Zodiac class (warp shuttle)

For other uses, see Zodiac.

Zodiac-class shuttlecraft
Affiliation:	Federation Starfleet
Classification:	warp shuttle
Service period:	early-23rd century
Spitfire landed.

The Zodiac-class warp shuttle was a type of Federation warp shuttle in use by Starfleet in the early 23rd century. A warp drive-enabled shuttlecraft design, the Zodiac had been in service for years by the 2250s decade, and vessels of this class had seen some serious wear.

Service history

In the year 2251, Ensign Leonard McCoy was scheduled to travel from Starfleet Medical School on Earth to a conference on Cambria Colony in a Zodiac vessel. McCoy made numerous negative comments about the wear on shuttle Spitfire and its diminutive size compared to all other Starfleet spacecraft, much to the dismay of Spitfire's commanding officer, Cadet James T. Kirk. This vessel landed on the surface of an unnamed planet not far from the Atlantis Outpost.

Specifications

The Zodiac was a modification of the basic design of the F-class administrative shuttle, with the engine nacelles removed in lieu of a large warp sled with oversized warp nacelle units. The Zodiac sled design continued in a refit version, the late 23rd century's SW7-class. (TOS - Starfleet Academy novel: Cadet Kirk)

It was not shown in the one appearance of the Zodiac whether it could separate for docking like its later variant, which was first seen in TOS movie: The Motion Picture.

Notable craft

• Spitfire (assigned to Starfleet Academy)