Liaison cutter

A Liason Cutter was a multi-mission, warp-capable small craft based on large vessels and starbases in the mid-23rd century. In many ways, liason cutters were the forerunners of the Starfleet runabouts used in the 24th century.

A typical starship-based liason cutter was 10 meters long and consisted of a main cabin (with flight controls and passenger seating), a sensor pod accessed via a hatch and ladder in the main cabin ceiling, and a cargo section connected to the main cabin by a short tube which also served as an airlock.

Liason cutters were rather clumsy craft and not very manuverable, especially within the confines of a starship shuttle bay, so they were gradually phased out in favor of smaller, nimbler shuttlecraft. (TOS novel Best Destiny)