Imagining Life in SpaceExploring the many ways space, space travels, and extraterrestrial life are depicted in film, TV, literature, anime, comics, and technology.
Vote up the spaceships that seem the coziest, the most comfortable, and the best suited to long-term living arrangements.
Most of us don't know for sure, but based on the preponderance of written and filmed entertainment on the subject, space can be a pretty dangerous place: wormholes, alien creatures bent on galactic domination, rogue interstellar pirates, and a whole lot more. To navigate that tricky terrain, the creators of science-fiction universes design all manner of elaborate, ornate, technologically advanced starships to transport their characters from place to place. Some of these ships are more luxurious than others. A few are downright terrifying. Living on one of these vessels might be like a vacation from life on land. Others are a haunted house test of survival skills. If you could live in space, which ship would you want to live on? The Enterprise? A Star Destroyer? Battlestar Galactica? Below is a list of the most iconic spaceships in sci-fi history, ranked by how livable they would be.
Capacity: 6,000 crew members and civilian passengers
Civilian or Military? Military/Civilian Hybrid
Special Amenities: The Enterprise-D was, within the canon of Star Trek, the most advanced starship in the Federation fleet when it first launched from Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards. The fifth Starfleet ship to bear the name "Enterprise" was designed with comfort in mind. Its deep-space mission was essentially indefinite, meaning years away from Earth. Amphitheaters, a bar and social club called Ten Forward, the infamous Holodeck simulation rooms, gyms, arboretums, and schools for the numerous children on board gave crew members and civilians a chance to live a somewhat normal life while traversing the unknown sectors of the galaxy.
Special Amenities: Like the other iconic British sci-fi ship on this list, the Red Dwarf, the interior of the TARDIS is never quite set in stone. What's inside the legendary police call box depends on the Doctor Who writers' needs, and the budget they have to realize what's on the page. Because of that, the TARDIS is canonically a ship of never-ending wonders. Those wonders include well-appointed guest bedrooms, a living room, laboratories, a library, a closet filled with all manner of wacky clothes, and even a swimming pool. Truly a time traveler's dream.
Special Amenities: The Millennium Falcon might be the most decorated starship in Star Wars history, thanks to the sheer number of galactic conflicts it's been a part of. The Falcon has taken a beating, but it always comes out of the situation in one piece. Even if it's not exactly in tip-top shape, the Falcon has the potential to be a pretty comfortable ride, as we saw in Solo: A Star Wars Story. In that film, Lando Calrissian kept the vessel in tip-top shape. We finally were able to see the full splendor of the ship's game room, bar, crew quarters, and even a walk-in closet.
Special Amenities: Serenity is one of the more well-documented ships in science fiction history. There are numerous schematics that explain the ins and outs of this tiny but tough transport vessel. Because the ship is small and primarily designed for cargo transportation, there's not a lot of room for leisure activities. The middle of the ship is taken up by an extensive cargo bay. Crew dorms, passenger lodging, a common area, and an infirmary take up the rest of the ship's surface area.
