Century class


Century Class.jpg
Century-Class
Class Information
Class: Century-Class
Role: Explorer
Expected Design Duration: 120 years
Time Between Resupply: 5 years
Dimensions
Length: 715 m
Width: 282 m
Height: 104 m
Decks: 26
Personnel
Officers: 165
Enlisted: 540
Marines: 0
Passengers: 120
Maximum (Evacuation) Capacity: 8000
Propulsion
“Efficient” Cruising Velocity: Warp 8.4
Maximum “Sustainable” Velocity: Warp 9.2
Emergency Velocity: Warp 9.99 (for 14 hours)
Armaments
Launchers:
Shielding Systems:
Auxiliary Craft
Facilities:

3

Additional Craft:
Other
[ Source ]


The most recent addition to Starfleet’s array of vessels of exploration and scientific discovery, the Century-class owed several of its design elements to the earlier Exclaibur-class. The ship was designed early in the 2870s as Starfleet grew concerned about a perceived deficit in its range of modern deep space explorers and, following early successes, is gradually being constructed in greater numbers.

Class History

By the early 2380s, Starfleet Command had identified a need for a large deep space explorer. Initially, designers came up with ideas to retrofit the large Excalibur-class ( which should have been the simplest solution) were given pause for thought when the problems with the still-young fleet command vessel were highlighted. It was undoubtedly a good all round vessel. Not all of its non-combat oriented technology had been removed and it was able to fill a multi-purpose role quite adequately. However, many Federation starships could boast the same. The only arena in which the Excalibur excelled, despite its vast size, was battle.

Instead, the Century-class (as it soon became known) shared many of the Excalibur’s design details, but the most obvious and immediate difference between the two was the hull shape. While their configurations were basically the same, the Century’s hull followed in the footsteps of the Intrepid and the Sovereign and was streamlined for high-warp performance. While some of this not insignificant alteration was achieved through new construction techniques that were later retroactively applied to Excalibur Class vessels when they berthed for refits, it was primarily possible because the Century was smaller, both in dimensions and mass, than its sister ship. Therefore, a large number of the structural problems afflicting the forerunner were immediately sidelined, allowing the design and construction teams to focus on the Century’s other aspects.

The Century’s impulse engines, while availing of the latest advances in technology, were several times smaller than the Excalibur’s. This avoided the compression problems experienced by the larger ship, but it meant that the Century’s maximum sub-light speed was markedly inferior. Not even the addition of a third, central engine during the design process’ early stages made a significant difference, although the relocation of the two existing engines to the nacelle pylons, which could easily stand up under the strain of the smaller drive units, boosted the Century’s manoeuvrability somewhat. In Starfleet Command’s eyes, however, the overall loss when compared with the Excalibur was virtually inconsequential. The Century, after all, was not intended to be a combat vessel and, for the most part, its impulse engines would not be called upon as frequently as the Excalibur’s, which would typically not be free to flee an engagement area at warp.

By the time the class entered the final design stages, the Excalibur’s military components had either been removed or considerably scaled back to make room for the re-inclusion of the scientific equipment needed to classify the vessel as an explorer. Using the latest and most advanced systems, from long-range multi-spectral sensors and quantum distortion spatial probes to poly-state laboratory scanners and adapted tri-deflector interference generators, the Century surpassed the exploratory capabilities of the Galaxy, the Nebula and the Excalibur.

In late 2383, the first Century Class starship, the class’ namesake, launched on her shakedown trial for a grand tour of the Federation’s borders. During the opening months of the tour, the Century needed to modify its course to make use of the local starbases’ docking and maintenance facilities five times due to problems with its power generation systems. On one occasion, another starship had to divert to rendezvous with the Century when the prototype’s warp engines, stricken by an inexplicable power surge, failed. The modifications ordered and overseen by the experienced engineers aboard the other Starfleet vessel spelled the end of the Century’s burgeoning power problems and, for the remaining year and a half of the shakedown cruise and testing, the ship never needed to visit another starbase or meet with another vessel again.

In late 2385, the USS Century was commissioned NCC-87700 and immediately set out for beyond Gorn space. Three other vessels of the class were officially launched soon after, with a further three nearing completion above Vulcan. The Century, what the Excalibur should have been but on a reduced scale, is a peaceful explorer, the armaments of which are a last resort and intended for defence alone, and a community in space with the sole aim of exploring the mysterious uncharted reaches of the Alpha Quadrant and beyond.

Deck Listing

Deck Description
1 Bridge, Captain's Ready Room, Observation/Conference Lounge
2 CO's Quarters, XO's Quarters and Office, Enlisted Affairs Office, Emergency Batteries, Weapons Locker
3 Main Lounge, Senior Officer Quarters, Aft Viewing Lounge, Communications Array, Officers' Quarters, Gymnasium
4 Officer Quarters, Crew Quarters, VIP Quarters, Transporter Rooms 1 & 2, Emergency Batteries, Chief Operations Officer's Office
5 Security Offices, Brig, Armoury 1, Security Training Facilities, CIO's Office, Aft Tactical Sensors, Crew Quarters, Holodecks 1 & 2, Cargo Bay 1
6 Main Computer Core (Level 1), Main Computer Core Control, Science Labs, Arboretum, Diplomatic Facilities, Civilian Quarters, Crew Quarters, Holodecks 3 & 4
7 Main Computer Core (Level 2), Main Shuttlebay (Upper), Flight Control Room 1, Astrometrics/Stellar Cartography, Main Science Lab, Chief Science Officer's Office, Science Labs, Counsellor's Office, Hydroponics Bay, Ship's Library, Civilian Quarters, School, Officer's Mess, Main Sickbay and Supports, CMO's Office
8 Main Computer Core (Level 3), Main Shuttlebay (Lower),Impulse Assembly, Weapons Locker, Engineering Lab, Shuttlebay Elevators, Upper Shuttle Maintenance & Storage, Forward Tactical Sensors, Docking Clamps
9 Main Computer Core (Level 4), Impulse Engines, Warp Core Subsystems, Lower Shuttle Maintenance & Storage, Dorsal Docking Port, Emergency Transporters, Crew Quarters, Astrometrics and Stellar Cartography, Advanced Sensor Array
10 Impulse Assembly, Deuterium Injectors, Shuttle Repair & Machine Shop, Engineering Support Area, Industrial Replicators, Armoury 2, Crew Quarters, Holodecks 5 & 6, Primary Waste Recyclamation, Primary Environmental Control, Cargo Bays 2-4
11 Auxiliary Deflector Controls, Shuttle Elevator Assembly, Airlock, Crew Quarters, Transporter Rooms 3 & 4, Airlocks, RCS Thrusters, Primary Stores, Science Labs
12 Auxiliary Deflector Array, Primary SIF/IDF/Shield Generators, Systems Support Compartment, Maintenance Bay 1
13 Torpedo Turrets Access, Torpedo Storage, Main Sensor Array, Deuterium Tanks, Science Labs, Crew Mess Hall (Aft), Maintenance Bay 2
14 Deuterium Tanks, Shuttlebay 2, Flight Control Room 2, Captain's Yacht Access, Turbolift Maintenance
15 Secondary Computer Core (Level 1), Shuttlebay 2, Shuttle Storage, Deflector Assembly, Weapons Locker, Transporter Room 5, Cargo Bays 5 & 6
16 Secondary Computer Core (Level 2), Reserve Antimatter Storage, Main Navigational Deflector, Deflector Control, Weapons Locker, Warp Nacelle Access, Emergency Transporters, Auxiliary Sickbay
17 Main Engineering, Chief Engineer's Office, Deflector Assembly, Secondary Plasma Vent, Emergency Transporters, Cargo Bays 9 & 10
18 Deflector Assembly, Auxiliary (Battle) Bridge, Secondary Computer Core (Level 3), Aft Sensor Array
19 Auxiliary SIF/IDF/Shield Generators, Maintenance Bays, Torpedo Storage
20 Multi-purpose Chamber (Upper), Crew Quarters, Lateral Sensors, Secondary Communications Array, Tertiary Computer Core (Level 1)
21 Emergency Batteries, Complementary Deflector Assembly, Multi-purpose Chamber (Lower), Tertiary Computer Core (Level 2)
22 Forward Torpedo Launchers (2), Torpedo Magazine, Probe Storage, Primary Communications Array, Tractor Beam Assembly, Turbolift Maintenance
23 Antimatter Storage Pods, Forward Tractor Beam Emitter, Secondary SIF/IDF/Shield Generators, Cargo Bay 10 (Upper), Secondary Stores
24 Antimatter Storage Pods, Antimatter Generator, Torpedo Magazine, Maintenance Bay 3, Cargo Bay 10 (Lower), Secondary Waste Reclamation, Secondary Environmental Control
25 Tractor Beam Assembly, Antimatter Generator, Antimatter Injectors, Secondary Sensor Array, Sensor Analysis Suite
26 Tractor Beam Assembly, Aft Tractor Beam Emitter, Aft Torpedo Launchers (2), Torpedo Magazine, Warp Core Jettison Hatch

Starships Commissioned