M4093 Hyperion nuclear delivery system

"Hyperion" redirects here. For the human-controlled space station, see Hyperion Station.

"That cruiser's shields are down! Assuming they don't raise them, that missile's going to be one heck of a surprise."

- Cortana

The M4093 Hyperion nuclear delivery system is a nuclear weapon developed by Acheron Security.

Design details
The Hyperion is one of the largest missiles used by human starships, and serves as a weapon for attacking targets of strategic significance, and for anti-ship space warfare. Their massive size puts them at a length longer than many slipspace-capable starships such as the. At the base of the rocket is a multi-staged booster, connected to the main body via a release port that can allow the weapon's booster sections to be detached once spent. The main body of the weapon contains a supplemental fuel line to the engine. When launched, the missile relies on an external accelerator (such as a silo) for initial launch, with the missile's own internal rocket systems activating once in flight.

The Hyperion rocket serves as a delivery system for a massive nuclear weapon. The warhead contains 1.9 MT of Aeluphos Deuterium-Tritium Pure Fusion (DTPF)-9025, allowing for the creation of a nuclear fusion reaction upon delivery at a target. This reaction is capable of completely destroying an unshielded. It takes several minutes to prepare, load, and fire each missile, meaning that they are not easily used for rapid response.

Usage
Hyperion missiles are widely used on the frigates and destroyers of the UNSC Navy.


 * Frigates
 * - 1x Hyperion silo, containing three individual missiles.
 * - 3x Hyperion silos.

Operational history
Hyperion nuclear missiles were already in service by 2526. In that year, Christina Rice and James McCann of the Bandusa Insurrectionist group attempted to steal Hyperion-class warheads for a potential attack. Before they could put their plan into action, however, they were arrested by ONI agents in New Harmony, Mars.

In 2557, the was attacked by Covenant remnant forces in orbit above Requiem. During the fight, one of the s moved to intercept the Dawn attempting to destroy it. Cortana had the idea to use one of the ships Hyperion nuclear missiles on the cruiser. While the missile was initially jammed, John-117 managed to release it and fire the missile at the cruiser, destroying it since it had not raised its shields.

Production notes
"The beacon silos are down there, on the outer hull! When we get there, I'll revise the distress message to let anyone who finds it know what happened. It'll take a few minutes."

- Cortana, regarding the Hyperion beacons in an early prototype of Halo 4.

During the early development of Halo 4, the Hyperion was originally intended to be used in-game as an emergency beacon mounted aboard Forward Unto Dawn. The weapon was modelled by artist Trevor Crandall based on a quick napkin sketch, and boasts two plates on the top of the ship which can be extended out of the missile in a "T" shape. In an early 2011-era build of the game, the objective of the level Dawn was to involve firing off one of the beacons before the ship could be destroyed. While the level encounter is broadly similar to that in the final game, in the original design Cortana would attempt to fire a beacon only for it to be destroyed. The second launch would proceed mostly the same as in the final game, though once launch the rocket would split off its booster stage and fly away from Requiem.

The Hyperion's size and armament aboard the Strident-class frigate posed numerous difficulties for the writers of Halo: Warfleet – An Illustrated Guide to the Spacecraft of Halo, as the missile's size meant trying to plausibly outfit the frigate with three such weapons was a very tough challenge. Eventually, Kenneth Peters was inspired by the real-world Juliett-class submarine's loading mechanism for nuclear missiles.

Trivia
Hyperion is the name of a Titan in Greek mythology, who was the son of Gaia (Mother Earth) and Uranus (the Sky). Hyperion is also the namesake of one of Saturn's moons.

List of appearances

 * Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
 * Halo 4
 * Halo: Tales from Slipspace
 * Undefeated
 * Halo Infinite