The almost insignificant little speck seen just below the upper boom of this magnificent warship is preparing to take on a monumental journey of scientific discovery in a new star system.

Thordon decoupling from thordon, all spaceplanes enlisted in such an endeavor expect to never see the glory of the empire again. It will simply be ejected and left to the whims of the surrounding stellar space. Spaceplanes are not as equipped as battlecruisers, therefore they are much more susceptible to the plentiful natural hazards of space.

Of course, this spaceplane shall only be detailing one of six different planets around this system and their moons, so this particular Thordon is not expected to have to go beyond the established security of thordonian space in this venture. Still, who knows what can be down there, as he will be entering the atmosphere and landing on his assigned world. Gamma ray scanning can overlook things.

Spaceplanes are highly useful as low scale hubs for expansion. Analogous to miniature versions of battlecruisers, thordon spaceplanes are constructed ready to build and multiply.

With this in mind, on landing, the spaceplane shall construct a slew of constructs designed for aerial, terrestrial, and subterrestrial direct exploration.