Space marine

Space marines are fictional soldiers that operate in outer space. Space marines are common in science fiction-themed action movies and action games. The concept of mechanised Space Marines originated from Robert A. Heinlein's novel Starship Troopers (where they were called the Mobile Infantry) and was popularised by the ceramite-armoured, bolter-wielding crusading Space Marines of Warhammer 40,000. Commonalities in the various descriptions of Space marines include futuristic weapons and use as infantry in attacks on a planet from an interplanetary ship.

"Space Marine" is currently a trademark owned by Games Workshop for their table-top game Warhammer 40,000.

Not so fictional, however, is the United States Marine Corps desire to expand its role to space. The "Hot Eagle" project considers the use of spacecraft to deliver marines to a target on the ground. "Within minutes of bursting into the atmosphere beyond the speed of sound – and dispatching that ominous sonic boom – a small squad of Marines could be on the ground and ready to take care of business within 2 hours."

Fictional works featuring space marines

• Starship Troopers (the Mobile Infantry) (1959)
• Star Blazers (1974)
• The Dune universe (the Sardaukar) (1977)
• Traveller (1977)
• Star Wars (the Imperial stormtroopers and Clone troopers) (1977)
• Moonraker (1979)
• Aliens (the United States Colonial Marines) (1986)
• Metroid (The Federation Troopers) (1986)
• Warhammer 40,000 (the Space Marines) (1987)
• The Honor Harrington series (1993)
• Doom (the United States Marine Corps) (1994)
• Marathon (1994)
• Space: Above and Beyond (1995)
• Quake (1996)
• Alien: Resurrection (1997)
• StarCraft (1998)
• Halo United Nations Space Command(UNSC) Marines(2001)
• Star Trek: Enterprise (the MACOs), {2001}
• Battlestar Galactica (2004)