Thunderbirds 2086 is set roughly twenty years after the original series, which is generally dated to about 2065, though other dates appear on screen. The show follows the Thunderbirds, a rescue team working for the International Rescue Organisation (IRO). Unlike the original International Rescue, which was small‑scale and family‑oriented, the IRO in 2086 is a vast organisation comprising numerous branches and is overseen by the Federation, the 2086 equivalent of the United Nations. No direct historical connections are identified between the two series, but it can be assumed that the original International Rescue evolved into its 2086 incarnation over those thirty years. The Tracy family are not mentioned in the 2086 series.