The Continuity GuideMoonbase Guide
by Martin Willey
The Continuity Guide|
Main Mission (named "Main Mission Control" in Ring Around The Moon) is the control room which monitors and supervises all Moonbase operations. Later in Year 2, operations moved to Command Centre. The "big screen" is the large view screen at the front of these rooms. Both are staffed by members of all organisational sections. Normal staff levels are about double the number of desks: various staff are employed looking at the computer panels (this was Kano's position until he got a desk) or walking round carrying pieces of colourful plastic. Minimum staff levels are two or less (Black Sun, Space Brain). The layout and lighting of Main Mission changed through the series. In early episodes, the panels are illuminated white. In Alpha Child they became green for six episodes. In End Of Eternity only they are yellow. In War Games and The Last Enemy they are both white and red. In the remaining six episodes they are white, except for some scenes in Space Brain when they are green. |
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In Another Time, Another Place, we see Main Mission stripped of all electronics. The camera pans over the deserted room, as shown in this panorama here.
 The view from Koenig's desk. |
 Breakaway: Main Mission is in the early layout with steps to the viewports (there is a slight change in Ring Around The Moon; the new layout is in Earthbound). |
 Black Sun: early layout |
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 Earthbound: the steps to the windows are gone, and the desks open out slightly; but Kano still does not have a desk. |
 Another Time, Another Place: the wider layout |
 The later layout with Kano's desk, which first appeared in Missing Link. |
 View from the balcony |
 Space Brain: including Kano's desk |
 Often wires are seen running on the floor between desks. |
 The desks move forwards and backwards in each episode, and sometimes foreground desks even disappear for particular shots. |
There are a number of different portable instruments usually seen on the desks. The Eagle remote control is featured in Breakaway and used extensively throughout the series.
Paul's keyboard normally sits at the front of his desk. He often presses buttons to initiate calls or show things on the Big Screen.
 At the start of Breakaway, unusually, it is on the side of his desk, not in front of Paul. |
 Paul uses it in conjunction with the Eagle remote control |
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 The 3 rows are numbered (1,2,3) along the left side, with alphabetic labels along the top (A to L). The green illuminated lights on the right side have the label "CODES". |
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Sandra usually has a display in front of her desk. It isn't present in Breakaway or Matter Of Life And Death; it first appears in Black Sun
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A second keyboard is usually at the end of the desks closest to the Big Screen and the computer wall. There are two different designs. Only one is featured, in Collision Course, but it is rarely used in other episodes.
 Initial design: a light coloured keyboard is seen in early episodes. |
 It seems to be similar in design to Paul's keyboard. |
 A close up from a publicity shot: the keys on top are labelled "A, B, C, D" and "1, 3, 5, 7". |
 The design in Collision Course is a simple 10 x 3 keyboard of red keys with no lights or labels. Unlike the other keyboards, the front base forms a lip so it can sit on the edge of a flat desk. |
 In Collision Course Koenig uses the keyboard to locate Alan's navigation beacon. |
 The keyboard is also seen on Ultima Thule in Death's Other Dominion, and in Experimental in Voyager's Return. |
Kano's desk first appeared in Missing Link.
 Kano's desk is has a slightly different design. In front there is a small screen (never seen in use). The flat desk has rows of red and white buttons. The sides are illuminated, and there are print-out slots in front. |
 Another view, showing the small screen and lighted side sections. |
 Print-outs always emerge from the left slots. |
 In End Of Eternity, Balor rips up Kano's desk. |
Copyright Martin Willey