History Main / ISOStandardHumanSpaceship

While this is probably going to be TruthInTelevision for military spacecraft in the near-future (with the earliest favoring the tinkertoy/habitrail/industrial plumbing aesthetic of the International Space Station, just because of the limits of our launching methods-- cylindrical rocket sections bolted together in space), eventually it may become a [[{{Zeerust}} relic of the near-present]] as space-based construction becomes easier. In space, there is no gravity or air resistance to design around, and due to the distances involved [[StealthInSpace and other factors]] visual camouflage probably won't be much use either. Historically, armies put quite a bit of thought into looking good and only stopped when it became necessary to do so; given the chance, it's likely that [[BlingOfWar looking grand]] will be back on the agenda. The [[AwesomeButImpractical engineers will probably hate it]], but [[ExecutiveMeddling then again, they probably won't be controlling things]]. On the other hand, in this modern, cost-conscious world, the accountants might have a thing or two to say about [[http://www.somethingawful.com/d/news/gothic-space-bilge.php wasting money on decor]]...to say nothing of what happens when news gets back to the [[TheFederation
Federation Parliament]]...will the voters ever have a ''fit'' when they hear about the gobs of cash being spent to paint their ships in gold for no reason other than "it looks pretty."

While this is probably going to be TruthInTelevision for military spacecraft in the near-future (with the earliest favoring the tinkertoy/habitrail/industrial plumbing aesthetic of the International Space Station, just because of the limits of our launching methods-- cylindrical rocket sections bolted together in space), eventually it may become a [[{{Zeerust}} relic of the near-present]] as space-based construction becomes easier. In space, there is no gravity or air resistance to design around, and due to the distances involved [[StealthInSpace and other factors]] visual camouflage probably won't be much use either. Historically, armies put quite a bit of thought into looking good and only stopped when it became necessary to do so; given the chance, it's likely that [[BlingOfWar looking grand]] will be back on the agenda. The [[AwesomeButImpractical engineers will probably hate it]], but [[ExecutiveMeddling then again, they probably won't be controlling things]]. On the other hand, in this modern, cost-conscious world, the accountants might have a thing or two to say about [[http://www.somethingawful.com/d/news/gothic-space-bilge.php wasting money on decor]].

#SpaceFighter[=s=] and other small craft will be [[OldSchoolDogfighting built around a cockpit and wings to look like airplanes]], but may have some style.

* ''{{X}} 3 : Terran Conflict'''s Argon, Terran, and Teladi ships all follow this.

Space wings are also often used in fiction as places to put extra weapons (like [[MacrossMissileMassacre missiles]]), and to store things (extra electronic equipment or fuel) inside them, although putting those things on or in the main hull makes more sense for a nonatmospheric SpaceFighter, as spreading out the ship's mass makes little sense for a vessel designed to maneuver in vacuum in three dimensions-- better to keep it compact, to conserve angular momentum. You ''can'' increase maneuverability by putting thrusters on the tips of them a la [[BabylonFive Babylon 5]] Starfuries, using the wing as essentially a big lever to rotate the ship faster, but a simple pole (especially a retractable one) would do the same job just as well and with greater shear strength (again, compactness helps here), making it less likely to bend or break off during high-thrust maneuvers whose direction is perpendicular to the broad planar surface of the wing. Internal gyroscopic flywheeels could do the same thing ''and'' be less visibly obvious tells to the enemy (no signal lights before a turn). Only SpaceFighter craft [[SpacePlane designed to go both ways]] (atmosphere and deep space) actually need wings-- and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifting_body some real airplanes don't even need them]].

* ''{{Babylon 5}}'' : Humorously lampshaded in “Legend of the Rangers” with the human design of the Valen looking like “a flying brick.” ([[FlyingBrick No relation]].)

** One cool(but not unlikly in RealLife) gimmick on Traveller ships is a programable surface that can be used to display a giant "screen-saver". These are available both inside and outside. Another gimmick is the Shipboard Information System which is sort of the ships internet. This means that one can picture much of the dialogue of a given Traveller story taking place online from [=PCs=] and [=NPCs=] all over the ship, which can make for an interesting plot device and one not yet familiar to SpaceOpera .

** [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] because each race's ships reflect their standardized personality.

* ''SwordOfTheStars'' plays this straight. Human ships are oblong and consists of blocks rivetted to a central frame and are the most utilitarian-looking of all the species: The only off part is the very noticeable ring structure around the engines (it's their faster-than-light drive). Because of this engine, human ships also have poor turret coverage on the back and tend towards front-heavy ships with forward-and-side firing arcs. While paint schemes for different sides makes some of the colour variable, the default ship colour for humans tends towards the grey with some red and green mixed in (by contrast, Tarka's ships are mostly bright red and deep green, the Hivers use beige, the Liir use turquoise, the Zuul blood red and the Morrigi deep purple).
* In the ''WingCommander'' games, the human ships have varied between the utilitarian, blocky gray designs of ''WingCommander III'' and onwards, and more curvy designs of the earlier games. (''Wing Commander [=III=]'' and ''[=IV=]'' used a primitive polygon GameEngine, as opposed to the first two installments' bitmap sprite graphics.) In all the games featuring the [[MegaNeko Kilrathi]], most of the designs have a base tan color with various “warm” colors used for markings, but [[AllInTheManual the manual notes that the color is the color of the metals used for their armor]].

* ''StarshipTroopers'' seems to follow this school of design.

See also StandardScifiFleet

While this is probably going to be TruthInTelevision for military spacecraft in the near-future (with the earliest favoring the tinkertoy/habitrail/industrial plumbing aesthetic of the International Space Station, just because of the limits of our launching methods-- cylindrical rocket sections bolted together in space), eventually it may become a [[{{Zeerust}} relic of the near-present]] as space-based construction becomes easier. In space, there is no gravity or air resistance to design around, and due to the distances involved [[StealthInSpace and other factors]] visual camouflage probably won't be much use either. Historically, armies put quite a bit of thought into looking good and only stopped when it became necessary to do so; given the chance, it's likely that [[BlingOfWar looking grand]] will be back on the agenda. The [[AwesomeButImpractical engineers will probably hate it]], but [[ExecutiveMeddling then again, they probably won't be controlling things]]. On the other hand, in this modern, cost-conscious world, the accountants might have a thing or two to say about wasting money on decor.

* ''SwordOfTheStars'' sort-of plays this straight. Human ships are by far the 'blockiest' and most utilitarian-looking of all the species, but are notably oblong and have a very noticeable ring structure around the engines (it's their faster-than-light drive). The paint schemes can also make the colour variable, but the default ship colour for humans tends towards the grey (in contrast, the Tarka's default is bright red and deep green, the Hivers use beige, the Liir use turquoise, the Zuul blood red and the Morrigi deep purple).

* ''SwordOfTheStars'' sort-of plays this straight. Human ships are by far the 'blockiest' and most utilitarian-looking of all the species, but are notably oblong and have a very noticeable ring structure around the engines (it's their FasterThanLight drive). The paint schemes can also make the colour variable, but the default ship colour for humans tends towards the grey (in contrast, the Tarka's default is bright red and deep green, the Hivers use beige, the Liir use turquoise, the Zuul blood red and the Morrigi deep purple).

* ''SwordOfTheStars'' averts this, with human ships having an odd ring structure for their engines and non-stereotypical paint schemes.

* ''SwordOfTheStars'' averts this, with human ships having an odd ring structure for their engines and unusual paint schemes.

* In DavidWeber's Honorverse it's mentioned that all of the major powers use reactive pigments to give their ships a primary color to distinguish them in visual inspections, but it's also noted how easily it is to change the paint-scheme.

[[AC:Other]]

* Noticeable in ''{{Futurama}}'' where military spaceships are indeed mostly gray-white, but ''civilian'' ones come in all colors, the one used by the main characters being lime green and basically a short, fat version of a {{Zeerust}} RetroRocket (possibly justified in that the rocket shape is seen as a styling ideal but one that has been heavily compromised to maximize cargo space on a delivery vehicle).
** [[FridgeLogic Despite the fact]] they only ever seem to carry one small box, or large crate at best, per delivery (except when they carried several barrels of candy hearts to Omicron Persei VIII).
*** [[FridgeBrilliance Of course]], they're never depicted as being a particularly ''competent'' delivery company.
*** They specialize in shipping things to dangerous or hazardous areas where the demand is high and supply is low, and presumably Hermes keeps the professor from shipping too much to keep up the recurring business.
* ''SuperDimensionFortressMacross''[=/=]''{{Robotech}}''; Except for the ''Macross'' itself (which was, of course, alien in origin), most human vessels are pretty close to this.
** It should be noted that the ''Macross'' was in fact redesigned closer to those lines. Later subverted with the later Macross-class ships which were more angular, and ''Robotech's'' SDF-3, which was originally designed/disguised with Zentraedi-like lines, but by the end of the Third Robotech War had the same ''Mospeada''-style design.

[[AC: TabletopGames]]

* In [[Warhammer40000 Battle Fleet Gothic]], This Troper has always seen the ships of the Tau to fit this trope. The Tau have "only just" started traveling between worlds, compared to other races, so their ships have that same early utilitarian feel that a lot of current space vehicles and those from [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture 20 minutes into the future]] have. Human ships, on the other hand, are space cathedrals.

* ''{{Halo}}''

->''“UNEF's first starships had been possessed of a kind of spidery, delicate beauty. But with various technological developments, structural strength had become more important than conserving mass (one of the old ships would have folded up like an accordion if you'd tried a twenty-five-gee maneuver), and that was reflected in the design; stolid, heavy, functional-looking.”''
->--''TheForeverWar'', '''Joe Haldeman'''

* ''{{Stargate}}'' : The [[http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/stargate/images/c/c0/F302.jpg F-302]] is essentially a forward-swept flying wing with jet and rocket engines. The [[http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/stargate/images/2/2a/X-303.jpg Prometheus]] and the [[http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/stargate/images/3/3e/ApolloOverEarth.jpg 304 deep-space carriers]] however, being built out of a naquadah/trinium alloy, fit this trope perfectly even though there's not many reasons for lacking paint (they can't afford to do space shuttle-like fiery reentries lest they will be spotted by the public).
** Well, (1) it's new technology and (2) the old problem of accountants: with [[HauledBeforeASenateSubcommittee Congress]] being just as interested in keeping the SGC secret as the SGC itself is, they do ''not'' want to spend a single penny more than they absolutely have to.
** Interestingly, the F-302 is modelled after Goa'uld Death Gliders, so it's also a strange case of [[AdaptationDecay Adaptation Decay]].

-->''“UNEF's first starships had been possessed of a kind of spidery, delicate beauty. But with various technological developments, structural strength had become more important than conserving mass (one of the old ships would have folded up like an accordion if you'd tried a twenty-five-gee maneuver), and that was reflected in the design; stolid, heavy, functional-looking.”''
-->--''TheForeverWar'', Joe Haldeman

** One cool(but not unlikly in RealLife) gimmick on Traveller ships is a programable surface that can be used to display a giant "screen-saver". These are available both inside and outside. Another gimmick is the Shipboard Information System which is sort of the ships internet. This means that one can picture much of the dialogue of a given Traveller story taking place online from PCs and NPCs all over the ship, which can make for an interesting plot device and one not yet familiar to SpaceOpera .

* {{Traveller}} : There is no standard for traveller; it depends on function and aesthetic taste. Ships made to actually land on and take off from a planet generally have a "needle/wedge" design which looks something like a space shuttle. However this requires sacrifice in payload and the heaviest ships are generally serviced in orbit.

* Originally, the ''Discovery'' in ''[[TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey 2001: A Space Odyssey]]'' was going to have large heat radiators to dissipate the heat from the nuclear reactor. However, ArthurCClarke decided he didn't want to have to [[RealityIsUnrealistic explain why a ship in space had wings]]. One of the very few instances in the movie they went with RuleOfCool over scientific accuracy.
** I believe it was Stanley Kubrick who made that decision, not Clarke. And surely to avoid the radiators looking like wings they could have just mounted them vertically anyway...

While this is probably going to be TruthInTelevision for military spacecraft in the near-future (with the earliest favoring the tinkertoy/habitrail/industrial plumbing aesthetic of the International Space Station, just because of the limits of our launching methods-- cylindrical rocket sections bolted together in space), eventually it may become a [[{{Zeerust}} relic of the near-present]] as space-based construction becomes easier. In space, there is no gravity or air resistance to design around, and due to the distances involved [[StealthInSpace and other factors]] visual camouflage probably won't be much use either. Historically, armies put quite a bit of thought into looking good and only stopped when it became necessary to do so; given the chance, it's likely that [[BlingOfWar looking grand]] will be back on the agenda. The [[AwesomeButImpractical engineers will probably hate it]], but [[ExecutiveMeddling then again, they probably won't be controlling things. On the other hand, in this modern, cost-conscious world, the accountants might have a thing or two to say about wasting money on decor.

While this is probably going to be TruthInTelevision for military spacecraft in the near-future (with the earliest favoring the tinkertoy/habitrail/industrial plumbing aesthetic of the International Space Station, just because of the limits of our launching methods-- cylindrical rocket sections bolted together in space), eventually it may become a [[{{Zeerust}} relic of the near-present]] as space-based construction becomes easier. In space, there is no gravity or air resistance to design around, and due to the distances involved [[StealthInSpace and other factors]] visual camouflage probably won't be much use either. Historically, armies put quite a bit of thought into looking good and only stopped when it became necessary to do so; given the chance, it's likely that [[BlingOfWar looking grand]] will be back on the agenda (the [[AwesomeButImpractical engineers will probably hate it]], but [[ExecutiveMeddling then again...]]).

* ''DarskstarOne''