This is a SketchUp model of the Explorer Ship from the classic sci-fi role-playing game Star Frontiers. The Explorer is used both by the UPF (United Planetary Federation - the main galaxy-wide government of the setting), as well as private interests for exploring and surveying newly discovered planets, or known worlds that still hold secrets.
The ship consists of a bullet-shaped Flight Module that attaches to a circular Lander Module from which landing legs extend outward. The craft towers at 60 meters from nose to landing feet, and consists of several decks sacked vertically from bow to stern. The decks contain living areas for up to 12 crew members, along with laboratories and equipment bays for which to work. The lander contains two hangars for aircraft and ground vehicles, along with any other survival equipment needed to explore an unknown world.
Once the mission is complete, the Flight Module can detach from the lander and lift off into space leaving the Lander behind. The Lander itself is crewed by several robots programmed to continue the exploration mission and relay mission data via subspace radio back to their operator.
Explorer ships are not usually armed, but this one is equipped with two twin laser turrets for added protection when operating in dangerous sectors of space, or venturing into completely unknown territory.
One famous Survey Ship is featured in the classic SF adventure module "Mutiny on the Elanor Moraes" where the player characters have to defeat a mutinous crew in order to escape a dangerous planet.
UPDATE: Fixed a few missing textures and added a few more details, like retracted landing gear during flight and airlock doors on the lander.
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