In 1977/8, after "Space 1999" was cancelled, Gerry Anderson attempted to create a new television series called “Starcruiser” which he showcased in the weekly comic Look-In. So hopeful were Airfix that he would succeed, and based on the money-making success (for them) of plastic models from his series, they rushed a model of the titular craft into production. Unfortunately, the backers didn’t bite and the Starcruiser concept bit the dust.
I acquired this pre-built Airfix model in July 2022.
In September 2022, Fecto Studios and HarrisFilm Productions decided to work together on a new fan-film based on the Star Trek series. In early 2023, I was approached to help them out with their not-for-profit film entitled "Captain Roth's Final Message" to provide some effects work to be used in the production.
The team selected my StarCruiser as being suitable as "Commando Shuttle 1" belonging to the U.S.S. Albatross (a ship which is actually referred to in the original tv series). I was asked to create the effect of not only the craft flying through space, but also landing on a deserted outpost on an abandoned planet. I used some of my Moonbase Alpha buildings as the docking station, and made use of several food containers upturned and sprayed to portray buildings at the outpost. I also used a painted alien planet backdrop I had commissioned three years earlier but never used in any of my photoshoots until then. This series of photos sees that backdrop make its debut in my collection of photographs.