Eagle Transporter
Length
No dimensions are given. The Eagle is a very well thought out and credible design in terms of both its exterior and the interior which work well with one another making for a very believable ship.
There are several shots of Alpha personnel exiting the passenger module dorway. Commander John Koenig (actor Martin Landau) stands 6’2” and stoops when he exits (although the floor does slope down toward the doorway). We can use our 6 ft man to scale the height of the door and extrapolate from that to get the size.
If you calculate based on the basic scale of the models – assuming that the 44” model is 1/24th scale it measures 88ft, but this would make the doors on the passenger module 5½ feet high, which they clearly are not).
Firepower
The Eagles have laser weapons, which are capable of damaging or destroying other small spacecraft.
Speed
The speed seems to vary based on the story needs of a given episode often reaching ‘nearby’ planets quite quickly. But, in War Games it is stated that a Mk IX Hawk is travelling at speed 14.2, twice the speed of an Eagle. Other speeds of 7.2 and 9.5 are referred to in The AB Chrysalis, but this is under alien influence.
However, there is a concrete scenario in Another Time, Another Place when the Moon is put back into its original orbit around the Earth. Victor Bergman states that the second Moon will collide with them in 48 hours. And Operation Exodus requires 24 hours, leaving them just 10 hours to be on the planet’s surface. This means seven hours from the Moon to the Earth, 10 hours on the Earth and seven hours back. Presumably the order would be given upon their return to Alpha and not as a radio message from the planet. This seems likely as the tone of the episode suggests an in-person discussion and announcement of such a momentous moment. The Moon is 238,850 miles from the Earth, so a trip of seven hours gives us the Eagle’s top speed..
The Space:1999 technical manual from the 1970s gives the speed as 15% of Light Speed. This was presumably an attempt to justify a lot of the interplanetary travel that occurs in the series. However, given the real-world action we see take place this is clearly not represented in any of the episodes.
FAB Factor
The Eagles are workhorses capable of transporting personnel, carrying laboratory equipment or hauling cargo – all via the interchangeable pods. The command module can detach in an emergency situation. They are highly durable craft enabling astronauts to walk away from even the most gruelling crash landing! Without the Eagles the crew of Moonbase Alpha would have no hope of ever finding a new home. The ships are highly credible inside and out and are equal to Martin Landau as stars of the show!
Year
No dates are given for an Eagle being created or first flown. However, in the flashback scene in Dragon’s Domain we see an Eagle on the day of the launch the Ultra Probe.
Hawk (Mk IX)
Length
Using the established length of the Eagle a profile image of the Hawk was scaled using the triangular ‘eyes’ as a guide and confirming this by aligning the small retro clusters (four small engine bells attached to a rectangular block) that is common to the Eagle, the Hawk and the Ultra Probe.
Firepower
The Hawk seems to be a spaceship designed for combat (although with whom is not clear – perhaps different nations from the Earth venturing into space?). Based on the space battle we see in War Games, the Hawk has superior firepower to an Eagle.
Speed
In War Games it is stated that the attacking Hawks are travelling at speed “14.2”, twice as fast as an Eagle.
FAB Factor
The Hawk is one of the more memorable craft that the Alphan’s encounter and a highlight of season 1, as it is another Earth ship. But it has no real impact on the story of the episode (it is a simulation) and never appears again.
Year
No dates or data are given. Appears in Season 1.
Ultra Probe
Length
Using the established length of the Eagle a profile image of the Ultra Probe was scaled to it, We see an Eagle Command Module dock with the Ultra Probe giving a good sale reference. Using the triangular ‘eyes’ as an initial guide but more tangibly the Eagle, Hawk and Ultra Probe all feature the same small retro clusters (four small engine bells attached to a rectangular block).
Firepower
The ship no signs of any weaponry and given the dangers they encounter, if there was any firepower to leverage this would likely be suggested.
Speed
No speed is given. It is not clear where planet Ultra is, but we can assume it is beyond our solar system. The Ultra Probe is a large ship, but with seemingly limited cabin space, so it is logical to conclude that a lot of the ship is taken up with fuel and engines. However, the ship is not necessarily designed for speed, but range and as such the speed has been estimated to be between that of an Eagle and a Hawk.
FAB Factor
The Ultra Probe features in one of the most memorable episodes. Within the context of the show, it seems to be the first manned mission to another planet. Albeit an unsuccessful one.
Year
In Helena Russell’s log about the Ultra Probe mission, the launch date is stated as 6th June 1996 (Oops! Earlier in the episode a news report states that the decision of who will lead the mission will be made on 3rd September 1996).