Explorer class

The Explorer Class was a Federation Starship built and designed in the Mid-Late 24th Century and were one of the most advanced ships Starfleet ever designed.

=Design and Development=

Design Specifications
The Explorer Class vessel was first ordered by Starfleet in 2354, during the War with the Cardassians, Starfleet felt that what was once the ultimate achievement, the Excalibur class, was now showing its age. So Starfleet wanted a new type of vessel what is now known as the Explorer Class, Command wanted this new vessel to be the biggest thing ever constructed, to be faster than Warp 9.2, more powerful weapons and when not needed in battle to have the most sophisticated exploration equipment at hand. Engineers decided to design the vessel with extreme detail so that the ship wouldn’t have problems when launched. The Explorer class Starship was designed with 60 decks which makes this ship seem like a monster compared to ships such as the older Excalibur Class. The Explorer class was the first Starfleet vessel not to have the Bridge at the top of the saucer section, instead it is on top of the Engineering section. The ship was designed with two standard sized shuttlebays for normal shuttlecraft and a drop down hanger bay for larger sized shuttles such as a runabout, and in wartimes for fighter-craft. Engineers also designed and developed a State of the art Isolinear Computer System that is so advanced, that it controls around 70-75% of all ships functions. The computer was also designed with such a huge memory that even if the ship recorded everything for 100 years, only 5% of memory would be used up. With the name Explorer, the ship was built with the most advanced exploration and scientific equipment of its time, and upgraded so that it was 20% better than it was. Including the advanced exploration equipment, the most high-tech medical was also added to the Explorer class. Although the ship primary role is exploration, the ship was installed with 3 Torpedo launchers with a compliment of 500 Photon torpedoes and 7 Phaser Banks. On top of that the ship has a Type 16 Delfector Shield. This huge arsenal gives the Explorer class a great advantage during battle.

Construction
In 2356, the newly designed Warp Engines were built and installed on an Excalibur class starship, the USS Super Nova (NCC-80123). The ship was manned by 30 engineers and made a speed of Warp 9.4, the ship almost managed a speed of warp 9.5 before the Engines overwhemmed the Antimatter Containment field that destroyed the ship. Fortunately the engineers managed to get off the USS Super Nova before it exploded. Although the engines destroyed the ship it proved that the engines were a success. So the engineers decided to build a prototype class of starship so that they could design a better type of Warp Engine, after tests on the USS Trial (NX-80149) the ship couldn’t get past Warp 9.3 until they increased the intake of Antimatter into the Warp Core by 25%. So Engineers began designing the rest of the ship By 2357 it was then decided that work on the USS Explorer (NX-83023) began, and by 2359 the ships gigantic super-structure was complete. By this time the Cardassian War between the Federation had been over years ago however Starfleet still wanted a powerful ship that was used for exploration but if needed for battle they could be a deadly battleship. By 2360 the most sophisticated and advanced computers was installed along with the most advanced exploration equipment, labs and scanners. Fleet Admiral Sam Henderson was so impressed with the Explorer that he ordered two other ships to be built, those ships were the USS Dakota (NCC-83101) and the USS Discovery (NCC-74749-C. By 2362 the USS Explorer (NX-83023) was completed and launched. During her shake-down mission the Explorer performed extremely well. Her Warp Engines managed a speed of Warp 9.7 and her exploration systems were beyond expectations, however the ship manoeuvrability was very slow, even with the newly developed Impulse engine the ship could not do 180’ turns fast and could not pursue the older Excalibur class vessels at Impulse very well. Engineers suspected that it was due to the ships huge size that the ship wasn’t performing well in its manoeuvres, however they stated that the ships extremely powerful weapons would compensate for this disability.

=Early Years=

The Explorer-Class vessels were known to be the largest vessels in the entire fleet with the most advanced exploration equipment onboard and most sophisticated Computer systems. When in Battle they vessel was known to be a monster of a ship compared to it opponent. During its career the Explorer-Class has been known for its diplomatic requirements and its comfort compared to older vessels such as the Excalibur class.

In 2366 the USS Dakota (NCC-83101) was destroyed by going through an Electro-Magnetic Field that shut down everything onboard the ship causing the Warp Core Magnetic Seals to fail and all of the Antimatter came out destroyed the ship. This made Starfleet upgrade all Explorer class vessels so that they could not be so easily destroyed by a random Electro-Magnetic Field.

The best known Explorer-Class Starships is the USS Discovery (NCC-74749-C) commanded once by Commander James Donald but mostly by Captain Alistair Galbraith and the USS Endeavour (NCC-84772) commanded by Captain Edward Oshi. Both vessels are well known in the Federation as being the best crew in the entire fleet.

=Dominion War=

When Hostilities of the Dominion and the Federation broke out, Starfleet was convinced that even if the Dominion could destroy a Galaxy class Starship they wouldn’t be able to defeat an Explorer-Class vessel, mainly because of the ships defensive and offensive systems and as it was originally designed to fight in the Cardassian War. The word of this managed to get to the other side of the Wormhole to the Dominion Jem’Hadar. After being tricked into peace by a rogue Jem’Hadar attack force Starfleet decided to send the Explorer-Class USS Endeavour (NCC-84772) to the Gamma Quadrant. After going in orbit around a deserted planet the Jem’Hadar Attack-Force with its 12 Fighters attacked the Endeavour and after about 15 the Jem’Hadar boarded USS Endeavour and in the end the ship was destroyed.

During the Dominion War Explorer-Class vessels were usually sent to major assaults against the Jem’Hadar and Cardassian forces as the vessel were extremely powerful ship and able to win battles. This was vital to win the war to Starfleet ordered all Explorer-class vessel under construction to be built without their exploration equipment, so that they could be launched a year and half before time and be deployed on the field to fight. This was quite ironic as name the Explorer-class suggested that, that type of vessel explored. However during the war new Explorer-Class vessels had no equipment for exploration.

=Later Years=

By the end of the Dominion War, Explorer-class vessels that were launched during the war spent about a year and a half to two years being upgraded with exploration equipment, where they began to continue to explore the Galaxy as they used to. However even with their new equipment installed several Explorer-Class vessels were still patrolling the area for future Dominion and Borg attacks.

=Design Specifications=

Design Layout
The layout of an Explorer-class Starship has a standard saucer section with several phaser arrays on the hull. At the rear of the Saucer is the Engineering which is bulky and is 60 decks in height with the Bridge at the top. At the rear of the Engineering Section is the Main Shuttlebay and 3 other bays. At the bottom is a Hangar Bay and Warp Core and Antimatter ejection systems. At the very rear of the Engineering Section is the Warp Engine Pylons that swoop down to connect the Warp Engines to the ship.

Several decks of the ship contained Medical and Scientific Facilities such as Sickbay on Deck 16 and Quantum-Physics on Deck 37. However sometimes if there is a Major Medical Emergancy or a situation where Quantum Physics needs extra labs. Decks 35 and 50 are empty and unoccupied so that if circumstances like those occur, rooms on those decks can be easily converted to accommodate these departments.

If the ship needs abandoned there are lifeboats near every deck so that it is easy for someone to get to an Escape Pod before the ship explodes. Most Escape Pods a situated around the decks on the underside of the saucer and the lower decks of the Engineering Section. All other Escape Pods are located on every 5 decks.

Propulsion Systems
The Warp Engines of the Explorer-Class Vessel housed 4 sets of Nacelles that drove the ship while in Warp flight mode. The Warp Engines were powered by the Warp Core, (the most powerful peace of technology onboard), could generate enough power for the Warp engines to sustain a Maximum Speed of Warp 9.7 for twelve hours.

On Explorer-Class vessels there was one Impulse Engine that moves the ship while at Sublight speeds.

Phasers
The Phasers onboard an Explorer-Class was Type 16. The most powerful any other ship had carried in the past. There’s generally 12 phaser arrays, with 6 Dorsal Phaser Arrays and 6 Ventral Phaser Arrays. Between 2362-2373 only one phaser on each side of the ship could be fired however a phaser could be fired 0.25 seconds after each discharge.

Upgrades
In 2374 during the Dominion War the Chief Engineer of the USS Explorer (NX-83023) managed to tweak the Phaser Arrays in such away that all phasers could be fired simultaneously. This modification was later past onto other Explorer-class vessels.

Torpedoes
Each Explorer-class vessel carried a compliment of around 1,000 Photon Torpedoes and could be launched 5 at a time. Each ship had 5 torpedo launchers, 3 forward launchers and 2 stern launchers. For years were Some Starfleet Admirals thought that such a compliment was some what exaggerated for a vessel of exploration and that it should be cut down to 500, this was continually stated until the beginning of the Dominion War.

Upgrades
In 2373 Lieutenant Solanta of the USS Discovery (NCC-74749-C) upgraded the launchers so that 6 torpedoes could be launched at a time and increased the compliment to 750 torpedoes.

Sensor Array
The Sensor Array was able to be used for several different uses at the same time, for instance Bio-Chemistry and Quantum-Physics could use the same Array but be looking for different things.

Upgrades
The sensor array was upgraded in 2373 so that the ship was able to scan vessels under cloak. So Folian, Klingon and Romulan cloaking devices were rendered useless against Explorer-class scanners.

Navigational Systems
The Navigational Array on a Explorer Class vessel was designed so that even if the ship was going through a Type Z Nebula. The ship would still be able to Navigate through it.

Scientific Systems
The scientific departments of the an Explorer class Starship had a wide range of equipment to study various phenomenon. Unlike the Galaxy class Starships each science department had its on Sensor Array, so that various departments could scan the same phenomenon for different things.

Life Support Systems
The Life Support Systems on an Explorer Class vessel was designed so that the enviroment could be controlled ship-wide or be each section of the ship. It was also designed so the if all power was offline it could still function normally.

=Interiors=

Main Bridge
The Main Bridge of an Explorer-Class was located on Deck 1 of the Engineering Section. Like most Starfleet vessels the Bridge Module could be completely removed and replaced by another Bridge, this was usually done if the ship was assigned on a specific mission, such as if the ship was patrolling the Cardassian or Romulan Border. Most Explorer Class Bridges had their own design over time but when launched all Explorer Class vessels have a standard design. The different types of Bridges that Explorer class vessels have is Type 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Upgrades
The Bridges of the Explorer class starship has been upgraded through the years to keep up to date with the latest technology. This includes the installation of Neural Gel Packs, and the redesigning of computer control panels.

Ready Room
The Ready room an Explorer class Starship is designed for the Captain when on duty but is not needed on the Bridge. It has been designed in such a way that it is a place for the Captain to work but also relax. On most Explorer class vessels the ready room is located at the front, right hand side of the Bridge.

Observation Lounge
The Observation lounge is located aft of the Bridge and is usually accessible via the rear, right hand side of the Bridge. The main purpose of the Observation lounge is for the senior staff to meet and discuss there situation but can also be used for other activities.

Main Engineering
Main Engineering is located on deck 48 and spans over 20 decks for the Height of the Warp Core. Main Engineering is the heart of an Explorer class Starship. Although controlled from the Bridge all main functions such as the, Warp engines, Impulse engines, Life Support and Computer Control is all regulated through Main Engineering.