UNSS Marco Polo

The Marco Polo was an independent Terran trade vessel of the mid-22nd century.

The Marco Polo was one of the first ships to open trade between Humans and Orions, when it visited them at Rigel around the 2150s. It sold to the Orions a load of items of 20th century Earth culture, including Levi's jeans, fast food, and Clint Eastwood movies. This began an Orion fascination with 20th century Earth culture that continued into the 23rd century.

The trade was a major success for the Terran traders as well, and the Marco Polo returned on reference stardate 0/8202 with a bumper cargo. It also bore news that the earlier exclusive contracts between Garggash Dlumppheg and the Botchok Planetary Congress (whose trade was practically non-existent) didn't apply to the Orion trading families, and that a much more profitable market was to be had with them. This began a flood of free trade between independent traders and the Orion families and corporations.