Aelita (spacecraft)

Aelita was a fictional spacecraft featured in the 1923 science fiction novel Aelita by Soviet author Alexei Tolstoy and its subsequent 1924 silent film adaptation Aelita: Queen of Mars. In the story, the engineer Los and the Red Army soldier Gusev construct the spacecraft Aelita on Earth to travel to Mars.

The design and capabilities of the Aelita spacecraft are vaguely described in the novel, reflecting the limited scientific understanding of space travel at the time of writing. It is portrayed as a cylindrical vessel equipped with advanced technology, allowing for interplanetary travel. The spacecraft's propulsion system is based on unspecified revolutionary principles, enabling it to overcome the Earth's gravity and traverse the vast distances to Mars.

The Aelita spacecraft serves as a symbol of Soviet technological ambition and the pursuit of scientific progress. It also represents the desire to explore the unknown and establish contact with extraterrestrial civilizations. The spacecraft's journey to Mars is a central plot element in the story, driving the narrative and exploring themes of utopia, revolution, and the clash of ideologies.