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Discovery (CE 79431) Class Exploratory Cruiser HISTORY, DESIGN PHILOSOPHY, AND PURPOSE In many ways, the Discovery class is the modern successor to the Ambassador class cruiser. Though the Galaxy class was designed to be her replacement, that ship incorporated so many different design and mission objectives that it really must be considered unique. She was also extremely complicated and expensive. Once the twelve vessels originally funded were built, any thoughts to completing more were shelved as somewhat less capable, but far more practical designs like Sovereign and Intrepid entered service. SHIPS SYSTEMS Discovery is similar in form to Ambassador and her dimensions are almost identical. However, she takes advantage of the almost half century advancements in ship's systems since the Ambassador entered service. In addition, Discovery has been fitted with the absolute latest in warp drive, computer, and tactical systems, as well as being the first class to be equipped with a variant of the quantum slipstream drive. The Köeller Uti HAN-210 Mk 1 drive allows a warp equivalent of Warp 9.999. Rounding out the Discovery’s already impressive state of the art technological load out is the revolutionary DISCAL Omni-Directional sensor system. SHIPS FACILITIES One of the most striking things of the Discovery is the arboretum located at the back of the primary saucer. Why such a thing on a Class One Starship? Just as studies with the Galaxy class showed having families aboard helped reduce stress on long-duration missions, having real trees, as opposed to simulations in the holodeck, were found to have a relaxing effect on crews. Whether such a thing becomes standard equipment on other starships, or even future ships of the Discovery class, is unknown. CONSTRUCTION AND SHAKE-DOWN TRIALS Discovery can trace her design lineage back to 2370 when it was decided to consider a new class of cruiser to replace the Ambassador and Excelsior class vessels reaching their space frame lifetimes. While the Sovereign class was entering general service, the vessel was quite expensive due to its latest technology load out, and it was hoped a more economical exploration platform could be procured. Post-Dominion War Fleet focus was on combat vessels, so Discovery sat on back burner at ASDB until 2377, when Admiral Westmoreland of Exploration Command asked ASDB to reconsider the design. With the end of the Dominion War and the return of USS Voyager, Starfleet wished to launch missions towards the Delta and Gamma Quadrants to explore and collect intelligence. Incredibly high speeds are required for such trips, and the slipstream drive technology Voyager brought back was immediately pounced upon. Teams of the Starfleet Advanced Research Projects Agency had working prototypes by early 2379 and the drive was mounted on the Galaxy(II) class starship USS Brighton Edwards, which made the first successful slipstream jump on September 15, 2379. Drive retrofitting was nightmarish, however, and it was decided to fit the drive to the Discovery class spaceframe (see addenda) that was nearly complete. Production/instillation was approved in January 2380, and the drive was fitted to the hull already in construction. The USS Discovery was launched in October of 2380 on her shake-down cruise and trials. Slipstream drive tests were extensive and all were successful. While the extreme cost and stress of the slipstream drive will prevent it it's mainline use in Starfleet vessels for some time, there are calls for additional Discovery class vessels to be procured for extreme deep space exploration programs. (See addendum for further anticipated mission roles) VESSEL SPECIFICATIONS & RELATED DATA
ADDENDA
Mission Roles: The
Discovery class Exploratory Cruiser (CE) fills the role of a larger Heavy
Cruiser (CA) class of vessel in a Light Cruiser’s (CL) hull. Sacrificing
overall weapons capability, the Exploratory type of Cruiser has increased sensor
and scientific capability, combined with the traditional high speeds of a Light
Cruiser. It is designed to run rather than fight, and to be a high-speed, highly
advanced science platform for diplomatic, first contact and general survey and
exploratory duties. The
Discovery class represents the pinnacle of Light Cruiser/Exploratory
Cruiser development in Starfleet. By incorporating the latest drive, sensor and
computer systems into a robust spaceframe initially planned for the use of a
Slipstream Drive, the Discovery’s weapons systems were upgraded,
allowing the smaller Discovery class ships to go toe to toe with larger
foes with a high chance of success. Designed for the use of the Köeller Uti
HAN-210 Mk 1 Slipstream Drive, and latest generation warp core, the Discovery
has unmatched endurance, and a very high cruise speed. The latest generation
warp core also ensures that the Discovery has all of the power generation
capability for her intensive state of the art systems. As a result, the Seventh
Fleet has procured all of the Discovery class vessels constructed, or in
construction for deep space exploration missions to the Gamma and Delta
quadrants. With the occasional flare up of hostilities all along the Federations borders following the end of the Dominion War, Starfleet has had a need for vessels capable of detecting cloaked warships. While the newer, and some refit Sovereign class carry sensors capable of detecting some of latest designs of cloaked vessels, the newest DISCAL sensor suite on the Discovery class is capable of detecting cloaked vessels at greater ranges. As a result, the Discovery class has been cleared for service as a Counter-Cloak cruiser if necessity requires it. This should make the class an asset to local commanders on a tactical level for Neutral Zone defense. Hearkening back to the days of Anti submarine warfare, the Discovery class will prove to be useful in a combat role if required. SYSTEM DETAILS FSS-44M Multi-phasic Regenerative Shielding System: Developed by Sylvanesti Shields Systems, Sylvanesti has taken multi-phasic shielding and created a system that allows for a double layer of shielding with separate inner and outer layers. Although both layers can be raised and lowered individually, the inner layer can be manipulated for either general coverage, or more concentrated coverage of key areas of the starship's hull. Should one layer fail, the other can still be active, considering that both layers are independent of each other. The multi-phasic shield arcs can also be moved, allowing for reinforcement of weakened shield arcs. As indicated, the FSS-44M Shield system besides having two independent layers incorporates regenerative technology as pioneered on the Sovereign class starship. Auto modulating, the shield can change frequency to better counter incoming weapons fire. It is hoped this new shield system is to be the next generation of shield for Starfleet. MAN 210 Mk 1 Quantum Slipstream Drive: Quantum slipstream technology is one of the most advanced propulsion systems ever encountered by Starfleet. The quantum slipstream is an extremely powerful means of propulsion that can transport a vessel at speeds in the upper warp 9.9 range. The velocities involved are so great that, in theory, the slipstream could carry a ship across the galaxy in a single day, even thought this range is still beyond the abilities of Federation science. The quantum slipstream is actually a narrowly focused, directed warp field that is initiated by manipulating the fabric of the space-time continuum at the quantum level. It works by focusing a quantum field through a deflector dish to generate massive changes in local space curvature; this creates a subspace tunnel, which is projected in front of the vessel. Once a ship has entered this tunnel, the forces inside propel it at incredible speed. The slipstream is large enough to accommodate more than one vessel, so a ship without a quantum drive can enter the slipstream and accompany the vehicle that is generating it. In order for a non slipstream drive equipped ship to navigate safely, it's navigation controls must be slaved to the ship operating the slipstream. In order to initiate a controlled shutdown of a quantum drive, the field strength has to be reduced by 50 percent. This can be done by reversing the drive's polarity. From its discovery, the crew of the USS Voyager discovered that the greatest difficulties involved with quantum slipstream technology lie not in generating the slipstream but in maintaining and navigating it. Even a slight phase variance can cause the slipstream to collapse, with disastrous consequences for any ship inside it. In order to compensate for the massive computer strain inherent in maintaining a slipstream, vessels of the Discovery class have dedicated navigational computer core. In order to maintain the slipstream, a ship has to constantly modify the quantum field with its deflector dish. The limitation of all the drives is that they can not be activated and used without a minimum range of travel of not under 50 light years distance. Although still dangerous, Starfleet Engineers have managed to incorporate current advancements in navigation techniques with enhanced computer helm control systems and vastly improved structural integrity field technologies to allow medium to lower end use of the Quantum Slipstream drive units. Should
the QSS systems be pushed to far or those systems compromised, then problems
return with increasingly serious difficulties in navigating the stream safely as
well as a breakdown in the ship's structural integrity fields with hull
fractures becoming increasingly possible, and highly likely. CLASS
RUN (2382) USS
Discovery, NCC-79431 (formerly NX-79431) – In service * 2nd Revision – 04/18/2005
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Ranking pips are credited to Steven Marriott, contact him at: smarriott@rpg.insignias.co.uk; and see his work at: www.tangofleet.org All original site and story content is the property of the Discovery. The characters and stories contained on this site are fictional. Any similarities to real-life persons or events are purely coincidental.
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