Fourteen mission archetypes documenting how the crew of twelve plus Atlas's three robotic units splits across the fleet for different mission types. Each is a writers' reference, not a strict template; episodes can deviate when the story calls for it. Source canon: ../docs/MISSION-PROFILES.md.
Constraints (always)
- At least two humans aboard the mothership during active operations.
- Atlas-distributed always remains in the ship's systems.
- Brennan or Sterling holds command at all times.
- First-unit-loss is irreversible (no spare). Decoy operations capped at two consequential uses across the series.
- Soundalike pairs separated for urgent comms (Reed and Reeve, Cross and Frost, Kade and Hale).
Archetypes
- 01 Long-haul interplanetary transit Intimate All twelve aboard the mothership; no deployment. Watch rotation across three shifts. The show's intimate-stakes register.
- 02 Standard surface reconnaissance Routine Six aboard, six on the surface via transport plus rover. Atlas-1 doubles as decoy if attention surfaces.
- 03 Contested-ground hostile insertion High-risk Brennan deploys deliberately for personal stakes; Sterling holds command. Heaviest standard split. Two Atlas units forward.
- 04 EVA external maintenance Tight Voss plus Reeve plus Atlas-2. Vacuum-immunity is the structural reason this team is small.
- 05 Sister-ship rendezvous Diplomatic Boarding party scaled to context: light if friendly cargo exchange, heavy if sister ship is silent or compromised.
- 06 Salvage and boarding (derelict craft) Threat-managed Dalton holds station; Reeve breaches; Voss and Kade assess. Atlas-1 first into lethal environments.
- 07 Multi-site simultaneous operations Coordination Two surface sites at once. Mothership at minimum staffing. Drama in coordination, not execution.
- 08 Asteroid and low-G body survey Vacuum No atmosphere; surface vehicles unused. Atlas-1 vacuum-rated work plus Atlas-2 sensor anchor.
- 09 Long-duration forward outpost Phased Phase 1 cargo-container drops; Phase 2 deployment; Phase 3 rotation. Container system is what makes this practical.
- 10 Anomaly investigation Mystery Mars-prior-arrival generalized. Sterling reads first; Kade or Voss or Reed leads depending on anomaly type.
- 11 Emergency rescue or extraction Time-pressure Two crew (Dalton, Vance) plus one or two Atlas units. Transport launches in minutes from warm standby.
- 12 Deep-space observation Quiet Full crew aboard; no splits. Hale's daily read on the room becomes the dramatic register.
- 13 Quarantine or medical isolation Sealed Affected crew plus Vance plus one Atlas unit. Atlas's contamination boundary is structurally critical.
- 14 Diplomatic or first-contact Stakes-committing Brennan, Sterling, Reed, Atlas-1 deploy as envoy. Outcomes commit the mission.