Planet Express ship
Primary character | |||||||
Planet Express ship | |||||||
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Species | Space ship | ||||||
First appearance | "Space Pilot 3000" (1ACV01) | ||||||
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The Planet Express ship (AKA the Science-mobile) was designed and built by Prof. Farnsworth. The ship's color is said to be "Electric Mucus." The ship is capable of traveling at 99% light speed (which is a lot faster than traditional light speed since the speed of light was increased in 2208), but in fact it does not move at all. Instead, its engines move the universe around it. This is made possible in part by its incredible dark matter reactor equipped with afterburners providing 200% fuel efficiency, and needs about 63 balls of dark matter to be full. However, due to dark matter becoming ineffective as fuel, the ship now runs on whale oil. According to Bender's Game, the ship has the LX package. The only noted upgrade is a gold hood ornament which was stolen by a punk in a rough space neighbourhood.
The ship is surprisingly comfortable inside. It carries two Hover Dollies to help move heavy cargo around (2ACV02). The ship can also be used in combat and has fought against the Robot Mafia, the Space Pirates, and the Omicronians during their first invasion of Earth. It is so effective in battle that it fought in the defence of Earth with the DOOP forces.
The ship's computer is sentient. For a while, it was involved in a romantic relationship with Bender (4ACV03). When things turned sour, they had to wipe the ship's memory to regain control.
It is joked about in the DVD commentary for The Beast with a Billion Backs that the Planet Express ship seems to have numerous different systems, many of which are redundant. Specifically, jokes were made about how using a crane to load dark matter was that film's method of doing so. While it is obvious that the redundant systems are mistakes on the part of the writers, an in-universe explanation for this could be Prof. Farnsworth's senility causing him to create more mechanisms to perform a task that would never be necessary. It can also be explained by the numerous times that the ship needs to be rebuilt that it necessitates that a new system be devised.
Like all leading characters in the show, the ship has an overbite.
Parts of the ship
- The Bridge
- Leela's cabin
- Fry and Bender's cabin
- A Lounge
- A Sauna
- A full kitchen
- A full bathroom (the shower is soundproof)
- A laundry room (at a pinch, can also double-up as a brig)
- The cargo bay
- The Med-bay
- A Cage (complete with lion)
- Brain Room
- Emergency Supply Room
- Engine Room
- Jungle Room
- Military Strategy Room
- Morgue
- Vending Room
- Turret
- Basement (which doubles as a storm shelter)
Dewey, the autopilot
In addition, the ship carries a separate AI: The auto-pilot (possibly named Dewey). Bender and the auto-pilot have had drinking contests, but the auto-pilot is rarely seen on-screen. The auto-pilot appears in "Bendless Love" (3ACV06)
and the voice is the same as the ship's (before the personality change) in "Love and Rocket" (4ACV03)
this suggests they may not actually be separate entities. Additionally, in Love and Rocket, the Ship handled auto-pilot duties. Leela has referred to the autopilot as a drunk, although it is apparently standard protocol to carry a full compliment of olives with which to make Martinis.
Holo-pilot
In "Robot Santa's Little Helpers", Leela is shown to have designed a "Holopilot", with the appearance of a fat, ugly Amy.
Alternate appearances/modifications
- Modified to move underwater (2ACV12).
- Miniature Planet Express ship is shown (3ACV02).
- Painted red to suit the new business Awesome Express (3ACV12).
- Has its engines lost and Star Trek-style warp nacelles mounted to it (4ACV11).
- Old Planet Express ship is shown (4ACV12).
- Drawn in a similar style to Steamboat Willie (TBWABB).
- Resembling the Yellow Submarine from the movie Yellow Submarine (BG).
- Pulled along by dozens of Nibblonians due to dark matter being useless (BG).
- Coloured pink by the Feministas (ITWGY).
- Its engines are converted to burn Whale Oil (ITWGY).
- Deconstructed and rebuilt by Antarians in the Third World of the Antares system (6ACV03).
- Entirely eaten up by Trilobots on the Robo-Planetoid (6ACV09).
- Painted a different shade of green and renamed Omicronian Express under the rule of Lrrr (6ACV11).
- Attached to a large drill in Robanukah 3010 (6ACV13).
- With sails (6ACV15).
- Dressed as an airplane (6ACV20).
Image gallery
Additional Info
Appearances
- Techically, the Planet Express ship appears in all episodes, as it is featured in the opening sequence, as well as in most comics. But it also appears in almost every episode outside of the opening sequence. Therefore, this list only deals with media where the ship is not seen.