SHuttle Narcissus Research: Discussion, Pics and Props

[phase pistol]

Actually it kind of looks like THESE gadgets ought to fold down and become the landing gear...

[Knightjar]

I actually like the landing gear on that model. I don't quite believe it though, as there are no jets on the under-side of the craft, so I'm not sure how it could ever touch down.

[phase pistol]

Probably it was never "meant" to touch down anyway... just to get away from Nostromo in the event of an accident.

The ship was called a "lifeboat" in the preproduction period, which implies a single-use escape craft, even though in the dialogue its called a "shuttle".

Possibly it is used only for ferrying people to and from an orbital facility, not intended for planet landings. Which is why they took the whole Nostromo down to Acheron instead of just going down in the shuttle in the first place!

[Mark Sheppard]

[Division 6]

There was a fair amount of mining equipment in the storage locker where Ripley was hiding.
So it could be that it was indeed a shuttle of some sort.


E...

[Knightjar]

I guess the shuttle(s) could also have been used for inspecting the refinery.

The lifeboat concept art definitely suggests a "use once" design, but the final version we all know seems like more of a general purpose launch or tender. Particularly since, as Division 6 says there is lots of other gear stored on board.

[SKIN JOB 66]

I really don't think it was intended as something else but an escape pod / life boat...

The numerous spacesuits in the lockers ?
Well, depending on the time spent on space aboard this ship, I guess the passengers might have to do some maintenance work on the hull outside or even be prepared for the eventuality of depressuring at any time...

You're supposed to be able to SURVIVE in that ship, that's why it's well packed with a lot of SURVIVAL stuff I think...


Fred
_________________
THE FUTURE IS A THING OF THE PAST

[Mark Sheppard]

After thinking about it..(for 30 years lol) I think the harpoon Gun made a lot of sense. It was kind of a grappling hook type tip, and I guess if someone is outside of a ship, or floating in space for some reason it makes sense that this thing can be fired at a vessel in hope of being able to reel ones-self in if a tether breaks, or some kind of other accident or problem while being outside a ship. Actually the stuff on the shuttle makes a lot of sense.

another thing, Everything on the Narcissus looked fairly new or unused, from the space suit to the equipment on it. I am more inclined to think it is not so much a "shuttle" than it is a "life boat". It makes sense. And probably it is not even equipped with any sort of landing gear at all.
The reason I believe this is because it has a hyper-sleep chamber. If one were to use the narcissus as a shuttle, why would one design a hyper-sleep chamber in it designed for extended periods of travel time?

I think the Lifeboat theory sounds more plausible. just my 2 cent worth

[The Loyalizer]

I'm inclined to agree with the lifeboat theory myself. All the new equipment, the hypersleep pods. It suggests it wasn't used regularly for anything.

Kind of makes you wonder if Dallas was violating regs when he was sitting in there listening to music.
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"We began to recognize in them a strange obsession..."

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[Mark Sheppard]

Yeah lol, and it was probably the cleanest place on the whole Nostromo, maybe even smelled like a new car with a great hi-fi stereo system!

[Space Jockey]

I'd like to know if there are any other hypersleep capsules on board other than the two we see. Plus other essential things such as a bathroom Maybe it doesn't have this stuff, maybe not even a food prep compartment like we saw in the ships galley.... it probably has ration boxes or something else...
On launch if there is anywhere close for a chance of rescue, all well and good, but if not then it's probably into the capsules they go.

[phase pistol]

Ironically enough, since the Narcissus was tucked in under the Nostromo, it too made the trip down to the planet!

Hopefully the little "garage" was enough to protect it! I guess the fierce atmosphere of Acheron didn't hurt it.

Because of the symmetry of the set, it seems that perhaps the storage locker was mirrored by another door, on the other side of the main hatch? Perhaps the other one was the bathroom.

[phase pistol]

[Space Jockey]

Yeah, there's definitely two compartments... not big enough for a hypersleep capsule, though.


Half this blueprint is a ceiling plan and it looks like a third capsule located at the side; though it isn't seen in the movie.
This image is from http://www.remington-rand.com/alien/#notes - I don't think it's been updated in a while though.

[Mark Sheppard]

Wow, that is smaller than even the Nostromo bridge actually.... Cool plans there Graham!

[phase pistol]

Huh... so I wonder if the idea was to have THREE capsules (two in the center), or if the two capsules were supposed to be as seen in that blueprint.

At maximum there could have been FOUR capsules (two in the center and two on the walls), so I wonder if the plot of the movie changed at some point, and Ridley had the wall capsule(s) deleted...

[phase pistol]

So the internal structure would look something like this I guess...

[Mark Sheppard]

Wow, that is pretty creative actually and right on accurate...

[SKIN JOB 66]

great blueprint and photomontage, Graham & Karl, WOW !!!



The blueprint was maybe the intended set as seen by the art department, then everything changed during production (those scenes were filmed at the end of production IIRC).
Looks like the second capsule was finaly placed aside the first one (in the center of the ship) just to give enough room to hide the Alien on the right of Ripley's seat...

JT, I think there's only one valid explanation for the harpoon, and I think it's rather symbolic : SAINT GEORGE VERSUS THE DRAGON.

It's so obvious that I don't know if anybody has ever noticed this before but I truly think it's a modern version of Saint George's spear that helped the knight defeat the Apocalypse beast !
Moreover, Ripley's spacesuit looks like a knight armor (remember, those spacesuits were inspired by japanese medieval armor) and the Alien is black, just like the dragon in most of the images depicting this legendary fight between good (humankind) & evil (the unknow)...



Fred


_________________
THE FUTURE IS A THING OF THE PAST

[Division 6]

I don't have any good pix of the Port side.
There is an angled box with hoses so no third pod.
You can see it on the left in the first photo.




D6