A space ship is any vessel that is capable of traversing the reaches of outer space. Space vesseles are virtually unique to the science fiction genre, though some TV shows featuring space ships cross over into other genres as well such as action and comedy. Space ships come in all shapes and sizes from the ever-classic flying saucer to the more elaborate capitol ships found in space fleet armadas. Earth, being the pathetic mudball that it is, has yet to truly develop deep space travel capabilities, and thus far, has only succeeded in engineering small shuttles with rocket boosters that can barely put-put our asses to the moon.
The smallest type of space ship are single-person flyers sometimes referred to as starfighters. These are traditionally fighter craft and have been presented in such shows as Babylon-5, Stargate SG-1 and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Slightly larger transport vehicles are shuttlecrafts, which has likewise been presented in the previously listed shows, but has also appeared in more enduring franchises such as Star Trek. On Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, shuttlecrafts are referred to as Runabouts. Larger space ships exist as well, each model serving a different function and equipped with various onboard components and weaponry. Many such vehicles may comprise a fleet. A capitol ship in charge of a fleet may also be referred to as a mother ship, such as the giant disc-shaped ships featured on the original V television series as well as the 2009 remake series.
Some television fiction has been known to get quite creative with their space vehicles. For example, on the TV series Farscape, the central setting and backdrop of the series involves a living bioship called Moya. Moya is a Leviathan-class transport ship, but is also a living animal whose organic physiology is fused with mechanical/cybernetic components.