CONSTITUTION-CLASS    FIRST COMMISSIONED: 2245

Mission

    Intended to be Starfleet's preeminent vessel for exploration, research, and defense, the Constitution-class starships were the largest and most ambitious design of their day. Engineering lessons learned in the designs of earlier starships were refined and incorporated into a new breed of starship capable of supporting a wide variety of missions. Constitution-class ships could effectively rise to the challenge of such diverse assignments as long-range exploration, scientific surveys, planetary defense, deep-space patrol, and expeditionary support. Captain Robert April once commented,"... A Constitution-class starship could do anything."

Feature

    At the time it was commissioned in the mid-twenty-third century, the Constitution-class was the largest and most elaborate vessel of its type ever constructed. Fourteen science labs made it the most extensive mobile research platform ever sent into space by the Federation. The modularity of the Constitution-class design proved highly effective, so much so that only incremental changes in the overall vessel configuration were made over the following twenty-five years. It was not until the U.S.S. Enterprise's upgrade in 2273 that large-scale redesigning of the Constitution-class occurred.

Background

    The second quarter of the twenty-third century marked a crucial shift in Starfleet's approach to vessel design, engineering, and construction. A major fleetwide modernization program proceeded to incorporate the use of standardized components such as primary hulls and warp drive nacelles. The Constitution-class commissioned in 2245, quickly emerged as the quintessential archetype of this program.

    As originally proposed, the Constitution-class would have been a considerably smaller vessel. But as Starfleet Corps of Engineers began to build on the lessons learned from starship studies commissioned in the 2230's, the design for the Constitution-class was enlarged. Ultimately, these enhancements led to such features as increased science and research capability and a larger hanger bay.

    Bursting to the forefront of the wave of exploration in the latter half of the twenty-third century, these starships expanded the area of explored space by thousands of cubic parsecs. Of those original fourteen ships, only two had been lost by 2270, demonstrating the overall superiority of the design.

    This class of starship is most commonly remembered for the initial five-year mission of Captain James T. Kirk and his crew. Under Kirk's command, the Starship Enterprise made first contact with the Organians, the Gorn, the Metrons, Excalbians, Melkotians, Kelvans, Thasians, and the First Federation. The crew survived multiple skirmishes with the Klingons, Romulans, and even Tholians. The Enterprise also tested Starfleet's first-ever multitronic computer system (M-5).

PICTURE COMING SOON

Specifications

Main Page