USCSS Nostromo

A commercial towing vehicle diverted to investigate a signal, becoming the site of a fatal encounter with a hostile extraterrestrial species.

The USCSS Nostromo is the commercial towing vehicle central to the 1979 film Alien. Operated by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, this vessel serves as the primary setting for humanity's first deadly encounter with a Xenomorph in the franchise. The ship was diverted from its return path to Earth by a cryptic signal originating from a derelict alien spacecraft on a desolate planetoid. In the original script the ship had an all-male crew, though it noted that all roles could be played by men or women; Sigourney Weaver was cast as warrant officer Ellen Ripley. The Nostromo is a commercial towing vehicle, diverted on its way back to Earth to a desolate planetoid.

Quick Facts

Operator: Weyland-Yutani Corporation
Class: Commercial Towing Vehicle
Crew capacity: 7 (plus AI)
First appearance: Alien (1979)

Lore & Background

The Nostromo's narrative arc is defined by its interception of a cryptic signal from a derelict ship. Upon entering the alien vessel, the crew discovered thousands of egg-like objects, leading to a creature attaching itself to a crewman's face. The subsequent decision to break quarantine and return the infected man to the Nostromo proved fatal when an organism burst from his chest. As the creature grew into a large lethal entity, the surviving crew attempted to kill it but failed. The ship's fate was sealed during these unsuccessful attempts, culminating in the vessel's total destruction via self-destruct sequences initiated by Ellen Ripley, the sole survivor who escaped in a lifeboat.

Reader's Guide

The USCSS Nostromo is the setting of Alien (1979), the first of four films starring Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley. The derelict alien vessel its crew investigates houses thousands of egg-like objects. Key moments occur when the crew breaks quarantine to return an infected member, leading to the chest-bursting incident. The narrative relies on the ship's industrial design by Ron Cobb and the creature's adult form designed by H.R. Giger. The Nostromo's destruction marks the end of its journey, serving as the origin point for Ellen Ripley's survival against the Xenomorph.