|
|
|
Survey vessel
Commissioned Mid 1950's
Dimensions
Diameter 33.5 m
Height 16.25 m
Decks 1
Mass 600 tons
Crew 2 - 8
Warp Speeds Not warp capable, impulse speed only
Armament
- Defence Systems Light Monotanium single hull
- Low level Structural Integrity field
Expected Lifetime 10 years of active use; plus periods of storage under inactive conditions
Refit Cycle
Minor 1 year
Standard 2 years
Major None
During the Earths twentieth and twenty first centuries the Vulcans began conducting an extensive effort to explore nearby star systems. Initially intended to survey all nearby systems for any signs of life, by 2120 the Vulcans had decided to concentrate their efforts on discovering space faring civilizations like their own. These missions were carried out by large ships travelling at relativistic speeds on missions which could last for decades.
Once in a candidate system, the Vulcans needed vessels capable of conducting survey missions of the planets they encountered, including making landings to conduct surface reconnaissance and First Contacts if required. The vessel designed for this purpose was a form of large shuttle craft.
Like its parent craft, the lander used a form of primitive impulse drive for propulsion. The ship comprised a central section mounted on a base which contained the landing gear and a small airlock; the three engines were mounted on struts extending from the upper surface of the main section in a tripod arrangement. One relatively novel feature was the use of variable geometry on the engines and landing gear in order to allow the lander to operate across the maximum possible range of atmospheric and surface conditions.
Various models of the lander were employed; some were fitted as small cargo carriers to enable their parent ships to re-stock supplies from local planets, and several were fitted with a form of ram scoop to allow them to gather fuel from the atmospheres of gas giants in order to extend the range of the mission. But most were fitted to carry a small number of passengers and crew on extended atmospheric and surface research missions.
The lander operated successfully for many decades, conducting missions on over ninety new worlds and participating in first contact situations a total of sixteen times. The most notable of these occurred on a mission which passed through the Sol system in 2061; by this time the Vulcans were primarily interested in establishing relations with more advanced cultures, and had little interest in the inhabitants of the third planet in the system. That changed when the Phoenix made the first warp flight as the Vulcans passed through; realizing that Humans knew how to travel faster than light, the Vulcans sent a lander down to the launch site of the Phoenix where they made contact with Zephram Cochrane - a meeting which led to a renaissance for Humanity and the eventual founding of the United Federation of Planets.
Back to Top
Vulcan Warp Sled
Dimensions
Length: 55 m
Width 12 m
Height 14 m
Decks 2
Mass 18 tons
Crew 1 plus up to twelve passengers
Warp Speeds
Normal Cruise Warp 6
Maximum Cruise Warp 6.2
Maximum Rated Warp 6.5
Armament
- Defence Systems Standard Monotanium single hull
- Low level Structural Integrity Field
Expected Lifetime 60 years
Refit Cycle
Minor 2 years
Standard 5 years
Major 102 years
Although supply and support vessels have never had the glamour of the big Explorers, their role is at least as important to the day-to-day functioning of an organization like Starfleet as any other class. The Vulcan Warp Sled is a classic example of this; these handy little ships where in Starfleet service for over a century, in numbers which at their peak rivalled any other single class in service. Although they received little fanfare during their time, the warp sleds importance to starfleet can hardly be overstated.
The Warp Sled was one of the first shuttlecraft-sized vessels with a true interstellar capability. Although several previous shuttles did have warp capability, these where generally confined to specific routes between neighbouring systems - they tended to be either too slow or two short ranged for general use. The Warp Sled was capable of holding Warp 6 for up to two months on internal fuel alone, and was unique among shuttle craft in that it could conduct in-flight refuelling from standard tanker craft. This allowed it to operate almost indefinitely - on one occasion a warp sled made a flight lasting one hundred and fifty six days.
Another major advantage of the warp sled over previous designs was its flexibility; the sled itself consisted of a pair of warp nacelles, matter/antimatter reactor assembly and fuel supply mounted onto a large docking platform. A wide variety of pods was developed for attachment to this platform - the most common was a twelve person shuttle pod which was intended for relatively short duration flights. A six person unit with small bunk spaces was also available, as well as a single occupant VIP unit. Other variants included a cargo pod, a sensor pod which allowed the sled to be used as a long range remote controlled sensor probe, a medical evac unit with space for four patients and an attendant and a search and rescue pod designed to locate and retrieve ships lifeboats.
Although originally designed for a life span of only sixty years, the warp sled has proved to be capable of continuing far beyond this. The last warp sled was retired from Starfleet service in 2358, but many are still to be found in service with other agencies and with civilian operators both within the Federation and with several allied governments. It seems that these handy little craft will continue to serve even into the next century.
Back to Top
Back to Star Trek Page
Or go to ships of the
|
|
|
|
|
