Commissioned : 2362 - present
Dimensions : Length : 641 m
Beam : 470 m
Height : 145 m
Decks : 42
Mass : 4,960,000 metric tons
Crew : 1,014, 15,000 person evacuation limit.
Armament : 12 x Type X phaser arrays, total output 50,000 TeraWatts. 214 x Type 3 burst fire photon torpedo tube with 250 rounds
Defence Systems : High capacity shield system, total capacity 2,700,000 TeraJoules Standard Duranium/Tritanium Double hull plus 9 cm High density armour. Standard level Structural Integrity Field
Warp Speeds
(TNG scale) : Normal Cruise : 6
Maximum Cruise : 9.2
Maximum Rated : 9.6 for 12 hours.
Diplomatic Capability : 7
Expected Hull Life : 100
Refit Cycle : Minor : 1 year
Standard : 1 years
Major : 2014 years
Notes : The Galaxy class was developed to replace the ageing Ambassador and Oberth class starships as Starfleets primary exploration vessel. The design was initiated in 2343 with a highly challenging specification which called for a ship based on the Nebula design then being developed, but equally capable of scientific, exploration, diplomatic, cultural, and combat roles all within a single multi-mission hull. In fact, many came to regard the requirement as too challenging; the project suffered from numerous delays due to a wide range of design, manufacturing, and construction problems. The first of the class, the USS Galaxy, was launched in 2357 and commissioned in 2362, nearly two decades after initial approval.
The Galaxy class which emerged from the Utopia Planitia shipyard had very similar lines to the Nebula class. The Galaxy is slightly larger in volume, although its less compact design gives it considerably greater length than the smaller vessel. The major change between the two is the lack of a mission specific pod on the Galaxy class, the increased volume allowing sections within the hull to be mission customized. This combined with a more advanced systems level to allow all functions to be performed by the single design. In addition the saucer and engineering hulls are separated by an eleven deck connecting neck section. This separation between the two hulls allows the nacelles to be located outboard and above the engineering hull, a position which increases the efficiency of the warp drive field slightly. This gives the Galaxy class warp coils an efficiency of 88% at speeds of up to Warp 7 and 52% through Warp 9.120 - the comparable figures for the Nebula class are 84% and 47% respectively.
Saucer Section features Deck Contains…
1 Main bridge, main observation lounge, captain's ready room.
2 Junior officers quarters
3 Junior officers quarters
4 Residential quarters, main shuttle bay, cargo bays
5 Science laboratories, residential quarters
6 Transporter room 1, 2, 3, 4, science laboratories main dorsal saucer phaser array
7 Residential quarters
8 Residential quarters
9 Residential quarters, including captains quarters, Saucer impulse engines, secondary dorsal saucer phaser arrays
10 Ten forward Holodeck 5, computer cores, escape pods
11 Holodeck, residential quarters
12 Sickbay, medical laboratories, gymnasium, transporter room, Residential quarters, Stellar cartography, biological research, astrophysics
13 Residential quarters, life support system, main ventral saucer phaser array
14 Conference room, residential quarters
15 Maintenance centre
16 Captain's yacht docking port
Stardrive Section features Deck Contains… Deck Contains…
8 Battle bridge
9 Docking latches and supporting mechanisms
10 Emergency batteries, phaser bank systems
11 Life support systems, shuttlebay 2 and 3
12 Science labs
14 Shuttle bay support, personnel transporter 5 and 6
15 Science labs
16 Maintenance
17 Living quarters
18 Living quarters
19 Living quarters
20 Living quarters
21 Power distribution
22 Engineering support laboratories
23 Main impulse engines
24 Life support
25 Dorsal docking port, forward photon torpedo launcher
26 Engineering support
27 Deuterium fuel pumps and fill ports
28 Deuterium fuel storage
29 Deuterium fuel storage
30 Deuterium injection reactors
31 Science laboratories
32 Living quarters
33 Living quarters
34 Environmental support
35 Aft photon torpedo launcher
36 Main engineering, secondary ventral drive section phaser arrays
37 Environmental support, waste management
38 Cargo bay 3, brig
39 Cargo bay 12
40 Antimatter injection reactors
41 Antimatter storage pods
42 Antimatter storage pods
The increased internal volume allowed for 800,000 square metres of mission adaptable facilities. This allows the Galaxy class to support a wide range of ongoing research projects independently of the vessels primary mission. Although not a new idea in Starfleet vessels, the Galaxy class is unique in the extent to which this is possible. These ships are capable of supporting up to 5,000 mission specialists, while the decentralized nature of the secondary power grids allows laboratories to function effectively even during combat operations.
The combat capability of the Galaxy class was also significantly greater than that of the Nebulas. The burst fire torpedo tubes are each capable of launching groups of photons torpedoes, up to ten at a time every six seconds. As with many recent Federation designs, the use of long phaser arrays rather than banks gives the main phasers of the Galaxy class a great capability for sustained firing and rapid recharge/cool down time. The Galaxy class is the first on which all segments of every phaser array are supplied by a separate power system; although this increases the complexity of the system tremendously, it gives the phaser arrays a tremendous survivability in the face of combat damage.
In service the Galaxy class at first proved exemplary, beyond any of Starfleet's expectations but by 2371 no less than two of the initial six ships had been lost - the Yamato and Odyssey. Yamato 's loss was particularly horrific, as she was destroyed with her entire complement of crew and families aboard. This alarming record led to many changes being introduced during refits of the remaining three vessels, and also to the construction of six new Galaxy class ships from space frames held in reserve against future need. The unfortunate history of the Galaxy class vessels combined with the recent escalation's in tensions within the alpha quadrant has led to all six vessels being subsequently completed, and all are now on active service against the Dominion.
Major changes to the Galaxy class have included a new warp core, a redesigned shield system intended to perform far better against phased polaron beam weapons, various changes to the ships computer systems, plus many minor changes to the ships systems. Production of these vessels continues today; five Galaxy class ships took part in the recent operation to retake Deep Space Nine from the Dominion and the class has gained a fearsome reputation during the war, operating with one of the highest kill-to-loss ratios of any Starfleet classes. Though new Galaxy class ships are being produced without any science or diplomatic facilities included in order to reduce the vessel mass and so enhance combat performance during the Dominion war. These ships will be "filled out" after the war, considerably enhancing Starfleets exploration capacity. At this point further production is expected to be terminated in favour of the new Sovereign class.
