Constellation Class

Name: Constellation
Craft: United Federation of Planets Constellation-Class Exploratory Cruiser
Type: Exploration Cruiser
Scale: Capital
Length: 302.95 x 157.23 x 78.1 meters
Ship Mass: 1,345,000 metric tons
Starship Size: 6
Skill: capital ship pilot
Autopilot: 2D+2
Crew: 350; Skeleton: 35/+10
Passengers: 150
Cargo Capacity: 100,000 metric tons
Consumables: 3 years
Warp Drive: 5.3 / 9 / 9.2 (8 Hours)
Nav Computer: yes
Maneuverability: 1D+1
Space: 9
Hull: 3D
Shields: 1D+2
Sensors

• Passive: 40 / 1D+1
• Scan: 120 / 1D+2
• Search: 150 / 2D+2
• Focus: 5 / 3D

Weapons

• 2 Type VIII Phaser Arrays

Fire Arc: 360 degrees dorsal, 360 degrees vental
Location: Saucer: 1 dorsal, 1 ventral
Crew: 1
Scale: capital
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 1D+1
Space Range: 1-2/5/15
Firing Modes: Standard, Continuous, Pulse, Wide-Beam
Rate of fire: 2
Damage: 3D

• 2 Type VIII Phaser Arrays

Fire Arc: 180 degrees aft port, 180 degrees aft starboard
Location: aft port of engineering section
Crew: 1
Scale: capital
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 1D+1
Space Range: 1-2/5/15
Firing Modes: Standard, Continuous, Pulse, Wide-Beam
Rate of fire: 1
Damage: 3D

• 2 Photon Torpedo Launchers

Fire Arc: 1 forward, 1 aft; but are self guided
Location: saucer forward dorsal, aft
Crew: 1
Scale: capital
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 1D+1
Space Range: 1-15/75/175
Ammunition: 80 Type II Photon Torpedoes total
Spread: 5
Damage: 4D

• Class Gamma Tractor Beam

Fire Arc: aft
Location: aft ventral
Crew: 1
Scale: capital
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 1D+1
Space Range: 1-3/5/10
Rate of fire: 1
Strength: 3D+2

• Class Alpha Tractor Beam

Fire Arc: Shuttlebay
Location: Shuttlebay
Crew: 1
Scale: starfighter
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 0D+2
Space Range: 1-3/5/10
Rate of fire: 1
Strength: 3D

Miscellaneous:

• Crew Quarters:

• Basic: 320
• Expanded: 40
• Luxury: 20
• Unusual: 15

• Decks: 16
• Escape Pods: 140

• Capacity per Pod: 8

• Year Commissioned: 2304 (Earth Reckoning)

Transporters

• Personnel: 4

• Range: 40,000 km
• Capacity: 6 persons

• Emergency: 4

• Range: 15,000 km
• Capacity: 18 persons

• Cargo: 4

• Range: 40,000 km
• Capacity: 400 kg

Complement

• Shuttle Craft: 6
• Shuttle Pods: 6
• Probes: 40

Description: The Constellation-class was a type of Federation cruiser in service to Starfleet in the 23rd and 24th centuries. This class was designed for operating independently of Starfleet Command in the remote reaches of the Federation. The class' successor design were the Ambassador-class heavy cruisers. (ST reference: Star Trek Encyclopedia; Decipher RPG module: Starships)

Development History

The Constellation-class starship was named in memory of the original USS Constellation, which was commanded by Commodore Matthew Decker and lost in battle against a Preserver created doomsday machine in 2267.

The first ship of this class, the USS Constellation NX-1974, was commissioned under experimental status in the year 2275. The Constellation was soon followed by the USS Sempach and the USS Speedwell, with construction beginning soon thereafter on the USS Stargazer and the USS Hathaway. (TOS novel: Honor Blade)

These ships were among the mainstay of Starfleet's exploratory and defense efforts through the early part of the 24th century, some commanded by the same captain for up to twenty years or more. (TNG episode: "The Battle")

By the 2330s, construction of new Constellation-class vessels were limited to two-a-year as new starship designs, such as the Ambassador-class, came into service. (ST short story: "Hour of Fire")

These "old-style" vessels were on the verge of being phased out of front-line service in the 2360s, regarded as being "overworked and underpowered". Many had already been entirely decommissioned and rendered "warp inactive", which included removing all antimatter but did not include removing the warp core. Those that were still in service in the 2360s and 2370s were engaged in support roles within the Fleet, such as transport duties and search and rescue missions. (TNG episodes: "Elementary, Dear Data", "Peak Performance"; DS9 episodes: "The Abandoned", "Waltz")

External Arrangement

The Constellation class featured four warp nacelles, a design which had previously existed as early as 2254 in the form of the USS Nelson (EV comic: "The Fallen")

This configuration was later seen in both the Cheyenne-class and Prometheus-class in the late 24th century.

The USS Nelson seen in "The Fallen" was described on a letters page of a later Early Voyages comic in response to inquiries about it being a TOS era Constellation class as a "prototype of a top secret class". The Constitution class variant model seen in TNG "Booby Trap" is another example of the "sideways" Constellation class nacelle arrangement, however there is no other evidence beside the fact have similar configurations that the two have any connection.

This class also mounted two impulse engine units in a vertical orientation between the nacelles in line with the saucer. Not altering the top sublight speed of the class, these redundant units--when used in concert with each other--gave the ship a huge advantage in acceleration and maneuverability.

The Constellations also mounted twin Constitution-style photon decks at the T-joints of each nacelle assembly, above and below the level of the saucer. This gave the Constellation class four forward photon tubes, each capable of firing a two torpedo spread for a very respectable total salvo of eight torpedoes.

The underside of the Constellation class saucer featured many fairings that marred her otherwise clean lines. These pallets contained special sensor equipment that befitted her role as a deep-space explorer, most of which could be exchanged for mission specific equipment at a starbase, and could be accessed from the deck above.

Source:

• Memory Alpha: Constellation-class
• Memory Beta: Constellation class
• Ship Recognition Manual vol 1 (Spacedock) (pages 30-32)
• thedemonapostle