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11 of the Most Awesome Spaceships Ever

The long-awaited adaptation of the sci-fi classic Ender’s Game finally hits theaters Nov.1, and with it comes a few new (read: kinda badass) spaceships Hollywood can add to its collection. To celebrate the film’s release, take a look at 11 of the big screen’s coolest means of boldly going where no one has gone before. Save for Han Solo. And Captain Kirk – oh, and Boba Fett…

By Phil Pirrello
U.S.S. Enterprise (Original Crew)

First Appearance: Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

When threatened by sentient, blue space clouds or targeted by the OG Khan and his pecs, all you need is the first Enterprise to grace the silver screen. But if it’s whale-seeking space probes you’re dealing with, or a really hammy actor looking for God, or peace talks with the Klingons, all you need is the Enterprise-A.
The Sulaco

First Appearance: Aliens (1986)

In the market for a spaceship shaped like a gun, one that comes standard with a hull full of gun-happy Colonial Marines and Power Loaders? Then you want the Sulaco. And yes, it does come with a really cool drop ship. What’s that, you’ll take two? Well played…
The Gunstar

First Appearance: The Last Starfighter (1984)

Greetings, Starfighter! You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Xur and the Ko-Dan Armada – and you’ll do it from the confines of one of the first CG-ships ever made for the big screen. Sure, it kinda sorta resembles an X-Wing, but unlike the Rebel’s fighter plane, the Gunstar comes with a badass spinning cockpit and a last-resort weapon called “Death Blossom.”
Discovery One

First Appearance: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Actually, this ship is less “cool” and more “nightmare fuel.” On a mission to figure out (good luck!) what exactly the Monolith is, the on-board A.I. known as “HAL” comes down with a case of Redrum, and decides to play a game of “Let’s Open the Airlock!” Thankfully, astronaut Dave is able to power down HAL just before his trippy, er, trip through one of the universe’s most mysterious objects…
NuTrek’s U.S.S. Enterprise

First Appearance: Star Trek (2009)

With the new (read: alternate reality) versions of Kirk and Spock, we also get another variant on the Enterprise. J.J. Abrams’ Trek added a lot more bells and whistles to its take on the Federation’s flagship, making her the number-one cause of stress for guys named “Nero” or “John Harrison.”
The Juggernaut

First Appearance: Alien (1979)

While Ridley Scott’s first film set in the Alien ‘verse introduced us to the Space Jockey’s horseshoe-shaped vessel, audiences would have to wait until Scott’s 2012 follow-up, Prometheus, to learn what the ship was called. Even though Prometheus is a noble misfire, the epic launching – and crashing – of Juggernaut is one of the few things that the movie gets right.
Slave 1

First Appearance: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Flies vertical? Check. Can go undetected in floating space garbage? Double-check. Piloted by “our kind of scum” Boba Fett?! Check AND mate!
Serenity

First Appearance: Serenity (2005)

Yes, we did first see this Firefly-class vessel in the sadly short-lived TV show Firefly. But Captain Mal Reynolds and his crew got the bird flying again in Joss Whedon’s film, Serenity. Aside from occasionally taking the not-so-shiny detour into Reaver territory, Serenity’s not a bad place to work when you’re colleagues consist of a super hot Companion and a pilot who plays with toy dinosaurs.
The Executor

First Appearance: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

The only thing more lethal than a Star Destroyer is Darth Vader’s personal Star Destroyer. The Executor is approximately giganamous in length, and is crewed by the Imperial equivalent of human stress balls for Vader to Force choke to death (*spills blue milk for Captain Needa*). This scary-ass vessel met its demise upon crashing into the Death Star in Return of the Jedi.
Klingon Bird of Prey

First Appearance: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

The original crew’s Star Trek films gave us a lot of eye candy, and one of the most popular ships from the series is the Bird of Prey. While it would go on to make numerous appearances in the various Trek TV shows, its most memorable missions involve squaring off with Captain Kirk above Planet Genesis and going back in time to pick up some humpback whales (naturally).
The Millennium Falcon

First Appearance: Star Wars (1977)

It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs. The toy that no fanboy can feel good about having less than three of. When Han Solo and Chewbacca aren’t dodging Star Destroyers, they fly one of the most iconic vessels in the history of the genre.
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