Stargate Command

The Stargate Program is a fictional top-secret program that plays a key role in the Stargate
Stargate
Stargate is a adventure military science fiction franchise, initially conceived by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The first film in the franchise was simply titled Stargate. It was originally released on October 28, 1994, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco, and became a hit, grossing nearly...

franchise: it surrounds the operations of the Stargate

Stargate (device)

A Stargate is a portal device within the Stargate fictional universe that allows practical, rapid travel between two distant locations. The devices first appear in the 1994 Roland Emmerich film Stargate, and thereafter in the television series Stargate SG-1 and its spin-offs...

on Earth. The core of the Stargate Program is Stargate Command (SGC), based at the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station

Cheyenne Mountain

Cheyenne Mountain is a mountain located just outside the southwest side of Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S., and is home to the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station and its Cheyenne Mountain Directorate, formerly known as the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center .Throughout the Cold War and...

near Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...

. During the run of Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...

, the NID is most critical of the Stargate Program, while the program is extended through the establishment of the Department of Homeworld Security and the International Oversight Advisory (IOA). The Atlantis Project as seen in Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...

is part of the Stargate Program but works independently during season 1 of the show.

Despite alien attacks such as in "Lost City

Lost City (Stargate SG-1)

"Lost City" is the two-part finale to the seventh season of the science fiction television show Stargate SG-1. It was originally intended to be a second Stargate film, and was then to be the show's absolute finale, and finally ended up being the seventh season finale after the series was renewed...

" and "Ex Deus Machina", all attempts are made throughout the series to keep the existence of the Stargate Program secret, assuming there would be mass panic if the public found out. Several alternate-universe episodes address the public reaction to the revelation of the Stargate Program. Nevertheless, some conspiracy theorists in the series assume extraterrestrial activity at the highest levels of the military. A very few select civilians such as Pete Shanahan and Jeannie Miller are also aware of the existence of the Program.

Earth and the Stargate

Following a backstory spanning millions of years, the modern history of Earth's Stargate Program begins when the Stargate is unearthed in Egypt

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

in 1928. The device is eventually brought to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

in 1939 to keep it out of Nazi hands and eventually installed in a facility in Creek Mountain, Colorado

Colorado

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

(Cheyenne Mountain

Cheyenne Mountain

in Stargate SG-1). In the events of the Stargate film

Stargate (film)

Stargate is a 1994 American adventure-military science fiction film released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco Pictures. Created by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the film is the first release in the Stargate franchise...

, Dr. Daniel Jackson deciphers the workings of the Stargate. A team is sent through to the planet on the other side, where they encounter and defeat the malevolent Ra, freeing his slaves. Under the belief that there was only one possible destination through the Stargate, no further missions are planned through the Stargate and the program shut down.

The Stargate SG-1 premiere reveals the existence of another grave extraterrestrial threat to Earth, Apophis, and that there are in fact thousands of planets accessible through the Stargate. As a result, the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

establishes Stargate Command inside Cheyenne Mountain and commissions nine teams (which increases to many more in the later seasons) to travel through the Gate to assess threats, open negotiations with other civilizations, and procure technology to defend Earth. The first SG mission to Apophis' homeworld, Chulak, sees the defection of Jaffa warrior Teal'c

Teal'c

Teal'c is a fictional character in the military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. Played by Christopher Judge, Teal'c is a Jaffa warrior from the planet Chulak. As a Jaffa, Teal'c is a genetically modified human with an abdominal pouch that serves as an incubator for a larval Goa'uld...

to Earth. In the early seasons of Stargate SG-1, SG teams from Earth fights battles against Apophis and the Goa'uld System Lords. Along the way, they make offworld allies including the Tok'ra

Tok'ra

The Tok'ra are a fictional alien race on the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. They first appear in the season 2 episode . In the show, the Tok'ra are biologically the same species as the Goa'uld who inhabit human hosts in a symbiotic relationship, and are opposed to the evil System...

and the Asgard

Asgard (Stargate)

The Asgard are a fictional highly advanced race in the science fiction series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. They are first mentioned in the episode , and first seen in . In the series, the Asgard gave rise to Norse mythology on Earth, as well as accounts of the Roswell "Greys"...

, support a growing rebellion amongst the Jaffa, and encounter a dangerous new threat from another galaxy, the mechanical Replicator

Replicator (Stargate)

In the military science fiction series Stargate SG-1, the Replicators are antagonistic self-replicating machines that propagate by ingesting the metals that make up civilizations and use them to create either blocks that form the bug-like version or smaller cells that compose the human-form...

s. The Stargate Program also endures challenges from its own government; the ambitious Senator Robert Kinsey seeks to shut down and later control the SGC, and the activities of the unscrupulous N.I.D. threatens to destabilize Earth's offworld relations.

Season eight of Stargate SG-1 sees the final defeat of the System Lords and the Replicators, changing the political face of the galaxy. Dr. Daniel Jackson also discovers the address for the Ancients' Lost City of Atlantis in the Pegasus galaxy, and the international Atlantis Expedition is formed. In Pegasus Earth discovers more enemies, including the life-consuming Wraith

Wraith (Stargate)

In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the Wraith are the original enemy alien species, first introduced in the pilot episode . In the series, they are a vampire-like telepathic race who feed on the "life-force" of humans, and are the dominant power in the Pegasus galaxy...

and the nanite Asurans. A new enemy, the Ori

Ori (Stargate)

The Ori are fictional characters in the science fiction television series, Stargate SG-1. They are a group of "ascended" beings who use their advanced technology and knowledge of the universe to attempt to trick non-ascended humans into worshipping them as gods.They first appeared in the ninth...

, is introduced in the ninth season of SG-1. Their story arc is concluded in Stargate: The Ark of Truth
Stargate: The Ark of Truth
Stargate: The Ark of Truth is a 2008 Canadian-American military science fiction film written and directed by Robert C. Cooper. The film is the conclusion of Stargate SG-1 Ori arc, and picks up after the SG-1 series finale, but takes place before the fourth season of Stargate Atlantis. The Ark of...

with the defeat of the last Ori, the Ascended being Adria, and the turning of her armies.

The core of the fictional Stargate Program is Stargate Command (SGC), a publicly undisclosed military

Military

A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...

unit organized under the Department of the Air Force, and based at the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station

Cheyenne Mountain

near Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs, Colorado

. (and at Creek Mountain Facility, a fictional name for Cheyenne Mountain in the Stargate
Stargate (film)
Stargate is a 1994 American adventure-military science fiction film released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco Pictures. Created by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the film is the first release in the Stargate franchise...

film). Although on-base support personnel wear patches of Air Force Space Command (AFSPC)

Air Force Space Command

Air Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Department of the Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations....

, it has not been clarified whether or not Stargate Command itself is a component of that organization or a separate entity. Stargate Command, also referred to by its codename "Area 52", is tasked with operating the Stargate

Stargate (device)

on Earth and coordinates exploration and diplomatic relationships through the Stargate. Long-term research of alien technology is usually moved from the SGC to Area 51

Area 51

Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. It is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield...

in Nevada. Stargate Command is constituted and activated in the pilot episode of Stargate SG-1, "Children of the Gods", when the Goa'uld

Goa'uld

The Goa'uld are a fictional symbiotic race of ancient astronauts from the American-Canadian military science fiction television franchise Stargate. The Goa'uld are parasites from the planet P3X-888, integrated within a host, most of the time human. The resulting creatures are a powerful race bent...

threat is first recognized. The writers considered replacing Stargate SG-1 with a new show named Stargate Command after SG-1's eighth season, but the Sci Fi Channel

Sci Fi Channel (United States)

Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...

decided to continue SG-1 for two more seasons instead.

Facility

The SGC base, where most episodes of SG-1 begin and end, is the main setting in Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...

and occasionally features on Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...

. Half a dozen stock shots of Cheyenne Mountain were filmed at the beginning of the series and re-used until season 8, but the producers did not decide until the beginning of season 9 to film new shots, thinking that Stargate SG-1 would be cancelled after each current year. The interior of the SGC base, together with the Atlantis

Atlantis (Stargate)

In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the spin-off of Stargate SG-1, Atlantis is a city-sized starship originally located in the Pegasus galaxy. Atlantis serves as the base of operations for the main characters, from which they explore other planets through the Stargate...

set, is filmed at stages 5 and 6 at The Bridge Studios

The Bridge Studios

The Bridge Studios is a Canadian film studio in Burnaby, British Columbia. It operates the largest effects stage in North America. Its eight studios, ranging in size from to , are located on a lot at 2400 Boundary Road, in Burnaby....

in Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

, Canada. In 2009, the sets were redressed to portray Icarus Base from Stargate Universe, after which the sets were finally struck after standing for a dozen years.

Like the real Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, the SGC extends many levels beneath the ground (officially called sub-levels), thus protecting the base from most forms of attack including indirect nuclear detonations. In the Stargate universe, the base also serves to contain biological, chemical or alien hazards to the outside world by means of a 'lockdown' status. The briefing room and the SGC Commander's office is located at level 27, while the Gate Room with the Stargate

Stargate (device)

and an elevated Control Room are at level 28. A long ramp in the middle of the Gateroom leading up to the Stargate allows vehicles (such as the M.A.L.P. robot probe) to enter the Stargate. The Stargate may be lifted in and out through a ceiling that can open. The real Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station denies fan theories of the existence of a Stargate in their Command Center.

The Stargate

Stargate (device)

is equipped with a metallic barrier called the Iris to prevent hostile aliens from entering the SGC. Off-world SG teams additionally carry a GDO to identify themselves to the SGC. If nevertheless faced with an alien invasion, the facility has a self-destruct mechanism, which has been activated on more than one occasion on the show. According to Colonel Samantha Carter

Samantha Carter

Samantha "Sam" Carter is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction Stargate franchise, appearing in television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe. SG-1 and Atlantis are both about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien...

, the self-destruct is not powerful enough to destroy the Stargate or to disconnect an active wormhole, but it would bury the gate under 1000 metric tons of rock to stop incoming travelers.

Organizational structure

The SGC is typically commanded by an active-duty U.S. Air Force commissioned officer with the grade of Major General

Major general (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...

, and is staffed by a mixture of military and civilian subject matter experts, military support personnel (e.g. members of the Air Force Security Forces and Air Force Medical Service), and several SG teams, most notably SG-1. Stargate Command began operations with 9 SG teams; at the time of season 10's "Uninvited", there were at least 25 SG teams. The majority of the teams are U.S. Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

with some U.S. Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

, civilians and later U.S. Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

as well. Military forces of foreign nations have been included as the existence of the Stargate was revealed to other countries (the first were the Russians, agreed to in "Redemption (Part 2)

Redemption (Stargate SG-1)

The two-part episode "Redemption" is the Season 6 premiere of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. Airing on June 7 and June 14, 2002, it was the first all-new SG-1 episode to be broadcast by SCI FI, the new home of SG-1 after the series' move from Showtime. The episode was written...

", first seen in "The Tomb"). A chosen few extraterrestrials

Extraterrestrial life

Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...

(Teal'c

Teal'c

, Jonas Quinn

Jonas Quinn

Jonas Quinn is a fictional character in the Canadian-American television series Stargate SG-1, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...

, and Vala Mal Doran

Vala Mal Doran

Vala Mal Doran is a fictional character in the American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by former Farscape actress Claudia Black, Vala was created by...

) have also been allowed to join the SG teams. These off world teams usually operate as teams of four, although that is not a requirement.

The first leader of the SGC is Major General West

Major General West

Major General West, is a fictional character in the Stargate SG-1 universe, played by Leon Rippy. West headed the USAF's Project Giza , the forerunner of the SGC. He oversaw Dr. Catherine Langford's experiments with the Stargate until selecting, recalling, and delegating Colonel Jack O'Neil as...

in the film, followed by Major General George Hammond from season 1 through 7. Major General Bauer briefly replaces Hammond, who retires under duress in season 4's "Chain Reaction". Dr. Elizabeth Weir

Elizabeth Weir (Stargate)

Dr. Elizabeth Weir is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate Atlantis, a military science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Elizabeth Weir is introduced as a recurring character in...

becomes the first civilian commander of the SGC after Hammond's reassignment in season 7's "Lost City

Lost City

Lost City is a 2004 novel by Clive Cussler. It was printed by Penguin publishers ISBN 0 7181 4735 9.It tells of Kurt Austin's dealings with the Fauchard family, which has dominated the weapons industry for several thousand years, their secret past, the monsters they have created, and the plague...

". When Weir leaves the SGC in season 8's "New Order

New Order (Stargate SG-1)

New Order is the two-part Season 8 premiere of the science-fiction series Stargate SG-1. The episode earned a 2.4 Nielsen rating, a new record high for the show during its run on cable, which has since been tied, but never beaten...

" to be in charge of the Atlantis Expedition early in Season 8, Brigadier General Jack O'Neill

Jack O'Neill

Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe, three science fiction shows about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...

takes over for season 8 until he replaces Hammond as the commander of the Department of Homeworld Security in early season 9. Major General Hank Landry is leader of the SGC in seasons 9 and 10 and the two direct-to-DVD SG-1 films.

Alternative sites

The last line of defense for the SGC is an off-world base called the Alpha Site, initially established as a settlement to evacuate a select number of the academic elite of the United States to in case of Goa'uld invasion. It later serves as an emergency back-up for the SGC, and off-world SG teams will contact the Alpha Site if they are unable to make contact with the SGC. As seen in season 6's "Allegiance", several of Earth's allies, mainly the Tok'ra

Tok'ra

and Rebel Jaffa, use this site as a secure location to hide from the Goa'uld

Goa'uld

. The Alpha Site also serves as the temporary home for any large groups of people that are evacuated from their own planets, and a testing facility for Earth's new prototype spacecraft. A similar concept exists for the Atlantis Expedition in Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...

.

Although the Alpha Site is mentioned in season 2 of Stargate SG-1 (P3X-984), the first Alpha Site is only shown in the season 6 episode "Allegiance". The planet designated as P3X-984, in the storyline unknown to the Goa'uld, was shot in a gravel pit at Mount Seymour

Mount Seymour

Mount Seymour is a mountain located in Mount Seymour Provincial Park in the District of North Vancouver, British Columbia. It is a part of the North Shore Mountains, rising to the north from the shores of Burrard Inlet and Indian Arm to a summit of above the Indian River and Deep Cove neighbourhoods...

in North Vancouver. The set designers used a number of sets from season 4's "Prodigy" for the façade and filled the remaining gaps with the set decorator and transportation tents. After Anubis probes Jonas Quinn

Jonas Quinn

's mind in season 7's "Fallen" and learns of the first Alpha Site, a second Alpha site is built. Some months after its establishment, it falls under attack by several Kull Warriors in season 7's "Death Knell" and is abandoned. Peter DeLuise

Peter DeLuise

Peter John DeLuise is an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, perhaps best known for directing episodes of science fiction television shows, particularly in the Stargate franchise.-Career:...

came up with this story idea when a large amount of wood was cut down in the Seymour River watershed in North Vancouver (where outside locations of Stargate SG-1 were often filmed), resembling the aftermath of an explosion. The third Alpha Site is built inside a mountain on P4X-650, and has a runway for the F-302. RepliCarter visits this facility in "Gemini", as part of a ruse to rid herself of Fifth and learn more about the Ancient Replicator disruptor.

Season 7's "Death Knell" mentions a Beta Site on an unknown planet as a back-up facility operated by the SGC. Other Beta sites are mentioned in alternate realities

Parallel universe (fiction)

A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...

– one equivalent to the Alpha Site in season 1's "There But For the Grace of God", and another is mentioned in season 3's "Point of View". A Gamma Site is shown in season 9's "The Scourge" as a research outpost established on a planet with unique radioactive ionosphere 24,000 light years from Earth. The base has several F-302's attached to it. At any given time more than 30 scientists conduct research in several fields including biology

Biology

Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...

, botany

Botany

Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...

, entomology

Entomology

Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...

and physics

Physics

Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...

. After the auto-destruct of this Gamma Site, a new Gamma Site relays a message in "The Pegasus Project".

Area 51

First mentioned in , Area 51 is a top-secret military facility at Nellis Air Force Base

Nellis Air Force Base

Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Combat Command .-Overview:...

in Nevada

Nevada

Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

that serves as an alternate research site for the SGC. Many alien technologies brought back through the Stargate are studied or stored at Area 51. The X-301 fighter and its successor the F-302 are developed at Area 51. The Ancient control chair was moved to Area 51

Area 51

a month before Stargate Atlantis S05E20 "Enemy at the Gate", due to it being in violation of international law, during an attack by a Wraith hive-ship powered by a ZPM (Zero-Point Module), at least a portion of the base is destroyed by two kamikaze darts, destroying the Ancient control chair in the process.

The Atlantis Project

The Atlantis Project, also called the Atlantis Expedition, is Earth's international mission to the Ancient

Ancient (Stargate)

The Ancients are a humanoid race in the fictional Stargate universe. They are called "Ancients" in the Milky Way, but are also known as Lanteans or Ancestors in the Pegasus galaxy and as the Alterans in their home galaxy, and they sometimes call themselves Anquietas in their language...

city of Atlantis

Atlantis (Stargate)

in the Pegasus Galaxy. The impetus for the creation of the expedition was the discovery of the Ancient outpost in Antarctica in the episode "Lost City

Lost City (Stargate SG-1)

". The reason that it is international is that it was felt that a project of such importance could not be the exclusive province of one nation, as well as the fact that according to American and international law

Antarctic Treaty System

The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earth's only continent without a native human population. For the purposes of the treaty system, Antarctica is defined as all of the land...

, Antarctica is international territory and hence it would be technically illegal for the United States to operate any facilities without international participation or at least international knowledge. An international committee, originally called the Atlantis Committee was established, creating the first truly international body for the management of Earth's offworld affairs. It is composed of the representatives of several nations, but the leaders of the committee seem to be the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Russia, and China. However, numerous nations have sent people to Atlantis.

The majority of the off-world exploration teams are U.S. Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

with some U.S. Air Force

United States Air Force

and multi-national civilian members. Multi-national soldiers from at least six countries (Russia, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Spain and South Africa) are assigned to the Atlantis base security unit. The Atlantis military component is originally led by Marine Corps Colonel Marshall Sumner, who after his death is replaced by Air Force Major John Sheppard

John Sheppard (Stargate)

John Sheppard is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...

, the second highest ranking military officer at this time. From the personnel who first arrive in Atlantis, at least three teams are established during Atlantis season one. No official team designations are mentioned in the series. However, during the first season, director and creative consultant Peter DeLuise

Peter DeLuise

has called the teams 'Atlantis Reconnaissance Team 1', 'Team 2' and 'Team 3' (or AR-1, AR-2 and AR-3), and writer and executive producer Joseph Mallozzi

Joseph Mallozzi

Joseph Mallozzi is a Canadian writer and producer.He is most noted for his contributions to the Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis, and Stargate Universe television series. He joined the Stargate production team at the start of Stargate SG-1s fourth season in 2000...

has called the teams 'First Atlantis Reconnaissance Team', 'Second Atlantis Reconnaissance Team', etc. At the beginning of season 2, Sheppard is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and instated as military component commander of the expanded Atlantis Expedition. A number of commissioned officers are established as team leaders, and several specialist teams are put together for single missions.

The Destiny Expedition

The Destiny Expedition is a reconnaissance mission to the previously unmanned Ancient

Ancient (Stargate)

vessel Destiny, which was part of an experiment to seed galaxies with Stargates

Stargate (device)

. Millions of years prior to the expedition – perhaps even before the Ancients' war with the Wraith or Atlantis' move to the Pegasus Galaxy – the Ancients sent several ships across the universe, the first vessels are automated ships sent out to seed various galaxies with Stargates, and the second, Destiny, to follow-up, exploring and possibly colonizing the Stargate-seeded planets. The ninth chevron on a standard Stargate is used to travel to the Destiny, which is still unmanned due to the Ancients' ascension. However, the experiment was abandoned when the Ancients ascended, leaving the ship abandoned in the void until the expedition's arrival.

The expedition plans to set off from the Icarus Base, a secret off-world research base set up by the SGC. However, a faction of The Lucian Alliance commanded by Commander Keva who have Colonel Telford under their control and with his help attack the base, forcing the expedition to escape through the Stargate onto the Destiny. Due to their hasty escape, the people find themselves without adequate food, water, or supplies on a old, neglected, decaying ship with air leaks and failing life support. In addition, many people on the ship were never intended to go on the expedition, while others who were supposed to join it never did.

The Destiny travels on a preprogrammed course, following the first ship's path throughout the universe. Since it is impossible for the team to alter its course, there is no way to return to Earth. At each planet, the ship stops for a fixed amount of time for the crew to explore the world's truly alien landscapes and species. However, if a member of the crew is left behind when the ship leaves, the crew member is stranded, for there is no way for the crew to turn the ship around. Rush is left behind in Season one's Justice on a planet. Although he manages to return to the ship as he is captured by currently unnamed aliens and escapes to Destiny when the Aliens try to take the ship. Lt. Scott, Eli, Chloe and Sgt. Greer are forcibly left behind in Human

Human (Stargate Universe)

"Human" is the fourteenth episode of military science fiction television series Stargate Universe. The episode originally aired on April 23, 2010 on Syfy in the United States, and on SPACE in Canada. The episode was directed by series creator, Robert C. Cooper and was written by Jeff Vlaming. The...

.
At the end of Season 1 Colonel Telford and some of Commander Keva's Lucian Alliance faction find another power source and manage to 'gate' to Destiny and take control of the ship with devices they brought with them.

NID

The NID is a shadowy intelligence agency

Intelligence agency

An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to information gathering for purposes of national security and defence. Means of information gathering may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public...

that appears throughout the run of Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...

, but also in the Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...

episodes "Critical Mass", "Miller's Crossing" and "Outcast". Its official mandate is to provide vital civilian oversight of top secret military operations, but one of their unofficial primary goals is to procure alien technologies. The producers initially wanted to call the organization NRD for "No Real Department", but its sound and affinity to Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie and Don S. Davis convinced them to rename it to "NID" instead. Although the acronym still stands for nothing in particular, the Stargate SG-1 Roleplaying Game says it stands for National Intelligence Department. The NID is made up of federal agents like Malcolm Barrett, bureaucrats like Richard Woolsey

Richard Woolsey

Richard Woolsey is a fictional character on the Stargate television franchise about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by Robert Picardo, Woolsey made his first appearance as a member of the NID in "Heroes", an episode of season 7 of Stargate...

, and military personnel such as Colonels Simmons and Harry Maybourne. A set of well-resourced illegal cells named the Rogue NID uses unscrupulous methods to achieve the goals of the official NID and is later replaced by the Trust. With the creation of the IOA, the NID becomes a more legitimate organization, working for the security of the Stargate program and aiding the SGC.

Throughout the run of Stargate SG-1, the work of the Rogue NID is associated with Colonel Harry Maybourne. The group initially uses the second Stargate unearthed in "Solitudes", and later bases their operations off-world or in disused warehouses throughout the Earth. The rogue elements justify their unscrupulous methods as defense from the Goa'uld

Goa'uld

attack on Earth regardless of considerations like inter-planetary diplomacy, criticising the diplomatic contacts and negotiations of the SGC as too slow. The leading shadow group of the rogue NID, "The Committee", are made up of various individual businessmen, politicians and corporations who wish to exploit alien technology for financial gain. The more prominent members of the rogue NID are later revealed to be Senator Robert Kinsey and Colonel Frank Simmons. The SGC puts an end to the rogue NID in "Smoke and Mirrors" after arresting and imprisoning the majority of its upper echelon.

The Trust is a shady interplanetary terrorist group composed of rogue ex-NID operatives and the international business and political cabal

Cabal

A cabal is a group of people united in some close design together, usually to promote their private views and/or interests in a church, state, or other community, often by intrigue...

which funds them. The Trust is more radical in their methods and objectives than the Rogue NID, coming into direct conflict with the SGC and the U.S. Air Force several times. When the producers came up with story ideas for this group, they found that Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...

had used all the names they could think of. It was not until several weeks after they had decided on the name "Trust" that they found out that Alias had used that name as well. Faced with the choice to either go with the Trust or with what Joseph Mallozzi

Joseph Mallozzi

called "The Former Rogue Elements of the N.I.D. Now Working for Private Interests Bent on Global Domination", they chose the first option.

After Vice President Kinsey still shows his strong ties to the rogue ex-NID agents in season 7's "Inauguration" and is subsequently forced into resigning, the SGC learns the name "the Trust" in season 8's "Covenant". The Trust use a Goa'uld ship in "Endgame" to launch an all-out attack on the Goa'uld with symbiote poison, without regard to Jaffa or Tok'ra

Tok'ra

life. Season 8's "Full Alert" reveals that the Goa'uld have successfully infiltrated and captured some of Trust members, providing an immediate power base for the Goa'uld; Ba'al has taken control of the Trust by "Ex Deus Machina". The Trust last appears in Stargate SG-1 in season 10's "Memento Mori", capturing Vala to find an infinite treasure, but they also appear in the Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...

season 2 episode "Critical Mass", planting an explosive device in the City of Atlantis.

Department of Homeworld Security

The top-secret Department of Homeworld Security controls the Stargate Program (Stargate Command, including its associated research facility at Area 51 and the Alpha, Beta and Gamma sites), which were originally directly overseen by the President and the Secretary of Defense

United States Secretary of Defense

The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...

through the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Joint Chiefs of Staff

The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...

. The Department of Homeworld Security also controls the F-302/BC-304

Daedalus class battlecruiser

In the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 and its sequels, several types of starships are introduced in the later seasons. In the series, they are the product of several years' worth of research into alien technologies discovered on off-world missions to other planets visited via the...

program and coordinates the oversight of the Ancient outpost in Antarctica, while the International Oversight Authority (IOA) holds direct (political) authority over the Antarctic base and the Atlantis expedition. The Department of Homeworld Security was established by President Henry Hayes after the events of "Lost City

Lost City (Stargate SG-1)

", with Lieutenant General George Hammond as its first leader. When Hammond retires from USAF

United States Air Force

active service and moves on to another position, Major General Jack O'Neill

Jack O'Neill

takes over in early season 9.

Homeworld Command is located in the Pentagon, as seen in the Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe is a Canadian-American military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the Ancient spaceship Destiny many billions of light years distant from the Milky Way...

episode "Earth".

International agreements

The United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, by virtue of its control of the Stargate, is largely responsible for Earth's interstellar policy in the Stargate franchise. More nations gradually come to take part in its use. Following the events of season 3's "Nemesis

Nemesis (Stargate SG-1)

"Nemesis" is the last episode from season 3 of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. Written by Robert C. Cooper and directed by Martin Wood, the episode first aired in the United Kingdom on Sky One on February 11, 2000, and had its American premiere on Showtime on March 8, 2000...

", Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

briefly establish their own Stargate program based in Siberia, which is terminated and merged with the United States program running out of Cheyenne Mountain shortly after season 4's "Watergate". The United States and Russia inform the other three permanent members of the UN Security Council (the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, 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...

, and the People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

) in season 6's "Disclosure", in the hopes of pooling their combined military resources to defend Earth against Anubis's fleet. The US President also informs long-time ally Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

about Stargate Command's fleet engagement plans in "Lost City

Lost City (Stargate SG-1)

".

After the defeat of Anubis's fleet and the subsequent discovery of the Ancient outpost in Antarctica, an international committee is established to oversee it and the Atlantis expedition. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council and the signatory members of the Antarctic Treaty (including Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, Jamaica

Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...

, Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

, Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

, Croatia

Croatia

Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

and Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

) sign the Gate Alliance Treaty, which specifies that all acquired alien technology will be shared between the member nations, in exchange for assistance in keeping the program secret. However, in the following three years, the US military interprets the treaty to only apply to non-military technology, which the Chinese delegate mentions as a sore point in "The Scourge". Still, not all nations have been informed about the existence of the Stargate.

International Oversight Advisory (IOA)

The IOA (or International Oversight Advisory) is a civilian oversight committee, created after the United States and Russia revealed the existence of the Stargate Program to the other permanent members of the UN Security Council in season 6's "Disclosure". The IOA has also been referred to as the "International Oversight Committee" on the show, until producer Joseph Mallozzi

Joseph Mallozzi

realized during the writing of "The Ties That Bind" that the acronym IOC is already used by the International Olympic Committee

International Olympic Committee

The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...

. The IOA is in control of the Atlantis Expedition and also of funding, and approves any missions involving Atlantis

Atlantis (Stargate)

or Earth's battle cruisers. Although not having direct authority over Stargate Command

Stargate Command

The Stargate Program is a fictional top-secret program that plays a key role in the Stargate franchise: it surrounds the operations of the Stargate on Earth. The core of the Stargate Program is Stargate Command , based at the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station near Colorado Springs, Colorado...

, which as a command of the United States Air Force is controlled by the United States Department of Defense

United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...

, the IOA assigns a representative to the SGC in exchange for further funding in "The Ties That Bind". The writers originally wanted to set up an IOA watchdog character on SG-1 and possibly have Richard Woolsey

Richard Woolsey

on the base all the time, but season 9 already had so many new characters that the writers did not develop this idea.

The most prominent IOA member is Richard Woolsey

Richard Woolsey

as a US representative. Two other American IOA members are James Marrick (Currie Graham

Currie Graham

Currie Graham is a Canadian stage, film and television actor. He studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City....

), shown in Stargate: The Ark of Truth
Stargate: The Ark of Truth
Stargate: The Ark of Truth is a 2008 Canadian-American military science fiction film written and directed by Robert C. Cooper. The film is the conclusion of Stargate SG-1 Ori arc, and picks up after the SG-1 series finale, but takes place before the fourth season of Stargate Atlantis. The Ark of...

, and Coolidge (Rob LaBelle

Rob LaBelle

Rob LaBelle is an American film and television actor.-Early life and education:He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Career:LaBelle has made appearances, many as a character actor, in dozens of film and television roles, most in the science-fiction genre, and is probably best known for his role as...

), shown in "Midway". Representatives of other nations are shown in season 9's "The Scourge" – Russel Chapman of the United Kingdom (played by Andy Maton), Jean Lapierre of France (Mark Oliver

Mark Oliver

Mark Oliver is a voice actor who works for Ocean Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He has played several roles in anime, most notably Rau Le Creuset in Gundam SEED...

), Chen Xiaoyi of China (Tamlyn Tomita

Tamlyn Tomita

Tamlyn Naomi Tomita is an actress, who has appeared in many Hollywood films and television series.-Early life:Tomita was born in Okinawa, the daughter of Shiro and Asako Tomita. Her father then later became a Los Angeles Police Officer, rising to the rank of sergeant. He succumbed to cancer in...

), and Col. Chekov of Russia (Gary Chalk

Gary Chalk (actor)

Gary Chalk is an English-born Canadian actor, tri-national US-Canadian-UK citizen and voice artist. He has lend hit voice in over 30 animated television series and has been in films such as The Fly II and Freddy vs. Jason....

). When these representatives review operations at the SGC and Atlantis, members of both the SGC and the Atlantis expedition display a rather low opinion of the IOA. According to Dr. Elizabeth Weir

Elizabeth Weir (Stargate)

in "No Man's Land", the IOA's inability to make final decisions is only a strategic maneuver to not take responsibility, therefore having a scapegoat

Scapegoat

Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any party for unmerited negative treatment or blame. Scapegoating may be conducted by individuals against individuals , individuals against groups , groups against individuals , and groups against groups Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any...

(such as Weir herself) in case things go wrong. In Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe is a Canadian-American military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the Ancient spaceship Destiny many billions of light years distant from the Milky Way...

, Camile Wray is the highest-ranking surviving member of the IOA onboard the Destiny and acts the ship's de facto civilian leader. In "Life", the IOA leadership on Earth stated their support for Wray to command the Destiny instead of Colonel Everett Young

Everett Young

Colonel Everett Young is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer-Syfy television series Stargate Universe, a military science fiction serial drama about the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team unable to return to Earth after an evacuation to the...

Starship program

Earth's efforts to construct starships of its own using reverse-engineered alien technology begin in the season 4 episode , with the less-than-successful X-301. In season 6, the X-302 (later F-302), the first spaceworthy Earth fighter, is introduced, along with Earth's first space battlecruiser, the Prometheus. Squadrons of F-302s are eventually stationed on Earth, Atlantis

Atlantis (Stargate)

, the SGC's alternative sites, and its battlecruisers. In season 2 of Stargate Atlantis, the Daedalus-class battlecruiser is introduced, incorporating advancements that were tested on the Prometheus. Thus far, six Daedalus-class battlecruisers have appeared in the series: the Daedalus, the Odyssey, the Korolev (destroyed in season 9), the Apollo, the Sun Tzu, and the George Hammond (named the Phoenix in an alternate timeline). Except for the Korolev and the Sun Tzu, which are operated by the Russians and Chinese respectively, all Earth combat spacecraft are operated by the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

. The United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

Senate Appropriations Committee considers the construction of Daedalus-class ships to be its top priority in terms of planetary defense.

Earth and the Stargate