Thunderbird 1

Thunderbird 1 was the high-speed rapid-response rocket owned and operated by International Rescue. It was piloted by Scott Tracy.

Owing to its speed, Thunderbird 1 was usually the first of the Thunderbird craft to reach the danger zone as well as the first one launched on the orders of Jeff Tracy in the event of an emergency. Scott was regularly in communication with his father on Tracy Island while piloting the ship, assessing the situation and recommending what other rescue equipment might be required. TB 1 was also equipped with a sonar tracking system which could be lowered into the water and then register life signs, as well as measure depths and distances. Although it took some time, Scott was able to successfully locate a submarine used by a gang of criminals, hidden at the bottom of the ocean. (TV: The Man from MI.5) After contact was lost with Thunderbird 3 on Venus, Thunderbird 1 was fitted with grade ten emergency boosters in order to modify it for space travel. After a day, Scott reached the planet but a tentacled monster from a sulphur lake grabbed the vehicle. The ship withstood the attack by sustaining only minimal damage. The monster was killed by an accurate shot from Thunderbird 1's powerful armaments. (COMIC: Solar Danger)

History
In an account dated to January 1965, Thunderbird 1 used its sonar capabilities to locate a submarine inhabited by a gang led by Carl, which had kidnapped Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward and stolen the plans to a dangerous nuclear device. The initial search proved fruitless but Scott contained in a widening circle pattern until he was successful. With the comms, Scott maintained contact with Gordon in Thunderbird 4 while he attempted to penetrate the submarine by drilling. (TV: The Man from MI.5)

In an account dated to August 2088, International Rescue launched Thunderbird 1 in a desperate attempt to save two men trapped in a Canadian forest. The fire was part of a plan to kill industrialist Jack Farrel but proved too tough for Canada's emergency services with the question remaining if Scott could get there in time. (PROSE: Captain Scarlet in Death Crash!) In March 2089, it was reported that the Tracys were pursuing the arsonist, Sam Lincoln, into the heart of the fire after he stole one of their rescue machines. (PROSE: Captain Black Surrenders) Both pieces featured accompanying photographs of TB 1. (PROSE: Captain Scarlet in Death Crash!, Captain Black Surrenders)

In March 2066, Thunderbird 1 arrived in Kenya to join the search for Doctor Adams but Thunderbird 2 went missing. According to TV 21s radio monitoring system, Scott requested TB 2s assistance in the search with the call being acknowledged by International Rescue's base. However, since then, nothing had been heard from the craft. (PROSE: Thunderbird Two) According to another account, Adams' jet crashed in September 2089. Pete Tracker reported that Thunderbird 1 quickly joined the search for him with his story from Nairobi also featuring an accompanying depiction of the IR ship. (PROSE: Lhomel to go as freedom force hits Astra!)

On 14 May 2066, a photograph of Thunderbird 1 accompanied an article reporting on the order given to Thunderbird 5 to "find the base of TC 193". The article also stated that the various Thunderbird vehicles were hunting down the United States Air Force craft with an intent to destroy the only aircraft ever to eldude International Rescue's "fantastic" detection network. (PROSE: Search and Destroy)

During the heat crisis of 2066, Scott investigated the emergence of a volcano in Wales with Thunderbird 1. As the crisis progressed Scott controlled many rescue operations on Earth, mostly on his own. After contact was lost with Thunderbird 3 during its mission to the Sun when it crash-landed on Venus, TB 1 was the first of the Thunderbird craft to be sent to the planet to save Alan and Brains. At least twenty-seven hours later, Thunderbird 1 arrived and had a brief skirmish with a monstrous creature before efficiently disposing of it. Scott helped to co-ordinate the retrieval of TB 3 after Virgil and Gordon got there in Thunderbird 2 and Thunderbird 4. Necessary repairs were made and all four operative Thunderbird vehicles set course for Tracy Island a further two days later. (COMIC: Solar Danger)

Throughout the heat crisis, TV 21 published pieces documenting the progress of International Rescue with accompanying photographs. Thunderbird 1 was pictured alongside the headlines dated to 20 August, (PROSE: Welsh Volcano Erupts) 15 October, (PROSE: Thunderbird One) and 12 November. (PROSE: Disaster!)

When the Fireflash Mk II was hijacked on its maiden flight in 2069, Thunderbird 1 and Thunderbird 2 were able to intercept the aircraft and force it down just inside the Bereznik border after following a signal from a tracking device in Jeff's luggage, who was aboard as a VIP passenger. However, it was believed the hijacker had arranged a rendezvous at the border and so the Fireflash itself soon became "a fortress heavily defended by machine gun fire" with the two Thunderbirds standing sentinel alongside. The demands of the hijackers, who were in cahoots with the Hood, were for all four Thunderbird craft plus their designer and fifty billion dollars. If these specifications were not met it was suspected they planned to deliberately explode the atomic reactor of the Fireflash. (PROSE: Stalemate!)