Vesta-class Development Project
The multi-mission explorer was a multi-purpose starship type developed by Federation Starfleet in the late 2370s. Its first iteration, the Vesta-class, entered Starfleet service in the year 2380. The class was designated a multi-mission explorer and was test-bed for a number of experimental technologies, including quantum slipstream drive. (ST - Destiny novel: Gods of Night)
In the early 25th century, Starfleet developed sister classes as part of the Vesta line, and defined subtypes of the multi-mission explorer as the reconnaissance, surveillance and strategic multi-mission science vessel. (ST video game: Star Trek Online)
History and specifications[]
By February 2381, seven Vesta-class starships were in service They were the only capital starships equipped with quantum slipstream drive. (ST - Destiny novel: Gods of Night)
The USS Aventine, under the command of Captain Ezri Dax, was instrumental in saving the galaxy from annihilation at the hands of the Borg Collective during the Borg Invasion of 2381. (ST - Destiny novel: Lost Souls)
Later that year, two more Vesta-class multi-mission explorers were assigned to Project Full Circle, a mission to explore the Delta Quadrant. (VOY novel: Full Circle)
The USS Vesta became the flagship of the Full Circle fleet in early 2382. (VOY novel: Protectors)
In 2409, Starfleet launched two sister ship classes, Aventine and Rademaker, to complement the Vesta. Each class was a multi-mission explorer with its own specializing, reflected in bridge officer and console allocation. The Vesta-line classes were considered science vessels with battleship and carrier capabilities. Vesta-line ships were a match for the Federation Typhoon-class battleship.
In addition, the three ship classes were built to be modular, allowing their commanding officer to exchange components between any of them. Each multi-mission explorer was equipped with a hangar bay, allowing a Vesta-line ship to command up to four Danube-class simultaneously. The squadron would aid the explorer in combat.
Additional in-built abilities included feedback pulse, a photonic shockwave torpedo launcher, multidimensional graviton shielding, fermion field, subsystem targeting, sensor analysis and a quantum field focus phaser array. In addition, the Vesta-line starships were equipped with an advanced Quantum slipstream drive. The minimum rank required to command a multi-mission explorer in the 25th century was vice admiral. (STO - Klingon War mission: "Welcome to Earth Spacedock")
In the 31st century, Starfleet fielded the Eternal-class temporal multi-mission science vessel. In response to the Temporal Cold War, this class of ship was made available to commanding officers in 25th century Starfleet. (STO - Agents of Yesterday mission: "Welcome to Earth Spacedock")
Subtypes[]
- Multi-mission reconnaissance explorer
- Vesta-class • Palatine-class
- Multi-mission strategic explorer
- Rademaker-class • Esquiline-class
- Multi-mission surveillance explorer
- Aventine-class • Brigid-class
- Temporal multi-mission science vessel
- Eternal-class
- Multi-mission reconnaissance vessel
- Khaimas-class
- Multi-mission strategic vessel
- Ihgomas-class
- Multi-mission surveillance vessel
- Ahgamas-class
- Romulan Republic (with Vulcan cooperation), Romulan Republican Force:
- Reconnaissance explorer warbird
- Surhuelh-class
- Strategic explorer warbird
- Taenen-class
- Surveillance explorer warbird
- Galas-class
Appendices[]
Connections[]
External links[]
- Multi-Mission Explorer article at Star Trek Online Wiki.
- Eternal class article at Star Trek Online Wiki.
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