A

Aba Bird  
Rare, flightless bird from the area of Mars, resembling a two legged rhinocerous with a single white eye. Only twenty are known to exist in the year 2100 and they are a protected species. They lay three eggs a year - one ovoid that contains its young and two square ones that contain additional food for it when it hatches. They can be very protective and ferocious protecting their eggs, goring people with their tusk. The protein from the square eggs was used to synthesise a cure for the condition known as 'the floats'. They were apparently tame once and, if tickled, can be calmed down (HI). The eggs can also counteract the rapid hair growth caused by fruit from the Toohera Jungle (HM).

Action Call
Order given by General Smith in emergencies, such as the rocket launch against Dr Duncan on Ganymede (ES).

Aeronautics Museum
Complex which stores and maintains examples of obselete air and space vehicles. They still have a fully working 1980s rocket that is used to repel an Neptunian attempt to get Earth slaves (FX).

Alpha Centauri
Star system over four light years away, containing the planet Delta and home to Yria. It would take a Galasphere about 3000 years to travel the distance but with a Delta Unit built by Yria, the journey only takes about four months (MS, DS).

Antibiotic
The Saturnian plants are described as having an antibiotic effect on the fungus that is destroying crops (MTS).

Anti-plastifoam Gun
Never seen and only refered to once, it would suggest a weapon or device that projects a solvent capable of dissolving plastifoam (MTS).

Anti-Dazzle Glasses
Husky's eye-saving solution to Professor Haggarty's hideously colourful jersey! (TVC05).

Anti-Missiles
Defensive interceptor projectiles alledgedly carried by Galaspheres but never seen in use (TS).

Ants
Haggarty is trying develop a machine to translate the language of ants. We never discover whether it works but an offshoot of its development is the transmission of heat via radio waves (FM).

Arizona Desert
Where Colonel Raeburn orders Galasphere 347 to land, to confine a battle area when blue aliens declare war on Earth (TVC05).

Artificial Planet
Large world made by the Neptunians in an attempt to cause a collision between Earth, Mars and Venus and once again blackmail the UGO into sending human slaves to their planet (DW). Vast deserted worldship of unknown origin on a collision course with Earth until the crew of Galasphere 347 divert it (left). The fate of the inhabitants is unknown but may be linked to a strange energy on the ship that disintegrates lifeforms (AN02)

Asteroids
Belt of minor planets the majority of which are found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Pallas is located in the main belt (SS), while others wander the solar system (UA)

Astral Projection
The ability to send ones mind outside the body in spirit form. The Duo plant creatures have a similar ability, with their 'spirits' being able to enter other species and control their will. The 'spirits' are just visible and refered to as smoke-like, and if they are destroyed - by electricity, for example - the body of the Duo dies and dissolves (II). The 'spirits' are also able to observe and act as spies, reporting back when the 'spirit' returns to its body (JW).

Atlantic Sea Farm
Subaquatic agricultural colony, presumably just off the east coast of America. It is overseen by Jim Barratt and an army of some five thousand robots (RR, MTS, PT, JW)

Atmosphere
Thin envelope of gases surrounding most planets. The atmosphere of Earth is oxygen (about 20%) and nitrogen (about 80%), and it can be assumed that the atmospheres of Mars and Venus are similar enough to Earth for it not to cause breathing problems between the three major races. Venus has a higher oxygen content (GS) while Mars may have some areas where it is necessary to wear a molung (HM). The atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus are poisonous to humans, making molungs a necessity when outside, but the Saturnian caves are 'air-conditioned' and confortable for humans (RS, MTS). The atmospheres of Mercury (FM) and Pluto (BS) are too thin to breathe and molungs or space helmets are required. The same applies to the moons of the planets, as none have atmospheres (MM, GT, ES, SD, WB), with the possible exception of Callisto (TS). Earth-like atmospheres can also be found outside the solar system, with a tenth planet beyond the orbit of Pluto having a breathable atmosphere (NP). The atmosphere of the planet Delta in the Alpha Centauri system is also Earth-like. The atmosphere of planet Lumen in the Sirius system lacks oxygen (PL), while that of Humida is believed to be poisonous but apparently has life preserving properties (TVC03)

Atom(ising) Gun
Weapon on board Galasphere 347 used to divert the whirlwind from its collision with Earth (DW). Fendoe has an 'atomising gun' on a tank-like vehicle at the mining base on the asteroid Omega (TVC04)

(N.B.. The Solarscope ship of Paul Starr is also armed with a weapon called the Atom Gun, which actually causes a powerful atomic explosion.)

Auntie Min
Relative of Professor Haggarty, with a penchant for gifts of gaudy coloured knitwear (TVC05).

Automatic Course Control
As the name implies, a system for automatically correcting the course of Galaspheres, while the crew are in the Freezer Cabin.

Automatic Pilot
Used to control the lead freighter of convoys (ES).

Automatic Time Control
System on Galaspheres that controls the length of time the crew are in the Freezer Cabin. It can be overridden or countermanded by the Zergon Ray.

Azsom
Tara's aide at his palace on Callisto (TS)

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