Stargate Universe is an American - Canadian military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team unable to return to Earth after an evacuation to the Ancient spaceship Destiny, which is traveling in a distant corner of the universe. The series, created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, premiered on Syfy on October 2, 2009. The series features an ensemble cast and is primarily filmed in and around Vancouver,BC, Canada. A second season of 20 episodes was announced by Syfy in December 2009,and began airing in the United States on September 28, 2010.