*Jupitris* – MechaBay | Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam

The Jupitris was the lead ship of the Jupitris-class and flagship of the Jupiter Energy Fleet. During the Gryps Conflict, it served as the primary base of operations for Paptimus Scirocco, one of the key figures in the conflict.

History

The Jupitris was constructed as the lead vessel of the Jupitris-class for the Jupiter Energy Fleet, serving as the flagship for operations between Jupiter and the Earth Sphere. The massive vessel was designed to transport Helium-3 fuel extracted from Jupiter’s atmosphere back to Earth to power the Universal Century’s Minovsky fusion reactors.

Paptimus Scirocco assumed command of the Jupitris whilst serving as a technical officer with the Jupiter Energy Fleet. During his time commanding the vessel in the outer solar system, Scirocco utilised the ship’s extensive manufacturing facilities to design and construct his first mobile suit, the PMX-000 Messala. This transforming mobile suit was specifically designed to operate effectively in Jupiter’s intense gravitational environment.

Return to the Earth Sphere

In UC 0087, the Jupitris returned to the Earth Sphere after completing another supply run from Jupiter. Upon arrival, Scirocco, now recognised for his exceptional leadership abilities and mobile suit design skills, was approached by the Titans, the Earth Federation’s elite task force. Seeing an opportunity to advance his political ambitions, Scirocco joined the Titans whilst maintaining command of the Jupitris.

Despite officially serving under Jamitov Hymen and later transferring his flag to the Dogosse Giar, Scirocco continued to use the Jupitris as his primary base of operations throughout the Gryps Conflict. The vessel’s massive cargo holds were converted into mobile suit hangars and manufacturing facilities, allowing Scirocco to continue his mobile suit development programme.

Mobile suit development

The Jupitris became the centre of Scirocco’s ambitious mobile suit development programme. Using the ship’s facilities, he constructed several advanced mobile suits that would prove pivotal during the Gryps Conflict. These included the PMX-001 Palace Athene, PMX-002 Bolinoak Sammahn, and his personal mobile suit, the PMX-003 The-O.

The ship’s manufacturing capabilities were so advanced that Scirocco was reportedly able to design and construct a fully functional mobile suit in just 24 hours. This extraordinary capability made the Jupitris essentially a mobile factory, capable of producing cutting-edge military hardware whilst remaining technically a civilian cargo vessel.

Intelligence operations

During the Gryps Conflict, the Jupitris became the target of an AEUG intelligence operation. Reccoa Londe, an AEUG pilot, infiltrated the vessel using a modified MS-14A Gelgoog to gather intelligence on Scirocco’s operations and mobile suit development programme. However, Scirocco, demonstrating his Newtype abilities, sensed her presence and true identity but allowed her to leave unharmed.

This encounter had profound consequences, as Reccoa found herself drawn to Scirocco’s charismatic personality and vision. She would later defect from the AEUG and join Scirocco’s faction within the Titans, becoming one of his most trusted subordinates.

Final battle and destruction

At the conclusion of the Gryps Conflict in February UC 0088, the Jupitris was present during the final battle around the Gryps 2 colony laser. As the conflict reached its climax, Scirocco attempted to escape the battlefield aboard the Jupitris after his plans for dominance were thwarted.

However, Kamille Bidan, piloting the MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam, intercepted Scirocco in his PMX-003 The-O. During their final confrontation, Kamille’s bio-sensor-enhanced Zeta Gundam, guided by the spirits of fallen comrades, launched a devastating ramming attack in Waverider Mode. This assault mortally wounded Scirocco and destroyed both The-O and the entire Jupitris.

The destruction of the Jupitris marked the end of Scirocco’s ambitions and the loss of one of the most significant vessels in the Jupiter Energy Fleet. The ship was later replaced by the Jupitris II.

Design

As the lead ship of her class, the Jupitris embodied all the design characteristics that made the Jupitris-class unique. At 2,000 metres in length, she was one of the largest vessels ever constructed in the Universal Century, designed primarily for the transportation of massive quantities of Helium-3 between Jupiter and the Earth Sphere.

The vessel’s enormous size was necessitated by its cargo capacity, featuring twenty large storage tanks for Helium-3 fuel. However, unlike a purely civilian cargo vessel, the Jupitris possessed extensive manufacturing and maintenance facilities that proved crucial to Scirocco’s operations during the Gryps Conflict.

Manufacturing capabilities

The Jupitris featured sophisticated manufacturing facilities that allowed for the construction and maintenance of mobile suits during extended voyages. These facilities included precision machining equipment, assembly areas, and testing chambers capable of producing highly advanced military hardware. Scirocco expanded and modified these facilities to create what was essentially a mobile research and development centre.

The ship’s manufacturing capabilities were so advanced that they could produce complex mobile suit components and subsystems that rival those of dedicated military production facilities. This allowed Scirocco to maintain complete secrecy around his mobile suit development programme whilst operating ostensibly as a civilian cargo vessel.

Hangar facilities

The Jupitris possessed extensive hangar space that could accommodate multiple mobile suits simultaneously. During Scirocco’s command, these hangars housed his experimental mobile suits, including the Messala, Palace Athene, Bolinoak Sammahn, and The-O. The hangars were equipped with launch catapults and recovery systems, though specific details of their configuration remain unknown.

The hangar facilities also included maintenance bays, weapon storage areas, and pilot facilities. This comprehensive infrastructure allowed the Jupitris to function as a mobile base capable of supporting extended combat operations despite its civilian designation.

Armaments

True to its class designation, the Jupitris carried no fixed armaments and was designed as an unarmed cargo vessel. Its protection relied on its civilian status, international treaties protecting Helium-3 transport vessels, and escort by military vessels when operating in contested areas.

However, the mobile suits carried aboard the vessel provided formidable defensive capability. Scirocco’s custom mobile suits were among the most advanced of their era, capable of engaging enemy forces with devastating effectiveness whilst maintaining the Jupitris’s technical non-combatant status.

Known crew

The Jupitris was commanded by Paptimus Scirocco, who served as both ship captain and fleet commander. Under his leadership, the vessel’s crew included Jupiter Energy Fleet personnel as well as Titans officers who joined the ship during the Gryps Conflict.

Notable personnel associated with the vessel included:

Sarah Zabiarov, who served as Scirocco’s subordinate and pilot
Reccoa Londe, who briefly operated from the vessel after defecting from the AEUG
Various technicians and engineers responsible for mobile suit development and maintenance

Behind the scenes

The Jupitris was designed by Fujita Kazumi for Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Setting artwork for the vessel was completed on 23 May 1985, with Fujita’s design emphasising the massive scale of the ship compared to conventional military vessels.

The Jupitris first appeared in episode 25 of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, titled “The Jupitris Infiltration,” which focused on Reccoa Londe’s intelligence mission aboard the vessel. This episode was significant for establishing the ship’s role as Scirocco’s mobile base and introducing the complex relationship between Reccoa and Scirocco.

The vessel’s destruction at the end of the series served as a dramatic conclusion to Scirocco’s arc and demonstrated the power of the Zeta Gundam’s bio-sensor system when enhanced by Newtype abilities.

Appearances

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam

External links

Jupitris on the Gundam Wiki
Jupitris class (Jupitris) on MAHQ