SSSP (Science Special Search-Party)



The SSSP: Scientific Special Search Party (科学特捜隊), also know as "The Science Patrol" is a fictional organization from the 1966 tokusatsu TV series Ultraman. Its designations are to seek out hostile monsters and aliens, and preventing natural disasters from affecting the people of the Earth. One of their members, Shin Hayata, was secretly Ultraman's host.

Overview
The symbol of the Science Patrol is the outline of a five-pointed star with the outline of a conventional rocket-ship having its nose in the center of the star.

The SSSP operated many different vehicles, most of which are depicted by models. But their car was a customized 1961 rear engine air-cooled Corvair sedan, one of the smallest cars Chevrolet ever made.

The uniforms of the SSSP are noteworthy, as they were international orange in dominant color, and based on those used in the film Forbidden Planet in having a mantle that descends from each shoulder in front with a curved hem. However, they wear white shirts and orange four-in-hand ties instead of a ribbed imitation of a sailor's striped shirt. Their tie tacks are emergency detectors; each flashes and beeps when a monster is near. They wear plastic airman's helmets with the insignia in the middle, which also appears on both descending parts of the mantle. As a precursor to the later Star Trek's communicator being incorporated into the insignia, theirs functions as a two-way radio once a tiny antenna is raised from the star on the insignia on the left.

Ultraman
The Science Patrol is the name of the fictional organization which seeks out the monster of the week. One of it's members is Shin Hayata, and he is secretly Ultraman's host. Thanks to him the monster of the week is almost always defeated (Zetton being the only execption). The symbol of the Science Patrol is the outline of a five-pointed star with the outline of a conventional rocketship having its nose in the center of the star.The Science Patrol operates many different vehicles, most of which are depicted by models. But their car is a customized 1961 rear engine air-cooled Corvair sedan, one of the smallest cars Chevrolet ever made.The uniforms of the Science Patrol are noteworthy. These are international orange in dominant color, and based on those used in the film Forbidden Planet in having a mantle that descends from each shoulder in front with a curved hem. However, they wear white shirts and orange four-in-hand ties instead of a ribbed imitation of a sailor's striped shirt. Their tie tacks are emergency detectors; each flashes and beeps when a monster is near. They wear plastic airman's helmets with the insignia in the middle, which also appears on both descending parts of the mantle. As a precursor to the later Star Trek's communicator being incorporated into the insignia, theirs functions as a two-way radio once a tiny antenna is raised from the star on the insignia on the left.

Members
{{#tag:tabber| Captain Muramatsu= {{Main|Toshio Muramatsu}} {{nihongo|Toshio "Cap" Muramatsu|ムラマツ・トシオ（村松 利夫）, Muramatsu Toshio}}: The Leader of the Science Patrol. He is very serious and is also highly intelligent. He is sometimes shown smoking a pipe. He is known as Captain Mura in the US version. {{-}} {{!}}-{{!}} Member Hayata= {{main|Shin Hayata}} {{nihongo|Shin Hayata|ハヤタ・シン（早田 進）, Hayata Shin}} The Science Patrol's brave and no-nonsense Executive Officer. His life changed when Ultraman's Travel Sphere accidentaly crashed with Hayata's Delta VTOL, destroying it, and killing Hayata. Ultraman, ashamed of what he did, decided to merge his life force with Hayata's, bringing the human back to life. Ultraman gave Hayata the Beta Capsule, which, when he depresses the red button on its side, transforms him into Ultraman.
 * Age: 36 years old
 * Actor: Akiji Kobayashi
 * Age: 25 years old
 * Actor: Susumu Kurobe; Ultraman himself is played by Bin “Satoshi” Furuya

Wear
The Patrol personnel wear international-orange field uniforms under a regular duty blue business suit uniform with white trousers or skirts. When the order to go into the field is given, the outer suit is designed to be quickly removed in favor of the field uniform. Accompanying the field uniform are special helmets with ear fixtures that improve the reception of their communicator pins, and visors that provide visual aid, such as when using weapons. The field uniform/helmet combination also provides a degree of protection from radiation—even enough to allow a human to operate in space.

Mecha

 * Jet VTOL: The Science Patrol's iconic principal craft, and is frequently just called the "VTOL." (The prop for the Jet VTOL was originally from the 1962 Toho SF epic, Gorath, but repainted and probably modified for this series. It should be noted that the Gorath prop was slightly pointier than the rounded VTOL.) Up to three are seen. A hydrogen-rocket modification is later built for it, allowing it to go into space. It is generally armed with missiles of varying quality, depending on the episode.
 * Sub-VTOL: A smaller, triangular version of the Jet VTOL, is actually an STOL with no VTOL capabilities. This was the vehicle piloted by Shin Hayata when he crashed it into Ultraman's "TravelSphere" ship in "Ultra Operation Number One," the first episode, and destroyed both. It is generally not used to attack monsters, as it lacks the heavier firepower and carrying space of the Jet VTOL.
 * Submarines S16, S21 and S25: The Science Patrol's short-range, high crush-depth underwater submarines, all of which are airlifted by the Jet VTOL to lakes or other bodies of water one at a time.
 * Underground Tank Pelucidar: The Science Patrol's subterranean vehicle with a huge drill at the front. Similar to the Mole fromThunderbirds, it is named after the underground world from Edgar Rice Burroughs's At the Earth's Core. It appears to have its own incidental music when it is first used.
 * Science Patrol Car: a silver 1961 Chevrolet Corvair four-door sedan with the Science Patrol logo on the doors and roof.
 * Supergun: the basic sidearm carried by each Science Patrol member. When unholstered, the barrel flips out from the handle and the gun is ready to fire. The weapon discharges either a wave of what looks like electricity or, alternatively in some episodes, a thin beam of energy. Three of them can be combined for a "triple shot," which is powerful enough to take down a (revived) monster. It returns for an episode of Ultraman Dyna as an "older model."

Devices

 * Spider-Shot: A heavy atomic gun that Daisuke Arashi uses frequently; it is his favorite weapon. Fashioned as a two-handed weapon—somewhat like a submachine gun with a massive barrel—it is clearly more powerful than the standard Supergun sidearm, and visually more impressive. It has at least three settings; stun, red-heat, and heavy damage. It is called the "gamma-ray gun" in the English dub.
 * Mars 133: A gun  invented by Mitsuhiro Ide, that works on the same principle as Ultraman's Spacium Ray, and is thus mortally effective against Baltans. The name is read "Mars ichi-san-san" (one-three-three) in Japanese.
 * QX Gun: A two-handed blaster, which attacks a monster's nervous system. Stands for "Quickly eXtinguish Gun." Called the "M-Ray Gun" in the US version.
 * Mad Bazooka: A large shoulder-mounted bazooka, also created by Matsuhiro Ide.
 * Spark 8: An attachment for the Supergun invented by Matsuhiro Ide, and used by him, that enables the gun to fire rapid shots. The effect is best described as a Gatling gun that disintegrates its target in parts. It is easily the most effective handheld weapon the Science Patrol has in its arsenal, yet Matsuhiro Ide/Ito only uses it twice; against a revived monster (Dorako II) and Geronimon.
 * Monster Translator: Invented by Matsuhiro Ide/Ito to translate any monster's language. It was used to communicate with the friendly monster Pygmon, in the second of the two episodes he appeared in.
 * Science Patrol Shuriken: Shin Hayata hurls a shuriken or shaken shaped like the Science Patrol's logo at the man-sized version of the alien Alien Baltan in episode 2. (On the DVD, it can actually be seen bouncing off before the film is edited to show it sticking into the monster.)
 * Communicator Pin: Each Science Patrol officer is equipped with a small pin shaped as the organization's emblem that has a radio transmitter of considerable power and range for its size—or one that relies on a dense network of radio-communications relays. All the operator has to do is pull out the small antenna at the top of the pin to activate it and send a message.

Manga SSSP
The Manga version of the first attack team from the 2011 manga from HEROES magazine.