Shinra No. 26

The Shinra No. 26 is is the rocket piloted by Cid Highwind in Final Fantasy VII. It was one of the successful rockets developed by Shinra's Space Exploration Department. Because of a mishap that occurred inside the rocket during the day of the launch, it was aborted. The site of the aborted launch served as a landmark years later for Rocket Town.
==History==
=== Before Final Fantasy VII ===
==== Early test model ====
An early test model for Shinra's space rocket crashed into the slums of Midgar, specifically crashing into the Sector 5 slums church. Cid was relieved to hear later that it had not blown up.
FFVII-Sector5 ChurchStairs.jpg|The crashed rocket in the church in the original Final Fantasy VII.
Crashed rocket in the church from FFVII Remake.jpg|The crashed rocket in Final Fantasy VII Remake.
==== Original launch ====
Cid was assigned as Shinra No. 26's pilot. This angered another employee, who held a grudge against Shinra for taking away his dreams of outer space, and causing him to become a spy for Wutai. A model was present in the Shinra Building in the Exhibit Room.
When the launch time came in year 0003 (four years before the events of Final Fantasy VII), his assistant Shera noticed a leak in oxygen tank number 8, of the oxygen tanks, and stayed behind to fix it. The leak was caused when the rocket was sabotaged by Avalanche, as depicted in Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-. Shera's presence in the rocket caused Cid to abort the launch, crashing and damaging the rocket. Shinra abandoned the space project, and Cid blamed the failure of his dreams on Shera. Shera accepted responsibility.
Rufus Shinra recommended the Space Program's cancellation after the incident, and received the full support by Shinra executives after the fact.
In the years following the failed launch, the rocket became a landmark of Rocket Town, where it would tilt a little more every day since. The town, populated by mechanics who worked on the rocket, largely hung onto the dream of the rocket one day launching. Cid kept a model for Shinra No. 26 in his house along with an AK-47.
=== Final Fantasy VII ===
In "A Sleeping Village Dreaming of Outer Space" during Final Fantasy VII, occuring year 0007, Cloud Strife and the party met Cid Highwind in the rocket, and Shinra arrived shortly after. Though Cid had hoped they were here to restart the space program, much to his disappointment, they only came to borrow the Tiny Bronco.
Later on 0008, after Sephiroth summoned Meteor, the Shinra executives planned to use the rocket to launch Huge Materia in Meteor. As the energy extracted from Huge Materia was 330 times that of normal materia, their hope was that the explosion would be great enough to destroy Meteor and save the planet. When Cait Sith revealed this to Barret Wallace and the party, they agreed they needed to stop Shinra from recovering the Huge Materia, placing Cid in charge of the party's effort to stop them.
In "Toward the Sea of Stars", Cloud Strife, returning to helm the party, fought through the Turk Rude and took control of the rocket. Palmer, the Shinra executive in charge of the Space Department, gleefully told them the rocket is set to automatically launch, and launched them into outer space within the rocket.
Before the party could escape, the oxygen tank that failed Shera's inspection all those years ago exploded, pinning Cid under its debris. With Shera's help, the party freed Cid, and Cid realized that Shera had been correct to be cautious years ago, apologizing to her. The party fled in an escape pod, retrieving the Huge Materia from the rocket.
The rocket did crash into Meteor and created a blinding explosion large enough to be seen around the world. However, Meteor was unaffected.
==Characteristics==
Shinra No. 26 is the first rocket in the planet known to be capable of reaching outer space. While many of its technical specifications are unknown, its ability to reach outer space without the passengers needing specialized suits for cooling suggests its technology is advanced.
==Gameplay==
The Shinra No. 26 Rocket is first seen during "A Sleeping Village Dreaming of Outer Space", when the party recruits Cid.
The rocket is then the main setting of "Toward the Sea of Stars". After the party fights Rude, the player must obtain Huge Materia from the Materia Room using a code. They can obtain any Huge Materia missed from "Struggle for the Huge Materia", but if they do not obtain the materia now within the time limit, they will lose it permanently.
==Other appearances==
===Final Fantasy Record Keeper===
==Gallery==
Rocket Cockpit FF7 Art.jpg|Cockpit concept art.
Model_Rocket_FF7.png|Miniature model from the Final Fantasy VII: International bonus disc.
VIIBC Shinra No.26.png|thumb|left|Entrance to the rocket in Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-. 
BCShinra26.jpg|Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-.
BCShinra26Broken.jpg|Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-.
VIIBC Inside Shinra No.26.png|Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-.
Crisis Core - Rocket Model.png|Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-.
==Notes==
===Annotations===
===Citations===
Category:Vehicles in Final Fantasy VII
Category:Transportation in Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-
Category:Technology
ru:Шинра №26