Thunderbird 5

Thunderbird 5 was the space station owned and operated by International Rescue. It was manned by John Tracy.

The main use for Thunderbird 5 during International Rescue missions was to receive distress calls and emergency signals from anywhere on Earth. John would then contact his father, Jeff Tracy, on Tracy Island who would then take the appropriate action based on the information, which was usually to launch one or more of the other Thunderbird craft. (TV: The Man from MI.5) Thunderbird 5 also had a large telescope, described by John as the most powerful apparatus ever devised. It had the capability to relay extremely detailed images of the Sun to monitor screens on the station. (COMIC: Solar Danger)

In an account dated to January 1965, John picked up an emergency call from MI5 agent Jimmy Bondson who claimed that the entire world could be destroyed unless International Rescue helped him. John promptly told Jeff of this "unusual" request for aid. After briefly questioning why the British Secret Service should need their help, Jeff ordered John to inform Bondson that one of their agents would contact him soon. (TV: The Man from MI.5)

In an article released on 14 May 2066, it was stated that "the most dramatic order ever given by International Rescue rapped out over the radio to Thunderbird 5" on the day of publication. The order was "Find the base of TC 193!" and TV 21 speculated that the organisation hunting a United States Air Force craft could only mean they intended to attack the only aircraft ever to elude their detection network. (PROSE: Search and Destroy)

During the heat crisis of 2066, Alan and Brains travelled to Thunderbird 5 in Thunderbird 3 in order to take a closer look at the Sun's activity. Brains found that larges pieces of matter were breaking away, causing earthquakes and volcanoes on the Earth's surface. He and Alan then returned to Earth to prepare for an excursion to the Sun, as authorised by World President Nikita Bandranaik. (COMIC: Solar Danger) By 2067, a front page featuring a photograph of Thunderbird 5 was stuck to the wall in the Fleet Street offices of TV 21. (COMIC: The Premonitions)In an account dated to August 2089, John was said to be keeping Action 21 abreast of the situation in Kenya regarding Doctor Geoffrey Adams from Thunderbird 5, after he was forced to make a crash landing. (PROSE: Showdown in Space!)