Breakaway (Space: 1999)
Encyclopedia
"Breakaway" is the first episode of the first series of Space: 1999
. The screenplay was written by George Bellak
(with an uncredited rewrite by story consultant Christopher Penfold
); the director was Lee H. Katzin
. Previous titles include 'Zero-G', 'The Void Ahead' and 'Turning Point'. The final shooting script is dated 22 November 1973. Live-action filming took place from Monday, 3 December 1973 to Friday, 11 January 1974 (with appropriate breaks for the holidays). A three-day re-mount took place Friday, 22 February 1974 to Tuesday, 26 February 1974.
transporter has landed at Nuclear Disposal Area Two on the far side of the Moon
. Intentionally isolated, the site is a vast repository for atomic waste shipped from Earth. Automated handling equipment unloads numerous lead
drums from the craft, lowering them into one of the many storage shafts dug into the lunar surface. During this operation, two space-suited technicians enter the restricted area. The men begin surveying the synthocrete shaft-covers for any sign of radiation leakage.
The operation is under the close supervision of Professor Victor Bergman
and Doctor Helena Russell
, whose attention is focused more on the 'scopes recording the men's vital signs than the radiation detectors. As they watch, the brain-wave patterns of one man, Jim Nordstrom, go haywire. After suffering an apparent seizure, the man goes berserk. He attacks his co-worker then runs into the laser barrier which surrounds the restricted area. Nordstrom is repelled and falls, smashing his helmet open on a rock. One unnaturally opaque green eye stares sightlessly through the splintered visor as he dies from explosive decompression
.
During this, John Koenig
travels to the Moon via passenger Eagle. He is the newly appointed commander of Moonbase Alpha
, the self-sustaining lunar colony used by the nations of Earth as a centre for space research and exploration. Commissioner Gerald Simmonds of the World Space Commission calls to impress upon him that nothing must delay his first assignment: the launch of the manned deep-space probe to Meta. A rogue planet
, Meta is currently passing Earth's solar system at extreme range. A robot probe, Spacefarer 9, has detected an atmosphere and a series of repetitive radio signals. Hopes are high that Meta is home to intelligent life. A virus infection plaguing the Meta Probe
astronauts and other operatives on the Moon must not be an obstacle.
Koenig's Eagle lands. He is met at the travel-tube station by Bergman, an old friend and former university mentor. When the two men reach Koenig's private office, Bergman reveals a closely guarded secret—the ‘virus infection’ is a cover-story fabricated by Earth Command. There is no clue as to what has killed nine workers at Disposal Area Two and affected Probe Astronauts Eric Sparkman and Frank Warren. Bergman suggests the Commander meet with Helena Russell, head of the Medical Section; Koenig is intrigued when the professor reveals the previous commander had suppressed her findings. When Koenig and Helena meet the next morning, it is obvious there is a strong mutual attraction between them.
The doctor's report is baffling. The symptoms of the affected men are consistent with radiation-induced cerebral cancer
—a malignant brain tumour causing disorientation and aberrant behaviour, then coma and death. However, there has been no sign of radiation exposure
detected in any of the victims. There is also no connection between the disposal-area workers and the Meta Probe crew. Koenig asks to see the astronauts and is shocked by what he finds in Intensive Care: two unresponsive vegetables, staring sightlessly with milky green eyes. There is no hope of recovery.
Koenig confers with Captain Alan Carter
, head of Reconnaissance, about the status of the Meta Probe and the feasibility of continuing the mission with the back-up crew. The Australian astronaut (knowing only the ‘virus infection’ cover-story) responds negatively, but promises that his staff will expedite preparations for the launch. Helena will not vouch for the continued health of the back-up crew, as their working and living conditions have been identical to the affected astronauts.
Simmonds calls and is briefed on the current situation. Koenig is unsettled by the Commissioner's lack of concern over the deaths and his insistence on maintaining appearances for the sake of political manoeuvring (especially as the International Lunar Finance Committee meets on the fifteenth to discuss the budget for the coming year). He makes a deal with Simmonds that will temporarily suspend atomic-waste shipments from Earth, giving him time to investigate the cause of the silent killer on the Moon. In return, Koenig guarantees the Meta Probe will be launched.
Koenig and Bergman fly to Area Two to oversee another radiation check. Their Eagle first approaches Disposal Area One, where operations ceased five years previously. When questioned, the pilot, Collins, informs Koenig that Area One is a turning point for travel to Area Two—being one of the few constructs on the Moon′s far side, it is known as Navigation Beacon Delta. Bergman informs Koenig there is no indication of any radiation leak at this site. As they proceed on, the viewer sees Collins display a facial tic
then begin to repeatedly rub his right eye.
At Area Two, Koenig and Bergman observe the two technician-volunteers scan the waste-pit covers for the slightest hint of radioactive emission. Proceeding without incident, the survey results in another negative reading. Suddenly, a psychotic Collins—his right eye now opaque green—raves he must get out. He rushes at the monitoring depot's windows and attempts to bash one out with his space helmet. In the ensuing scuffle, Koenig manages to stun the astronaut. The group escapes from the compartment just before the fractured window ruptures.
Returning to Moonbase, Koenig discovers Warren has expired. Soon after, Helena pronounces Sparkman dead, shutting off his life-support system. Revealing the true nature of the ‘virus infection’ to Carter, Koenig suspends the Meta Probe launch until the cause of death is discovered. The Commander then spends a sleepless Alpha ‘night’ listening to the Meta signals. As he broods over the events of the past few days, he thinks to himself that what Neil Armstrong
declared to be a ‘giant leap for mankind’ in 1969
has proven to be more of a stumble in the dark.
Electronic detective work by Benjamin Ouma, head of the Computer Section, reveals the correlating factor between the Meta Probe astronauts, the pilot Collins, and the disposal area workers who developed the illness: they have all flown over Navigation Beacon Delta—the obsolete Disposal Area One—on numerous occasions. An examination of the probe astronauts′ training flights reveals times where some influence blanked out the flight recorder
over that location. A check is made on Area One and senior data analyst Sandra Benes
reports rising heat levels. Remote camera
s show the concrete mounds glowing redly. Despite the tremendous heat, there is no detectable radioactivity.
After the cameras burn out, Koenig flies out to Area One himself to observe the situation. The mounds are now emitting strange flares of energy. While over the site, his Eagle's flight controls suddenly fail and he manages a crash-landing some distance away. Moments later, Area One is consumed by a series of explosions. The Commander, retrieved by the search-and-rescue team, is brought back to Alpha for medical assessment. After he is given a clean bill of health, a concerned Helena berates him for his recklessness. Amused, Koenig retorts, ‘I didn't know you cared.’
Investigating the explosion, Bergman finds an instrument salvaged from the site that recorded a sharp increase in magnetic activity
. Further research reveals a never-before-seen reaction from the accumulated atomic waste—powerful emissions of magnetic radiation. This is the cause of the rapid brain tumours and the disruption of the Eagle’s flight-navigation systems. As both Koenig and Helena refuse to send anyone into the area under current conditions, a remote-controlled Eagle is flown over Area Two to obtain further data. However, a magnetic surge fries the ship's control systems and it crashes.
Hoping to end Simmonds' information blackout, Koenig transmits an emergency code—then makes himself strategically unavailable to any follow-up inquiries. For answers, Simmonds is forced to travel from Earth. Refusing to accept there is a crisis, the Commissioner questions whether Area Two is a threat. Heat levels there are rising and, as Bergman points out, it contains over one hundred forty times the amount of atomic waste buried at Area One. Simmonds wonders if, like Area One, it could simply burn out in a sub-surface firestorm. Koenig insists there can be no hope of a controlled reaction—they are sitting atop the biggest bomb ever made by Man.
Simmonds seizes on Bergman's suggestion to disperse the waste over the Moon's surface; by breaking up the accumulated mass, they might reduce the potential of a nuclear explosion. On 13 September 1999, Eagles fitted with electromagnet
ic winches proceed to Area Two. They begin the slow process of emptying the forty-eight silos one canister at a time. The heat level holds, but there are disturbing indications of magnetic-field fluctuations. With all the Eagles committed to the operation (and two already forced to return to base with guidance-system damage from the magnetic-field effect), Koenig has Carter commandeer Simmonds' Eagle for a high-altitude observatory flight.
Simmonds confidently declares the situation to be under control, suggesting they draft a communiqué to the Space Commission to dispel any doubts. An exasperated Koenig tries to give the politician a reality check when the magnetic field surges off the scale. Energy discharges shoot from the open waste pits. An ever-growing chain reaction of explosions obliterates Area Two and spreads to the waste canisters strewn over the lunar surface. Only those Eagles not over the site escape destruction. In mere seconds, the entire area erupts in a colossal fireball that rocks the entire Moon.
At Alpha, seismic shocks fracture the crater floor, rupturing several buildings of the installation. All personnel are hurled to the floor, pinned down by intensifying g-forces
—the force of the explosion is rapidly pushing the Moon out of orbit. In space, the Moon's movement sends the orbiting Space Dock
tumbling out of control; the Meta probe ship is flung away as the Space Dock blows apart under the strain. Carter fights to keep his Eagle under control and in range, radioing Alpha with a running commentary as the Moon accelerates away from Earth, propelled by the rocket-like thrust of the nuclear blast.
Koenig drags himself to the communications desk; with great effort, he reaches up and opens a channel to Carter. The astronaut reports Eagle One was caught in the Moon's gravitational field and has been carried along with it. He will make it back to base. As the waste pile stops fissioning, acceleration drops and the overpowering g-forces abate. Adjustments made to the base's artificial-gravity
field help compensate. Alpha has sustained damage, but is operational. As the senior executives try to figure their next move, a live visual from the Mars
satellite documents the Moon's rapid plunge out of the solar system
.
Koenig orders Central Computer to assess the chance of successfully executing Operation Exodus, the emergency evacuation plan. With the Moon moving on an unknown trajectory and experiencing constantly shifting g-forces, current conditions match no recorded parameters. Computer concludes human decision is required. Koenig then informs the population of Alpha of their present situation. Under current conditions, he assures them, there is the possibility of a continued existence in space. They are alive, the base is intact and has sustained power and environment. As any attempt to return to Earth would fail, he concludes, they will not try.
Second-in-command Paul Morrow
scans all frequencies for any signal from Earth, intercepting an American television newscast. The newsreader reports on the calamitous effects the Moon's departure has had on Earth—tidal waves and major earthquakes along established fault lines
in the United States, Yugoslavia
and southern France
. Regarding those stationed on Moonbase Alpha, the loss of the Space Dock ended any attempt to improvise a rescue attempt. As the signal fades, the newsreader comments little hope is held that any of Alpha's 311 personnel survived the catastrophe.
With this last contact with Earth gone, the Main Mission staff despondently listens to the hiss of static. Their hopes are lifted as the mysterious electromagnetic noise from Meta fades in over the speakers. As the Meta signals increase in strength, Koenig speculates aloud that Meta may be where their future lies...
. A long-time Gerry Anderson
team member, Gray's expertise gave the series a profound symphonic statement, to express the grandeur of space. The electric guitar segments were performed by producer Sylvia Anderson
's son-in-law, musician Vic Elms. As Lee Katzin
's unsatisfactory director's cut necessitated considerable re-editing and filming of new footage, the score was composed and recorded after that of 'Matter of Life and Death
'.
’, which addressed the Commissioner's fate, from the novel series.
Tubb injected a great deal of 1970s-era scientific knowledge and speculation for the reasons behind the atomic waste's behaviour (the particular blend of waste, high in cesium and lithium
contaminants, coupled with the coincidental presence of an iron-based mineral in the rock strata the Disposal Areas were constructed upon was speculated to have precipitated the disaster) and explained the mechanics involved in the Moon's movement out of orbit.
Space: 1999
Space: 1999 is a British science-fiction television series that ran for two seasons and originally aired from 1975 to 1977. In the opening episode, nuclear waste from Earth stored on the Moon's far side explodes in a catastrophic accident on 13 September 1999, knocking the Moon out of orbit and...
. The screenplay was written by George Bellak
George Bellak
George Bellak is an American television writer who has written episodes of Thriller , The Defenders and Cannon . He was a winner of Writers Guild of America Award....
(with an uncredited rewrite by story consultant Christopher Penfold
Christopher Penfold
Christopher Penfold is an English scriptwriter and editor.Television shows that he has worked on include Pathfinders, Take Me High, The Tripods, One by One, All Creatures Great and Small, EastEnders, Casualty and Midsomer Murders.Penfold is perhaps most well-known for being one of the brains behind...
); the director was Lee H. Katzin
Lee H. Katzin
Lee H. Katzin was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States, and became a TV director in the late 1960s, including episodes for Bonanza, Mission: Impossible and Police Story. He also directed the 1971 movie, Le Mans....
. Previous titles include 'Zero-G', 'The Void Ahead' and 'Turning Point'. The final shooting script is dated 22 November 1973. Live-action filming took place from Monday, 3 December 1973 to Friday, 11 January 1974 (with appropriate breaks for the holidays). A three-day re-mount took place Friday, 22 February 1974 to Tuesday, 26 February 1974.
Story
The date is 9 September 1999. An EagleEagle (Space: 1999)
The Eagle Transporter is a fictional spacecraft and the iconic image of the 1970s television series Space: 1999. The Eagles serve as the primary spacecraft of Moonbase Alpha, which has a fleet of them. The Eagles are primarily used to explore alien planets, defend Moonbase Alpha from attack, and to...
transporter has landed at Nuclear Disposal Area Two on the far side of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. Intentionally isolated, the site is a vast repository for atomic waste shipped from Earth. Automated handling equipment unloads numerous lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
drums from the craft, lowering them into one of the many storage shafts dug into the lunar surface. During this operation, two space-suited technicians enter the restricted area. The men begin surveying the synthocrete shaft-covers for any sign of radiation leakage.
The operation is under the close supervision of Professor Victor Bergman
Victor Bergman
Professor Victor Bergman is the name of a recurring character on the UK science fiction television series Space: 1999. The role was portrayed by actor Barry Morse.-Character Biography:...
and Doctor Helena Russell
Helena Russell
Helena Russell is a fictional character from the television series Space: 1999. She was played by Barbara Bain. She is American and apparently in her mid-thirties....
, whose attention is focused more on the 'scopes recording the men's vital signs than the radiation detectors. As they watch, the brain-wave patterns of one man, Jim Nordstrom, go haywire. After suffering an apparent seizure, the man goes berserk. He attacks his co-worker then runs into the laser barrier which surrounds the restricted area. Nordstrom is repelled and falls, smashing his helmet open on a rock. One unnaturally opaque green eye stares sightlessly through the splintered visor as he dies from explosive decompression
Explosive decompression
Uncontrolled decompression refers to an unplanned drop in the pressure of a sealed system, such as an aircraft cabin and typically results from human error, material fatigue, engineering failure or impact causing a pressure vessel to vent into its lower-pressure surroundings or fail to pressurize...
.
During this, John Koenig
John Koenig
John Koenig is a fictional character from the television series Space: 1999. He was played by Martin Landau. He is American, apparently in his early forties.-Character Biography:...
travels to the Moon via passenger Eagle. He is the newly appointed commander of Moonbase Alpha
Moonbase Alpha
Moonbase Alpha is a fictional moon base and the main setting in the science fiction television series Space: 1999.-Moonbase Alpha:Located in the Moon crater Plato and constructed out of quarried rock and ores, Moonbase Alpha is four kilometres in diameter and extends up to one kilometre in areas...
, the self-sustaining lunar colony used by the nations of Earth as a centre for space research and exploration. Commissioner Gerald Simmonds of the World Space Commission calls to impress upon him that nothing must delay his first assignment: the launch of the manned deep-space probe to Meta. A rogue planet
Rogue Planet
- Literature :* "Rogue Planet" , a Dan Dare story that ran in the original Eagle comic from Volume 6, Issue 48 to Volume 8, Issue 7* Rogue Planet , a 2000 novel set in the Star Wars galaxy- Other :...
, Meta is currently passing Earth's solar system at extreme range. A robot probe, Spacefarer 9, has detected an atmosphere and a series of repetitive radio signals. Hopes are high that Meta is home to intelligent life. A virus infection plaguing the Meta Probe
Meta Probe
The Meta Probe was a fictional spacecraft in the Space: 1999 episode "Breakaway", it appears in just a few scenes of this pilot episode.-Mission Profile:...
astronauts and other operatives on the Moon must not be an obstacle.
Koenig's Eagle lands. He is met at the travel-tube station by Bergman, an old friend and former university mentor. When the two men reach Koenig's private office, Bergman reveals a closely guarded secret—the ‘virus infection’ is a cover-story fabricated by Earth Command. There is no clue as to what has killed nine workers at Disposal Area Two and affected Probe Astronauts Eric Sparkman and Frank Warren. Bergman suggests the Commander meet with Helena Russell, head of the Medical Section; Koenig is intrigued when the professor reveals the previous commander had suppressed her findings. When Koenig and Helena meet the next morning, it is obvious there is a strong mutual attraction between them.
The doctor's report is baffling. The symptoms of the affected men are consistent with radiation-induced cerebral cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
—a malignant brain tumour causing disorientation and aberrant behaviour, then coma and death. However, there has been no sign of radiation exposure
Radiation exposure
The term radiation exposure commonly has several uses:* Absorption of high-energy ionizing radiation by an object. In living beings a high absorbed dose can lead to radiation poisoning.* Absorption by an object of non-ionizing radiation...
detected in any of the victims. There is also no connection between the disposal-area workers and the Meta Probe crew. Koenig asks to see the astronauts and is shocked by what he finds in Intensive Care: two unresponsive vegetables, staring sightlessly with milky green eyes. There is no hope of recovery.
Koenig confers with Captain Alan Carter
Alan Carter (Space 1999)
Alan Carter is a fictional character from the television series Space: 1999. He was played by Nick Tate. He is of Australian origin and is in his early thirties.-Character biography:...
, head of Reconnaissance, about the status of the Meta Probe and the feasibility of continuing the mission with the back-up crew. The Australian astronaut (knowing only the ‘virus infection’ cover-story) responds negatively, but promises that his staff will expedite preparations for the launch. Helena will not vouch for the continued health of the back-up crew, as their working and living conditions have been identical to the affected astronauts.
Simmonds calls and is briefed on the current situation. Koenig is unsettled by the Commissioner's lack of concern over the deaths and his insistence on maintaining appearances for the sake of political manoeuvring (especially as the International Lunar Finance Committee meets on the fifteenth to discuss the budget for the coming year). He makes a deal with Simmonds that will temporarily suspend atomic-waste shipments from Earth, giving him time to investigate the cause of the silent killer on the Moon. In return, Koenig guarantees the Meta Probe will be launched.
Koenig and Bergman fly to Area Two to oversee another radiation check. Their Eagle first approaches Disposal Area One, where operations ceased five years previously. When questioned, the pilot, Collins, informs Koenig that Area One is a turning point for travel to Area Two—being one of the few constructs on the Moon′s far side, it is known as Navigation Beacon Delta. Bergman informs Koenig there is no indication of any radiation leak at this site. As they proceed on, the viewer sees Collins display a facial tic
Tic
A tic is a sudden, repetitive, nonrhythmic, stereotyped motor movement or vocalization involving discrete muscle groups. Tics can be invisible to the observer, such as abdominal tensing or toe crunching. Common motor and phonic tics are, respectively, eye blinking and throat clearing...
then begin to repeatedly rub his right eye.
At Area Two, Koenig and Bergman observe the two technician-volunteers scan the waste-pit covers for the slightest hint of radioactive emission. Proceeding without incident, the survey results in another negative reading. Suddenly, a psychotic Collins—his right eye now opaque green—raves he must get out. He rushes at the monitoring depot's windows and attempts to bash one out with his space helmet. In the ensuing scuffle, Koenig manages to stun the astronaut. The group escapes from the compartment just before the fractured window ruptures.
Returning to Moonbase, Koenig discovers Warren has expired. Soon after, Helena pronounces Sparkman dead, shutting off his life-support system. Revealing the true nature of the ‘virus infection’ to Carter, Koenig suspends the Meta Probe launch until the cause of death is discovered. The Commander then spends a sleepless Alpha ‘night’ listening to the Meta signals. As he broods over the events of the past few days, he thinks to himself that what Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong
Neil Alden Armstrong is an American former astronaut, test pilot, aerospace engineer, university professor, United States Naval Aviator, and the first person to set foot upon the Moon....
declared to be a ‘giant leap for mankind’ in 1969
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
has proven to be more of a stumble in the dark.
Electronic detective work by Benjamin Ouma, head of the Computer Section, reveals the correlating factor between the Meta Probe astronauts, the pilot Collins, and the disposal area workers who developed the illness: they have all flown over Navigation Beacon Delta—the obsolete Disposal Area One—on numerous occasions. An examination of the probe astronauts′ training flights reveals times where some influence blanked out the flight recorder
Flight recorder
A flight recorder is an electronic recording device placed in an aircraft for the purpose of facilitating the investigation of an aircraft accident or incident. For this reason, flight recorders are required to be capable of surviving the conditions likely to be encountered in a severe aircraft...
over that location. A check is made on Area One and senior data analyst Sandra Benes
Sandra Benes
Sandra Benes is a recurring character in the British science-fiction television series Space: 1999. She is of Western European/Burmese origin and is in her late twenties. Her role was played by actress Zienia Merton.-Character Biography:...
reports rising heat levels. Remote camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
s show the concrete mounds glowing redly. Despite the tremendous heat, there is no detectable radioactivity.
After the cameras burn out, Koenig flies out to Area One himself to observe the situation. The mounds are now emitting strange flares of energy. While over the site, his Eagle's flight controls suddenly fail and he manages a crash-landing some distance away. Moments later, Area One is consumed by a series of explosions. The Commander, retrieved by the search-and-rescue team, is brought back to Alpha for medical assessment. After he is given a clean bill of health, a concerned Helena berates him for his recklessness. Amused, Koenig retorts, ‘I didn't know you cared.’
Investigating the explosion, Bergman finds an instrument salvaged from the site that recorded a sharp increase in magnetic activity
Magnetism
Magnetism is a property of materials that respond at an atomic or subatomic level to an applied magnetic field. Ferromagnetism is the strongest and most familiar type of magnetism. It is responsible for the behavior of permanent magnets, which produce their own persistent magnetic fields, as well...
. Further research reveals a never-before-seen reaction from the accumulated atomic waste—powerful emissions of magnetic radiation. This is the cause of the rapid brain tumours and the disruption of the Eagle’s flight-navigation systems. As both Koenig and Helena refuse to send anyone into the area under current conditions, a remote-controlled Eagle is flown over Area Two to obtain further data. However, a magnetic surge fries the ship's control systems and it crashes.
Hoping to end Simmonds' information blackout, Koenig transmits an emergency code—then makes himself strategically unavailable to any follow-up inquiries. For answers, Simmonds is forced to travel from Earth. Refusing to accept there is a crisis, the Commissioner questions whether Area Two is a threat. Heat levels there are rising and, as Bergman points out, it contains over one hundred forty times the amount of atomic waste buried at Area One. Simmonds wonders if, like Area One, it could simply burn out in a sub-surface firestorm. Koenig insists there can be no hope of a controlled reaction—they are sitting atop the biggest bomb ever made by Man.
Simmonds seizes on Bergman's suggestion to disperse the waste over the Moon's surface; by breaking up the accumulated mass, they might reduce the potential of a nuclear explosion. On 13 September 1999, Eagles fitted with electromagnet
Electromagnet
An electromagnet is a type of magnet in which the magnetic field is produced by the flow of electric current. The magnetic field disappears when the current is turned off...
ic winches proceed to Area Two. They begin the slow process of emptying the forty-eight silos one canister at a time. The heat level holds, but there are disturbing indications of magnetic-field fluctuations. With all the Eagles committed to the operation (and two already forced to return to base with guidance-system damage from the magnetic-field effect), Koenig has Carter commandeer Simmonds' Eagle for a high-altitude observatory flight.
Simmonds confidently declares the situation to be under control, suggesting they draft a communiqué to the Space Commission to dispel any doubts. An exasperated Koenig tries to give the politician a reality check when the magnetic field surges off the scale. Energy discharges shoot from the open waste pits. An ever-growing chain reaction of explosions obliterates Area Two and spreads to the waste canisters strewn over the lunar surface. Only those Eagles not over the site escape destruction. In mere seconds, the entire area erupts in a colossal fireball that rocks the entire Moon.
At Alpha, seismic shocks fracture the crater floor, rupturing several buildings of the installation. All personnel are hurled to the floor, pinned down by intensifying g-forces
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
—the force of the explosion is rapidly pushing the Moon out of orbit. In space, the Moon's movement sends the orbiting Space Dock
Space Dock (Space: 1999)
The Space Dock was a fictional space station in the television series Space: 1999 . Referred to simply as the Space Dock it is also called the Meta Probe Launch Platform in "Breakaway" and the Interplanetary Space Station in "Dragon's Domain" episodes of the series...
tumbling out of control; the Meta probe ship is flung away as the Space Dock blows apart under the strain. Carter fights to keep his Eagle under control and in range, radioing Alpha with a running commentary as the Moon accelerates away from Earth, propelled by the rocket-like thrust of the nuclear blast.
Koenig drags himself to the communications desk; with great effort, he reaches up and opens a channel to Carter. The astronaut reports Eagle One was caught in the Moon's gravitational field and has been carried along with it. He will make it back to base. As the waste pile stops fissioning, acceleration drops and the overpowering g-forces abate. Adjustments made to the base's artificial-gravity
Artificial gravity
Artificial gravity is the varying of apparent gravity via artificial means, particularly in space, but also on the Earth...
field help compensate. Alpha has sustained damage, but is operational. As the senior executives try to figure their next move, a live visual from the Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
satellite documents the Moon's rapid plunge out of the solar system
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
.
Koenig orders Central Computer to assess the chance of successfully executing Operation Exodus, the emergency evacuation plan. With the Moon moving on an unknown trajectory and experiencing constantly shifting g-forces, current conditions match no recorded parameters. Computer concludes human decision is required. Koenig then informs the population of Alpha of their present situation. Under current conditions, he assures them, there is the possibility of a continued existence in space. They are alive, the base is intact and has sustained power and environment. As any attempt to return to Earth would fail, he concludes, they will not try.
Second-in-command Paul Morrow
Paul Morrow
Paul Morrow is a fictional character who first appeared in 'Breakaway', the premiere episode of the science fiction television show Space: 1999, and was portrayed by Prentis Hancock. He is a British national who appears to be in his early thirties....
scans all frequencies for any signal from Earth, intercepting an American television newscast. The newsreader reports on the calamitous effects the Moon's departure has had on Earth—tidal waves and major earthquakes along established fault lines
Fault Lines
Fault Lines, a documentary series produced and broadcasted by Al Jazeera English, is the channel's flagship program about the Americas.Josh Rushing, Zeina Awad and Sebastian Walker host the series, currently enjoying it's third season....
in the United States, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Regarding those stationed on Moonbase Alpha, the loss of the Space Dock ended any attempt to improvise a rescue attempt. As the signal fades, the newsreader comments little hope is held that any of Alpha's 311 personnel survived the catastrophe.
With this last contact with Earth gone, the Main Mission staff despondently listens to the hiss of static. Their hopes are lifted as the mysterious electromagnetic noise from Meta fades in over the speakers. As the Meta signals increase in strength, Koenig speculates aloud that Meta may be where their future lies...
Starring
- Martin LandauMartin LandauMartin Landau is an American film and television actor. Landau began his career in the 1950s. His early films include a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest . He played continuing roles in the television series Mission: Impossible and Space:1999...
— Commander John KoenigJohn KoenigJohn Koenig is a fictional character from the television series Space: 1999. He was played by Martin Landau. He is American, apparently in his early forties.-Character Biography:... - Barbara BainBarbara BainMillicent Fogel , known professionally as Barbara Bain, is an American actress.-Early life:Bain was born in Chicago. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor's degree in sociology. She moved to New York City, where she was a dancer and high fashion model. Bain studied with...
— Doctor Helena RussellHelena RussellHelena Russell is a fictional character from the television series Space: 1999. She was played by Barbara Bain. She is American and apparently in her mid-thirties....
Featuring
- Prentis HancockPrentis HancockPrentis Hancock is a British actor, best known for his television roles.He was a regular cast member of the first season of science fiction series Space: 1999 as Paul Morrow, and also appeared in a number of Doctor Who stories throughout the 1970s - Spearhead from Space and Planet of the Daleks...
— Controller Paul MorrowPaul MorrowPaul Morrow is a fictional character who first appeared in 'Breakaway', the premiere episode of the science fiction television show Space: 1999, and was portrayed by Prentis Hancock. He is a British national who appears to be in his early thirties.... - Zienia MertonZienia MertonZienia Merton is a British actress born in Burma. Her mother was Burmese, and her father half English, half French. She was raised in Singapore, Borneo, Portugal, and England....
— Sandra BenesSandra BenesSandra Benes is a recurring character in the British science-fiction television series Space: 1999. She is of Western European/Burmese origin and is in her late twenties. Her role was played by actress Zienia Merton.-Character Biography:... - Anton PhillipsAnton PhillipsAnton Phillips is an actor who found success appearing in British television. He remains best known for his role as Dr. Bob Mathias in the science fiction series Space 1999.-Early life and education:...
— Doctor Bob MathiasBob Mathias (Space: 1999)Bob Mathias is a fictional character from the British science-fiction television series Space: 1999. He is played by actor Anton Phillips.-Character Biography:... - Nick TateNick TateNicholas John "Nick" Tate is an Australian actor best known for his role as Eagle pilot Alan Carter in both seasons of the 1970s science fiction television series Space: 1999, as well as for playing the role of Gordon Hamilton's errant brother James in the 1980's soap opera "Sons and...
— Captain Alan CarterAlan Carter (Space 1999)Alan Carter is a fictional character from the television series Space: 1999. He was played by Nick Tate. He is of Australian origin and is in his early thirties.-Character biography:... - Philip MadocPhilip MadocPhilip Madoc is a Welsh actor who has had many television and film roles.One prominent role was the title character in the BBC Wales drama The Life and Times of David Lloyd George...
— Commander Anton Gorski - Lon SattonLon SattonLon Satton Born: 1929, Philadelphia. U.S.A., is an actor and composer mostly known in Britain.- Stage works : He acted in Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill, and Ian McDiarmid's musical, "The Three Penny Opera," at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London, England with Vanessa Redgrave, Joe Melia, Ronald...
— Benjamin Ouma - Eric Carte — Astronaut Collins
Uncredited Artists
- Suzanne RoquetteSuzanne RoquetteSuzanne Roquette is an actress, who remains best known for her role as Tanya Alexander in the science fiction television series Space 1999....
— TanyaTanya AlexanderTanya Alexander is the name of a semi-recurring character on the UK science fiction television series Space: 1999. The role was portrayed by German actress Suzanne Roquette.-Character Biography:... - Tony Allyn — Security Guard
- Roy Scammell — Jim Nordstrom
- Alf JointAlf JointAlf Joint was a British movie and television stunt performer, stunt coordinator and arranger....
— Steiner - Don FellowsDon FellowsDon Fellows was an American actor, born in Salt Lake City, Utah, who spent the bulk of his career acting in England, mostly in television....
— GTV Newsreader - Laurie Davis — Eagle Two Stewardess
- Barbara KellyBarbara KellyBarbara Kelly was a Canadian-born actress, possibly best-known for her television roles in the United Kingdom opposite her husband Bernard Braden in the 1950s and 1960s and for many appearances as a panelist on the British version of What's My Line?.-Early years:Barbara Kelly was born in...
— Computer Voice
Music
An original score was composed for this episode by Barry GrayBarry Gray
Barry Gray was a British musician and composer who is best known for his work for Gerry Anderson.-Life:...
. A long-time Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
team member, Gray's expertise gave the series a profound symphonic statement, to express the grandeur of space. The electric guitar segments were performed by producer Sylvia Anderson
Sylvia Anderson
Sylvia Anderson , born 25 March 1937, is a British voice artist and film producer, most notable for collaborations with Gerry Anderson, to whom she was married from 1962 to 1975....
's son-in-law, musician Vic Elms. As Lee Katzin
Lee H. Katzin
Lee H. Katzin was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States, and became a TV director in the late 1960s, including episodes for Bonanza, Mission: Impossible and Police Story. He also directed the 1971 movie, Le Mans....
's unsatisfactory director's cut necessitated considerable re-editing and filming of new footage, the score was composed and recorded after that of 'Matter of Life and Death
Matter of Life and Death (Space: 1999)
"Matter of Life and Death" is the second episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Art Wallace and Johnny Byrne; the director was Charles Crichton. The original title was 'Siren Planet'. The final shooting script is dated 8 January 1974...
'.
Production Notes
- The premiere episode's troubled production history is detailed in the main article. From Gerry AndersonGerry AndersonGerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
's autobiography, What Made Thunderbirds Go: 'The New York office assured me Lee Katzin was "the best pilot director in America",' remembers Anderson. 'The schedule for shooting the first episode was ten days, but it overran and soon we were tens of thousands of poundsPound sterlingThe pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
over budget.' (The planned shoot was stretched to twenty-five days by the director's meticulous style of filming multiple takes of each camera angle while running each scene it its entirety.) Katzin finished editing his footage and screened the completed 'Breakaway' for Anderson. 'It ran for over two hours,' he remembers, 'and I thought it was awful. He went back to America and I sent a cutting copy of the episode to Abe Mandell. Abe phoned me in a fit of depression, saying, "Oh, my god, it's terrible—what are we going to do?" I wrote a lot of new scenes myself and these were filmed over three days. I'm pretty sure I directed them myself.' (These re-mounted scenes were filmed between 'Black Sun' and 'Ring Around the Moon.') 'I then totally recut the episode to fifty minutes, inserting the new footage.'
- Scenes deleted from Katzin director's cut include: (1) Koenig watching Simmonds interviewed on a news programme (while providing expositional dialogue about Meta and the probe) before his live conversation with the Commissioner while flying to Alpha. It also reveals that Koenig was the first Alpha commander; (2) Ex-Commander Gorski having a conversation with Koenig before leaving, reinforcing Simmonds' dogma about the secrecy regarding the Meta Probe setbacks. He would then express disdain for Helena, her personal judgment and professional competence; (3) Helena giving Koenig an autopsy report on the Probe Astronauts and Collins. He would bring up Gorski's opinions of her. She then revealed Gorski made advances, which she rebuffed—this 'questionable judgment' being the cause of him disregarding her findings and suppressing her reports; (4) Morrow listening to the Meta signals with Koenig, hoping the probe mission will answer all their questions. Audio recordings of these scenes were recovered in February 2011 and are available on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and the Space: 1999 website ‘The Catacombs’ under the ‘Breakaway’ episode guide.
- The storyline involving Meta is never resolved. The next episode produced, 'Matter of Life and DeathMatter of Life and Death (Space: 1999)"Matter of Life and Death" is the second episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Art Wallace and Johnny Byrne; the director was Charles Crichton. The original title was 'Siren Planet'. The final shooting script is dated 8 January 1974...
', takes place sometime later as the Moon approaches an obviously different planet. The fan-produced 'Message From Moonbase Alpha' mini-episode proposes that a final transmission sent from Alpha by Sandra twenty years after 'Breakaway' was temporally shifted into the past to become the Meta signals heard in the first episode.
- Lon Satton's character Benjamin Ouma was originally intended to remain as a series regular, but other members of the cast found him difficult to work with, and he was replaced by the character David Kano, portrayed by Clifton JonesClifton JonesClifton Jones is an actor, mostly known for his roles on British television.His most prominent role is probably that of David Kano during the first season of the science fiction series Space: 1999....
, by the next episode.
- Sharp-eyed viewers will note that Commissioner Simmonds' private Eagle One sports an orange-coloured passenger module; this is the only time this would be seen. In reality, the orange colour was added in post-production by the visual effects team painting in the colour on every other frame of film. They will also note that the spacesuit helmet collar will change during the course of the episode (and sometimes during the same scene). The original collar is a smooth orange nylon; the revised collar (used during the later re-shoots) has the familiar corrugated rib construction used throughout the remainder of the series.
Novelisation
The episode was adapted in the first Year One Space: 1999 novel Breakaway by E.C. Tubb, published in 1975. Tubb, an experienced science-fiction author, retained the basic storyline and made significant changes in content and dialogue. Some of the material edited from the original two-hour director's cut can be found here. The greatest change was that Commissioner Simmonds dies from injuries sustained during the Moon's breakaway. This would cause Futura to omit the subsequent story ‘EarthboundEarthbound (Space: 1999)
"Earthbound" is the fifth episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Anthony Terpiloff; the director was Charles Crichton. The final shooting script is undated...
’, which addressed the Commissioner's fate, from the novel series.
Tubb injected a great deal of 1970s-era scientific knowledge and speculation for the reasons behind the atomic waste's behaviour (the particular blend of waste, high in cesium and lithium
Lithium
Lithium is a soft, silver-white metal that belongs to the alkali metal group of chemical elements. It is represented by the symbol Li, and it has the atomic number 3. Under standard conditions it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly...
contaminants, coupled with the coincidental presence of an iron-based mineral in the rock strata the Disposal Areas were constructed upon was speculated to have precipitated the disaster) and explained the mechanics involved in the Moon's movement out of orbit.
External Links
- Space: 1999 - 'Breakaway' - The Catacombs episode guide
- Space: 1999 - 'Breakaway' - Moonbase Alpha's Space: 1999 page
Last produced:
NoneList of Space: 1999 episodes Next produced:
"Matter of Life and DeathMatter of Life and Death (Space: 1999)"Matter of Life and Death" is the second episode of the first series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Art Wallace and Johnny Byrne; the director was Charles Crichton. The original title was 'Siren Planet'. The final shooting script is dated 8 January 1974...
"Last transmitted:
NoneNext transmitted:
"Force of Life"