Aries 1-B from "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968)

Scale: N/A
Initial Release: 1988
Medium: Resin
Kit Rarity:  4

About the Design

Continuing the hyper-detailed visual motif established by the Orion III Pan Am Space Clipper and Space Station One, 2001: A Space Odyssey's Aries I-B was a commercial space vehicle designed to shuttle passengers from earth orbit to the lunar surface and back. Unlike the Orion III, the Aries I-B was decidedly non-aerodynamic and featured no wings, fins, or other atmospheric control surfaces. It's four-nozzled attitude control rockets mirrored the reaction control systems then being used on the Apollo spacecraft.  However, there was one design feature that was clearly included merely for the benefit of movie audiences: Just prior to landing, the ship's four landing legs extended into a landing position. Since there is no air in space, and hence no drag, there's no logical reason for having landing legs that extend and retract. The ship would handle just as well if the legs were permanently locked in their landing positions.

About the Kit

Although there reportedly was some discussion at Aurora Models about releasing an Aries 1-B model, the failure of their Moon Bus kit nipped that notion in the proverbial bud.  Instead, it would be up to the burgeoning garage kit companies of the 1980s and 1990s to fill the gaps left by Aurora's timidity. The first to do so was Lunar Models, which issued this 5-inch-in-diameter all-resin Aries 1-B kit in 1989. Adequate but lacking significant surface detail, it would stand as the only Aries 1-B kit available to fantastic  model builders for more than a decade.