Hyper-sleep

Hyper-sleep, also spelled Hypersleep, is a form of suspended animation featured in the Aliens film series. It is a process used on space vessels that undergo extended deep-space missions. The process involves a sleeping pod linked to a ship's computer mainframe, which monitors all vital systems while the subject is in suspended animation, and is programmed to awaken them at a predetermined time. While in hyper-sleep, the aging process is suspended, so even if someone remains in the pod for several years, they will awaken no different than they were when they first entered it.

In the year 2122, the crew of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation commercial salvage ship, the USCSS Nostromo went into hyper-sleep while travelling through the Zeta II Reticuli system. Crew members included Captain Arthur Dallas, Gilbert Kane, J.M. Lambert, Ellen Ripley, S.E. Brett, J.T. Parker, and Ripley's cat, Jonesy. An android named Ash was also part of the crew, though his nature was unknown to the other crew members. Although Ash did not require the utilization of a hyper-sleep pod, he still slept in one in order to keep up appearances. An alien xenomorph managed to get onto the ship, killing most of the crew. Ripley destroyed it, after which, she placed herself in a shuttle along with Jonesy, which was also equipped with hyper-sleep capabilities. She floated aimlessly through space for the next fifty years.