USS Argo Starship Library

Design Overview

The Nebula class was fielded in the mid-2350s as a counterpart to the Galaxy series that was to enter service in the next decade. The design was based heavily on that of the ongoing Galaxy model, and the vessel was an important precursor in developing the technology and maintenance infrastructure for the later class. Compared to the Galaxy, the Nebula class has a more compact shape, as the engineering hull is mounted directly to the underside of the saucer section, a measure which reduces the overall length by some two hundred meters despite a negligible loss of internal volume. The warp engines are located underneath the saucer, alongside the engineering hull.
The major difference in the Nebula's capability is the addition of a prominent housing aft of the saucer section. This enables the vessel to carry any one of a variety of special equipment pods - current models include a high capacity sensor pod, an enhanced weapons pod, a colony transport pod, an emergency field hospital unit, or a science laboratory pod. Although the basic Nebula design has approximately 80% of the capability of a Galaxy class vessel in most areas, the addition of the mission pod brings that figure up to 95% or more in that specific area. This flexibility allows the Nebula design to accomplish almost identical missions to the Galaxy despite its smaller size.
In service, the Nebula class has proved highly satisfactory, and in many ways these ships form the backbone of Starfleets exploratory and scientific programs. Like the Galaxy class they have received regular upgrades to their systems, most notably a new warp core design that brought the class' maximum speed up to Warp 9.9. With the advent of the threats from the Romulans, Dominion and Borg, Starfleet invested in sixty-seven new enhanced weapon pods for the Nebula class; most of the vessels now carry this as a standard item. The pod carries two rapid-fire torpedo tubes and a stock of 300 casings, approximately doubling the ships overall rate of fire.

General Information

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

Explorer 92 (79 in service) 5 Terran Years 10 Terran Years 100 Terran Years

Dimensions

Length Beam Depth Mass Crew Capacity

452 m 470 m 145 m 4,500,000 metric tons 3000

Crew Compliment (Standard)

Officers Enlisted Crew Marines Civilians Total

155 625 200 130 1,100

Armament

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

Two burst-fire torpedo launchers (1 forward, 1 aft)

+500 torpedoes (350 photon Mk-VI, 300 quantum MK-I, 40 Hellfire Mk-I, 10 tricobalt devices)
Antimatter Spread emitter

Defensive Systems

High-capacity deflector shield, total capacity 2,565,000 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 Nebula class was fielded in the mid-2350s as a counterpart to the Galaxy series that was to enter service in the next decade. The design was based heavily on that of the ongoing Galaxy model, and the vessel was an important precursor in developing the technology and maintenance infrastructure for the later class. Compared to the Galaxy, the Nebula class has a more compact shape, as the engineering hull is mounted directly to the underside of the saucer section, a measure which reduces the overall length by some two hundred meters despite a negligible loss of internal volume. The warp engines are located underneath the saucer, alongside the engineering hull. The major difference in the Nebula's capability is the addition of a prominent housing aft of the saucer section. This enables the vessel to carry any one of a variety of special equipment pods - current models include a high capacity sensor pod, an enhanced weapons pod, a colony transport pod, an emergency field hospital unit, or a science laboratory pod. Although the basic Nebula design has approximately 80% of the capability of a Galaxy class vessel in most areas, the addition of the mission pod brings that figure up to 95% or more in that specific area. This flexibility allows the Nebula design to accomplish almost identical missions to the Galaxy despite its smaller size. In service, the Nebula class has proved highly satisfactory, and in many ways these ships form the backbone of Starfleets exploratory and scientific programs. Like the Galaxy class they have received regular upgrades to their systems, most notably a new warp core design that brought the class' maximum speed up to Warp 9.9. With the advent of the threats from the Romulans, Dominion and Borg, Starfleet invested in sixty-seven new enhanced weapon pods for the Nebula class; most of the vessels now carry this as a standard item. The pod carries two rapid-fire torpedo tubes and a stock of 300 casings, approximately doubling the ships overall rate of fire.



General Information
Category	Unit Run	Time Between Resupply	Time Between Refit	Expected Service Lifetime
Explorer	92 (79 in service)	5 Terran Years	10 Terran Years	100 Terran Years

Dimensions
Length	Beam	Depth	Mass	Crew Capacity
452 m	470 m	145 m	4,500,000 metric tons	3000

Crew Compliment (Standard)
Officers	Enlisted Crew	Marines	Civilians	Total
155	625	200	130	1,100

Armament
Eight Type-X Phaser Arrays -- maximum output 50,000 TW Two burst-fire torpedo launchers (1 forward, 1 aft) +500 torpedoes (350 photon Mk-VI, 300 quantum MK-I, 40 Hellfire Mk-I, 10 tricobalt devices) Antimatter Spread emitter

Defensive Systems
High-capacity deflector shield, total capacity 2,565,000 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

Nebula Class Design Specifications