Exploration: Cruiser, Medium - Phoenix-class

History And Mission Overview

Though more up-to-date than its larger cousin, the Galaxy class, the Nebula class was found to be significantly lacking. With the new ships of the line, as well as the new threats facing the Federation, a class that fulfilled the same mission parameters as the original Nebula class but was brought up to current standards of performance was required. At the same time, with a score of Nebula class vessels in the fleet quickly approaching obsolescence, the brass of Starfleet Engineering sought to bring the fleet up to date without heavy expenditures that might cut into their paychecks.

Who answered the call? Abraxas Shipworks, of course! A team of ASW engineers set about ‘borrowing’ parts from other Starfleet projects with which to modify a victim ship, the USS Phoenix. They broke out the sledgehammers, arc welders, and coffee pots, and set about stretching the Nebula class like a heretic in AD 1500’s Spain. Almost all major systems were overhauled, and for once, probably the first and last time, they were under budget.

So they decided to celebrate by ruining that record and adding on experimental technologies which destroyed many systems and Nameless Ensigns. Through this borrowing and experimentation, the development team managed to turn out one of the most technologically advanced ship classes yet constructed, only going three times the planned budget for development. So far, the Phoenix project has been a resounding success, and has been given its own class, the Phoenix class. Of course, like an Intel processor, no sooner is it created than it’s obsolete. Thus, ASW went back into the guts of the Phoenix class ready to rip it apart like a slow runner in Pomplona. Out of this came the Phoenix Mk.2, an upgrade of the upgrade of the Nebula class.

Structure And Construction

The Phoenix class’s secondary hull is significantly longer and wider than the Nebula class’s original hull. The saucer has also been elongated by ten meters. This allowed a 35% increase in internal space. This increase is primarily applied to increase cargo and scientific systems spaces, though increases in crew space and computer processing space are also allowed by this.

The stardrive section’s Variable Field Geometry warp nacelles are held on articulated wings, jointed at their connection to the stardrive hull and at the mid point. When not in warp flight, the wings hold the nacelles close to the body of the ship for protection. When in warp flight these wings extend to the maximum width of the saucer. The nacelles can yaw and slide along the lateral axis to allow for shaping of the subspace field to reduce impact on the subspace fabric, as well as reduce Zero Point Field drag (for more information on Zero Point Field drag, see the Colin Wyers’s Essay on Warp Fields), account for mass center shifting due to mission module attachment, and protect and accommodate for major structural damage.

A pylon for attaching mission modules rises from the spine of the secondary hull. It utilizes the same docking clamp system employed for attaching the saucer and secondary hull, and allows any module or similarly equipped object to be attached to the stalk, with a minimum of work, though warp field geometries limit the size of the attachment.

Many systems, including habitation quarters, sickbay, and storage compartments, are modules which can be interchanged at a starbase.

Also, like the Nebula class, the Phoenix has a spinal hardpoint for attachment of a mission module. The mission modules, unless otherwise specified, are 36m tall with triangular bases 130m long and 150m wide. These modules can be swapped at any starbase with the capacity to construct the modules.

Standard Combat Module

Provides two extra torpedo tubes, an extra phaser bank, and extra fusion generators to power the additional systems and provide redundancy for the inherent backup systems.

Ground-Assault Module

This module is 100m L * 50m W * 20m H. This provides room for two hundred Marines and their ground-assault vehicles. It is an armored box with landing and maneuvering thrusters, shields, and an ability to undock from the Phoenix outside of a starbase for ship-to-surface landings.

Command and Communication Module

Provides a large scale communications network and data processing systems, allowing the Phoenix class ship to become a control platform for a fleet of up to twenty ships during combat operations. Adds a large war room, data processing rooms, and extra intelligence and analysis personnel.

Covert Operations Module

Includes a cloak generator and listening devices modeled after the Independence class (not in production due to treaty limitations).

Electronic Monitoring Module

Provides transmission processing and decoding systems for monitoring battlefield or similar transmissions. Also includes communications jamming capabilities.

Personnel Transport Module

Holds twelve decks of guest quarters, expanding the Phoenix’s capacity by five hundred.

Colonization Module

Carries one thousand colonists (in close quarters) to begin a settlement along with their supplies and equipment.

Medical Module

Provides enough room and processing ability for the Phoenix class to serve as a field hospital in combat, epidemic, or natural disaster scenarios.

Prisoner Transport Module

Houses a prisoner-guard ratio of one to two for prisoner transfer missions of up to 200 prisoners.

Marine Module

Carries 1000 marines in a barracks-style setup.

Cargo Module

Increases cargo space of ship five fold.

Carrier Module

Houses six extra fighters or shuttles. Runabouts occupy half again as much space as the fighters or shuttles.

Science

These cover all aspects of the scientific field from stellar cartography to terraforming. They include extra sensors, labs, data processing and data storage systems, equipment storage and replication systems, extra energy systems, and mission officers.

Science And Remote Sensing Systems

Augmenting the Nebula class sensor systems, the Phoenix class has two more rings on the saucer section, at the dorsal and ventral mid-points. These provide more clarity for medium to long-range passive sensing, as well as access to a wider spectrum of the standard EM and subspace frequencies. On either side of the deflector dish, two directional scanners double the forward scanning range of the original Nebula. For exploration purposes, the fighters of the Phoenix class can be modified into medium-range explorers.

All weapons on these fighters are replaced by sensors, and engines are augmented for increased range and speed.

Stellar cartography incorporates holographic imaging to project in three dimensions the stellar surroundings . Also included in the science complex are a half dozen modular labs which can be adjusted to accommodate specific purposes as needed.

Warp Propulsion Systems

Primary power is provided by the MARA located in the stardrive section. Auxiliary power is provided by fusion generators located throughout the vessel. Emergency power is stored in batteries clustered throughout the ship capable of supplying seventy-two hours of power for necessary systems.

Warp propulsion is provided by a 1500+ cochrane warp drive system powered by the MARA and projected through Variable Field Geometry nacelles.

The MARA and fusion reaction cores include cryogenic heat sinks to keep core wear and tear to a minimum, and to provide more useful energy for the EPS.

Impulse Propulsion Systems

Two standard impulse engines, borrowed from the Galaxy class, are located on each side of the spinal mission module stalk on the secondary hull. Two more are located on each side of saucer section. The space-time driver coils have been upgraded for slight increases in efficiency to allow .03c faster impulse travel. The vectored exhaust fields are modified to extend slightly beyond the exhaust port, so that exhaust can be vectored in a cone of 80 degrees from the centerline, increasing maneuverability

Tactical Systems

The basic shield system is swiped from the Trinitron class’s two-level system. Protection of key points, such as the bridge, engineering, and warp nacelles, is aided by cryogenic cooling systems, a.k.a. heat sinks, which help dissipate EM energy from beam and explosive weapons away from key points in the hull and absorb it (through the vaporization of the super-cooled liquids within the heat sinks), keeping damage localized within the perimeter of heat sinks around the weapons impact.

The ASW engineers reduced the number of phaser emplacements on the Phoenix class in favor of an extra torpedo launcher, as the torpedo launcher is seen as a more effective weapon, for its power, usefulness at warp velocities, ability to launch sensor probes, and the flexibility introduced by new torpedo warhead developments.

The Phoenix class is equipped to fire any torpedo that fits in a standard launcher, including quantum torpedoes, photon torpedoes, variable warhead torpedoes, and EMP torpedoes. The EMP torpedo uses a nuclear reaction to create an electromagnetic pulse in close proximity to the target ship to disable its electrical and electroplasmic systems. Standard compliment for the Phoenix is 10 quantum torpedoes, 5 EMP torpedoes, 5 variable warhead torpedoes, and 30 photon torpedoes.

Included in the defensive systems is the Phalanx system of eight small turrets. Each turret includes a type IV-pulse phaser emitter and mini-torpedo launcher (from the Icarus project) for targeting and damaging or destroying opponent fighter craft and projectiles. The mini-torp warhead can be programmed for proximity or timed detonation to provide a flak effect with a higher chance of destroying or diverting enemy torpedoes. They are located dorsal and ventral on the fore, starboard, and port edges of the saucer, and the aft end of the stardrive section. These defensive turrets serve a secondary purpose in path-finding through asteroid fields.

Secondary And Utility Systems

The Phoenix class, unlike the Nebula class, has a detachable saucer section, for separation under emergency conditions. Eighteen docking latches provide the necessary physical connections between the major load-bearing members of both vehicles. The active side of the latches is located on the forward dorsal surface of the Secondary Hull. The passive apertures for the latches are set into the aft ventral surface of the Saucer Module. In the event of saucer separation, the designers at ASW, ex-Starfleet Engineers themselves and eager to deliver power into the hands of Engineers, designed the engineering section to serve as the control center for the secondary hull by including control panels in engineering which can be adapted to flight, weapons, communications, and sensor control. The saucer section is equipped with landing skids, integrated into the lower hull and retracted beneath hull panels during normal flight. In case of emergency separation, explosive charges are included in the docking clamps, shaped in such a way that their detonation will disintegrate the docking clamps with little collateral structural damage, cutting the time for emergency saucer separation protocol to the time needed for crew transfer and saucer acceleration.

The Phoenix class includes nanites and larger robots to conduct repairs in environments that would be extremely hazardous to human health. These automata are either remote controlled by engineers in the engineering section or are preprogrammed with instructions in basic logic circuitry.

Crew Support Systems

In cases of emergencies such as ship destruction, ship evacuation and site-to-site transport protocols, including transport triage with specific destinations, come pre-programmed into the computer, to beam all onboard the ship to safe sections, whether they be lifeboats or the detachable saucer section or some similarly pre-determined locale. Emergency transport can also be initiated and controlled manually from the bridge, engineering, or any transporter room. Transport is handled by five primary transporters, eight cargo transporters, and six emergency transporters. The primary transporters can transport six people every 90 second cycle. Emergency protocol triggers an automatic reconfiguration of the cargo transporters, after which they can transport two people every 90 second cycle. Emergency transporters can transport twenty-two people every 90 second cycle. This allows for a Phoenix class at maximum evacuation limit (10,200 passengers and 475 crew) to be evacuated in approximately an hour. A standard crew compliment and full passenger compliment, totaling 1975 personnel, can be evacuated in approximately eighteen minutes. Site-to-site transport halves the capacity, doubling these numbers.

Eight-man lifeboats are located on each deck for evacuation purposes.

The designers provide for a medical complex large enough to handle as many patients as the Galaxy class sickbay, but also to serve as a chemical and biological analysis center for exploration. Included in this system is the wildly popular EMH mark II. Also included in the medical complex is a genetics lab for the cataloguing and processing of new specimens. Specimens can be replicated, grown, analyzed, and stored as needed.

Auxiliary Spacecraft Systems

On deck 36, located behind the warp core ejection mechanism, an auxiliary hangar (to supplement the main hangar on the saucer) has been attached. This hangar holds six fighters and their munitions.

Flight Operations are handled by the Chief Flight Officer (CFO), generally treated as another department head. Six engineering officers are dedicated to the maintenance of the fighters.

Five other pilots serve with the CFO.

The fighters are intended for use as an extension of the Phoenix class. They can be used in wartime, obviously, but also they can be outfitted with sensors to reconnoiter and explore without diverting the entire vessel.

The fighter bay can be converted to hold three runabouts with a minimum of alteration.

The shuttle compliment for the Phoenix class is 5 type 9A cargo shuttles, 5 type 9 personnel shuttles, 3 type 10 special purpose shuttles, and 10 two-person shuttlepods for EV repairs and similar activities. These are distributed between the main shuttlebay on the rear of the saucer and two auxiliary shuttlebays on the secondary hull.

Technical Specifications

Dimensions and Structure

Length

490.5 meters

Beam (Width)

327 meters

Height

145 meters

Decks

36

Crew Complement

Officers and Crew

475

Visiting Personnel

1500

Maximum Evacuation Limit

10,200

Computer Systems

Core

EUNIX decentralized/redundant core system

Operating System

Starfleet Library Computer Access and Retrieval System (LCARS)

User Interface

MAJEL

Warp Systems

Power Plant

One 1500+ cochrane M/ARA cores feeding two nacelles

Crusing Velocity

Warp 7

Maximum Sustainable Velocity

Warp 9.3

Maximum Velocity

Warp 9.97 (12 hours)

Impulse Systems

Full Impulse

0.28c

Accellerate

3.8 seconds

Decellerate

4.5 seconds

Defensive Systems

Shield Maximum Graviton Load (Continuous)

2320 MegaWatts

Shield Maximum Energy Dissipation Rate

6.9x10^5 kilowatts

Offensive Systems

Torpedoes

Torpedo Tubes

3

Standard Payload (total)

220 photon torpedoes

Phasers

4 Type-X Phaser Strips
1 Type-X Pulse Phaser
8 Phalanx phaser/slug turrets

Deck Layout

Deck 1

Observation lounge
Bridge
Captain’s ready room

Deck 2

Transporter room 1
Senior officer’s quarters
Main shuttlebay

Deck 3

Shuttle systems programs
Viewing balcony
Junior officer’s quarters

Deck 4

Junior officer’s quarters
VIP guest accommodations
Cargo bay
Cargo transporters

Deck 5

Captain’s quarters
Captain’s hot tub
Crew quarters
Holodeck 1
Phaser array 1
Cargo bay
Cargo transporters

Deck 6

Crew quarters
Tactical planning
Arboretum
Banquet/conference room

Deck 7

Crew quarters
Transporter room 2
Security office
Brig
Weapons storage
Auxiliary sensor array 1

Deck 8

Crew quarters
Holodeck 2
Gymnasium
Airlock
phaser array 2

Deck 9

Guest quarters
Main lounge (Phoenix Pub)
Saucer impulse engines

Deck 10

Guest quarters
Reactor and sensor maintenance
Holodeck 1

Deck 11

Guest quarters
Stellar cartography
Biophysics
Geophysics
Atmospheric physics
Modular labs 1-3
Primary sensor array
sensor maintenance

Deck 12

Guest quarters
Sickbay
Genetic analysis
Biochemistry
Xenobiology
Morgue
Sausage factory
Modular labs 4-6
Docking latches
Holodeck programs
Replicator mess 1
Torpedo storage
Torpedo launcher

Deck 13

Guest quarters
Shuttle bays
Docking latches
EVA access
Holodecks 3 and 4

Deck 14

Guest quarters
Utility replicators
Cargo bays
Cargo transporters
Phaser array 3
Transporter room 4

Deck 15

Guest quarters
Utility replicators
Transporter room 3
Landing skids
Mission module access

Deck 16

Captain’s yacht
Guest quarters
Torpedo launcher
Torpedo storage
Mission module access

Deck 17

Guest Quarters
Pulse phaser array
Mission module access
Main impulse engines

Deck 18

Guest quarters
Deuterium storage
Mission module access
Deflector dish
Main impulse engines

Deck 19

Guest quarters
Deuterium storage
Mission module access
Deflector dish

Deck 20

Guest quarters
Deuterium storage
Mission module access
Shuttle bay 2 (doors starboard and port of mission module stem)
Deflector dish
Directional sensors

Deck 21

Guest quarters
Airlocks (port and starboard)
Warp core
Mission module access
Bill Gates cloning facility
Deflector dish
Directional sensors

Deck 22

Guest quarters
Warp core
Mission module access
Deflector dish
Directional sensors

Deck 23

Guest quarters
Warp core
Mission module access
Deflector dish
Cargo bay
Cargo transporters
Directional sensors

Deck 24

Guest quarters
Warp core
Mission module access
Stardrive weapons storage
Deflector dish
Nacelle wing access
transporter room 5

Deck 25

Guest quarters
Main engineering
CE’s office
Warp core
Mission module access
Deflector dish
Nacelle wing access

Deck 26

Guest quarters
warp core
Deflector dish
Mission module access
Nacelle wing access

Deck 27

Guest quarters
Mission module access
Warp core
Deflector dish
Nacelle wing access

Deck 28

Guest quarters
Deuterium tank support
Warp core
Deflector dish
Shuttlebay 3
Nacelle wing access

Deck 29

Guest quarters
Deuterium tank support
Warp core
Deflector dish
Cargo bay
Cargo transporters

Deck 30

Guest quarters
Deuterium tank support
Warp core
Stardrive sensor array
Deflector dish

Deck 31

Cargo bay
Cargo transporters
Aft torpedo tube
Torpedo storage warp core
Deflector dish

Deck 32

Utility replicators
Anti-deuterium storage
Deflector dish
Disneyland-Phoenix
Aft replicator mess

Deck 33

Utility replicators
Anti-deuterium storage
Deflector dish
Cargo bay
Cargo transporters

Deck 34

Utility replicators
Anti-deuterium storage
Deflector dish
Cargo bay
Cargo transporters

Deck 35

Warp core ejection systems
Deflector dish
Airlock
Phaser array 4

Deck 36

Fighter bay
CFO’s office
Warp core ejection systems

Ships Of The Class

USS Jaeger, NCC-65421
USS Shrike, NCC-65422
USS Accipiter, NCC-65423
USS Buteo, NCC-65424
USS Snipe, NCC-65425
USS Avocet, NCC-65426
USS Starling, NCC-65427
USS Vireo, NCC-65428
USS Cotinga, NCC-65429
USS Becard, NCC-65430
USS Jacana, NCC-65431
USS Gallinule, NCC-65432
USS Sora, NCC-65433
USS Osprey, NCC-65434
USS Caracara, NCC-65435
USS Goshawk, NCC-65436
USS Gyrfalcon, NCC-65438
USS Kestrel, NCC-65439
USS Cathartes, NCC-65441

Conclusion

The Phoenix exists as a jack-of-all-trades, not able to do all of them at once, or all of them as well as specifically designed craft, but able to serve the variety of mission roles required by Starfleet.

Illustrations

These other visual representations of the Phoenix are available.

Phoenix-class Side View