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|counterpart=''[[Narcissus]]''
 
|counterpart=''[[Narcissus]]''
 
|era= Early 22nd century
 
|era= Early 22nd century
|affiliation=[[Weyland-Yutani]]}}
+
|affiliation=[[Weyland-Yutani]]
  +
|status=Destroyed}}
 
The '''USCSS ''Nostromo''''', registration number '''180924609''', was a modified [[Lockmart CM-88B Bison]] M-Class starfreighter registered to the [[Weyland-Yutani|Weyland-Yutani Corporation]] out of Panama.<ref name="CMTM135"/> The ''Nostromo'' operated as a tug, connecting to and pulling loads like a tractor truck rather than carrying those loads on board like a traditional freighter.
 
The '''USCSS ''Nostromo''''', registration number '''180924609''', was a modified [[Lockmart CM-88B Bison]] M-Class starfreighter registered to the [[Weyland-Yutani|Weyland-Yutani Corporation]] out of Panama.<ref name="CMTM135"/> The ''Nostromo'' operated as a tug, connecting to and pulling loads like a tractor truck rather than carrying those loads on board like a traditional freighter.
   
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==History==
 
==History==
 
[[File:Nostromo_cryo_chambers.png|thumb|left|The ''Nostromo'''s hypersleep chambers.]]
 
[[File:Nostromo_cryo_chambers.png|thumb|left|The ''Nostromo'''s hypersleep chambers.]]
The ''Nostromo'' started life as an interstellar cruiser, but was refitted in 2116 as a commercial towing vehicle and was subsequently operated as a commercial hauler, transporting automated ore and oil refineries between outer colonies and [[Earth]].<ref name="CMTM135"/> As part of this retrofit, the ship's original Saturn J-3000 engines were removed and replaced with the more powerful N66 Cyclone powerplants.<ref name="CMTM136">{{cite book|title={{ACMTM}}|author=[[Lee Brimmicombe-Wood]]|publisher=[[HarperPrism]]|year=[[1996]]|page=136}}</ref> The seven [[Stasis|hypersleep]] chambers that would accommodate the crew during long-duration flight were also installed at this time.
+
The ''Nostromo'' started life as an interstellar cruiser, but was refitted in 2116 as a commercial towing vehicle and was subsequently operated as a commercial hauler, transporting automated ore and oil refineries between outer colonies and [[Earth]].<ref name="CMTM135"/> As part of this retrofit, the ship's original Saturn J-3000 engines were removed and replaced with the two immensely powerful Rolls-Royce N66 Cyclone thrust engines, with bipolar vectoring for midline lift function. Each of these N66 cyclone powerplants developed 65,830 metric tons of thrust, using water for reaction mass. When running at full power, the engines produced a high impulse thrust total of 131,660 kN.<ref name="CMTM136">{{cite book|title={{ACMTM}}|author=[[Lee Brimmicombe-Wood]]|publisher=[[HarperPrism]]|year=[[1996]]|page=136}}</ref> The seven [[Stasis|hypersleep]] chambers that would accommodate the crew during long-duration flight were also installed at this time.
   
 
===Final voyage===
 
===Final voyage===
When [[Weyland-Yutani]] detected and partially decoded an unidentified warning signal emanating from [[Acheron (LV-426)|LV-426]],<ref name="Alienbook261">{{cite book|title=[[Alien (novel)|Alien novelization]]|author=[[Alan Dean Foster]]|publisher=Warner Books, Inc.|year=1979|page=261}}</ref> the ''Nostromo'' was selected (unbeknownst to its crew) to investigate and hopefully recover a potential {{Xeno}} specimen from the moon. To help ensure the recovery of the creature, the ''Nostromo'''s science officer was replaced two days before the ship left [[Thedus]] with [[Ash]], a [[Synthetic sleeper agent]] who, under [[Special Order 937]], was to assist in the recovery of a Xenomorph through any means necessary, even at the expense of the rest of the crew.
+
When [[Weyland-Yutani]] detected and partially decoded an unidentified warning signal emanating from [[Acheron (LV-426)|LV-426]],<ref name="Alienbook261">{{cite book|title=[[Alien (novel)|Alien novelization]]|author=[[Alan Dean Foster]]|publisher=Warner Books, Inc.|year=1979|page=261}}</ref> the ''Nostromo'' was selected (unbeknownst to its crew) to investigate and hopefully recover a potential {{Xeno}} specimen from the moon. To help ensure the recovery of the creature, the ''Nostromo'''s science officer was replaced two days before the ship left [[Thedus]] with [[Ash]], a [[Synthetic sleeper agent]] who, under [[Special Order 937]], was to assist in the recovery of a Xenomorph through any means necessary, even at the expense of the rest of the crew. Upon leaving Thedus, Captain [[Dallas Arthur|Dallas]] transmitted the ship's report packet back to [[Solar System|Sol]], relaying it through [[Sevastopol Station]].<ref name="ArchiveN010">{{AI}} - Nostromo Log 010 - Nostromo Report Packet</ref>
   
 
[[File:Nostromo above LV-426.png|thumb|The ''Nostromo'' above LV-426.]]
 
[[File:Nostromo above LV-426.png|thumb|The ''Nostromo'' above LV-426.]]
The ''Nostromo'' set down on LV-426 on June 3, [[2122]].<ref name="CMTM135"/> The ship was damaged during landing when dust entered one of the engine intakes, causing it to overheat and eventually triggering an electrical fire in the engineering section.<ref name="Alienbook45">{{cite book|title=[[Alien (novel)|Alien novelization]]|author=[[Alan Dean Foster]]|publisher=Warner Books, Inc.|year=1979|page=45}}</ref> When Executive Officer [[Gilbert Kane|Kane]] was later brought back aboard the ship with a [[Facehugger]] attached to him, Captain [[Dallas Arthur|Dallas]] elected to take off, despite the fact several non-critical systems had yet to be repaired.
+
The ''Nostromo'' set down on LV-426 on June 3, [[2122]].<ref name="CMTM135"/> The ship was damaged during landing when dust entered one of the engine intakes, causing it to overheat and eventually triggering an electrical fire in the engineering section.<ref name="Alienbook45">{{cite book|title=[[Alien (novel)|Alien novelization]]|author=[[Alan Dean Foster]]|publisher=Warner Books, Inc.|year=1979|page=45}}</ref> When Executive Officer [[Gilbert Kane|Kane]] was later brought back aboard the ship with a [[Facehugger]] attached to him, Dallas elected to take off, despite the fact several non-critical systems had yet to be repaired.
   
 
[[File:Nostromo_explosion.jpg|thumb|left|The ''Nostromo'' exploding.]]
 
[[File:Nostromo_explosion.jpg|thumb|left|The ''Nostromo'' exploding.]]
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{{Quote|I remember reading about your ship, actually, when I was a kid. It's gone down in the 'lost without trace' files.|'''[[Chris "Hoop" Hooper|Hoop]]''' to '''[[Ellen Ripley|Ripley]]''', regarding the ''Nostromo'' (from ''[[Alien: Out of the Shadows]]'')}}
 
{{Quote|I remember reading about your ship, actually, when I was a kid. It's gone down in the 'lost without trace' files.|'''[[Chris "Hoop" Hooper|Hoop]]''' to '''[[Ellen Ripley|Ripley]]''', regarding the ''Nostromo'' (from ''[[Alien: Out of the Shadows]]'')}}
   
Following its destruction, the ''Nostromo'' incident was subject to a cover up. The Weyland-Yutani personnel, who had given the ship its secret mission to LV-426, destroyed all records of ever having done so, along with any information regarding the emergency beacon being transmitted by the [[Derelict (LV-426)|derelict ship]] on LV-426.<ref name="CMTM143">{{cite book|title=''[[Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual]]''|author=Lee Brimmicombe-Wood|publisher=HarperPrism|year=1996|page=143}}</ref> The derelict itself was later damaged by volcanic activity and its beacon went offline as a result.<ref name="W-Y archives">{{cite web|title=Weyland-Yutani Archives - James Cameron's Responses To Aliens Critics|url=http://weyland-yutaniarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/james-camerons-responses-to-aliens.html|accessdate=2013-07-01}}</ref> In time, the loss of the ''Nostromo'' was relegated to the pages of history where it went down as lost without a trace.<ref name="OOTS55">{{cite book|title=''[[Alien: Out of the Shadows]]''|author=[[Tim Lebbon]]|publisher=[[Titan Books]]|year=[[2014]]|page=55}}</ref>
+
Following its destruction, the ''Nostromo'' incident was subject to a cover up. The Weyland-Yutani personnel who had given the ship its secret mission to LV-426 destroyed all records of ever having done so, along with any information regarding the emergency beacon being transmitted by the [[Derelict (LV-426)|derelict ship]] on LV-426.<ref name="CMTM143">{{cite book|title=''[[Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual]]''|author=Lee Brimmicombe-Wood|publisher=HarperPrism|year=1996|page=143}}</ref> The beacon itself was later deactivated by the crew of the ''[[Anesidora]]''.<ref name="AI">{{cite video|title='{{AI}}'|medium=Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One|publisher=[[The Creative Assembly]]|date=2014}}</ref> Weyland-Yutani lost a substantial amount of money as a result of the ''Nostromo<nowiki>'</nowiki>''s disappearance, a fact that no doubt helped facilitate the cover up — the incident became a black mark in the company's records, and consequently it was something of a taboo subject amongst employees.<ref name="Archive002">{{AI}} - Archive Log 002 - Re: Nostromo Incident</ref> The loss of the ''Nostromo'' was relegated to the pages of history where it went down as lost without a trace.<ref name="OOTS55">{{cite book|title=''[[Alien: Out of the Shadows]]''|author=[[Tim Lebbon]]|publisher=[[Titan Books]]|year=[[2014]]|page=55}}</ref>
   
 
==Crew==
 
==Crew==
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*{{ACM}} (video game, mentioned and multiplayer only)
 
*{{ACM}} (video game, mentioned and multiplayer only)
 
*''[[Alien: Out of the Shadows]]'' (mentioned only)
 
*''[[Alien: Out of the Shadows]]'' (mentioned only)
  +
*{{AI}}
*''[[Alien: Isolation]]''
+
*''[[Alien: River of Pain]]''
   
 
==Gallery==
 
==Gallery==
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1001033 10153072420335114 1544892418 n.jpg|The set of one of the ''Nostromo'''s landing gear.
 
1001033 10153072420335114 1544892418 n.jpg|The set of one of the ''Nostromo'''s landing gear.
 
Nosunderconstruct.png|The ''Nostromo'' set under construction.
 
Nosunderconstruct.png|The ''Nostromo'' set under construction.
Nossymbols.png|Symbols used aboard the ''Nostromo''.
+
Nossymbols.png|[[Ron Cobb]]'s "Semiotic Standard" symbols, as seen aboard the ''Nostromo''.
Nos2symbols.png|Some of the symbols used in the ''Nostromo''.
+
Nos2symbols.png|Additional symbols.
  +
NossymbolsMASTER.png|Digital recreation of Cobb's Semiotic Standard symbols.
 
aanospolbase.jpg|Polaroid images measuring approximately 3.5" x 3.5" taken for reference by a member of the model effects crew during the production at Bray Studios. Both are currently available since March [[2014]] at The Prop Gallery for £195.<ref>http://www.thepropgallery.com/nostromo-polaroids</ref>
 
aanospolbase.jpg|Polaroid images measuring approximately 3.5" x 3.5" taken for reference by a member of the model effects crew during the production at Bray Studios. Both are currently available since March [[2014]] at The Prop Gallery for £195.<ref>http://www.thepropgallery.com/nostromo-polaroids</ref>
 
aanospol2.jpg
 
aanospol2.jpg
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<references/>
 
<references/>
 
[[Category:Weyland-Yutani spacecraft|Nostromo, USCSS]]
 
[[Category:Weyland-Yutani spacecraft|Nostromo, USCSS]]
[[Category:Articles Needing Cleanup]]
+
[[Category:Alien (film) vehicles]]

Revision as of 09:08, 16 February 2015

"This is commercial towing vehicle Nostromo out of the Solomons, registration number one-eight-oh-niner-two-four-six-oh-niner."
Ripley (from Alien)

The USCSS Nostromo, registration number 180924609, was a modified Lockmart CM-88B Bison M-Class starfreighter registered to the Weyland-Yutani Corporation out of Panama.[1] The Nostromo operated as a tug, connecting to and pulling loads like a tractor truck rather than carrying those loads on board like a traditional freighter.

The ship was destroyed in 2122 when its engines were set to self destruct by Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley in an attempt to kill the lone Xenomorph that had gotten loose aboard the vessel. The ship and its cargo were completely destroyed in the resulting explosion.

History

Nostromo cryo chambers

The Nostromo's hypersleep chambers.

The Nostromo started life as an interstellar cruiser, but was refitted in 2116 as a commercial towing vehicle and was subsequently operated as a commercial hauler, transporting automated ore and oil refineries between outer colonies and Earth.[1] As part of this retrofit, the ship's original Saturn J-3000 engines were removed and replaced with the two immensely powerful Rolls-Royce N66 Cyclone thrust engines, with bipolar vectoring for midline lift function. Each of these N66 cyclone powerplants developed 65,830 metric tons of thrust, using water for reaction mass. When running at full power, the engines produced a high impulse thrust total of 131,660 kN.[2] The seven hypersleep chambers that would accommodate the crew during long-duration flight were also installed at this time.

Final voyage

When Weyland-Yutani detected and partially decoded an unidentified warning signal emanating from LV-426,[3] the Nostromo was selected (unbeknownst to its crew) to investigate and hopefully recover a potential Xenomorph specimen from the moon. To help ensure the recovery of the creature, the Nostromo's science officer was replaced two days before the ship left Thedus with Ash, a Synthetic sleeper agent who, under Special Order 937, was to assist in the recovery of a Xenomorph through any means necessary, even at the expense of the rest of the crew. Upon leaving Thedus, Captain Dallas transmitted the ship's report packet back to Sol, relaying it through Sevastopol Station.[4]

Nostromo above LV-426

The Nostromo above LV-426.

The Nostromo set down on LV-426 on June 3, 2122.[1] The ship was damaged during landing when dust entered one of the engine intakes, causing it to overheat and eventually triggering an electrical fire in the engineering section.[5] When Executive Officer Kane was later brought back aboard the ship with a Facehugger attached to him, Dallas elected to take off, despite the fact several non-critical systems had yet to be repaired.

Nostromo explosion

The Nostromo exploding.

Once under way, the Alien that birthed from Kane began stalking and slaughtering the crew, whose efforts at fighting the creature were hampered both by Ash and, more generally, by the fact it remained on the lower engineering decks, where the security camera systems were still inoperable following the electrical damage caused on LV-426.[6] Eventually the few survivors decided to set the ship for self destruct in an attempt to kill the Alien while they themselves escaped in the ship's light shuttle, Narcissus. Only Ellen Ripley survived to make the escape, along with the ship's cat Jones, while the ship and cargo were completely destroyed by the detonation of the Nostromo's reactor.

Legacy

"I remember reading about your ship, actually, when I was a kid. It's gone down in the 'lost without trace' files."
Hoop to Ripley, regarding the Nostromo (from Alien: Out of the Shadows)

Following its destruction, the Nostromo incident was subject to a cover up. The Weyland-Yutani personnel who had given the ship its secret mission to LV-426 destroyed all records of ever having done so, along with any information regarding the emergency beacon being transmitted by the derelict ship on LV-426.[7] The beacon itself was later deactivated by the crew of the Anesidora.[8] Weyland-Yutani lost a substantial amount of money as a result of the Nostromo's disappearance, a fact that no doubt helped facilitate the cover up — the incident became a black mark in the company's records, and consequently it was something of a taboo subject amongst employees.[9] The loss of the Nostromo was relegated to the pages of history where it went down as lost without a trace.[10]

Crew

Behind the Scenes

The Nostromo's name was taken from the eponymous hero of the 1904 novel Nostromo by Joseph Conrad. The ship was originally called the Snark, then later the Leviathan, before the production team finally settled for Nostromo.[12] People and places from Conrad's works would go on to feature repeatedly as the names of space-going vessels in the Alien franchise, inspiring the names of the Narcissus (also from Alien), the USS Sulaco (from Aliens), the Patna (from Alien3), the USS Verloc (from Aliens versus Predator 2), the USS Marlow (from Aliens vs. Predator) and the USS Sephora (from Aliens: Colonial Marines).

Scale models

Three scale models of the Nostromo were made for filming: a 12-inch (30 cm) version for medium and long shots, a 4-foot (1.2 m) version for rear shots and a 12-foot (3.7 m), 7-short-ton (6.4 t) rig for the undocking and planetoid surface sequences. The latter of these was so large it could only be moved using a forklift truck, which would plug into two slots on the back of the model.[12] The basic outlines of the smaller models were made of wood and plastic, while the larger had a welded metal frame. Most of the fine surface details were added from model kits of battleships, tanks and World War II bombers, while the miniature of the attached refinery contained parts from several Star Wars model kits in its construction — the release mechanism that secures the Nostromo to the refinery featured the legs of R2-D2 as decorations on its upper surface,[12] while the refinery's underside incorporated panels from Darth Vader's TIE fighter.[13]

The Nostromo was originally painted yellow. However, after the model unit had spent several weeks filming the model, Ridley Scott decided to repaint the ship grey and reshoot all of the model work himself. At one point, the refinery being towed by the Nostromo featured towering spires considerably higher than those that appear in the final film, but just before filming Ridley Scott personally removed the upper sections (allegedly with a hammer and chisel).[12] A separate model, approximately 40 feet (12 m) long, was created for the Nostromo's underside, from which the Narcissus would detach and along which Kane's body was launched during the funeral scene.[12] For the scene in which the Nostromo detaches from the refinery, a 30-foot (9.1 m) docking arm miniature was created to the same scale as the largest Nostromo model. To film the sequence, the Nostromo was pushed away from the refinery by the forklift — which was concealed under black velvet — causing the arm to extend out from the refinery, creating the illusion that the arm was pushing the ship forward.[12] Shots from outside the Nostromo in which the characters are seen moving around inside through windows were filmed using larger model sections that contained projection screens showing pre-recorded footage.

Interiors

The interior of the Nostromo was designed by conceptual artist Ron Cobb. The set constructed for filming was all interconnected and largely sealed, meaning cast and crew had to walk through the various corridors and chambers to reach other areas of the ship. Several crew members commented that the confines of intricate set meant filming was more akin to shooting on location than in a studio, and that the interior's enclosed nature helped to create a feeling of claustrophobia appropriate to the film.[12] The look of the Nostromo's corridors was designed to evoke the feeling of a World War II submarine.[13] Much of the interior was dressed with various aircraft parts, acquired by the production team from RAF stock that was being decommissioned at the time.[12] Just before filming, Ridley Scott had the production crew drop the ceiling of the originally spacious bridge set by some 4 feet, creating the far more enclosed space seen in the film.[14]

Trivia

  • One of the opening scenes of Alien shows the computer waking-up, after which a console reads "CAPACITY. 200 000 000 TONNES". This means that, even with the weight of the refining equipment factored on top of the load of ore, the Nostromo was likely not hauling its full potential capacity.
  • Some of the computer displays from the Nostromo were reused in Ridley Scott's later film Blade Runner.
  • Some moviegoers mistake the refinery for the Nostromo, and have confused the Nostromo itself when it detaches from the refinery for the shuttle Narcissus. The refinery is never actually inhabited in the film, as even the Alien remained on the Nostromo itself.
  • Originally, there was supposed to be an eighth member of the crew, a security officer called Fazio. He was scripted to be killed by the fully grown Alien not long after Kane's death while searching through the ship. However, the character was cut from the movie early in production.
  • The conceptual warning symbols designed by Ron Cobb for the interior of the Nostromo were later reused for the trophy/achievement icons in the video game Alien: Isolation.

Appearances

Gallery

Behind the scenes

External Links

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lee Brimmicombe-Wood. 'Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual', p. 135 (1996), HarperPrism.
  2. Lee Brimmicombe-Wood. 'Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual', p. 136 (1996), HarperPrism.
  3. Alan Dean Foster. Alien novelization, p. 261 (1979), Warner Books, Inc..
  4. Alien: Isolation - Nostromo Log 010 - Nostromo Report Packet
  5. Alan Dean Foster. Alien novelization, p. 45 (1979), Warner Books, Inc..
  6. Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett (writers) and Ridley Scott (director). Alien (1986), 20th Century Fox [DVD].
  7. Lee Brimmicombe-Wood. 'Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual', p. 143 (1996), HarperPrism.
  8.  Alien: Isolation (2014), The Creative Assembly [Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One].
  9. Alien: Isolation - Archive Log 002 - Re: Nostromo Incident
  10. Tim Lebbon. 'Alien: Out of the Shadows', p. 55 (2014), Titan Books.
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Ian Nathan. 'Alien Vault: The Definitive Story of the Making of the Film' (2011), Voyager Press. - USCSS Nostromo schematic
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 Ridley Scott, David Giler, Walter Hill, H. R. Giger, Dan O'Bannon, Ronald ShusettThe Beast Within: The Making of 'Alien' (2003), 20th Century Fox [DVD].
  13. 13.0 13.1 Ridley Scott, James Cameron, H. R. Giger, Dan O'Bannon, Ronald ShusettThe Alien Saga (2002), Prometheus Entertainment [DVD].
  14. Ridley Scott, H. R. Giger, Dan O'Bannon, Ronald ShusettAlien Legacy (1999), 20th Century Fox [DVD].
  15. http://www.propstore.com/cms/nostromo-a-legend-born-and-born-again/
  16. http://www.thepropgallery.com/nostromo-polaroids