The Tom Edison was a Commodore Perry-class FTL-capable starship built by the United States in Earth orbit in 2031. It was named for the American inventor Thomas Edison, whose inventions include the light bulb, the phonograph, and the moving picture camera. Atvar was relieved that she was named for an inventor and not a military officer, unlike her sister ship, the Commodore Perry. This ship returned Fleetlord Atvar to Home after he was taken back to Earth on the Commodore Perry, thus confirming that the US possessed FTL technology.