SkyTrain Orbital (3622)

SkyTrain Orbital (3622)

The Society for Exploratory Science (SES) funded construction of twelve Orbitals purely for the purpose of extra-planetary research. An additional four were produced for private buyers, one of which by Maritharp media mogul Alissa Vander. It is said the vehicle was reverse-engineered to start rival company VanWinder.

While the Orbital was a fantastic long-term research vessel, landing it proved a problem. The vertical orientation of the Dama I drive led nearly every SES vessel to experience a 'fall-over' within its first three missions. The interim solution was to land in water, but the Orbital was not designed for buoyancy, making recover of the vessels less costly than repairs, but often more hair-raising. All SES vehicles were recalled by 3623 and remade as Orbital IIs.