Kurt at 03:52, 14 March 2023

2023-03-14T03:52:39Z

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	~~{{Use British English\|date=February 2020}}~~
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	{{Infobox radio show		{{Infobox radio show
	\| show_name = Orbiter X		\| show_name = Orbiter X
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	*{{BBC programme}}		*{{BBC programme}}
	*[http://timworthington.blogspot.ie/2016/04/orbiter-x.html ''Tim Worthington's Newsround'' blog on Orbiter X]		*[http://timworthington.blogspot.ie/2016/04/orbiter-x.html ''Tim Worthington's Newsround'' blog on Orbiter X]
	~~{{Space opera serials 1930–1960}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Orbiter X}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Orbiter X}}

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{{Use British English|date=February 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox radio show
| show_name = Orbiter X
| format = [[Science fiction]]
| audio_format = [[Monaural]]
| record_location =
| runtime = 30 minutes
| creator = [[B. D. Chapman]]
| writer = B. D. Chapman
| producer = [[Charles Maxwell (radio producer)|Charles Maxwell]]
| executive_producer =
| starring = {{ubl|[[John Carson (actor)|John Carson]]|[[Andrew Crawford (actor)|Andrew Crawford]]|[[Barrie Gosney]]|[[Donald Bisset]]|[[John Witty]]}}
| narrated =
| opentheme =
| endtheme =
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| home_station = [[BBC Light Programme]]
| syndicates = [[BBC Radio 4 Extra]]
| first_aired = {{start date|1959|09|28|df=y}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1959|12|28|df=y}}
| num_series = 1
| num_episodes = 14
| website = {{url|https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b077rlyw}}
}}

'''''Orbiter X: An adventure in the conquest of space''''' is a [[BBC Radio]] [[science fiction]] programme written by [[B. D. Chapman]]. Only a single series was produced which was broadcast on the [[BBC Light Programme]] on Monday evenings in late 1959. Presumed to have been wiped and lost, a set of discs of the entire series, recorded for the [[BBC Transcription Service]], was discovered and restored.<ref name=newsround>{{cite web |url=http://timworthington.blogspot.ie/2016/04/orbiter-x.html |title=Orbiter X |website=Tim Worthington's Newsround |date=2016-04-25 |access-date=2020-02-07}}</ref> Since 2016, ''Orbiter X'' has occasionally been repeated on the BBC's archive station, [[BBC Radio 4 Extra]].

==Plot==
The fictional [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commomwealth]] Space Project (CSP),<ref name=rtp7>{{Cite magazine |last=Chapman |first=B. D. |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/light/1959-09-28#at-19.30 |title=Into Orbit with the Space Pioneers |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |publisher=[[BBC Publications]] |date=1959-09-25 |volume=144 |issue=1872 |edition=London |page=7 |access-date=2020-02-07 |via=[[BBC Genome Project]]}}</ref> based in [[RAAF Woomera Range Complex|Woomera]], [[South Australia]], is working to build a space station orbiting a thousand miles above the Earth's surface:<ref name=rtp7 /> ''Orbiter X''. Planned to be a refuelling station for further space exploration, along with laboratories and other services,<ref name=rtp7 /> the CSP has launched the various components for the space station into orbit. But before construction can begin, the first assembly ship, ''Orbiter 1'', is seemingly attacked and loses contact with CSP Control. A second ship, ''Orbiter 2'', piloted by Captain Bob Britton ([[John Carson (actor)|John Carson]]), sent to rescue the first crew finds ''Orbiter 1'' deserted and the spacecraft's log missing. ''Orbiter 2'' is also attacked by a [[UFO]] and Flight Engineer 'Hicky' ([[Barrie Gosney]]) seriously injured. With their spacecraft crippled, the crew have no alternative but to abandon ship and place themselves at the mercy of their attackers. Once aboard the UFO, they meet Commander Gelbin (Arthur Lawrence), the deputy leader of the ''Unity'' organisation: a group of [[technocrats]] who plan to use ''Orbiter X'' themselves and create a [[New World Order (conspiracy theory)|New World Order]].

==Background==
Writing in the ''[[Radio Times]]'', the programme's creator said:<ref name=rtp7 />

{{quote|text=With the arrival of the Russian moon probe in the lunar Sea of Serenity a fortnight ago, scientific fact and fiction have become curiously interwoven. The time cannot be far distant when man himself will be setting foot on the moon, but such an undertaking still poses major problems, not least of which is the question of fuel for the return trip.

At the present time, a rocket consumes the bulk of its fuel during its breakaway from the earth. To make the return trip possible, a refuelling point or terminal will be required beyond the limits of the atmosphere. This dual purpose could be served by a space station which would also be equipped with facilities such as a space laboratory, workshops, an observatory and, of course, living accommodation for the crew.

I believe that we shall see such a station taking shape within the course of the next ten years or so, and it is this possibility which has given me the background of the new serial.

For myself, I am hoping that the serial will not be outdated by the News before it starts!|author=B.D. Chapman |title=Into Orbit with the Space Pioneers |source=''[[Radio Times]]'', 25 September 1959<ref name=rtp7 />}}

==Production details==
The producer of ''Orbiter X'', [[Charles Maxwell (radio producer)|Charles Maxwell]], aimed to make the series authentic as possible.<ref name=rtp7 /> During the studio recordings, the cast wore 'space helmets' to help them to achieve a sense of realism.<ref name=rtp7 /> Harry Morriss and Ian Cook created around 40 different sound effects for the series, with "as many as four or five effects sometimes being blended together to produce one particular sound".<ref name=rtp7 />

== Cast ==
The complete cast, as listed in the ''[[Radio Times]]'', was:<ref name=rt1872>{{Cite magazine |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/light/1959-09-28#at-19.30 |title=Orbiter X |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |publisher=[[BBC Publications]] |date=1959-09-25 |volume=144 |issue=1872 |edition=London |page=35 |access-date=2020-02-07 |via=[[BBC Genome Project]]}}</ref><ref name=rt1873>{{Cite magazine |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/light/1959-10-05#at-19.30 |title=Orbiter X |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |publisher=[[BBC Publications]] |date=1959-10-02 |volume=145 |issue=1873 |edition=London |page=35 |access-date=2020-02-07 |via=[[BBC Genome Project]]}}</ref><ref name=rt1874>{{Cite magazine |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/light/1959-10-12#at-19.30 |title=Orbiter X |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |publisher=[[BBC Publications]] |date=1959-10-09 |volume=145 |issue=1874 |edition=London |page=24 |access-date=2020-02-07 |via=[[BBC Genome Project]]}}</ref><ref name=rt1875>{{Cite magazine |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/light/1959-10-19#at-19.30 |title=Orbiter X |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |publisher=[[BBC Publications]] |date=1959-10-16 |volume=145 |issue=1875 |edition=London |page=33 |access-date=2020-02-07 |via=[[BBC Genome Project]]}}</ref><ref name=rt1877>{{Cite magazine |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/light/1959-11-02#at-19.30 |title=Orbiter X |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |publisher=[[BBC Publications]] |date=1959-10-30 |volume=145 |issue=1877 |edition=London |page=31 |access-date=2020-02-07 |via=[[BBC Genome Project]]}}</ref><ref name=rt1880>{{Cite magazine |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/light/1959-11-23#at-19.30 |title=Orbiter X |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |publisher=[[BBC Publications]] |date=1959-11-20 |volume=145 |issue=1880 |edition=London |page=33 |access-date=2020-02-07 |via=[[BBC Genome Project]]}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
!Part
!Played by
|-
|Captain Bob Britton
|[[John Carson (actor)|John Carson]]
|-
|Captain Douglas McClelland
|[[Andrew Crawford (actor)|Andrew Crawford]]
|-
|Flight Engineer Hicks
|[[Barrie Gosney]]
|-
|Colonel Kent
|[[Donald Bisset]]
|-
|Captain Jack Bradley
|[[John Witty]]
|-
|Control Officer Brown
|Peter Noel Cook
|-
|Control Officer Camm
|Francis Hall
|-
|U F O Commander Gelbin
|Arthur Lawrence
|-
|Radio Operator
|John Matthews
|-
|Max Kramer
|Gerik Schjelderup
|-
|Greta Ravel
|[[Irene Prador]]
|-
|Sir Charles Day
|[[Leslie Perrins]]
|-
|Neasen
|Ian Sadler
|-
|Letmann
|[[John Cazabon]]
|-
|Captain Knight
|John Graham
|}

== Episode list ==
{| class="wikitable"
!No.
!First broadcast
!title
|-
|1
|28 Sep 1959<ref name=rt1872 />
|The First Step to the Stars<ref name=4extra>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b077rlyw/episodes/guide |title=Orbiter X: Episodes |website=[[BBC Radio 4 Extra]] |publisher=[[BBC]] |access-date=2020-02-06}}</ref>
|-
|2
|5 Oct 1959<ref name=rt1873 />
|Conflict in Space<ref name=4extra />
|-
|3
|12 Oct 1959<ref name=rt1874 />
|The Master Plan<ref name=4extra />
|-
|4
|19 Oct 1959<ref name=rt1875 />
|Flight to the Moon<ref name=4extra />
|-
|5
|26 Oct 1959<ref name=rt1876>{{Cite magazine |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/light/1959-10-26#at-19.30 |title=Orbiter X |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |publisher=[[BBC Publications]] |date=1959-10-23 |volume=145 |issue=1876 |edition=London |page=33 |access-date=2020-02-07 |via=[[BBC Genome Project]]}}</ref>
|Inside the Moon Station<ref name=4extra />
|-
|6
|2 Nov 1959<ref name=rt1877 />
|Breakaway<ref name=4extra />
|-
|7
|9 Nov 1959<ref name=rt1878>{{Cite magazine |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/light/1959-11-09#at-19.30 |title=Orbiter X |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |publisher=[[BBC Publications]] |date=1959-11-06 |volume=145 |issue=1878 |edition=London |page=31 |access-date=2020-02-07 |via=[[BBC Genome Project]]}}</ref>
|Price of Survival<ref name=4extra />
|-
|8
|16 Nov 1959<ref name=rt1879>{{Cite magazine |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/light/1959-11-16#at-19.30 |title=Orbiter X |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |publisher=[[BBC Publications]] |date=1959-11-13 |volume=145 |issue=1879 |edition=London |page=31 |access-date=2020-02-07 |via=[[BBC Genome Project]]}}</ref>
|Marooned in Space<ref name=4extra />
|-
|9
|23 Nov 1959<ref name=rt1880 />
|Operation Salvage<ref name=4extra />
|-
|10
|30 Nov 1959<ref name=rt1881>{{Cite magazine |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/light/1959-11-30#at-19.30 |title=Orbiter X |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |publisher=[[BBC Publications]] |date=1959-11-27 |volume=145 |issue=1881 |edition=London |page=35 |access-date=2020-02-07 |via=[[BBC Genome Project]]}}</ref>
|Return to Woomera<ref name=4extra />
|-
|11
|7 Dec 1959<ref name=rt1882>{{Cite magazine |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/light/1959-12-07#at-19.30 |title=Orbiter X |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |publisher=[[BBC Publications]] |date=1959-12-04 |volume=145 |issue=1882 |edition=London |page=31 |access-date=2020-02-07 |via=[[BBC Genome Project]]}}</ref>
|A Flight Against Time<ref name=4extra />
|-
|12
|14 Dec 1959<ref name=rt1883>{{Cite magazine |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/light/1959-12-14#at-19.30 |title=Orbiter X |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |publisher=[[BBC Publications]] |date=1959-12-11 |volume=145 |issue=1883 |edition=London |page=27 |access-date=2020-02-07 |via=[[BBC Genome Project]]}}</ref>
|Building the Space Station<ref name=4extra />
|-
|13
|21 Dec 1959<ref name=rt1884>{{Cite magazine |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/light/1959-12-21#at-19.30 |title=Orbiter X |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |publisher=[[BBC Publications]] |date=1959-12-18 |volume=145 |issue=1884 |edition=London |page=31 |access-date=2020-02-07 |via=[[BBC Genome Project]]}}</ref>
|The Net Closes<ref name=4extra />
|-
|14
|28 Dec 1959<ref name=rt1885>{{Cite magazine |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/light/1959-12-28#at-19.30 |title=Orbiter X |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |publisher=[[BBC Publications]] |date=1959-12-25 |volume=145 |issue=1885 |edition=London |page=31 |access-date=2020-02-07 |via=[[BBC Genome Project]]}}</ref>
|The Final Round<ref name=4extra />
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{BBC programme}}
*[http://timworthington.blogspot.ie/2016/04/orbiter-x.html ''Tim Worthington's Newsround'' blog on Orbiter X]
{{Space opera serials 1930–1960}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orbiter X}}
[[Category:BBC Light Programmes]]
[[Category:BBC Radio dramas]]
[[Category:British science fiction radio programmes]]
[[Category:Space opera]]
[[Category:Works about astronauts]]
[[Category:Works set in outer space]]
[[Category:1959 radio programme debuts]]
[[Category:1959 radio programme endings]]
[[Category:1959 radio dramas]]

Orbiter X - Revision history

Kurt at 03:52, 14 March 2023

Kurt: 1 revision imported

en>DrFrench: /* top */Fixed grammar