In Gerry Anderson’s 1960s marionette-based TV series Thunderbirds, as well as related films and remakes, the organization International Rescue operates a fleet of titular vehicles designed to aid in global rescue efforts.

Thunderbirds 1 through 4 more properly fit the definition of vehicle, being aircraft, rocket or submarine–while Thunderbird 5 is a space station designed primarily to function as a communications hub, as well as a base for operations beyond Earth.

The box art above more or less sums it up: the station has a main circular hub, a docking wing for Thunderbird 3, various antennae, and is usually crewed by John Tracey. Interior shots reveal about what one would expect, lots of 60s-style space age computer equipment. A redesign–probably for one of the movies–upgrades the initial spartan blue-gray to a classy look evoking mid-century casino or hotel lobby design.

Like to know more? Here is an article on the official Gerry Anderson website about the station’s crew rotation between John and his brother Alan, the regular pilot of Thunderbird 3.

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