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The Space Defence Station, later renamed the Space Defence Centre, was a British military base in Devesham.
It had offices for UNIT staff such as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. Devesham Control was based out of the station and the first test of the XK-5 space freighter was performed there. Sarah Jane Smith had came to Devesham on a news story during the 1970s to investigate the apparent death of the XK-5's pilot, Guy Crayford.
Appearance
By 2020, the Centre was located along a private road near Devesham, and was made up of low concrete buildings and a large radio telescope dish that towered over the village below. At the end of the driveway there was a large gate with a security hut. Outside the main building, there was a car park with a space reserved for Dorothy McShane.
There was a reception with twin, automatic glass doors, and a launch facility at the rear of the complex, with a large hangar. The hangar had air-tight doors and housed the Virgil. Before the probe was launched, there was a support gantry around the second-stage engine around 80 metres up that was only accessible by a small, fast moving service lift. On the gantry, there was a workstation which Sam O'Connor often placed her laptop on. (PROSE: At Childhood's End)
History
Two years after Sarah's news investigation, the Kraals created a replica of the Defence Station and the rest of Devesham on Oseidon to rehearse their invasion of Earth and other planets by testing the Kraal androids in an alien environment. Both were destroyed when Styggron activated a matter dissolving bomb.
The androids, Styggron travelled aboard the XK-5 to Earth. Guy Crayford, who had not died, but was loyal to Styggron, communicated with the Defence Station as he made his descent and landed there. Several of the station's occupants, including Harry Sullivan, John Benton and Colonel Faraday were replaced with androids. The Fourth Doctor had Grierson, who worked at Devesham Control, realign the station's radar dishes and used them to deactivate the androids. Styggron was killed by his own virus. (TV: The Android Invasion)
Before 2020, the Station renamed itself as the British Space Defence Centre, with Will Buckland as its Director. When a UFO appeared on their scanners without warning, he and Dorothy McShane used the Squidget to send a probe to board it, taking only two minutes to get there. (PROSE: At Childhood's End)
Sometime in the early to mid 21st century, the former Defence Station was bought by space tourism billionaire Campbell Irons, who made it the base of operations for the British Rocket Group. (AUDIO: The Feast of Axos)