The Atlantis Project
The Atlantis Project, also called the Atlantis Expedition, is Earth's international mission to the Ancient city of Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy. The impetus for the creation of the expedition was the discovery of the Ancient outpost in Antarctica in the episode "Lost City". The reason that it is international is that it was felt that a project of such importance could not be the exclusive province of one nation, as well as the fact that according to American and international law, Antarctica is international territory and hence it would be technically illegal for the United States to operate any facilities without international participation or at least international knowledge. An international committee, originally called the Atlantis Committee was established, creating the first truly international body for the management of Earth's offworld affairs. It is composed of the representatives of several nations, but the leaders of the committee seem to be the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Russia, and China. However, numerous nations have sent people to Atlantis.
The majority of the off-world exploration teams are U.S. Marine Corps with some U.S. Air Force and multi-national civilian members. Multi-national soldiers from at least six countries (Russia, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Spain and South Africa) are assigned to the Atlantis base security unit. The Atlantis military component is originally led by Marine Corps Colonel Marshall Sumner, who after his death is replaced by Air Force Major John Sheppard, the second highest-ranking military officer at this time. From the personnel who first arrive in Atlantis, at least three teams are established during Atlantis season one. No official team designations are mentioned in the series. However, during the first season, director and creative consultant Peter DeLuise has called the teams 'Atlantis Reconnaissance Team 1', 'Team 2' and 'Team 3' (or AR-1, AR-2 and AR-3), and writer and executive producer Joseph Mallozzi has called the teams 'First Atlantis Reconnaissance Team', 'Second Atlantis Reconnaissance Team', etc. At the beginning of season 2, Sheppard is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and instated as military component commander of the expanded Atlantis Expedition. A number of commissioned officers are established as team leaders, and several specialist teams are put together for single missions.
Read more about this topic: Stargate Program
Famous quotes containing the words atlantis and/or project:
“Herman Melville was as separated from a civilized literature as the lost Atlantis was said to have been from the great peoples of the earth.”
—Edward Dahlberg (1900–1977)
“I wish to come to know you get to know you all
Let your belief in me and me in you stand tall
Just like a project of which no one tells
Or do ya still think that I’m somebody else?”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)