
Developed with the help of the Young Astronauts Council, Starcom: The U.S. Space Force was originally intended to spark young viewers' interest in the U.S. Space Program.
The plot was classic Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers fare. The evil members of Shadow Force, led by Emperor Dark, were trying to take over the cosmos, and it was up to Starcom to stop them. Young hero Dash, an ace Starcom pilot, was the star of the series, and several of his teammates were family members. He was also backed up by the resourceful Slim, whose niece was yet another Starcom pilot.
Together, the members of Starcom fought Dark's legions of robotic minions, flying into battle in a fleet of advanced spacecraft. Naturally, toy versions were available.
Starcom didn't get much of a chance to make kids want to join the space program. After one brief season, the show left the air. It was revived for a short run in the early 90's, but no new episodes were aired.