As 21st Century Space operations advanced rapidly beyond the days of the early International Space Station and into extra-Solar System exploration, encounters with creatures from civilizations previously unknown became somewhat commonplace. While most of these meetings were cordial and mutually-beneficial (sparking an entirely unanticipated flow of interstellar commerce), some interactions between humans and “off-world” creatures became hostile and resulted in a need to develop space vehicles specifically designed to combat aggression.
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The
American USAF developed (at its principal Moon base located ironically in the
“Sea of Tranquility”) the USAF “Space Defender” Mk. VII which appeared
superficially strikingly similar to a space vehicle featured in a popular 20th
century television program. Internally, in terms of life-support systems,
pulse-ion engines, and high-power laser weaponry, the Space Defender was
considerably more formidable than Hollywood’s imaginary spacecraft. Most
notably, for those seeking to compare the Space Defender Mk. VII to those
imaginary spacecraft, the USAF wisely recognized the illogic of painting a
spacecraft designed to fight in the blackness of Space a light gray color and,
logically, gave the Space Defender Mk. VII a camouflage scheme exactly mirroring
the Space “star fields” in which it was operating.