Synopsis

The Sun Probe, a rocket designed to capture a piece of the Sun, is launched from Cape Kennedy with three solarnauts aboard. But their mission goes drastically wrong when high radiation levels prevent the control systems from firing the retro rockets, locking the Sun Probe on a collision course with the Sun!

Characters

Jeff Tracy, Professor Heinz Bodman, Scott Tracy, Virgil Tracy, Alan Tracy, TV Reporter, Gordon Tracy, Brains, Kyrano, Solarnaut Asher, Braman, Tin-Tin Kyrano, Colonel Harris, Colonel Benson, Solarnaut Camp

Credits

Directing

Director: David Lane

Producing

Producer: Gerry Anderson
Associate Producer: Reg Hill

Writing

Writer: Alan Fennell

Voices

Voice: Peter Dyneley (Jeff Tracy, Professor Heinz Bodman), Shane Rimmer (Scott Tracy), David Holliday (Virgil Tracy), Matt Zimmerman (Alan Tracy, TV Reporter), David Graham (Gordon Tracy, Brains, Kyrano, Solarnaut Asher, Braman), Christine Finn (Tin-Tin Kyrano), Ray Barrett (Colonel Harris, Colonel Benson), John Tate (Solarnaut Camp [uncredited])

Music

Music: Barry Gray

Crew

Cinematography: John Reed
Special Effects: Derek Meddings
Visual Effects: Sylvia Anderson

Production notes

Thunderbirds was the most expensive Supermarionation series up to that time. Although it had resemblances to the live-action CBS series Mission: Impossible, it actually premiered on British TV a year before Mission: Impossible was first seen in the U.S.

Gerry Anderson repeated the characters and plotlines for "Thunderbirds 2086," an animated series which ran on U.S. cable TV in 1984, then entered syndication a year later.