Renaissance Station: The Alien Romulus Space Station

As confirmed by director Fede Alvarez, the Space Station from Alien Romulus is called Renaissance, not Romulus as it had been rumored. The Weyland-Yutani station is divided into two sections - a lab called Romulus, and an older part named Remus, which is partly abandoned. In this article, find out everything we know about the Renaissance Station.

The Renaissance Space Station

The Renaissance Station is a Weyland-Yutani-owned space station in an unknown region of space, orbiting a planet with a ring system. The station is circular and rotates around its axis, possibly helping it maintain gravity and a stable orbit. The Renaissance Station is divided into two sections - Romulus and Remus, named after the twin brothers from Roman mythology, who were nurtured by a she-wolf and later founded the city of Rome. The station is seemingly built years before the events of Alien Romulus, which takes place in the year 2142 in the Alien timeline.

The Romulus Lab

The Romulus lab is the most modern part of Renaissance Station, housing a Weyland-Yutani lab, devoted to conducting experiments on the Xenomorphs, and possibly the Black Goo Pathogen. The lab is separated by a giant metal door, with both a Weyland-Yutani logo and a brass image of Romulus and Remus together with their she-wolf mother. The lab is circular, with several stasis pods with smaller Alien specimens. According to director Fede Alvarez, Romulus represents the technology from Aliens (from the year 2179), while Remus is more akin to the Alien era (from 2122).

The Abandoned Remus Section

The Renaissance Station was possibly built with only the Remus section at first, shortly after the events of Alien occurred. Its main purpose is unclear, but the Remus section seems to house similar corridors as the Nostromo. After the Romulus labs were built, the Remus section became partly abandoned. It can be speculated that once the creatures escape from the Romulus, the main characters will escape to the Remus section to hide or seek supplies. The shot from the trailer with Cailee Spaeny's character brandishing a Pulse Rifle-like weapon is most likely from the Remus section of the station

Weyland-Yutani Experiments

Weyland-Yutani did not know much about the Alien prior to the events of Alien, and seemingly even before Aliens. However, by the events of Alien 3 (2179), the Company already had a bioweapons division, intent on researching Alien species for weapons research. The research in the Romulus labs is most likely very secret, and only a handful of people in the company know about it. A big focus of the research seems to be facehuggers, and possibly a new breed of this small creature. As seen in the trailer, the facehuggers are darker in tone, have human-like nails, and attack in big swarms. The Romulus experiments might also tie into the Black Goo Pathogen from the Prometheus movies.

The Corbelan IV Ship

As seen in the Alien Romulus trailer, a small cargo ship named Corbelan IV approaches and docks with the Renaissance Station, setting off the events of the movie. The ship is also Weyland-Yutani-owned and carries a small group of young colonists, consisting of siblings and possibly even androids. In addition to the human cargo, the ship seems to haul a large orange container underneath, held in place by the ship's clamps. As with many other ships in the Alien series, the name "Corbelan" is taken from one of Joseph Conrad's novels. Padre Corbelan was a character from the book "Nostromo", originating from a remote South American town.

The Fate Of The Renaissance Station

The Renaissance Station has not been mentioned elsewhere in the Alien lore, and its final fate is understandably unclear. However, the destructive fate of most ships and stations in the Alien series does not bode well for the station. Destroying the whole station, or letting fall into an orbit, seems to be the best way to make sure the Alien menace does not survive. An explosion on the station is already seen in the trailer, kicking the Corbelan IV away and creating a huge fireball. However, a small group of survivors is very likely.

Similarities To Sevastopol Station

The Renaissance Station shares some similarities with the Sevastopol Station from Alien: Isolation, which is often regarded as the best Alien game ever. The station came into peril during the same time period (between Alien and Aliens) and also struggled with an Alien infestation. In the end, it was destroyed by falling into the orbit of the gas giant KG-348, initiated by Amanda Ripley, the daughter of Ellen Ripley. Director Fede Alvarez has shared his Alien reading list, and it also includes "The Art Of Alien Isolation". Furthermore, the teaser image released for Alien Romulus included a save station from the game. Finally, the trailer shot of a character dropping a red flare while running in a curved corridor seems like taken straight from the game.

Conclusion

In conclusion, events taking place on a space station is new for the Alien series, and a welcome change of pace. The main space station where Alien Romulus takes place is called the Renaissance Station, with two distinct parts. The newer part is called Romulus, including a secret Weyland-Yutani research lab. The older part is called Remus, which is partly abandoned. We are yet to see whatever becomes of the station, and if it will be included in more Alien lore.