I apologize for the confusion, perhaps the chief reason for this is that it never aired on US TV.
As a puppet show, the Thunderbirds is bound to spring to mind but a more correct comparison would be to Terrahawks, since that Gerry Anderson creation, like Star Fleet (or X-Bomber in Japan), used a rod control system from below - not the string system of Thunderbirds and Stingray. Furthermore, Gerry Anderson actually had nothing to do with this show.
That show's theme sounded like Chariots of Fire at first.
Glad you brought up the theme, cause now I get to mention the
Star Fleet Project, which was a cover of the UK theme music by no less than Brian May and Eddie Van Halen.