Shuttlebay and Cold Storage Parking (Hanger Deck)

= MAIN SHUTTLEBAY = A Federation Starship is usually equipped with facilities to launch, recover, and maintain one or more auxiliary spacecraft, which include various shuttlecraft, shuttlepods, workbees, and perhaps even starfighters, if the mission calls for it (usually during wartime.)

Below is the Shuttlebay for a Nova Class Starship; this is typical for any small ship, or an auxiliary shuttlebay on a large exploratory type starship like a Galaxy or Nebula Class.

General Overview: Located in the aft dorsal portion of the engineering section, the Main Shuttlebay is the primary port for entrance and egress, as well as management of the Nova Class’ auxiliary craft and shuttles. The Main Shuttlebay is 21.5 meters long and 6 meters high, well-equipped, and is managed by a team of Helmsmen/Pilots, Engineers and Technicians, and Operations personnel that are based in the Flight Operations office, under the supervision of the Flight Control Officer. This facility handles all launch, recovery, and maintenance operations for small auxiliary craft. The outer bay doors may remain open during operations, and atmospheric integrity is maintained by an annular force-field (technically Level-5 containment field.)  A small control booth oversees all flight operations, and is reached by two ladders from the deck; beneath this control booth is the hardware for refueling shuttlecraft. During a Red Alert, one or two auxiliary craft are kept at hot stand-by, launch minus thirty seconds (either two shuttlecraft, two Valkyrie starfighters, or a combination of both.)  Emptied of auxiliary spacecraft, the Main Shuttlebay can be converted into a large dorm living quarters, or a medical triage center. Cots and medical equipment is stored in limited supplies here behind bulkhead panels. Once, the Twilight’s shuttlebay was depressurized to accommodate an injured space-faring life-form, and holoemitters were installed to allow the EMH to treat it. Below is a 3D image of a Nova Class Starship's Main Shuttlebay with a Type-9 Shuttlecraft prepped for launch. (Image by Falke on Deviantart.com; he does wonderful work, and only asks that he get credit by name for his hard work.) Note on the rear bulkhead are the hardware and hoses for fueling and maintenance of shuttlecraft, and directly above this is a small control gallery, accessed by ladders.

(Cold Storage Shuttle Parking Bay)
General Overview: Just beneath the Main Shuttlebay on Deck Five is the Nova Class Cold Storage Parking Bay, commonly called the Hanger Deck. Slightly larger in size at 30.5 meters long, the Hanger Deck houses the cold-storage facilities for all the ship’s auxiliary craft, as well as additional maintenance areas. A shuttle elevator/tractor raises craft to the Main Shuttlebay, above on Deck 4. Adjacently located, Cargo Bay 3 serves as an additional Hanger Deck/Maintenance Bay for shuttlecraft when needed; there is a space-door sufficiently large enough to allow passage of a Type-8 shuttlecraft that opens into the Hanger Deck. When not in use, the Hanger Deck storage bay is kept locked and only opened for regular maintenance checks. In total, between the Main Shuttlebay, the Hanger Deck, Cargo Bay 3, and the Main Cargo Bay/Auxiliary Shuttlebay, a maximum of four Type-8 and/or type-9 shuttlecraft, four Valkyrie warp starfighters, two shuttlepods, the Waverider shuttle, and an additional five workbees, 15 auxiliary craft can be carried and launched from a refit Nova class starship. In practice, 1 shuttlecraft is held at launch readiness in the Main Shuttlebay, with three or four more auxiliary craft stored in the Hanger Deck below, for a total of 9 auxiliary craft, including the Waverider shuttle. The Twilight only carried four Valkyrie starfighters during the Dominion War.

The Nova Class Hanger Deck is equipped with:

1. 2 to 4 Valkyrie II Warp Starfighters (wartime only)

2. One Type-8 Medium Range Shuttlecraft

3. Two Type-9 Medium Range Shuttlecraft

4. Two Workbee-type Maintenance Pods

5. One Maintenance Facility (spare parts are stored in Cargo Bay 3.)