Zeus II Colony Rocket

from "The Martian Chronicles" (NBC-TV 1980)

Scale: 1:288
Initial Release: 2026
Medium: Resin
Kit Rarity: 2

About the Design

NBC-TV aired its original three-part mini-series, "The Martian Chronicles" -- based on sci-fi master Ray Bradbury's short story collection of the same name -- over three consecutive nights in late January 1980.

Although 1968's "2001: A Space Odyssey" and 1977's "Star Wars" had years earlier set a new level for futuristic spacecraft design, the producers of "The Martian Chronicles" opted to go with a more 1950s "retro" look for their human colony ships in keeping with the original novel's post-WWII ethos. Resembling winged asparagus stalks,  the "Zeus" rockets flew in swarms as they ferried hundreds -- and then thousands -- of human colonies to the strangely hospitable surface of the Red Planet. 

About the Kit

Fantastic Plastic released its 3-D printed Zeus II kit in July 2026. The kit offered a choice of two elevator designs in keeping with variations shown in the TV series.

This kit was built from an original issue.