GALAXY CLASS

In 2343 Starfleet Command�s Office of Fleet Deployment sent out a directive to all Starship Design Facilities calling for the development of a new multiple role starship capable of carrying out diplomatic, exploration, research, and even extreme combat missions. The vessel, nicknamed the Galaxy Project because of all the duties that the ship would have to fill, would replace the Oberth Class as Starfleet�s primary exploration vessel and would supplement the Ambassador Class in exploratory and diplomatic missions.

Several design proposals were presented to Starfleet during the design process. Several were quickly scrapped, a few were reworked and later joined the fleet under different names with different roles (for example the Nebula Class), and some were seriously considered to be the Galaxy Class. After several long and arduous years of selection, Starfleet�s Advanced Starship Design Bureau selected a vessel proposed by the designers at Utopia Planetia Fleet Yards in Mars orbit. In 2350 construction began on the first vessel of the Galaxy Class.

Creation of the Galaxy involved numerous setbacks. At first the Theoretical Propulsion Group was unable to provide an adequate Warp Coil alignment for what would be the largest ship in Starfleet. This resulted in months of work being lost as designs had to be restarted on the nacelle couplings. Problems cropped up commonly with the sensor arrays during their initial installation period and several ideas had to be scrapped in hopes of successfully incorporating the advanced sensor suite. Tokyo R&D wasn�t able to produce power crystals capable of holding the power needed for the new Type X phaser arrays that Starfleet hoped to use. Crew Support was brought into question on more than one occasion as families could be brought aboard the ship as part of the design contract. The major problems, however, came with the decision to incorporate a saucer separation and reconnection sequence capable of operating without Starbase support. Somehow though everything seemed to work out in the end. The USS Galaxy NX-70637 was officially activated for Starfleet missions in 2363, exactly 20 years after the original design brief was presented.

The Galaxy Project was exemplary in its service. After 10 years in active service half of the original complement of Galaxy Class ships were still operational (USS Yamato was destroyed by an Iconian Software Weapon, the USS Odyssey by Jem�Hadar attack, and the Enterprise-D while defending the Veridian System from destruction). Faced with the threat of future Borg incursions and conflict with the Dominion, Starfleet ordered an additional wave of fifteen Galaxy Class ships to be constructed and for the three original ships (USS Galaxy, USS Challenger, and the USS Venture) to undergo an experimental refit to upgrade their systems.

The Galaxy Class starships proved themselves admirably during the Dominion War period. Of the twenty one ships to be completed at the end of the Dominion War, only five additional hulls had been destroyed. With this in mind construction of additional Galaxy Class ships began. The class proved to be influential in the exploration period that followed the Dominion Wars, and even continues in that role today.

One of the darkest chapters in the history of the Galaxy Class came during the Klingon Wars of the 2390s. The number of Galaxy Class ships dwindled due to the war to only 6 including the prototype out of the 68 that had been completed. It was at this point that Admiral William Riker of Starfleet initiated a project to explore a potential refit to the Galaxy Class.

Following the Klingon Conflicts construction of the original Galaxy configuration has resumed and the number of Galaxy Class ships rose to prewar levels. However, further construction has ceased due to the age of the design.

NOTEWORTHY VESSELS

SPECIFICATIONS

Propulsion:

2 LF-41+ Linear Warp Drive Units
3 FIG-5 Subatomic Unified Energy Impulse Units
Reaction Control System Thruster Assemblies

Velocity:
Standard Cruising Velocity: Warp 6.0
Maximum Cruising Velocity: Warp 9.2
Maximum Attainable Velocity: Warp 9.8

All stop to full impulse: 3.85 seconds
Full impulse to Warp 1: 1.4 seconds
Warp 1 to Warp 4: 3.1 seconds
Warp 4 to Warp 7: 4.5 seconds
Warp 7 to Warp 9: 6.0 seconds
Warp 9 to Warp 9.8: 9.0 seconds

Phasers:

14 Type XVII Collimated Phaser Arrays

Torpedoes:

3 Mk 100 Burst Fire Torpedo Tubes
     (Photon/Quantum)

Special: Multivector Assault Mode
Shields: CIDSS-3 Primary Forcefield and Deflector Control System
Primary Computer System: Class XIX Bioneural/Isolinear hybrid computer core/LCARS Version 6.0
Primary Navigation System: RAV/ISHAK Mod 5 Warp Celestial Guidance
Primary Warp Core System: Type X Matter/Antimatter Warp Propulsion Core

Embarked Craft:
Captains Yacht (Mark 1): 1
Runabout (Danube Class): 1
Shuttlecraft (Various Classes): 8
Shuttlepods (Various Classes): 8
Work Bee General Utility Craft: 4

The Galaxy Class starship was created by Andrew Probert for the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and is owned by Paramount Pictures Corporation. Updated specifications and history of the Galaxy Class are by William Teagarden and based upon data obtained from Starship Spotter. Image of the Galaxy Class is by William Teagarden. Special thanks to Bridge Commander Files.

Task Force 5 is based upon Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry and is in no way affiliated with CBS Corporation, Paramount Pictures Corporation, or Viacom. Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space 9, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, and all related marks are registered trademarks of Paramount Pictures and their respective owners; no copyright violation is intended or desired.