- "It was a pretty craft, a nice melding of Ketran sensibilities and alien pragmatism. A crate, but largely transparent, with flat-crys panels buttressed by force fields. She was not Z-space capable, designed for O and A: Orbit and Atmosphere. There were swooped wings and massive ion propulsion engines at the back. She was fast, versatile, and heavily armed with our own improved version of the Capasin beam weapon, as well as a number of fire-and-forget explosive homers. So many weapons. So much killing power."
- ―Toomin[src]
The Explorer was a Ketran Orbit and Atmosphere ship built to scout planets and moons. Its design is a combination of Ketran sensibilities and alien pragmatism. It also had swooped wings and ion propulsion engines. It was built for to fly in plantary orbits and atmospheres and is not Z-space capable. It was armed with modified Capasin beam weapons and the Ketran's fire-and-forget explosive homers. The ship is even capable of going underwater.
History
- "The Explorer released its hold on the Searcher and Jicklet lit the engines. The g forces accumulated but the internal forte fields supported our weight, even kept the blood from pooling in our extremities. We raced for the blue moon and used the thin atmosphere for braking. We had to shed nearly all of our speed before we could, safely enter the water. The Explorer skimmed at subsonic speeds, just ten feet above the glass-smooth sea."
- ―Toomin[src]
A single Explorer was created for scouting for worlds in search of a planet or moon that most resembled Ket. The Explorer was designed and built by Head Tech Jicklet. The craft saw its first mission scouting a small watery moon to see if it was suitable for Ketran colonization, crewed by Toomin, Aguella and Jicklet. The discovered the moon was not, and were about return to back to the mother ship when Father's long tentacles attacked the ship. After destroying some of the Father's tentacles, the ship was brought down by more of Father's tendrils. Later after the Ellimist absorbed Father and built his ship/body he added the remains of the Explorer to it.[1]
References
| Technology | ||
|---|---|---|
| Andalite Technology | Morphing | Dome Ship | Escafil Device | Hirac delest | Mirrorwave call | Z-Space transponder | Mag-Hover Truck | Quantum Virus | Shredder | Gleet Bio-Filter | Prion Virus | |
| Yeerk Technology | Yeerk Pool | Kandrona | Kandrona rays | Bug fighter | Dracon beam | Pool ship | Blade ship | Anti-morphing ray | Gleet Bio-Filter | Nova-class Empire Ship | Z-Space transponder | Mag-Lev Train | Hunter Robot | Yeerk Distress Beacon | |
| Pemalite/Chee Technology | Chee | Chee holographic crystal | Pemalite crystal | Pemalite ship | |
| Ketran Technology | Explorer | Time Matrix | Mapping Crystal Quadrant 3 | Uninet | Adge | |
| Other | Dropshaft | Ixcila | Skrit Na Saucer | Hawjabran Colony Ship | Hawjabran freighter | |