Zero-XL

The Zero-XL is a long-range rescue spacecraft functioning as International Rescue’s deep space rescue craft.

## Tech

* Side mounted boosters
* Airlock
* Sonar
* Radar
* Highly advanced heat and radiation shielding

## Equipment

* Electromagnetic cables
* Thunderbird 1 dock
* Thunderbird 2 dock
* Thunderbird 3 dock
* Thunderbird 5 dock

## Operators

### Team 1

Hiram Hackenbacker
Flight and Propulsion EngineerScott Tracy
CaptainVirgil Tracy
Airframe and Structural EngineerJohn Tracy
LookoutGordon Tracy
NavigatorAlan Tracy
Helmsman
### Team 2

Jeff Tracy
Captain and HelmsmanLee Taylor
Airframe and Structural Engineer and NavigatorHiram Hackenbacker
Flight and Propulsion Engineer and Lookout
## Launch Sequences

### Team 1

Scott goes to the light brackets to the right of the portraits in the lounge, and pulls them over his shoulders like a harness. This causes the wall to rotate 180° clockwise into a secret compartment containing his flight suit, gauntlets and boots. Scott stands with his back towards the suit, causing the lift to descend. Virgil stands with his back against the painting of Saturn V, rotating him into the harness in his launch tube. Alan sits on the pilot seat in the lounge, with the co-pilot seat on his right. The two seats lower to the Thunderbird 3 and Thunderbird S launch tube, which Alan is taken along via a trolley. At the end of this launch tube, the seats are rotated 90° clockwise so that Alan is facing the two separate launch tubes at the end of the one he is currently in. The pilot seat is taken into the launch tube on the left, while the co-pilot seat is taken into the launch tube on the right. Gordon runs to the fish tank, placing his hand on the glass, revealing it to be a handprint scanner on a screen. This causes the floor around him to rise up and surround him with a hidden wall, revealing his drysuit and diving equipment. The floor Gordon is standing on descends into his launch tube, bringing the risen wall and fish tank with it. John runs to the bookshelves, pulling one of the books outwards, which opens the shelves out like a door, revealing John’s space suit and communications equipment. John enters the lift, which descends as the doors close behind him. The Space Elevator is lowered from Thunderbird 5 and towards Tracy Island. Brains sits in the pilot seat opposite the Thunderbird 3 co-pilot seat, with an empty pilot seat on his right. The two seats lower to the co-pilot launch tube, which Brains is taken along via a trolley. At the end of this launch tube, the seats are rotated 90° anti-clockwise so that Brains is facing the two separate launch tubes at the end of the one he is currently in. Brains’ pilot seat is taken into the launch tube on the left.

During Scott’s descent, his flight suit, gauntlets and boots are attached to him by robotic arms with him personally putting on his sash. At the end of the launch tube, the doors open to reveal Thunderbird 1 standing directly in front of him. As Virgil is taken down his launch tube backwards, his flight suit, gloves and boots are attached to him by robotic arms, with him personally putting on his sash. After Virgil has been suited up, he is rotated 180° so that he is facing downwards. With Alan now in his own launch tube, his space suit, wrist mounted holographic displays and chestplate are attached to him by robotic arms with him personally putting on his sash, all while his seat is being rotated 180° so that he exits the tube backwards. As Gordon is descending, his drysuit and gloves are attached to him by robotic arms, with him personally putting on his sash and diving equipment. While Gordon is suiting up, Thunderbird 4 is transported into Thunderbird 2’s Module 4 by a combination of autopilot controls and robotic arms. During John’s descent, his space suit is attached to him by robotic arms with him personally putting on his sash. The Space Elevator lands on its launch bay, with the mooring claw holding onto the dock. With Brains now in his own launch tube, his rescue suit, gloves and boots are attached to him by robotic arms.

Scott walks out of the lift onto the platform which extends towards Thunderbird 1. Once it has stopped, Scott gets into the craft’s pilot seat which is lifted into the cockpit by a hydraulic arm, with the cockpit window closing during this action. In Thunderbird 2’s hangar, the rail that holds Virgil’s harness is extended from the tube in the ceiling to above the craft’s cockpit. At the end of the rail, Virgil grabs the handlebars in front of him as he is released from the harness so that he drops into Thunderbird 2’s cockpit, onto the platform. Virgil then manually closes the hatch above that he has just dropped through. Alan is rejoined by the co-pilot seat as he exits the launch tube. He is taken onto the loading arm, which lifts him into Thunderbird 3’s cockpit. Once Gordon’s lift has stopped at the end of the launch tube, the screen of a fish tank in front of him lowers, allowing him to walk onto the pathway on top of Thunderbird 4’s storage tank, which he walks along, through the cavern. Thunderbird 2’s six modules move across the hangar until the required one is positioned underneath the empty hole in the middle of the craft. Gordon walks into Thunderbird 2’s hangar and sits on the passenger loading arm, which transports him to the underneath of the craft’s cockpit. Thunderbird 3’s loading arm lowers out of the way, out of the rocket’s silo. Once Thunderbird 2 has been lowered over the required module, Gordon gets onto the lowered platform and is raised into Thunderbird 2’s cockpit. At the bottom of the launch tube, the wall in front of John rotates so that it is behind him, revealing the Space Elevator’s launch bay. John walks along the walkway towards the Space Elevator and enters it through the airlock. At the end of his launch tube, Brains is lowered into the cavern in between Thunderbird 2’s hangar and the refuelling hangar. Brains walks into Thunderbird 2’s hangar and gets into the Zero-XL transport capsule, which speeds along its launch tunnel, towards the Zero-XL’s launch rig.

Thunderbird 1 is then taken out of the refuelling hangar and into its launch bay on a set of rails. As Gordon takes a seat, Thunderbird 2 rotates 45° clockwise and the hangar doors open, allowing the craft to exit onto the runway. Once the palm trees are lifted out of the way, Virgil can taxi Thunderbird 2 to the other end of the runway. The pilot and co-pilot seats move into place at Thunderbird 3’s control console, while the rocket’s silo encloses. Once John has sat down inside, the Space Elevator’s mooring claw lets go of its dock. At the end of the launch tunnel, the Zero-XL transport capsule docks onto the Zero-XL, allowing Brains to leave the capsule and enter the spacecraft.

As Thunderbird 1 enters the launch bay, the swimming pool above retracts under the house, leaving space for the craft to launch. Now on the lowered launch ramp, Thunderbird 2 is raised into launch position. As it is being raised, Thunderbird 2’s wings fold out, and the blast pit opens. The Zero-XL’s storage hangar opens, and the launch rig is raised out of the hangar and out of the ocean.

Scott launches Thunderbird 1 out of the launch bay through the swimming pool opening and into the air, towards the Zero-XL’s launch rig. Virgil launches Thunderbird 2 off of the launch ramp and into the air, towards the Zero-XL’s launch rig. Alan launches Thunderbird 3 out of the silo and through the middle of the roundhouse and into the air, towards the Zero-XL’s launch rig. EOS retracts and launches the Space Elevator out of Tracy Island and towards Thunderbird 5.

Thunderbird 3 lands on the launch rig behind the Zero-XL, which is currently resting horizontally. Thunderbird 1 hovers into its dock at the back of the craft. Once the Space Elevator has been fully retracted and docked into the bottom of Thunderbird 5, the hatch in the capsule’s ceiling opens, allowing John to jump through into the gravity ring. Thunderbird 2 lands underneath the Zero-XL so that it can be picked up by the electromagnetic cables in its dock. Once Thunderbird 1 and Thunderbird 2 are in place, the Zero-XL is lifted and rotated above Thunderbird 3. The Zero-XL is then lowered around Thunderbird 3 so that the rocket is in its dock. Scott, Virgil, Alan and Gordon leave the Thunderbirds’ cockpits and make their way to the Zero-XL’s cockpit to join Brains. Once everyone is seated and the Zero-XL is ready for launch, Alan pushes the lever forwards and the craft launches off of the launch rig and into space. Once in space, the Zero-XL flies towards the back of Thunderbird 5 so that the two can dock. Thunderbird 5’s cargo bay is engulfed by the Zero-XL, allowing John to leave the space station and get into the cockpit with everyone else. When ready, the T-Drive engine is activated and the Zero-XL launches out of the solar system.

### Team 2

Jeff sits at his desk in the lounge and presses the concealed button, lowering the floor section into a compartment containing Jeff’s flight suit behind his chair. Jeff gets out of his chair and stands in front of his suit, causing the lift to descend. Lee sits in the pilot seat opposite the Thunderbird 3 pilot seat, with Brains in the pilot seat on his left. The two seats lower to the co-pilot launch tube, which Lee is taken along via a trolley. At the end of this launch tube, the seats are rotated 90° anti-clockwise so that Lee is facing the two separate launch tubes at the end of the one he is currently in. Lee’s pilot seat is taken into the launch tube on the right, while Brains’ pilot seat is taken into the launch tube on the left.

During his descent, Jeff’s flight suit, gauntlets and boots are attached to him by robotic arms with him personally putting on his sash. With Lee now in his own launch tube, his rescue suit, gloves and boots are attached to him by robotic arms. With Brains now in his own launch tube, his rescue suit, gloves and boots are attached to him by robotic arms.

At the end of his launch tube, Lee is taken to the stairs under Thunderbird 1’s rails, which Lee walks up to the floor of the refuelling hangar. At the end of their launch tubes, Jeff and Brains are lowered into the cavern in between Thunderbird 2’s hangar and the refuelling hangar. Lee then walks to the platform next to Thunderbird 4’s storage tank, which raises him up to the pathway to Thunderbird 2’s hangar, which he walks along, through the cavern. Jeff, Lee and Brains walk into Thunderbird 2’s hangar and get into the Zero-XL transport capsule, which speeds along its launch tunnel, towards the Zero-XL’s launch rig.

At the end of the launch tunnel, the Zero-XL transport capsule docks onto the Zero-XL, allowing Jeff, Lee and Brains to leave the capsule and enter the spacecraft. The Zero-XL’s storage hangar opens, and the launch rig is raised out of the hangar and out of the ocean. The Zero-XL is lifted and rotated so that it faces towards the sky.

Once everyone is seated and the Zero-XL is ready for launch, Jeff pushes the lever forwards and the craft launches off of the launch rig and into space. Once in space, the T-Drive engine is activated and the Zero-XL launches out of the solar system.