navy submarines

[@Dan19870]

Nice to hear that Rolls Royce is still around.

[@GareauRA]

Holy hell that was awesome! Great Job!

[@kamakazed3747]

I love how you guys always talk about these future technologies in the past tense

[@kamakazed3747]

@@MPeaches1958 lol true that

[@druunderwood5602]

It Blade Runner 2049 Retcons Aliens back too 2079 old timeline we going to need too take 100 years off everything in the Colonial Marines Technical Manual, Dates 2022 Blade Runner timeline, I have a vague suspicion Avatars date wrong as well? 2054 not 2154, Bet you didn't see that coming. I keep doing it just too see if anyone twigs?

[@kamakazed3747]

@@druunderwood5602 why would someone Twig at that? A opinion is an opinion nothing more or less

[@druunderwood5602]

@@kamakazed3747 Bet your fun at parties.

[@kamakazed3747]

@@druunderwood5602 lol why because I don't take the bait from trolls, you said it yourself your just looking to get a rise out of people. Anyway it's been fun I feel your the kind of person who must have the last word so take it away larry.

[@lilumartini]

I found spacedock yesterday, by looking up about star trek lower decks. And i am loving the channel. I am a big fan of scifi movies and series. I was wondering, have you ever done the ship of firefly or the slaveship, the gruza from the alien nation?

[@dakchang63]

Welcome to our spacedock family

[@lilumartini]

@@dakchang63 thank you so much :D

[@thestanleys3657]

" in space no one can hear you scream"

[@deadon4847]

No one can hear you fart.

[@druunderwood5602]

"In Prison no one can hear you scream!" Death Race is sponsored by the Weyland Corporation.

[@GokantheHusky]

I'm still quite amazed how when with this old movie, the directors and cast come up with all these brands and models for certain things. Like Newington A24 rocket motors and the Laratel WF-15 fusion reactor.

[@ShrewsburyMon]

Still can't believe this film was made in the 70's, perfect set design that I appreciate so much more than cgi. My wife bought me the graphic novel of this film for Christmas, really enjoyed it, going to try others from the alien and predator universe

[@DaveQZ85]

I get that the lower, industrial areas were dark to give atmosphere for hiding the xenomorph. But even a ship long-used like the Nostromo, I don’t think realistically would have lighting be that terrible. If people are working there, you have to be able to see.

[@hillaryclinton2415]

Modern working vessels are not always kept lit in the seldom visited sections. I worked an oil tanker and a hand held flashlight was derigeur...

[@DaveQZ85]

@@hillaryclinton2415 Small areas within decks I can see. But the entire deck and multiple? And what looks like a garage?

[@NorthernNorthdude91749]

@@DaveQZ85 You've obviously never been on a tanker ship or large commercial vessel. Yeah, they're like that.

[@DaveQZ85]

@@NorthernNorthdude91749 Of course, no. No need to get snarky about it. All the tour videos I've seen on KZbin of tanks and the like show working areas always lit. Even if minimally lit, at least not pitch-black dark like on the Nostromo. It does make sense you'd shut off or reduce lighting if no one's actively in the area. But in the days where LED lighting draws minimal power, you'd think they'd just be lit all the time for safety.

[@patricksmith9700]

It is unfortunate that so much of alien revolves around the aliens

[@Joshua_N-A]

Just as later Terminators revolves around T2 (reprogrammed T-800).

[@manicobservations9605]

Such a gorgeous looking ship

[@TheRetroShed]

My favourite movie of all time. It’s just brilliant! Scared the hell out of me when I was 11 when I first saw it. Way too young!

[@TheRetroShed]

@Omnibud we did a video last year on things that scared us as kids. Alien was probably one of those things that damaged me to an extent! I was far too young when I saw it and it terrified me. Probably why I love the movie so much!