USS Argo Starship Library

Design Overview

The Galaxy Class was developed to replace the Ambassador Class as Starfleet's primary vehicle for deep-space exploration and diplomacy. In fact, many came to regard the requirement as too challenging; the project suffered from numerous delays due to a wide range of design, manufacturing, and construction problems. The first of the class, the USS Galaxy, was launched in 2357 and commissioned in 2362, nearly two decades after the project's initial approval.
The Galaxy's design was a monumental step beyond the Ambassador, itself considered a technological marvel in its time. The Galaxy's increased internal volume allowed for 800,000 square meters of mission adaptable facilities. This allows the Galaxy Class to support a wide range of ongoing research projects independently of the vessels' primary mission. Although not a new idea in Starfleet vessels, the Galaxy Class is unique in the extent to which this is possible. These ships are capable of supporting up to 5,000 mission specialists, while the decentralized nature of the secondary power grids allows laboratories to function effectively even during combat operations.
The three burst fire torpedo tubes are each capable of launching ten photon torpedoes every six seconds, while there are twelve type-X phaser arrays. As with many recent Federation designs, the use of long phaser arrays rather than banks gives the main phasers of the Galaxy Class a great capability for sustained firing and rapid recharge/cool down time. The Galaxy Class is the first on which all segments of every phaser array are supplied by a separate power system; although this increases the complexity of the system tremendously, it gives the phaser arrays a tremendous survivability in the face of combat damage.
Overall, the Galaxy class proved a phenomenal operational success; however by 2371, three of the six ships in active service had been lost. Although none of the losses could be attributed to any design flaw in the class itself, Starfleet was nonetheless given cause to wonder if the design was simply too large to be tactically viable with existing technology. Some ships of the class were refitted during the war to enhance their combat capability, however at the moment Starfleet's position is that the class' exploratory capabilities should be left intact, and the existing ships should be returned to their originally intended mission of deep-space exploration and diplomatic functions. Future production of the class has yet to be decided.

General Information

Category Unit Run Time Between Resupply Time Between Refit Expected Service Lifetime

Explorer 18 (14 in service) 5 Terran Years 10 Terran Years 100 Terran Years

Dimensions

Length Beam Depth Mass Crew Capacity

641 m 470 m 145 m 4,960,000 metric tons 5000

Crew Compliment (Standard)

Officers Enlisted Crew Marines Civilians Total

275 680 200 500 1,655

Armament

Twelve Type-X Phaser Arrays -- maximum output 50,000 TW

Three burst-fire torpedo launchers (1 forward, 2 aft)

+500 torpedoes (250 photon Mk-VI, 200 quantum MK-I, 40 Hellfire Mk-I, 10 tricobalt devices)
Antimatter Spread emitter

Defensive Systems

Auto-modulated deflector shield, total capacity 2,700,000 TJ
Duranium/Tritanium double hull + 9 cm high-density armor
standard-level structural integrity field

Warp Systems

Standard Core Output Maximum Core Output Maximum Cruise Speed Maximum Safe Speed Maximum Speed

12.75 x 10⁶ TW (Cruise Mode) 1.56 x 10¹⁵ TW Warp 9.20 Warp 9.60 (12 hrs.) Warp 9.90

Impulse Systems

Primary Fusion Output Secondary Fusion Output Impulse Engine Output Impulse Engine Tolerance Maximum Accelleration

8.8 EJ/hr 6.4 EJ/hr 12.047 MeV/sec 16.691 MeV/sec 335,000 m/sec^-2

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Design Overview
The Galaxy Class was developed to replace the Ambassador Class as Starfleet's primary vehicle for deep-space exploration and diplomacy. In fact, many came to regard the requirement as too challenging; the project suffered from numerous delays due to a wide range of design, manufacturing, and construction problems. The first of the class, the USS Galaxy, was launched in 2357 and commissioned in 2362, nearly two decades after the project's initial approval. The Galaxy's design was a monumental step beyond the Ambassador, itself considered a technological marvel in its time. The Galaxy's increased internal volume allowed for 800,000 square meters of mission adaptable facilities. This allows the Galaxy Class to support a wide range of ongoing research projects independently of the vessels' primary mission. Although not a new idea in Starfleet vessels, the Galaxy Class is unique in the extent to which this is possible. These ships are capable of supporting up to 5,000 mission specialists, while the decentralized nature of the secondary power grids allows laboratories to function effectively even during combat operations. The three burst fire torpedo tubes are each capable of launching ten photon torpedoes every six seconds, while there are twelve type-X phaser arrays. As with many recent Federation designs, the use of long phaser arrays rather than banks gives the main phasers of the Galaxy Class a great capability for sustained firing and rapid recharge/cool down time. The Galaxy Class is the first on which all segments of every phaser array are supplied by a separate power system; although this increases the complexity of the system tremendously, it gives the phaser arrays a tremendous survivability in the face of combat damage. Overall, the Galaxy class proved a phenomenal operational success; however by 2371, three of the six ships in active service had been lost. Although none of the losses could be attributed to any design flaw in the class itself, Starfleet was nonetheless given cause to wonder if the design was simply too large to be tactically viable with existing technology. Some ships of the class were refitted during the war to enhance their combat capability, however at the moment Starfleet's position is that the class' exploratory capabilities should be left intact, and the existing ships should be returned to their originally intended mission of deep-space exploration and diplomatic functions. Future production of the class has yet to be decided.



General Information
Category	Unit Run	Time Between Resupply	Time Between Refit	Expected Service Lifetime
Explorer	18 (14 in service)	5 Terran Years	10 Terran Years	100 Terran Years

Dimensions
Length	Beam	Depth	Mass	Crew Capacity
641 m	470 m	145 m	4,960,000 metric tons	5000

Crew Compliment (Standard)
Officers	Enlisted Crew	Marines	Civilians	Total
275	680	200	500	1,655

Armament
Twelve Type-X Phaser Arrays -- maximum output 50,000 TW Three burst-fire torpedo launchers (1 forward, 2 aft) +500 torpedoes (250 photon Mk-VI, 200 quantum MK-I, 40 Hellfire Mk-I, 10 tricobalt devices) Antimatter Spread emitter

Defensive Systems
Auto-modulated deflector shield, total capacity 2,700,000 TJ Duranium/Tritanium double hull + 9 cm high-density armor standard-level structural integrity field

Warp Systems
Standard Core Output	Maximum Core Output	Maximum Cruise Speed	Maximum Safe Speed	Maximum Speed
12.75 x 10⁶ TW (Cruise Mode)	1.56 x 10¹⁵ TW	Warp 9.20	Warp 9.60 (12 hrs.)	Warp 9.90

Impulse Systems
Primary Fusion Output	Secondary Fusion Output	Impulse Engine Output	Impulse Engine Tolerance	Maximum Accelleration
8.8 EJ/hr	6.4 EJ/hr	12.047 MeV/sec	16.691 MeV/sec	335,000 m/sec^-2

Galaxy Class Design Specifications