The Constellation-class was a type of Federation starship in use from the late 23rd century and all through the 24th century, classified as a star cruiser.
Development History
The Constellation-class starship was named in memory of the original USS Constellation, which was commanded by Commodore Matthew Decker and lost in battle against a Preserver created doomsday machine in 2267.
The first ship of this class, the USS Constellation NX-1974, was commissioned under experimental status in the year 2275. The Constellation was soon followed by the USS Sempach and the USS Speedwell, with construction begining soon thereafter on the USS Stargazer and the USS Hathaway (TOS novel Honor Blade)
An end elevation cutaway of a Constellation-class starship.
These ships were among the mainstay of Starfleet's exploratory and defence efforts through the early part of the 24th century, some commanded by the same captain for up to twenty years or more. (TNG episode: "The Battle")
By the 2330s, construction of new Constellation-class vessels were limited to two-a-year as new starship designs, such as the Ambassador-class, came into service. (ST short story: "Hour of Fire")
These "old-style" vessels were on the verge of being phased out of front-line service in the 2360s, regarded as being "overworked and underpowered". Many had already been entirely decomissioned and rendered "warp inactive", which included removing all antimatter but did not include removing the warp core. Those that were still in service in the 2360s and 2370s were engaged in support roles within the Fleet, such as transport duties and search and rescue missions. (TNG episodes: "Elementary, Dear Data"; "Peak Performance"; DS9 episodes: "The Abandoned"; "Waltz")
External Arrangement
The USS Nelson forerunner to the Constellation class. The Fallen
The Constellation class was the first Starfleet class to feature four warp nacelles
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(later seen in both the Cheyenne and Prometheus classes in the late 24th century), though at least one ship with a similar configuration did exist as early as 2254 in the form of the USS Nelson (EV comic: The Fallen). The nacelles were arranged horizontally instead of the (to that point) standard vertical mounting. This was preceeded by tests of that arrnagment on a converted Constitution class vessel (TNG episode: Booby Trap).
A model of the testbed Constitution-class starship. Booby Trap
- The USS Nelson seen in "The Fallen" was described on a letters page of a later Early Voyages comic in response to inquiries about it being a TOS era Constellation class as a "prototype of a top secret class". The Constitution class variant model seen in "Booby Trap" is another example of a Constellation class nacelle arrangement, however there is no other evidence beside the fact they look the same that the two have any connection.
This class also mounted two impulse engine units in a vertical orientation between the nacelles in line with the saucer. Not altering the top sublight speed of the class, these redundant units--when used in concert with each other--gave the ship a huge advantage in acceleration and maneuverability.
The Constellations also mounted twin Constitution-style photon decks at the T-joints of each nacelle assembly, above and below the level of the saucer. This gave the Constellation class four forward photon tubes, each capable of firing a two torpedo spread for a very respectable total salvo of eight torpedoes.
- The number of tubes is based on the "Star Trek: The Magazine" cross section, and the salvoes are based on seeing the Enterprise fire two torpedoes from one tube in the final stage of her battle with the Reliant in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
Sensor blisters on the underside of a Constellation-class starship.
The underside of the Constellation class saucer featured many fairings that marred her otherwise clean lines. These pallets contained special sensor equipment that befitted her role as a deep-space explorer, most of which could be exhanged for mission specific equipment at a starbase, and could be accessed from the deck above.
Known Vessels
- USS Constellation (NCC-1974)
- USS Constellation (NCC-2500)
- USS Nova (NCC-2501)
- USS Nebula (NCC-2502)
- USS Polaris (NCC-2503)
- USS Andromeda (NCC-2505)
- USS Libra (NCC-2506)
- USS Sagittarius (NCC-2507)
- USS Pulsar (NCC-2508)
- USS Callisto (NCC-2509)
- USS Orion (NCC-2510)
- USS Eridani (NCC-2511)
- USS Taurus (NCC-2512)
- USS Ceres (NCC-2513)
- USS Antares (NCC-2514)
- USS Pisces (NCC-2515)
- USS Leonid (NCC-2516)
- USS Aquarius (NCC-2517)
- USS Indiri (NCC-2518)
- USS Effros (NCC-2519)
- USS Betelgeuse (NCC-2520)
- USS Diadem (NCC-2521)
- USS Canopus (NCC-2523)
- USS Sirius Major (NCC-2524)
- USS Minora (NCC-2525)
- USS Valkyrie (NCC-2590)
- USS Hathaway (NCC-2593)
- USS Stargazer (NCC-2893/NCC-2522)
- USS Magellan (NCC-3069/NCC-2504)
- USS Gettysburg (NCC-3890)
- USS Victory (NCC-9754)
- USS Gihlan (NCC-9761)
- USS Antietam
- USS Cochise
- USS Fading Sun
- USS Ferrel
- USS Gibraltar
- USS Sempach
- USS Speedwell
- USS Vespucci
Apocrypha
- The RPG The Dominion War Sourcebook: The Fires of Armageddon, published by Last Unicorn Games after they had lost their Star Trek licence listed the USS Windhoek (NCC-37925) as a Constellation-class starship.
External links
- Constellation class article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Constellation class article at Star Trek Expanded Universe wiki, the wiki for fan-authored Star Trek.