ALIEN PLANET

'''Alien Planet''' is a roughly 1¾ hour special on Discovery Channel about two Internationally built robot probes investigating for alien life on the fictional planet Darwin IV. It was based on the book ''Expedition'', by sci-fi/fantasy artist and writer Wayne Douglas Barlowe, who was also executive producer on the special. It premiered on May 14, 2005.
The show uses sophisticated computer-generated imagery, which is interspersed with interviews from such notables as Stephen Hawking, George Lucas, Michio Kaku, and Jack Horner.

Contents

Aliens

Plot

Probes

VonBraun

Darwin Reconnaissance Orbiter

Probe Balboa

Probe Da Vinci

Probe Newton

Mini probes

Camera disks

Spiders

External links

Aliens

''See List of aliens in Alien Planet.''

Plot

''Alien Planet'' starts out with an interstellar spacecraft named ''VonBraun,'' leaving Earth orbit. Traveling at 20% the speed of light, it reaches Darwin IV in 42 years. Upon reaching orbit, it deploys the Darwin Reconnaissance Orbiter, which looks for potential landing sites for the probes. The first probe, ''Balboa,'' explodes along with its lifting body transport during entry, because one of its wings failed to unfold. Two backup probes, ''Leonardo DaVinci'' (nicknamed Leo) and ''Isaac Newton'' (nicknamed Ike), successfully land on the planet, and learn much about its bizarre indigenous lifeforms, including an apparently sapient species.
The robotic probes sent out to research on Darwin IV are called Horus Probes. Each Horus probe consisted of an 8 foot high, 40 foot long inflatable, hydrogen-filled balloon, which was covered with solar receptors, a computer 'brain', a 'head' covered with sensors, and several smaller robots that could be sent to places more dangerous for the probes themselves. The probes had a limited degree of artificial intelligence, very similar to the 'processing power' of a 4-year-old. All the real thinking was done by a supercomputer in the orbiting VonBraun. The probes were programmed with different personalities; Ike was more cowardly and skittish, while Leo was the risk-taker. The two probes are also equipped with a holographic message that will be sent to any sentient life found on Darwin.
After the two probes inflate their gas-bags, they encounter a voracious Arrowtongue and watch it pursue a Gyrosprinter. Later that night, the twins find the wreckage of Balboa and are forced to split up, Ike studying the unique plantlife and Leo going after big game. Ike's voyage takes him to one of Darwin IV's pocket forests, where he encounters a flock of Trunk Suckers and their predator, the ruthless Daggerwrist. Before his research is finished, a massive hurricane-like storm hits and Ike must take to the sky, launching weather balloons. Leo goes to the mountain ranges and finds a herd of Unths, engaged in rutting-like behavior.
Afterwards, Leo finds a pair of strange Bladderhorns enganging in combat. He tries to communicate with one, but fails spectacularly and is knocked out by a mysterious creature. Ike ventures to the meadows and gullies of Darwin 4, only to encounter a massive herd of Grovebacks and Littoralopes. It is here that he also encounters a pair of Skewers.
Leo gets destroyed by a mysterious and evasive unknown creature, and Ike, ordered by the VonBraun to search for Leo's attacker, hopes to find a new sentient species. Ike's route takes him across perilous terrain, and across the Amoebic Sea in his quest for Leo. As he embarks on his journey, one of the Grovebacks seen earlier falls victim to a swarm of Beach Quills. Ike then finds a pack of Prongheads hunting a Gyrosprinter, and then crosses the Ameobic Sea and encounters a herd of Sea Striders.
Ike manages to make contact after a harrowing experience with a Skewer, but the newly discovered Eosapien destroyed Ike after it interpreted Ike's launch of its camera disk as an attack.

Probes

VonBraun

The cruise speed of the '''VonBraun''' is 20% the speed of light. At this speed it reaches the planet Darwin IV in 42 years. Once in orbit it deploys the Darwin Reconnaissance Orbiter and the landing probes. It also has artificial intelligence computers to act as the central command for the mission. Finally it has a large communication dish, deployed in orbit, for information transfer to Earth.

Darwin Reconnaissance Orbiter

The 'Darwin Reconnaissance Orbiter' (DRO) was deployed in orbit around the planet Darwin IV. Its purpose was to look for potential landing sites for the landing probes and to map the entire planet.

Probe Balboa

Probe Balboa, named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa, was the first probe launched to explore Darwin IV. However, it experienced a malfunction while entering Darwin IV's atmosphere and disintegrated. If Probe Balboa's entry into Darwin IV atmoshpere is watched carefully, it can be seen that the right tail fin does not extend and lock into place. On entry, this exposed joint heats to extreme temperatures, and catches fire. Speculatively, this could be what caused the destruction of the probe. Probe Balboa was never given a nickname.

Probe Da Vinci

Probe Leo, named after Leonardo da Vinci, was the second probe to attempt landing on Darwin IV, which was a success. Leo was programmed to take risks and be adventurous, and study animal life. He explored the planet for several days before he went offline due to an Eosapien attack. He came back online momentarily, launching a camera disk, which disturbed the Eosapiens and provoked them to attack a second time. Leo never came back online.

Probe Newton

Probe Ike, named after Isaac Newton, was the third and final probe to land. He was programmed to be more observational and avoid risks. His first objective was the study of plant life; but Ike encountered many more creatures in the process. After Leo went offline, the Von Braun commanded probe Newton to search for Leo. On the way, Ike traveled several kilometers and discovered several new aliens. Upon arrival at Leo's final transmission site, Ike was almost killed by a skewer, but was miraculously saved by an Eosapien's spear. It is unknown if this was simply pure luck, or, as a genuine form of extraterrestrial intelligence, if it willingly saved Ike's life. Ike then showed the Eosapien the Earth communication message. Ike was surrounded by Eosapiens and launched a camera disk. The Eosapiens thought the camera disk was a threat and attacked Ike.

Mini probes

The main probes (Leo, Ike and Balboa) can release mini-probes to venture into places too dangerous for the larger probes. Both probes can be collected and recharged.

Camera disks

Camera disks are small flying-saucer like disks that can be launched and fly at high speeds. The disks are equipped with small cameras to record video. The disks were considered as threats by the Eosapiens, and was the main culprit for the probe's destruction.

Spiders

Spider probes are small, slow, spider-like walkers that can move under and into places out of reach from the larger probes. The spiders have small cameras on top and can pick up samples of plant and animal matter.

External links

★ Discovery Channel: Alien Planet

★ Virtual Voyage

★ Discovery Channel(UK) - Alien Planet

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