Syfy has given a series order to a space opera as the cable channel continues to build out its programming slate. Deadline.com reports that the network gave a 10-episode order to “The Expanse,” based on a series of novels by James S.A. Corey.

The project was given a “very rich” straight-to-series order amid a “competitive situation,” the story reports. “The Expanse” is described as a series in the space-opera vein of “Battlestar Galactica,” which is something that executives had been searching to place on Syfy’s schedule.

The space drama is set 200 years from now, when a young woman works with a detective and a ship’s captain to uncover a conspiracy, the story notes.

“‘The Expanse’ is epic in scale and scope and promises to be Syfy’s most ambitious series to date,” Syfy President Dave Howe said. “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 project is from Alcon Entertainment’s Alcon Television Group and Sean Daniel and Jason Brown of the Sean Daniel Co. The pair developed the original pitch with Oscar-nominated writers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, with the latter two writing the script on spec, the piece adds. Fergus and Ostby will continue as executive producers and writers.