Medical Research Vessel United Systems Military Standing Crew: 42 enlisted, 7 Science Officers The USM Auriga is the ship used to conduct the alien/human hybrid experiments. It is 12,000 feet long and its most dominant texture is that of the grated steel floor and ceiling panels used often by the aliens to attack their prey. Once the aliens break loose, most of the Marines onboard are able to escape using the Auriga's small lifeboats. The ship contains laboratories, observation rooms, holding chambers for the aliens, and a large waste tank which becomes the domain of the alien queen.