Pirate Satellite TV Station KLA
Here are the Canon Foundry facts about the pirate satellite from the episode “Ricochet,” all taken from Thunderbirds FAB Cross-Sections by Graham Bleathman, Carlton Books (2000) ISBN 1 84222 091 8:
- The satellite is unregistered, meaning the orbit wasn’t registered with International Space Control (ISC)
- It is the base of unlicensed broadcasting by station KLA
- Because the ISC didn’t know the rogue satellite was there, its destruction of a Telstat IV Satellite Launcher knocked the KLA satellite out of its orbit
- KLA’s breaking retros and parachutes were damaged in the explosion
- The DJ’s name was Rick O’Shea; it was he who appealed for help live on the air
- Technical operator Loman was also aboard the satellite at the time of the explosion
- After the rescue of both men, the satellite fell toward Earth and was redirected by Virgil and Brains in Thunderbird Two to keep it from crashing into a populated area, thereby saving even more lives
Here are a few photos of the satellite, the DJ and the technical operator, all taken from the episode “Ricochet”:
