(Produced in partnership with EA) From the Vostok 1 all the way to Mass Effect: Andromeda's Tempest, check out these spacecraft through the years.
Vostok 1
DATE: 1961 CE
CREW: 1
DIMENSIONS: 2.3M (DIAMETER)
On 12 April 1961, Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin earned the honour of being the first human in space. The special shape of his spacecraft - Vostok 1 - was intended to negate any chance to the centre of gravity once in orbit, thereby ensuring Gagarin remained in relative comfort regardless of the craft's orientation. Vostok 1 had no thrusters to allow for controlled descent, and so Gagarin had to eject four miles from the Earth's surface.
Apollo Lunar Module
DATE: 1968 CE
CREW: 2
DIMENSIONS: 7.04M (H) x 9.4M (W)
The lander portion of the Apollo spacecraft was designed to carry a crew of two from lunar orbit by its companion command and service module, a separate spacecraft that also took the astronauts back to earth.
The lunar module was the first manned spacecraft to operate exclusively in space, and was incapable of flight within the earth's atmosphere. Six lunar modules landed on the moon between 1969 and 1972.
Space Shuttle Orbiter
DATE: 1981 CE
CREW: 6-8
DIMENSIONS: 17.25M (H) x 37.24M (W)
The spaceplane component of the NASA space shuttle program was remarkable in that it was reusable. This meant it could carry astronauts and payloads into low earth orbit, perform in-space operations, then re-enter the atmosphere and land as a glider.
The first space-worthy orbiter was Columbia, which made its first flight in 1981, and was followed by Discovery, Atlantis, Challenger and Endeavour. The last ever shuttle flight was completed when Atlantis landed on 21 July, 2011.
International Space Station
DATE: 1998 CE
CREW: 6
DIMENSIONS: 72.8M (H) x 108.5M (W)
For a time, the international space station was the largest artificial body in orbit, visible from Earth with the naked eye. It served as a micro-gravity and space environment research laboratory where experiments in, among others, biology, physics, astronomy and meteorology were conducted.
It also proved pivotal in the testing of spacecraft systems and equipment required for missions to the moon and mars, and held the record for the longest continuous human presence in low Earth orbit.
SSV Normandy SR-1
DATE: 2183 CE
CREW: 50
DIMENSIONS: 130M L
The SSV Normandy SR-1 is a prototype 'deep scout' frigate, co-developed by the systems alliance and the Turian hierarchy.
It was designed for solo reconnaissance missions deep within unstable regions, made possible thanks to its advanced stealth capabilities.
It is also equipped with general area defence integration anti-spacecraft network (Gardian) point defence lasers, kinetic barriers, and spinal mass accelerator cannon.
Ark Hyperion
DATE: 2185 CE
CREW: 20,000
DIMENSIONS: 1.5KM L
One of the four arks built for the Andromeda Initiative, it is primarily responsible for transporting human colonists, who will remain in cryo-statis for its 600-year journey.
Constructed within the moon's orbit, Hyperion and its sister Arks are some of the largest starships in the galaxy.
In order to complete its 2.5 million light-year journey, it is equipped with the Odsy Drive System to allow for continued faster-than-light (FTL) travel in dark space.
Tempest
DATE: 2185 CE
CREW: 11
DIMENSIONS: 49.6M (W) x 95.2M (L)
Small, stealthy and fast, this scout ship is used by the Hyperion's pathfinder team to explore Golden Worlds across the Heleus Cluster. It is capable of covering 13 light-years per day in FTL and can land on planets thanks to its four downward thrusters.
The ship also houses the Nomad Scout Rover, a ground vehicle designed for rapid planetary traversal.
The crew is led by Pathfinder Alec Ryder.
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