Editing Colony ship

[[File:Destiny colony ship concept.png|thumb|Concept art of a finalized colony ship]]
'''Colony ships''' are a type of [[human]] spacecraft that date back to the [[Golden Age]]. These vessels were designed to transport colonists and equipment required for planetary colonization from [[Earth]] to the destination world. They were also used for the [[Exodus Program]] at the beginning of the [[Collapse]].
 
==History==
Numerous colony ships were built and launched from places like the [[Cosmodrome]] in [[Old Russia]] at the height of the [[Golden Age]]. While most were bound for locations within the [[Solar System]], at least one, ''[[Exodus Black]]'', was intended to colonize a world in the [[wikipedia:Kepler-186|Kepler-186]] system. Unfortunately for ''Exodus Black'', the [[Vex]] forced it to crash-land on [[Nessus]] and exterminated the crew and passengers. Only its onboard AI, [[Failsafe]], survived the tragedy, and would be encountered by [[Guardian]]s 500 years later.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]], Xbox One, Activision Blizzard''</ref>

During the [[Collapse]], humanity was forced to defend the Cosmodrome and the colony ships against its foes.<ref>[http://www.bungie.net/7_Destiny-Drawing-Board-Silver-Dollar-MK35/en/News/News?aid=11108 '''Bungie.net''': ''Destiny Drawing Board: Silver Dollar MK.35'']</ref> Many ships were prepared for emergency launches, but never made it off the ground, and became rusting monuments to the Golden Age over the subsequent centuries.<ref name="Bungie Commentary">[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3G3V5PCJbk '''Building the Destiny E3 Reveal''' — ''Bungie Commentary'']</ref><ref name="Destiny">'''Bungie (2015-2-16)''', ''Destiny: Activision Blizzard.''</ref>

By the time of the [[City Age]], the [[Fallen]] [[House of Devils]] had taken up [[The Devils' Lair (location)|residence]] in one particular colony ship in the center of the [[Cosmodrome]]. This ship's original name was lost to history, and it became known as the [[Devil's Spire]].<ref name="CS">'''Bungie (2017/9/22)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], Xbox One, Activision Blizzard: [[Cayde's Stash]]''</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOzF4D6EdiY '''Youtube''': Official Destiny: The Taken King ViDoc – No Legend Is Safe]</ref> During the [[SIVA Crisis]], the [[Devil Splicers]] severed the topmost sphere from Devil's Spire and moved it to [[Foundry 113]] to serve as an elaborate gateway into the [[Wrath of the Machine|lair]] of [[Aksis, Archon Prime]].<ref name="RoI">'''Bungie (2017/9/22)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[Rise of Iron]], Xbox One, Activision Blizzard''</ref> 

==Specifications==
Colony ships featured a trilateral symmetric design, with three sets of engine nozzles protruding at an angle from the midpoint of the fuselage, and three shuttle craft attached on the lower half above a fourth, central set of engine nozzles. The shuttles were responsible for transporting the colonists and supplies from the orbiting ship down to the surface of the destination world. In between the shuttles were three mounts that held up to thirty cargo containers each; in addition to carrying vital supplies for the colonization expedition, the containers would double as temporary surface shelters until permanent structures could be built.<ref name="Destiny"/><ref name="CosRideAlong">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lcdw3LQAsCg&feature=youtu.be '''Ride Along - Cosmodrome''' - ''Bungie Commentary'']</ref> While awaiting launch, colony ships stood vertically and were supported by three large struts that possibly served as landing gear.<ref name="Destiny"/>

The upper half of the ship consisted of three spherical structures that contained the ship's cryostasis pods and command center.<ref name="CS"/><ref name="EC">'''Bungie (2017/9/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]], Xbox One, Activision Blizzard: [[Exodus Crash]]''</ref> While it is uncertain what the typical crew and passenger complement of a colony ship was, ''Exodus Black'' carried 600 people,<ref name="NWQ">'''Bungie (2017/9/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]], Xbox One, Activision Blizzard: Nessus World Quest mission dialogue''</ref> and ''Exodus Green'' had a crew of 900 and 40,000 colonists.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken (expansion)|Forsaken]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Lore]]: [[Lore:Marasenna#Cosmogyre_III|Cosmogyre III]]''</ref>

==List of colony ships==
*''[[Devil's Spire]]'' – <small>A colony ship under the control Of [[House of Devils]]</small>
*''[[Exodus Black]]'' – <small>A colony ship that crashed onto [[Nessus]]</small>
*''[[Exodus Blue]]'' – <small>A colony ship turned into a [[Crucible]] map</small>
*''[[Exodus Red]]'' – <small>A colony ship that sent a distress signal, status unknown</small>
*''[[Yang Liwei|Exodus Green]]'' – <small>A colony ship that led the [[Project Amrita]] mission</small>

==Trivia==
*According to Rob Adams, Bungie's Lead World Artist for ''Destiny'', the colony ship prominently displayed at the center of the [[Cosmodrome]] actually contains hundreds of mummified colonists who perished when the ship failed to launch. The reason the ship did not launch was that its fuel lines, located in [[The Blast]], ruptured and exploded during the chaos of the Collapse, preventing the ship from fueling properly.<ref name="CosRideAlong"/>
*The colony ships contain machines called SMILE (Suspended Mobility Interplanetary Length Expedition) Pods, which would have held individual colonists in suspended animation. Bungie originally intended that SMILE Pods with mummified occupants would have been scattered across The Blast in the Cosmodrome as debris from a destroyed colony ship.<ref name="CosRideAlong"/>
*The colony ship's three spheres were originally envisioned as fuel tanks. The fuel they contained would provide enough thrust to launch the colony ship into space and boost it to traveling speed. Once empty, the tanks would be converted into habitable spaces for the ship's passengers for the duration of the journey.<ref name="CosRideAlong"/>
*A few SMILE pods remain inside of The Devils' Spire. One of these pods is scannable; Ghost will tell the player that he had attempted to awaken the hero sleeping within the pod, but said individual claimed that he'd seen enough wars already. This might be a possible reference to Halo's Master Chief, whom is first introduced being awoken from a similar stasis pod.
*Early in ''Destiny's'' development, colony ships were originally designed as single, enlarged [[wikipedia:Space shuttle|space shuttles]].<ref name="CosRideAlong"/>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Colony Ship.jpg|A colony ship
File:Darren-bacon-colony-ship-concept-art.jpg|Concept art of a colony ship
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Destiny]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Destiny 2]]'' 

== References ==
<references/>

{{Golden Age}}

[[Category:Vehicles]]