The Jupiter 2 was a United States spaceship launched by Alpha Control on October 16, 1997 on a five-year mission to a planet in the Alpha Centauri system. At the time of its launch, the Jupiter 2 was considered "the most sophisticated piece of hardware yet devised by the mind of man". The ship was manned by the Robinson family: John, Maureen, Judy, Penny, and Will, along with pilot Major Don West and an Enviornmental Control Robot. The mission was sabotaged by stowaway Zachary Smith, and the crew became lost in space. ("The Reluctant Stowaway")