Shuttlecraft

**Shuttlecraft**, or **shuttles**, refer to small space flight-capable vessels used for short-range transportation. Shuttlecraft could ferry people or objects from larger host spacecraft to other destinations and were capable of landing on, or leaving, the surfaces of high-gravity objects like planets.

## Planetary Union

In the Planetary Union, shuttles were stowed aboard larger spaceships inside the Shuttle Bay. Typically, shuttles were piloted by a helmsman or a navigator, but rarely other officers could pilot one. They were designated by the host ship's registry serial (e.g. *ECV-197*) followed by an individualizing number (e.g. *ECV-197-1*). When referring to shuttles of one's ship, they were more informally known as *"*Shuttle (number)*"*.

Shuttle computers had remote access to the Union deployment strategies via command codes.

Ensigns of the Engineering Level were tasked with routine maintenance of ship's shuttles.

### Schematics

A shuttle seated six passengers, including two seats for pilots with navigational controls. At maximum capacity, a shuttle could carry 32 human-sized people. Shuttles were capable of faster-than-light travel through a quantum drive, which was powered by dysonium. However, piloting a shuttle out of a vessel that was itself at quantum speed was extremely dangerous, such that pilots were warned on day one of pilot training to not ever attempt it.

Shuttles came equipped with lockers holding an assortment of weapons, equipment belts, medical equipment, comscanners for landing parties, and environmental suits. Food Synthesizers created food and drink. The viewscreen could magnify objects or filter light to reduce brightness. The computer could send distress calls through a distress beacon.

Shuttles possess Deflector Screens for protection. In high-gravity environments such as Xelaya, a gravity shield could extend to protect the immediate area around the shuttle. In addition, shuttles were equipped with cloaking devices for evasive tactics.

The back of a shuttle was an protractable ramp leading up to the hatchway. Versatile extending airlocks allowed Union shuttles to latch on to many different kinds of docks encountered in space.

### Notable shuttlecraft

The USS *Orville* maintained four shuttles at all time, replacing old ones when destroyed. The most commonly used shuttle was ECV-197-1, or "Shuttle 1."

Other identified shuttles included:

* **ECV-342-1** - Used by Ed Mercer and Gordon Malloy in an alternate timeline. The host ship is unknown.
* **SCV-119-1** - This shuttle was routinely maintained by Ensigns Mercer and Malloy aboard the USS *Bohr*. When Alibar left the Union, it was this shuttle which Malloy used to return Ensign Ycil home.
* **SCV-183-1** - The host ship was the USS *Olympia*.
* **SCV-183-2** - A shuttle observed in late 2419 that transported Darulio and a Lopovian birthing bucket from the *Olympia* to the *Orville*.
* **SCV-192-1** - A shuttle flying around Outpost 47 in 2421. The host ship is unknown.

## Krill

Krill shuttles were short-range craft designed to transport raiding parties, as opposed to general transportation purposes as with Union shuttlecraft.

It seated at least two persons. Unlike Planetary Union shuttlecraft, which contained dual cannons hidden beneath flush mounted paneling, Krill shuttles possessed an articulating nose mounted cannon.

## Moclan

A Moclan shuttle was used by Captain Rechik to transport the engineer Locar to the *Orville*. Not much is known about the craft except that it seated at least three persons.

## Production

### Planetary Union

The Union shuttle was designed by *The Orville*'s production design team, the only spaceship not designed by its visual effects department. As a result, the shuttle has a bulkier appearance than other ships, which creator Seth MacFarlane dubbed a "wooden shoe."

For exterior shots, Union shuttles are laser-cut foam by Ghostlight Industries, coated in fiberglass, and sanded to create the final form. The actual shuttles are roughly 75 percent the size as depicted on film. The original shuttle had a clear plastic canopy, but it was removed before filming the pilot after a technocrane accidentally broke a hole in it.

 The interior of the shuttles is merely an open set: six seats, two portions of shuttle walls, and part of the ceiling are all that physically exist. It is constructed on gimbals to let the production crew simulate a "rough ride" while shooting."

The Union shuttle has an extendable chamber used to connect the shuttle to a docking door, seen in *If the Stars Should Appear*. The chamber was created during production for that episode when the crew realized there was no easy way to dock the shuttle against the Bio-ship.

The original registry of the Orville's shuttle was C1379.

#### Season 2

New decals were added to the sides of the shuttlecraft, first revealed on March 26, 2018 by director Jon Cassar while filming the third episode.

#### Season 3

Brandon Fayette redesigned the Union shuttle for Season 3, stepping away from the "wooden shoe" look and becoming a sleeker ship.The shuttle somewhat bares some similarities to the Raptor design from Battlestar Galactica with the exception of missing a pair of twin tails on the aft.

### Krill

The Krill shuttle was designed by Brandon Fayette after settling on the ultimate look of the destroyer. It contained a suicide door style front opening converted into a staircase style ramp as seen in the pilot. A second variant of the shuttle was created for season 2 with a more standard rear door that was taken off of it's hinges by Talla. The book reference cited here was incorrect. A model of the Krill shuttle was never 3d printed, though the Krill Marauder was.

## Trivia

* The Union shuttle set is one of two of Seth's least favorite locations to shoot because it is so small, the other is the Bridge of the Orville.
* The original shuttle had a clear plastic canopy for the interior set, which wasn't used besides in Into the Fold for the crash landing scene where it was scuffed and shattered and placed to look like the shuttle had crashed into the dirt.
* One of the original shuttles was damaged by a technocrane before shooting the pilot and was then repaired a few weeks later which forced visual effects to insert a digital shuttle windshield for a few episodes into the shuttle bay. The source was just confusing the canopy prop with the smaller scale full prop.

## Appearances

### Planetary Union shuttlecraft

* Episode 1x01: *Old Wounds* (ECV-197-1)
* Episode 1x02: *Command Performance* (ECV-197-1)
* Episode 1x03: *About a Girl* (ECV-197-1)
* Episode 1x04: *If the Stars Should Appear* (ECV-197-1)
* Episode 1x05: *Pria* (ECV-197-1)
* Episode 1x07: *Majority Rule* (ECV-197-1)
* Episode 1x08: *Into the Fold* (ECV-197-1, ECV-197-2)
* Episode 1x09: *Cupid's Dagger* (SCV-183-2)
* *Episode 1x10: Firestorm* (simulated ECV-197-1)
* Episode 1x11: *New Dimensions* (ECV-197-1)
* Episode 1x12: *Mad Idolatry* (ECV-197-1)
* *Episode 1.5x01: New Beginnings, Pt. 1* (ECV-197-1)
* *Episode 1.5x02: New Beginnings, Pt. 2* (ECV-197-1)
* *Episode 1.5x03: The Word of Avis, Pt. 1*
* *Episode 1.5x04: The Word of Avis, Pt. 2*
* *Episode 2x01: Ja'loja* (ECV-197-1)
* *Episode 2x02: Primal Urges* (ECV-197-1)
* *Episode 2x03: Home* (ECV-197-1, ECV-197-2)
* *Episode 2x04: Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes* (ECV-197-4, ECV-197-1)
* *Episode 2x05: All the World is Birthday Cake* (Unidentified shuttle from a Science-class vessel, ECV-197-1)
* *Episode 2x07: Deflectors* (ECV-197-1)
* *Episode 2x08: Identity, Pt. 1* (ECV-197-1)
* *Episode 2x09: Identity, Pt. 2* (ECV-197-1)
* *Episode 2x10: Blood of Patriots* (ECV-197-1, ECV-197-2)
* *Episode 2x12: Sanctuary* (ECV-197-1, ECV-197-2)
* *Episode 2x14: The Road Not Taken* (ECV-342-1)
* *Episode 2.5x01: Launch Day, Pt. 1* (SCV-119-1, ECV-197-1)

### Krill shuttlecraft

* *Episode 1x01: Old Wounds*
* *Episode 1x06: Krill*
* *Episode 2x04: Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes*
* *Episode 2x10: Blood of Patriots*

### Moclan shuttlecraft

* *Episode 2x07: Deflectors*
* *Episode 2x12: Sanctuary*

## Notes

1. ↑ Helmsman Gordon Malloy and Navigator John LaMarr have piloted most shuttlecraft flights flown thus far. Exceptions include: *Majority Rule*, wherein Lieutenant Alara Kitan flies the shuttle from a planet to the Orville. *Into the Fold* where Isaac files the shuttle and crashes on the biohazardous wasteland of a moon.
2. ↑ In early 2420 a small group from the Orville crashes on an unnamed moon. Isaac restores partial power to the shuttle by mining local dysonium and sends a weak distress signal to the Orville. *Episode 1x08: Into the Fold*
3. ↑ Commander Kelly Grayson ordering a marijuana-infused brownie from a food synthesizer. Episode 1x02: *Command Performance*
4. ↑ Grayson drinking a glass of water presumably obtained from the synthesizer. Episode 1x12: Mad Idolatry
5. ↑ Using cloaking technology. Episode 1x01: *Old Wounds*
6. ↑ Note that the authors incorrectly call the company 'Ghost Light.' *See* Lineweaver, Stephen & Robert Strohmaier. "The Orville: A Chance to Design the Future". *ADG Perspective*. July-Aug. 2018. Pg. 98.

## References

1. ↑ *Episode 2x10: Blood of Patriots*
2. ↑ Episode 2x04: Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes
3. ↑ *Episode 2.5x01: Launch Day, Pt. 1*
4. ↑ *Episode 2x02: Primal Urges*
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 *Episode 2x09: Identity, Pt. 2*
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Bond, Jeff. *The World of the Orville*. Titan Books. 2018. Pg. 85.
7. ↑ *Episode 2x10: Blood of Patriots*
8. ↑ Episode 1x08: Into the Fold
9. ↑ *Episode 2x03: Home*
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Bond, Jeff. *The World of the Orville*. Titan Books. 2018. Pg. 84.
11. ↑ Episode 2x14: The Road Not Taken
12. ↑ *Episode 2.5x01: Launch Day, Pt. 1*
13. ↑ Inferred from the existence of SCV-183-2.
14. ↑ Episode 1x09: Cupid's Dagger
15. ↑ Artifacts, Pt. 1
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Mitovich, Matt Webb. "The Orville Season 3: How Is Isaac Like Rudy Giuliani...? Plus, Stars Talk New Faces, Norm Macdonald's Farewell Run". *TVLine*. May 28, 2022.
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 @TomCostantino. "Random MORE -@theorville
. This relic from the S1 Pilot. The shuttles had a canopy, until a technocrane took bite out of it on day 1 of shooting! 💥☄️hulu

@planetary\_union

#TheOrville https://ift.tt/2ByGWSP". Twitter. Oct. 23, 2019.
18. ↑ Lineweaver, Stephen & Robert Strohmaier. "The Orville: A Chance to Design the Future." *ADG Perspective*. July-Aug. 2018. Pg. 99.
19. ↑ "The Orville Fan Podcast w/ The Visual Effects Team". Planetary Union Podcast. May 23, 2018.
20. ↑ Bond, Jeff. *The World of the Orville*. Titan Books. 2018. Pg. 82.
21. ↑ @joncassar. "Another shooting week begins on #TheOrville". Instagram. March 26, 2018.
22. ↑ Bond, Jeff. *The World of the Orville*. Titan Books. 2018. Pg. 97.
23. ↑ @SethMacFarlane. "The shuttle (it’s small) and the bridge (it’s big)". Twitter. Jan. 17, 2019.