While we’re on the topic of ITC’s productions I’m hoping someone can flesh out a vague childhood memory …
I recall a kids’ space SF series that aired in the USA from the early 1960s that I think was made by ITC or someplace similar. It was absolutely positively not the Thunderbirds. And IIRC was a couple years before Thunderbirds came out, or at least before it came to the USA. I also know it was not Stingray or Space:1999 from @Peter_Morris’s wiki list upthread.
I think it was a British, not US, production. I think it was marionettes, not animated or live humans but I’m not sure. The name of the series or their spaceship might have been alphanumeric gibberish akin to RFX-3456. Anyhow every episode the heroic Captain and crew had space adventures and always defeated the bad guys or evaded the previously unknown space danger.
What I recall most clearly, because I got the toy and played with it endlessly (for a couple months) was the ship vaguely resembled the Seaview from Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, which series was then still several years in the future. So my memory is not from VttBotS. So the ship was long and thin, flared front end sorta kinda phallic with fins. Not that a 5yo notices that connection. And of course details along the length of the hull and more fins and propulsion pods or whatever at the back end.
The big feature of the show (and toy) was that the forward control room area (front ~15%-ish) could detach and operate independently from the main ship. And often did.
So actually, sorta like the way a SpaceX Starship payload unit and Super Heavy booster look, but with lots more exterior detail and doodads sticking out.
Does this ring a bell w anyone? Bueller?
ETA: After 10 minutes of writing this up which triggered a subconscious trawl through my dusty musty memories the words “XL-somenumbers” and “fireball” magically popped up. Then “Fireball XL-5”. A quick Google and here we are:
Looking down thread, I also see @Peter_Morris knew it straight away. Thank you!