Following through on a pledge to return to its science fiction roots, Syfy has given a 10-episode order to The Expanse, a space opera from Children of Men screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby. The duo, who also penned Iron Man, will remain as writers and executive producers.

Based on the bestselling trilogy written by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck under the pen name James S. A. Corey (Leviathan Wakes, Caliban's War and Abaddon's Gate), The Expanse is described as a futuristic thriller that "follows the case of a missing young woman who brings a hardened detective and a rogue ship's captain together in a race across the solar system to expose the greatest conspiracy in human history."

The series is produced by Alcon Television Group, part of Alcon Entertainment (Transcendence, The Blind Side), and the Sean Daniel Company (The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor).

"The Expanse is epic in scale and scope and promises to be Syfy's most ambitious series to date," Syfy President Dave Howe said in a statement. "Bringing this coveted book franchise to television with our partners at Alcon and the Sean Daniel Company is a giant win for Syfy, reinforcing our overall strategy to produce bold, provocative and compelling sci-fi fantasy stories. The Expanse joins a killer line-up of high-concept, high quality series, along with recently announced original projects Ascension, 12 Monkeys, the renewal of Helix, and the soon to premiere Dominion."

There's been no word on when the pilot episode will premiere.