D

‘Danger Speed’
Term by which Galasphere crews refer to ‘boost speed’, and with good reason (TB)..

Danta
Asteroid on which the Sonar Beam Transmitter for Venus is based, twelve days and three hours from Earth. It is damaged by interstellar debris from an ancient exploded star and has to be repaired by the crew of Galasphere 347. (TVC01).

Dara
Aide to the President of Venus (ES).

Dart, Captain Larry (left)
Over the duration of the series, we learn very little about Larry Dart. He would appear to be in his thirties and a veteran of Space Patrol and the UGO. Sporting 'Viking' blond hair and a goatee beard with blue eyes (EVT), he is a consummate professional. We learn little of his private life, assuming he has one after the long periods of time spent in space, or family. When he was seven, he used to go 'bird nesting' for eggs (HI). He looks forward to leave but on more than one occasion seems restless and in need of something to do, whether it be fishing (RR, TVC02), investigating a mystery on Mars (TF) or rock climbing on the Moon (DS). This zeal for action sometimes makes him volunteer for the most dangerous missions (EV), something Colonel Raeburn is aware of but rarely takes advantage of (WA)

Dawlish
Owner of a Lunalt Mining Complex on the Moon who discovered the Termoids and was blackmailed into smuggling them to Earth (TVC09)..

Dectium
Rare metal once found on Earth and used in atomic reactors but when supplies were used up, a source was found on the asteroid Omega. It is also found in a liquid form on the asteroid, and these can form geysers on the surface (TVC04)..

Deelya
The Dell capitol on Northern Jupiter (SW)

Deep Water Reservoirs
A suggestion by Marla in response to the rapid temperature rises caused by Dr Duncan, but it would take too long to implement before the heat became critical (ES)

Defence Ships (right)
Glimpsed rising from Earth to counter John Magnum's attack with giant alien bats, these are slender white, winged ships with red livery that belong the Space Army (TVC03)

Dells
Tall emaciated aliens who occupy Northern Jupiter. Despite their fragile appearance they are immensely strong and war-like, especially their leader, and have been in conflict with the planet's other race, the Miocells, for years (SW)..

Delta
Habitable Earth-like planet of the star system Alpha Centauri and home to Yria (MS, DS)..

Delta Power Unit
Device constructed by Yria and installed in the meson power unit of Galasphere 347 to enable it to travel faster than light (MS, DS). The jouney to Alpha Centauri is made in about four months, which would mean a velocity in excess of twelve times the speed of light.

Deltees (left)
Inhabitants of the planet Delta in the Alpha Centauri star system, or at least that is what Professor Zeffer dubs them. Pulsating, floating bodies with a banded head and a single glowing eye, they can teleport over vast distances and communicate telepathically (MS). The Deltees develop computers so advanced they can create living matter but as they did not want to increase the population a giant brain was made. This unfortunately turned malevolant and had to be destroyed (DS)

Dictum Forest
Forest on Mars which the Gabblerdictum came from (TF, HI, HM), and also home to the Aba bird (HI, HM) and the Glook (TF). It is a Wildlife Preserve and weapons are not permitted on the territory (TF)

Dictum Tree
Large growths on Mars, the leaves of which form the favorite food of Gabblerdictum birds, including Gabbler (TF)

Duncan, Doctor
Scientist who used to used to work for Professor Haggarty but was fired for trying to steal an invention. He tries to extort resources from Venus and Earth by causing explosions on the Sun which raise the temperature on the inner planets to unbearable levels (ES)..

Duos
Indigenous, intelligent and belligerent plant life from the planet Uranus. One small specimen was brought back by an expedition was found to be able to walk and communicate ultrasonically. This resulted in Galasphere 347 being despatched to make contact when it was theorised the small plant might only be ‘a child’. The plants reacted hostilely to the visit but ultrasonic recordings were made in an attempt at future communication (DP). Before this was possible the plants, who refered to themselves as Duos, launched a subversive invasion plan by taking over the minds of key members of Space Headquarters who would allow a fleet of craft to land unopposed (II). When this was defeated, a further more direct attempt was made by sending radio waves to cause localised earthquakes on Earth. This, too, was repelled and the feedback destroyed the Duo base (JW). Despite the high regard for life - alien or otherwise - Space Patrol usually has, the Duos seem to be the only species to be subject to a ‘destroy on sight’ policy. When the Duo ship is discovered after their first invasion attempt, it is blown out of the sky without so much as a by your leave (II). The same punishment is metered out to a second ship despatched to spy on Space Headquarters (JW).

Dynamite
Still used as an explosive in 2100 (WA, WB)


E

Earrings
Telepathy protecting fashion accessory, made from the filaments of Haggarty’s brain wave protectors (PT).

Earth
Third planet from the Sun in our solar system and home to the human race. Little is known of Earth in 2100 but there appear to be no wars even though military organisations are evident to overcome threats from hostile aliens or renegade movements within the UGO (MM, SD). There are still individual nations and countries, such as Asia and France (MTS, TS). There is strict weather control (CD) and a population explosion means that farming for food supplies is now on the ocean floors by robots (RR, MTS, PT, JW).

Eggs
Professor Haggarty has been trying to get hens to lay square eggs, which are easier to pack, without considering the consequences for the poor hens in trying to lay them. When he eventually succeeds though the eggs have no yoke! It is interesting to speculate whether the idea was inspired by the eggs of the Aba bird (HI, HM). A large egg containing a brilliant luminescent fluid that could be used to light Martian homes and save energy is found on Titan but found to be the offspring of strange creatures Slim dubs ‘humming dogs’. What happens to them is never revealed (GT)..

Elektran
Electronic Translator, a large disc like device worn on the chest of members of Space Patrol and scientific expeditions to other planets, which automatically translates the various languages into your own tongue. Set the dial ('V' for Venus, 'M' for Mars, 'J' for Jovian) and the language is broken down into microdots. These dots are then imprinted onto a mechanised roller giving a vocabulary of a thousand words - more than enough for comprehension (SJ, SS, WJ). The ultrasonic language of the plant life forms of Uranus is recorded during a visit there (DP) but never seems to be translated. Saturnian language is recorded, translated and added to the Electran after the first visit by Larry Dart (RS, MTS, GS).

Electric Charge
Powerful weapon used by alien raider Voltek to disable ships and steal their cargo (TVC10)..

Electric Discharge Guns
Devices used to counteract the effects of the 'walking water' from Jupiter (WJ)..

Electromagnetic Field
Supposedly a by-product of the Galasphere’s interplanetary overdrive, the flickering bubble of energy that surrounds it in flight. It can be switched on or off, but when on will block the Galasphere’s own scanners and communications. It can also block telepathic influence, act as a defence against missiles and be expanded to encompass other ships, if need be (SN, TR)..

Energy
Strange orange light that hunts down and disintegrates life forms on a vast artificial worldship encountered by Galasphere 347. It destroys one of the wild quadrapeds, allowing enough time for Dart, Slim and Haggarty to escape, and may have been the cause of the disappearance of the occupants (AN02)

Exclaimations
Language is very polite and expletive free in 2100 but occasionally characters have cause to exclaim their surprise or disbelief. Phrases like “Space Help Us!” (Brog - BS), “Space Around Me!” (Raeburn - GT) and "Space Race!" (Raeburn - TB) seem the favourites, though the Irish Professor Haggarty uses his own particular brand of native phrases such as "Bejabbers!" and "Shivering Shamrocks!"

Explosives
Dynamite is still widely used in 2100 (WA, HF) although nuclear devices still exist (HF, ES). All Galaspheres reputedly carry a small supply of explosives, according to Colonel Raeburn (ES). The Deltees of Alpha Centauri have an similar explosive they call tynite (DS)

Eye
Defensive device invented by Venusian scientist Borra. It can detect any craft not made of metals from Venus, Earth and Mars and destroy them. Regretably Borra forgets that Galaspheres are made from Plutonite, from Pluto, and the destruction of Galasphere 347 is only just averted during a test. Borra is killed under unusual circumstances travelling to adjust the Eye, and when it prevents anything from approaching it has to be destroyed (EV).

On to F