The Pod Explorer is an all-terrain Pod vehicle concept that Thunderbird 2 and 3 have their own variation of. The Thunderbird 2 version is designed for safely traveling through vertical tunnels and across all manner of land regardless of how delicate or jagged it is, and it appears in Breakdown, Recharge, and Escape Proof. The Thunderbird 3 version is used for travel in obstacle cluttered space as it has a laser cannon to defend itself with, and it is featured in Colony.
Parts And Abilities (Thunderbird 2)[]
The earthbound Explorer is notable for possessing a large variety of possible attachments, making it look completely different depending on which episode it appears in.
In Breakdown[]
The tools the Explorer equips in Breakdown include multiple bright searchlights, an emergency speed jet booster, and a grappling hook on the front and the rear. It travels using three flexible legs that end with caterpillar tracks, with one positioned above the vehicle, providing a smooth ride regardless of how rough the terrain is. These legs can also make the Explorer tip forward and enter a pit, and by pressing the three tracks on the walls of the pit, it can travel up and down it like an elevator. Should the bottom of the pit end with a large drop, the grappling hooks can penetrate surrounding walls and gently lower and lift the Explorer to and from the pit.
In Recharge[]
The Explorer is used for rescue missions in harsh winter terrain, as seen in Recharge. In such environments, it arms itself with multiple bright searchlights, a front mounted winch, and a flexible robotic arm on the port side. It travels using caterpillar tracks and small skis. It is also equipped with the heat generating I.R. Tent, which is deployed when the weather is too harsh even for the Explorer to travel in.
In Escape Proof[]
Whenever the Explorer must travel down a pit so wide that it cannot press against the walls, it will be built with standard caterpillar tracks and a long cable on the back that is fixed to Module 2, allowing it to be lowered and lifted as gently or quickly as needed. It was seen built like this in Escape Proof, where it was also given two long pincers, which it needed to remove debris within the tunnel to save a trapped motormouth.
Parts And Abilities (Thunderbird 3)[]
The space variation of the Explorer is equipped with the Portable Debris Defence Module, which is a laser cannon powerful enough to decimate meteoroids, allowing it to explore extremely hazardous areas.
Launch Sequences[]
To launch the vertical terrain Pod Explorer, the operator steps on the platform in Thunderbird 2’s cockpit, lowering them into the module. They then select the Pod Explorer configuration. Robotic arms attach grapple launchers to the front and back and vertical travel caterpillar tracks to the top and sides. Once configured, the operator gets into the POD, and the module door opens, ready for the Pod Explorer to be deployed.
To launch the arctic terrain Pod Explorer, the operator steps on the platform in Thunderbird 2’s cockpit, lowering them into the module. They then select the Pod Explorer configuration. Robotic arms attach the ground travel trolley with caterpillar tracks to the bottom, the snow skis to the bottom, the extendable robotic arms to the side, and the grapple launcher to the front. Once configured, the operator gets onto the POD and the module door opens, ready for the Pod Explorer to be deployed.
To launch the debris clearance Pod Explorer, the operator steps on the platform in Thunderbird 2’s cockpit, lowering them into the module. They then select the Pod Explorer configuration. Robotic arms attach the debris clearance pincers to the front, the ground travel trolley with caterpillar tracks to the bottom, and the grapple launcher to the back. Once configured, the operator gets into the POD, and the module door opens, ready for the Pod Explorer to be deployed.
To launch the space exploration Pod Explorer, the operator exits the cockpit and enters the cargo bay. They then select the Pod Explorer configuration. Robotic arms attach the direction thrusters to the sides, propulsion thrusters to the back, and the portable debris defence module to the bottom. Once configured, the operator gets into the POD, and the cargo bay door opens, ready for the Pod Explorer to be deployed.