ACTD: ASDB Excelsior-Class Starship Specifications v1.0

Advanced Technical Specifications for the Excelsior-Class Production Vehicle

Accommodation: 450 (150 Officers - 300 Enlisted Crew) - up to 130 visiting scientists, diplomats and civilians

Classification: Explorer [Exploration/Diplomatic/Defensive]

Funding for Excelsior Class Development Project Provided by: Advanced Starship Design Bureau; United Federation of Planets Defense Council. Developed by the Newport News Engineering Consortium

Development Project Started: 2252

Production Start Date: 2283

Production End Date: 2335

Current Status: In Service

Locations of Excelsior-Class Construction:

Antares Fleet Yard, Antares IV
New Aberdeen Fleet Yard, Aldebarran
Utopia Planitia Fleet Yard, Mars
Copernicus Fleet Yard, Luna
Atlas V Fleet Yard, Deneb V
San Francisco Fleet Yard, Earth

Current Starship Identification and Registration Numbers:

U.S.S. Gryphon NCC-42102
U.S.S. Griffon NCC-42365 (Destroyed)
U.S.S. Pendragon NCC-42662
U.S.S. Minotaur NCC-42713
U.S.S. Delphyne NCC-45264

Pursuant to Starfleet Exploration Directives 902.3 & 914.5, Starfleet Corps of Engineering Special Directive 10021.A, Starfleet Defense Directives 138.6 & 141.1, and Federation Security Council General Policy, the following objectives have been established for an Excelsior Class Starship:

Length: 511.25 meters
Width: 195.64 meters
Height: 86.76 meters
Weight: 2,350,000 metric tons
Cargo capacity: 35,200 metric tons

Hull: Duranium hull plating over duranium-tritanium structural members
Number of Decks: 17 Total, 15 Habitable.

Length: 511.25 meters
Width: 195.64 meters
Height: 86.76 meters
Weight: 2,350,000 metric tons
Cargo capacity: 35,200 metric tons

Hull: Duranium hull plating over duranium-tritanium structural members
Number of Decks: 17 Total, 15 Habitable.

History written by: Steve Mallory - based on information found in Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek Technical Manual, Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual, Star Trek: Deep Space 9 Technical Manual, and Star Trek: The Magazine. The style of the history is based on histories presented in the Startrek Spaceflight Chronology by Stan Goldstein, Fred Goldstein, and Rick Sternbach. Please keep in mind that this is a history developed based on canon information presented in various sources and filled in with logical conjecture.

The elder statesman of the active fleet, only the recently decommissioned Miranda class has logged more vessels constructed and more active duty cycles than the Excelsior class. Even though “the great experiment” was, in the end, a failure, the vessel proved to be a highly durable and reliable design. The Excelsior Class has transcended generations and, while no longer the glory posting it once was, still represents the backbone of Starfleet and one of her most enduring symbols.

In the mid 2200’s, the Miranda, Oberth and the Constitution class vessels represented the backbone of the United Federation of Planets Starfleet, with the Miranda serving a multitude of roles from Deep-space war patrol along the Klingon and Romulan Neutral Zones, but also as Police Frigates near Rigel and as Hospital Ships throughout the Federation. With the Miranda class supplanting the Oberth as a surveyor and deep-space scientific platform, the Constitution class was the true ship-of-the-line for the Starfleet. However, the Constitution class was showing its age in engagements and endurance as the threat to Federation safety from the Klingon Empire increased. Starfleet needed a vessel that would not only compliment the Miranda class, but also supplant the highly successful Constitution class. Further, this vessel had to have a longer on-station time than the Constitution class, more firepower, and most of all, be faster than the ship it was replacing.

These were no small requests to be met, but necessities from which Starfleet Command never wavered. The Excelsior class project began in 2258 with a call to the major fleet development centers across the Federation. And it would take the San Francisco Fleet Yards – location of the Constitution Class development and construction – nearly 10 years to devise a spaceframe design that would meet all of Starfleet’s specifications save for the need for higher sustainable speeds.

Starfleet approved of the design, and commissioned a single vessel to be constructed, SFC still skeptical given the complete lack of M/ARA system for the vessel. Starfleet awarded the venerable Newport News Engineering Consortium, based out of Newport News, Rhode Island sector, the engineering contract with the unenviable task of designing a M/ARA system that would outperform and outlast the Constitution Class warp engines. The NNEC had designed the Oberth Class M/ARA configuration, which was at the time of its launching, the most efficient if not the fastest power plant in use by Starfleet. This configuration, however, was supplanted by the Constitution Class (and later the Constitution-Refit) M/ARA drive system.

The NNEC had a young engineer by the name of Doctor Yoshi Tokogawa, PhD Warp Dynamics (who would later leave NNEC and found his own engineering firm, Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems), who ran with the popular theory of the day that speeds beyond Warp Ten were possible – entering what was then dubbed “Transwarp Speeds” – theorized that it was not only probable that the NNEC could develop such a drive, he was positive that such a device could be deployed. His team worked for nearly 8 years, hypothesizing, testing, and retesting their drive system, but until it was actually deployed in a vessel for testing that anyone could be sure that the drive worked. The math proved that Transwarp existed, but so far, experimental probe drives either ran out of fuel or failed to break Warp 9.5 with their current drive system as the test vehicles lacked the subspace field characteristics of an actual starship.

The vessel had been in development for close to 14 years at that point, with millions of man-hours sunk in the development of a ship that had not seen the outside of a spacedock. By the end of 2272, however, the new, highly confidential and controversial drive system was gamma welded into the space frame. Two Impulse Reactors by the two new Scarbak Mk IV Impulse Drives, designed specifically for the Excelsior Class, were also added to the space frame, with only the most basic of internal compartmentalization completed, the frame, now assigned the registry NX-2000 and going with the project name – Excelsior – left the San Francisco Fleet Yards Orbital Facility for speed trials between the Sol system and Vulcan. The Excelsior was escorted by two Miranda class starships, the USS Archangelisk and the USS Sevastapol on her maiden voyage to protect and to record the proceedings to verify the speed and efficiency of the new drives.

Initial testing was exciting, as the Excelsior outpaced her escorts and reached maximum speeds of Warp 9.4, and sustained a comfortable cruising speed of Warp 8. Moreover, her fuel consumption was well below the average curve, even when taking into account the additional mass a fully completed frame would add to the fuel usage rate calculations. While the Excelsior was never pushed hard enough to reach Warp 10, readouts aboard both the test vessel and the pace ships indicated that it was well within the realm of possibility. Starfleet deemed the test a success and ordered the Excelsior home to Sol for final hull completion and compartmentalization.

By the end of 2282, the USS Excelsior, NX-2000 was assigned to the command of Captain James Styles, and ordered out of San Francisco Fleet Yards orbital facility to Spacedock, Sol, where she would take on her crew, resupply, and begin her trial runs. Given the complexity and experimental nature of the newly dubbed ‘Transwarp Drive’, the Engineering Department was headed up by newly promoted Captain Montgomery Scott, recently transferred over from the decommissioned USS Enterprise. Considered by many to be the best engineer in Starfleet, he was the logical and best choice to serve aboard the Excelsior.

Before the Excelsior could put out for her final shakedown cruise, Admiral Kirk and company (see Tasner’s book Kirk, Spock, McCoy: Legends for more information) stole the USS Enterprise, with the assistance of Captain Scott. As the Enterprise sped away from Spacedock, it seemed a natural chance for Starfleet Command to see what exactly the Excelsior could do and to prove the naysayers once and for all that the Excelsior was the next evolution in both space frame and propulsion design. When the ship failed to achieve Warp 1 and pursue the stolen Enterprise, SFC was dumbstruck. The Great Experiment had failed.

After action reports indicated that Captain Scott had succeeded in sabotaging completely and totally the Transwarp Drive by simply removing three duotronic processor support chips. The complexity of Dr. Tokogawa’s design was its downfall and the Excelsior class returned to spacedock under Impulse power, and the NX-2000 returned to drydock to have its M/ARA drive removed and replaced with a more conventional NNEC Generation 5 M/ARA warp drive.

The new Generation 5 Warp Core would still propel the Excelsior space frame to a maximum speed of Warp 9.2, but only had endurance at that rate of roughly 10 minutes. Her fuel supply was consumed at a nearly identical rate as the Constitution class, and she required nearly the same amount of engineering care and training as the Constitution class.

Despite this, the spaceframe was still considered a success and after the final shakedown of the NX-2000, Starfleet ordered the construction of no less than 40 of the Excelsior Class in the first production contract. San Francisco, Antares IV, Tellar and Andor were all designated construction locations for the Excelsior Class, and by the time of her first redesign and refit, there were 28 Excelsior Class ships in service.

10 years and 28 ships later, some serious flaws were exposed in the original Excelsior design. Most notably, the Gen.5 Warp Core was fragile when compared to the overly complex but hardy Transwarp reactor. Further, the Scarbak Mark IV impulse engines were extremely inefficient at maneuvering the Excelsior Class at sublight speeds. The Constitution class was much more nimble, and the Excelsior class suffered in encounters as a result.

Again, the NNEC modified the basic design of the Excelsior space frame, addressing individually the specific problems with the current design. The resulting redesign addressed all concerns about the Excelsior class, and the Excelsior-Refit, like the Constitution-Refit 30 years earlier, doubled the utility of the vessel without sacrificing production time or costs. Additional armor, along with placement of the impulse engines within the primary neck structure and saucer section gave the vessel additional combat maneuverability and survivability. Computer upgrades, along with tweaking of the existing M/ARA designs improved computer speeds by 2% and M/ARA efficiency by 5%.

Despite the limitations of the original design, Starfleet was quite happy with the existing space frame, issuing contracts to bring the total number of Excelsior class vessels up to 100, while the Excelsior-Refit class contract would place the number of vessels at 25 when the first contract with McKinley Station and San Francisco Fleet Yards was completed. However, with the advancement of impulse and warp technologies between the construction and deployment of the Excelsior and Excelsior-Refit class starships, it was determined that the Excelsior-Refit spaceframe was redundant. Therefore, Starfleet determined that the initial 25 starship production contract for the Excelsior-Refit would be the only contract, and the design was retired.

While the expected life span of the Excelsior class was listed at 50 years, the class has lasted twice that. Sturdy, accommodating to crew and passengers, the Excelsior class is perhaps the most widely recognized class of Starship in the Federation. The last refit of the Excelsior & Excelsior-Refit classes saw the addition of Type VIII Phaser Turrets, originally deployed with the Merced Class Frigate, and saw a complete overhaul of her warp and computer cores. However, this was deemed the last refit of the class, with Starfleet wishing to integrate more and more Ambassador and later Nebula class vessels into the roles that had traditionally been served by the Excelsior class. Despite the proliferation of Type IX and now Type X arrays, ASDB simulations have shown that the addition of these types of weapons onto an Excelsior hull means serious reductions in other shipboard services such as replicators, holodeck/holosuite operations, and other power consuming functions, due to the amount of power necessary to operate these phasers at rated specifications, along with the modification of internal spaces to support the new array type of phaser emitter, which take up much more space than their counterpart turret style phasers.

With Excelsior class ships serving as the bulk of the fleet in engagements against both the Borg and the Dominion, the vessels have seen a startling attrition rate. Nearly 60 percent of the active Excelsiors in the fleet were destroyed or decommissioned following fleet engagements against threat vessels. In combat missions, recommissioned and revamped Steamrunner class vessels replaced the Excelsior class, the Excelsior was relegated more and more to both the exploration and diplomatic arms of SFC until the end of the Dominion war. This is by no means an accurate portrayal of the importance the Excelsior and Excelsior-Refit played in combat operations, some refit Excelsior class vessels sporting newer automated, rapid-fire torpedo launchers which proved to be a match for the Cardassian Union’s mainline warships. Despite these spot upgrades - which in the end were costly, time-consuming and did little to improve the combat survivability of the Starship beyond matching her on par with older Cardassian designs, she suffered heavy losses, as did many older Starfleet designs, against the Dominion fighters and battlecruisers.

While nearly 80 Excelsior class vessels remain in active service, Starfleet has officially retired the design and is keeping the remaining Excelsior class vessels in service until their estimated refit dates before decommissioning the vessels.

General Overview: Primary operational control of the Excelsior Class is provided by the Main Bridge, located at the top of the primary hull. It is located on Deck 1. The Main Bridge directly supervises all primary mission operations (with the exception of the Flight bay and assorted craft) and coordinates all departmental activities.

The Main Bridge is a highly restricted area; only Beta-Two security clearance personnel (Officers with the Rank of Ensign or Higher) and authorized bridge personnel are allowed on the bridge. All bridge officers have access to a small armory on the bridge that carries both type II and type II phasers.

The Main Bridge is an ejectable module, allowing for a wider variety in mission parameters.

Layout: The new primary Bridge configuration is a simplified version of the new Galaxy Class configuration, though due to the age of the Excelsior class, bridge configurations can vary from vessel to vessel. The central area of the Main Bridge provides seating and information displays for the Captain and two other officers. The Captain’s Chair is raised from the rest of the Bridge Officers, to that of the surrounding level which includes Tactical and Operations. The two Officer seats are equipped with fully programmable consoles for a variety of uses.

Directly fore and to the right of the command area is the Flight Control Officer, who faces the main viewer. The FCO is equipped with a console that proceeds around at a 45 degree angle.

Directly fore and to the Captain's left is the Operations manager's console. Identical in size and design to the Helm station, the Operations console is one of the most sensitive consoles to access on the bridge, due to the wide variety of information available there.

At the very front of the bridge chamber is a large viewscreen. This main viewer performs all the standard duties expected of it. However, the viewscreen is not always activated like most other Starships. It is a full Holographic display, that can be activated upon request. When the screen is not active, the screen remains dark.

Aft and to starboard of the command area is an elevated platform on which is located the tactical/security control station (comprised of two consoles, one for tactical, and one for security, located directly behind tactical and along the back of the bridge area). These consoles are to the starboard side of the Captain’s Chair, no longer in the direct middle.

Against the port side walls of the main bridge are the consoles for Science and others that are programmable for a multitude of functions. There are two Science consoles with Science 2 being a fully programmable multi-mission Console. Science I, which is the primary science console. Science I has priority links to Conn, Ops, Computers, and Tactical.

Science II is the ASO's (Assistant Science Officer's) console, which can be used by any personnel. Science II has access to all science, navigational, sensor, and communications systems. Science II can be configured to operate in tandem with Science I, although security links and all other non-science data is withheld from Science II. Science II usually works independently of Science I.

Against the aft wall of the main bridge is the large engineering console. This has a smaller cutaway diagram of the starship, which displays all engineering-relevant data and shows warp fields and engine output. This console also has priority links to the computers, the WPS (Warp Propulsion System), the IPS (Impulse Propulsion System), navigation, SIF, and IDF. Although usually unattended, the Chief Engineer can bring this console to full Enable mode by entering voice codes and undergoing a retinal scan. Also located on the platform, against the aft wall of the bridge, is a large master systems display monitor, similar to the one in main engineering. All relative ship information (such as damage, power distribution, etc.) is displayed on the cutaway image of the starship. This monitor can be used to direct ship operations and can be configured for limited flight control if necessary. Also located in the Bridge Engineering is the Engineering II console, which is fully programmable to run any Secondary Console function, including Sciences, Medical, Operations, Limited Helm control, or Security.

This console, as does every console on the bridge, also has the hand-input sub-console for use in setting the auto-Destruct of starship. The auto-destruct sequence follows Standard Starfleet security procedures which can be accessed via any secured Memory Alpha ODN connection.

There are two turbolifts on the bridge that can handle normal transit around the starship. There is also an emergency ladder that connects the bridge to Deck three. There is also one door, on the aft platform of the bridge, that leads to the Conference Room, which is directly aft of the Main Bridge. Other connected rooms to the Main Bridge include the Captain's Ready Room.

There are no escape pods connected to the bridge. Pods are located on all decks below Deck three. Each pod can support two people for 4 hours in space, and has a maximum speed of half impulse. Two pods are reserved for the top four officers in the chain of command on the starship, because they are the last four to leave the ship. These are located on Deck two. As the number of experienced Captains dwindles in Starfleet, the notion of a Captain going down with his ship has been abolished. If the ship is abandoned, the top four officers in the chain of command will wait until everyone else is off the ship, opt to arm the auto-Destruct (not always necessary, but there if needed), and then leave in the two escape pods.

Located on Deck 12, Main Engineering is the ‘heart’ of the ship, comparable to the bridge as ‘brain’. It has access to almost all systems aboard the starship, and manages repairs, power flow, and general maintenance.

Entrance to Main Engineering is provided by two large blast doors that can be closed for internal or external security reasons. Just inside of that is an observation area where technicians monitor various systems of the ship. Also in that area, is a floor-mounted situational display similar to the Master Systems Display found on the Bridge. Affectionately referred to as the ‘pool table’, the Chief Engineer can use the display to more easily get a broad view of the situation with just a glance.

Farther in from the observation area is the warp core and main control systems. Circular in shape, the room was designed to be small but exceedingly functional to save space inside the ship. Usable consoles are mounted on every piece of ‘real estate’ around the circumference of the room and provide primary control access for the engineers and technicians.

Off to the starboard side of Main Engineering is the Chief Engineer’s Office, which is equipped with a diagnostics table, assembly and repair equipment, a small replicator, and a personal use console with built-in private viewscreen.

In the center of Main Engineering is the Matter/Anti-Matter Assembly (M/ARA). This is where primary power for the ship is generated inside the Matter/Anti-Matter Reaction Chamber (M/ARC). This system is checked on a regular basis due to its importance to the ship. Access to the warp core is restricted, with a front port to get to the Dilithium matrix as well as an over side port for access to the warp plasma conduits.

A second tier rings the second level of Main Engineering. A small single-person elevator, as well as a ladder on the opposite end, provides access to this catwalk.

Access to the Jefferies Tubes is provided in various places on both the First and Second Tier of Main Engineering.

Typical crew compliment in Main Engineering consists of twenty engineers and thirty technicians of various grades. During Red or Yellow Alert, that number is increased.

This multi-room department is located in a Restricted area on deck 9. Within it are the entrances to the Brig holding cells, the torpedo/probe magazine, the weapon control room and to the Ship's Armory, as well as the Chief Tactical Officer's office.

The CTO's office is decorated to the officer's preference. It contains a work area, a personal viewscreen, a computer display, and a replicator.

Brig: Located on deck 17, the brig is a restricted access area and under constant guard. The Excelsior class has 8 double occupancy cells, which contain beds, a retractable table and chairs, a water dispenser, and a toilet. The cells are secured with a level 10 forcefield emitter built into each doorway. A smaller set of secondary holding cells are located on deck 9.

Ship's Armory: This room is located in a restricted area on deck 9 and is under constant guard. The room is sealed with a level 10 forcefield and can only be accessed by personnel with Alpha 3 security clearance. Inside the armory is a work area for maintenance and repair of phasers as well as multiple sealed weapon lockers. The starship carries enough type-I and type-II phasers to arm the entire crew. Type-III phaser rifle and the new compression phaser rifles are available as well, but only in enough numbers to arm approximately 1/3 of the crew. Heavy ordinance is available in limited numbers.

Torpedo/Probe Magazine: This restricted area is for storing unarmed photon torpedoes, quantum torpedoes (if the mission dictates), and science probes I - VI (VII - X if mission dictates). Also stored here are the components for manufacturing new photon torpedoes as well as the equipment to put it all together. This room is also accessed by the loading mechanism for the torpedo launchers.

Phaser Turret arrangement: Three dorsal turrets on the saucer section, one for the forward, starboard and port sides. These turrets are duplicated on the ventral side of the primary saucer. One ventral turret on the primary hull, dead aft covers the aft firing arc. The turret itself is located beneath the aft engineering hull Shuttlebay.

Phaser Turret Type: The Excelsior Class starship is a medium sized vessel, and utilizes the Type VIII turret system. The seven arrays are all type VIII turret emitters. Each array fires a pulsed beam of phaser energy, discharging the phasers at speeds approaching .986c (which works out to about 182,520 miles per second - nearly warp one). The phaser array automatically rotates phaser frequency and attempts to lock onto the frequency and phase of a threat vehicle's shields for shield penetration.

Phaser Array Output: Each phaser array takes its energy directly from the impulse drive and auxiliary fusion generators. Individually, each type VIII turret can discharge approximately 2.75 MW (megawatts).

Arrangement: Two fixed-focus torpedo launchers, located just above the main deflector dish in the neck of the vessel. A third launcher is set to fire dead aft and is located on the rear of the engineering hull just below the aft shuttlebay. These launchers are the second generation of automated, high-speed launcher originally found on the Constitution-Refit Class starships. Since the launch of the Excelsior Class, however, the vessel has had continuous upgrades to keep the vessel up to date with modern Torpedo Weapon technology. The last upgrade for the Excelsior Class saw the installation of torpedo launchers designed and deployed for use with the Akira class. These launchers are highly automated and can fire a maximum salvo of 5 torpedoes per launcher from the forward launchers and 3 torpedoes from the aft launcher.

Type: Mark XXV photon torpedo, capable of pattern firing (sierra, etc.) as well as independent launch. Independent targeting once launched from the ship, detonation on contact unless otherwise directed by the Chief Tactical Officer.

Type: A symmetrical subspace graviton field. This type of shield is fairly similar to those of most other Starships. However, besides incorporating the now mandatory nutation shift in frequency, the shields alter their graviton polarity to better deal with more powerful weapons, such as the neutron-carbide beams of Tamarian vessels. During combat, the shield sends data on what type of weapon is being used on it, and what frequency and phase the weapon uses. Once this is analyzed by the tactical officer, the shield can be configured to have the same frequency as the incoming weapon - but different nutation. This tactic dramatically increases shield efficiency.

Output: There are twelve shield grids on the Excelsior Class starship, and each one generates 137.5 MW, resulting in a total shield strength of approx. 1650 MW. The power for the shields is taken directly from the warp engines and impulse fusion generators. If desired, the shields can be augmented by power from the impulse power plants. The shields are now comparable to the original New Orleans class and can protect against approximately 12% of the total EM spectrum (whereas the Galaxy Class Starship's standard shields can protect against about 23%), This improvement was made possible by the multi-phase graviton polarity flux technology incorporated into the shields, which is now standard issue on Federation starships.

Range: The shields, when raised, stay extremely close to the hull to conserve energy - average range is ten meters away from the hull.

Primary purpose: Defense from enemy threat forces, hazardous radiation and micro-meteoroid particles.

Number of computer cores: Two; The primary core occupies space on decks 6, 7 and 8 - located centrally in the main saucer section. The secondary, emergency core is much smaller than the first and is located adjacent to Environmental Control on Deck 17.

Type: The updated Computer cores found on the Excelsior class are larger versions of the New Orleans Class Isolinear Processing cores, spread out to take three rather than four decks. The system is powered by a smaller, regulated EPS conduit directly from the warp core. Cooling of the isolinear loop is accomplished by a regenerative liquid nitrogen loop that is vented directly to space. For missions, requirements on the computer core rarely exceed 75-80% of total core processing and storage capacity. The rest of the core is utilized for various scientific, tactical, or intelligence gathering missions - or to backup data in the event of a damaged core.

Acronym for Library Computer Access and Retrieval System, the common user interface of 24th century computer systems, based on verbal and graphically enhanced keyboard/display input and output. The graphical interface adapts to the task which is supposed to be performed, allowing for maximum ease-of-use. The Excelsior Class operates on LCARS build version 4.5 to account for increases in processor speed and power, and limitations discovered in the field in earlier versions, and increased security.

Access to all Starfleet data is highly regulated. A standard set of access levels have been programmed into the computer cores of all ships in order to stop any undesired access to confidential data.

Security levels are also variable, and task-specific. Certain areas of the ship are restricted to unauthorized personnel, regardless of security level. Security levels can also be raised, lowered, or revoked by Command personnel.

Note: Security Levels beyond current rank can and are bestowed where, when and to whom they are necessary.

The main computer grants access based on a battery of checks to the individual user, including face and voice recognition in conjunction with a vocal code as an added level of security.

All Starfleet vessels make use of a computer program called a Universal Translator that is employed for communication among persons who speak different languages. It performs a pattern analysis of an unknown language based on a variety of criteria to create a translation matrix. The translator is built into the Starfleet badge and small receivers are implanted in the ear canal.

The Universal Translator matrix aboard Excelsior Class starships consists of well over 100,000 languages and increases with every new encounter.

Type: NNEC Mark 4.5 Standard Matter/Anti-Matter Reaction Drive, developed by Newport News Engineering Consortium. Information on this Warp Drive can be found in any Starfleet Library or Omnipedia.

Cruising Speed as pursuant to Warp Limitations, as a cause of subspace pollution: Warp 6.6

Note: Vessels equipped with the NNEC Mark 4.5 series M/ARA Drive System no longer have the maximum cruising speed limit of Warp 6.3, thanks to innovations discovered and utilized in the General Electric Type 8 M/ARA Warp Drive outfitted in the new Sovereign Class Starship. Pursuant to Starfleet Command Directive 12856.A, all Starships will receive upgrades to their Warp Core system to prevent further pollution of Subspace.

Type: Standard Scarbak VI Excelsior Class mass drivers, developed specifically for the Excelsior Class

Output: Each engine (there are two impulse engines) can propel the Excelsior Class at speeds just under .75c, or "three-quarters maximum impulse". Maximum impulse is .994c (one tenth away from 186,282 miles per second, which is warp one), and requires both engines working at approximately half strength. Standard impulse operations are limited to a maximum speed of .25c, with each engine working at .125c, due to time dilation problems.

Type: Standard Version 3 magnetohydrodynamic gas-fusion thrusters, identical to thrusters originally deployed on the Constitution-Refit Class starship.

A standard Excelsior Class main deflector dish is located along the fore portion of the Excelsior Class's secondary hull, and is located just forward of the primary engineering spaces. Composed of molybdenum/duranium mesh panels over a tritanium framework (beneath the Duranium-Tritanium hull), the dish can be manually moved four degrees in any direction off the ship's Z-axis. The main deflector dish's shield and sensor power comes from two graviton polarity generators located on deck 17, each capable of generating 128 MW, which can be fed into two 550 millicochrane subspace field distortion generators.

Type: Multiphase subspace graviton beam, used for direct manipulation of objects from a submicron to a macroscopic level at any relative bearing to the starship. Each emitter is directly mounted to the primary members of the ship's framework, to lessen the effects of isopiestic subspace shearing, inertial potential imbalance, and mechanical stress.

Output: Each tractor beam emitter is built around three multiphase 15 MW graviton polarity sources, each feeding two 475 millicochrane subspace field amplifiers. Phase accuracy is within 1.3 arc-seconds per microsecond, which gives superior interference pattern control. Each emitter can gain extra power from the SIF by means of molybdenum-jacketed waveguides. The subspace fields generated around the beam (when the beam is used) can envelop objects up to 920 meters, lowering the local gravitational constant of the universe for the region inside the field and making the object much easier to manipulate.

Range: Effective tractor beam range varies with payload mass and desired delta-v (change in relative velocity). Assuming a nominal 15 m/sec-squared delta-v, the multiphase tractor emitters can be used with a payload approaching 116,380,000,000 metric tons at less than 2,000 meters. Conversely, the same delta-v can be imparted to an object massing about one metric ton at ranges approaching 30,000 kilometers.

Personnel Transporters: 6 (Transporter Rooms 1-2 - each with 3 transporter stations)

Long range and navigation sensors are located behind the main deflector dish, to avoid sensor "ghosts" and other detrimental effects consistent with main deflector dish millicochrane static field output. Lateral sensor pallets are located around the rim of the entire Starship, providing full coverage in all standard scientific fields, but with emphasis in the following areas:

Each sensor pallet (twenty in all) can be interchanged and re-calibrated with any other pallet on the ship.

Warp Current sensor: This is an independent subspace graviton field-current scanner, allowing the starship to track ships at high warp by locking onto the eddy currents from the threat ship's warp field, then follow the currents by using multi-model image mapping.

There are twenty independent tactical sensors on Excelsior Class Starships. Each sensor automatically tracks and locks onto incoming hostile vessels and reports bearing, aspect, distance, and vulnerability percentage to the tactical station on the main bridge. Each tactical sensor is approximately 50% efficient against ECM, and operates modestly in particle flux nebulae - measuring somewhere between 40-50% accuracy on primary and secondary scans.

One small stellar cartography bay is located on deck 14, with direct EPS power feed from engineering. All information is directed to the bridge and can be displayed on any console or the main viewscreen. The Chief Science Officer's office is located next to the Stellar Cartography bay.

There are Fifteen science labs on an Excelsior Class starship; five labs are on deck 7 - adjacent to Sickbay, 5 labs are on deck 8, and 5 multifunction labs on deck 16. The 5 labs on deck 5 are bio-chem-physics labs that can also be reconfigured for Medical labs and used primary by the Medical staff. The 5 labs on deck 7 are a mixed batch; two are bio-chem-physics, two are XT (extra-terrestrial) analysis labs, and one eugenics lab. The final 5 on deck 16 are multi-functional labs that can be equipped for various experiments.

A probe is a device that contains a number of general purpose or mission specific sensors and can be launched from a starship for closer examination of objects in space.

There are nine different classes of probes, which vary in sensor types, power, and performance ratings. The spacecraft frame of a probe consists of molded duranium-tritanium and pressure-bonded lufium boronate, with sensor windows of triple layered transparent aluminum. With a warhead attached, a probe becomes a photon torpedo. The standard equipment of all nine types of probes are instruments to detect and analyze all normal EM and subspace bands, organic and inorganic chemical compounds, atmospheric constituents, and mechanical force properties. All nine types are capable of surviving a powered atmospheric entry, but only three are special designed for aerial maneuvering and soft landing. These ones can also be used for spatial burying. Many probes can be real-time controlled and piloted from a starship to investigate an environment dangerous hostile or otherwise inaccessible for an away-team.

There is one large sickbay facility located on deck 7, equipped with an intensive-care ward, a laboratory, a nursery, the CMO's office, four surgical suites, a null-grav therapy ward, a morgue, a biohazard isolation unit, and a dental care office. Also pursuant to new Medical Protocols, all Medical Facilities are equipped with holo-emitters for the emergency usage of the Emergency Medical Holographic System.

The Ship's Counselor has his office located on Deck 7, near the Medical section. It consists of a private office, with standard furnishings (decorated to the Counselors preference), personal viewscreen, a computer display, and replicator. An individual therapy room furnished with chairs and couch for one on one sessions, as well as a large, group therapy room, consisting of several couches and chairs, are located adjacent to the Counselor's office.

In the event of a crewmember suffering a psychotic episode, and needing to be isolated from the crew, the ill crewman is kept in sickbay, in the isolation unit, or in the intensive care units, as determined by bed availability.

General Overview: All crew and officers' (except for the Commanding officer's and Executive Officer's, which are located on deck 2) crew quarters are located on decks 3,4,8 and decks 13-15.

Individuals assigned to the Excelsior Class starships for periods over six months are permitted to reconfigure their quarters within hardware, volume, and mass limits. Individuals assigned for shorter periods are generally restricted to standard quarters configuration.

Crew Quarters: Standard Living Quarters are provided for both Starfleet Non-Commissioned Officers and Ensigns. These persons are expected to share their room with another crewmate due to space restrictions aboard the starship. After six months, crewmembers are permitted to bring family aboard the ship and a slightly larger room is allocated to them.

Two NCO's or two Ensigns are assigned to a suite. Accommodations include 2 bedrooms with standard beds, connected by a living/work area. A washroom with ultrasonic shower is located off of each bedroom. A food replicator and a personal holographic viewer are located in the living area. Small pets are allowed to NCO's.

Enlisted crewmembers share quarters with up to 4 others. Accommodations include 2 bedrooms with twin beds, connected by a living/work area. A washroom with ultrasonic shower is located off of each bedroom. A food replicator and a personal holographic viewer are located in the living area. Pets are not allowed to enlisted crew.

Crewmen can request that their living quarters be combined to create a single larger dwelling.

Officers' Quarters: Starfleet personnel from the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade up to Commander are given one set of quarters to themselves. In addition, department heads and their assistants are granted such privileges as well, in an effort to provide a private environment to perform off-duty work. After six months, officers are permitted to bring family aboard the ship and a slightly larger room is allocated to them. Members of the Captain's Senior Staff can have these restrictions waved with the Captain's permission.

These accommodations typically include a small bathroom, a bedroom (with standard bed), a living/work area, a food replicator, an ultrasonic shower, personal holographic viewer, and provisions for pets.

Officers may request that their living quarters be combined to form one large dwelling.

Executive Quarters: The Captain and Executive Officer of the Excelsior Class starship both have special quarters, located on Deck 2. They are located on a higher deck because these two people must be closer to the bridge in the event of an Alert situation.

These quarters are much more luxurious than any others on the ship, with the exception of the VIP/Diplomatic Guest quarters. Both the Executive Officer's and the Captain's quarters are larger than standard Officers Quarters, and this space generally has the following accommodations: a bedroom (with a nice, fluffy bed), living/work area, bathroom, food replicator, ultrasonic shower, old-fashioned water shower, personal holographic viewer, provisions for pets, and even a null grav sleeping chamber. These quarters are nearly identical in "comfort" to those of a high-ranking officer's quarters on a Galaxy Class Starship.

VIP/Diplomatic Guest Quarters: The Excelsior Class is a symbol of UFP authority, a tool in dealing with other races. Starfleet intends to use most of its starships in a diplomatic role, with the Excelsior Class being no exception. The need to transport or accommodate Very Important Persons, diplomats, or ambassadors may arise, to which the Excelsior Class may respond.

These quarters are located on Deck 3. These quarters include a bedroom, spacious living/work area, personal viewscreen, ultrasonic shower, bathtub/water shower, provisions for pets, food replicator, and a null-grav sleeping chamber. These quarters can be immediately converted to class H, K, L, N, and N2 environments.

General Overview: The Excelsior Class design has been maximized for diplomatic and scientific usage. However, it is realized that the stress of operating at 99% efficiency on a ship that is built for deep-space exploration and diplomatic missions can be dangerous, so there are some recreational facilities on the Excelsior Class.

Holodecks: There are two standard holodeck facilities on the Excelsior Class, both located on deck 6.

Holosuites: These are smaller versions of standard Federation Holodecks, designed for individual usage (the two Holodecks themselves are to be used by groups or individual officers; enlisted crewmen and cadets are not allowed to use the Holodecks under normal circumstances). They do everything that their larger siblings do, only these Holosuites can't handle as many variables and are less detailed. They are equivalent to the Holodecks on an Intrepid class Starship. There are eight Holosuites aboard an Excelsior Class, all of them located on deck 3 of the saucer section.

Phaser Range: Sometimes the only way a Starfleet officer or crewman can vent his frustration is through the barrel of a phaser rifle. The phaser range is located on deck 14. The phaser range is heavily shielded, the walls being composed of a Duranium alloy, which can absorb setting 16 phaser blasts without taking a scratch.

Normal phaser recreation and practice is used with a type III phaser set to level 3 (heavy stun). The person stands in the middle of the room, with no light except for the circle in the middle of the floor that the person is standing in. Colored circular dots approximately the size of a human hand whirl across the walls, and the person aims and fires. After completing a round, the amounts of hits and misses, along with the percentage of accuracy is announced by the ship's computer.

The phaser range is also used by security to train ship's personnel in marksmanship. During training, the holo-emitters in the phaser range are activated, creating a holographic setting, similar to what a holodeck does. Personnel are "turned loose" either independently or in an Away Team formation to explore the setting presented to them, and the security officer in charge will take notes on the performance of each person as they take cover, return fire, protect each other, and perform a variety of different scenarios. All personnel on Excelsior Class are tested every six months in phaser marksmanship.

There are 25 levels of phaser marksmanship. All personnel are trained in the operation of phaser types I and II up to level 14. All security personnel on an Excelsior Class must maintain a level 17 marksmanship for all phaser types. The true marksman can maintain at least an 80% hit ratio on level 23. The Excelsior Class carries both the standard phaser rifle and the new compression phaser rifles.

Weight Room/ Gymnasium: Some Starfleet personnel can find solace from the aggravations of day-to-day life in exercising their bodies. The Security department encourages constant use of this facility; tournaments and competitions are held regularly in this room.

The weight room is located on deck 15. This weight room has full body building and exercise apparatuses available for your disposal; any kind of exercise can be performed here, be it Terran, Klingon, Vulcan (it isn't logical to let your body atrophy), Bajoran, Trill, or others.

There is also a wrestling mat in the weight room, which can be used for wrestling, martial arts, kick-boxing, or any other sort of hand-to-hand fighting. There are holo-diodes along the walls and ceiling which generate a holographic opponent (if you can't find someone to challenge), trained in the combat field of your choice. The computer stores your personal attack and defense patterns as it gains experience on your style of fighting, and adapts to defeat you. All personnel on the Excelsior Class must go through a full physical fitness and hand-to-hand combat test every six months.

There are also racks of hand-to-hand combat weapons, for use in training. Ancient weapon proficiencies for Starfleet personnel are recommended by Excelsior Class's security division; phasers may not always be available for use in contingencies. Terran, Klingon, Betazoid, Vulcan, Bajoran, and other non-energy weapons are available for training.

This is a large lounge, located on deck 15, starboard. It has a very relaxed and congenial air about it; the "<name> Lounge" is the only place on the ship where rank means nothing - "sir" need not be uttered when a person of lower rank addresses an officer, and everyone is on an equal footing. Opinions can be voiced in complete safety. This lounge is the social center of the ship.

The <name> Lounge has a battery of recreational games and assorted "stuff". 3-D chess, pool tables, poker tables (complete with holographic dealer and chips), windows that look out into space, heavily cushioned seats, and numerous other games. There is also a bar (with holographic bartender), and it stores various potent alcoholic beverages, such as chech'tluth, Aldebaran whiskey, Saurian brandy, Tzartak aperitif, Tamarian Frost, C&E Warp Lager, Warnog, Antarean brandy, and countless others.

General Overview: Located at the dorsal bow of the ship, the Flight bay module has replaced the shuttlebay module that is in previous Classes Starships. This Flight bay contains the latest in Starfleet shuttle and runabout designs. The Flight bay is controlled by a space/air-traffic control room, known as "Flight Ops". This is located against the forward wall of the Flight bay, next to the exit for the turbolift. The Flight bay contains the following:

Type: Light short-range sublight shuttle.
Accommodation: Two; pilot and system manager.
Power Plant: Two 500 millicochrane impulse driver engines, four RCS thrusters, three sarium krellide storage cells.
Dimensions: Length, 3.6 m; beam, 2.4 m; height 1.6 m.
Mass: 0.86 metric tones.
Performance: Maximum delta-v, 12,800 m/sec.
Armament: Two Type-IV phaser emitters.

The Type-15 Shuttlepod is a two person craft primarily used for short-ranged transportations of personnel and cargo, as well as for extravehicular inspections of Federation starships, stations and associated facilities. Lacking the ability to obtain warp speeds, the Type-15 is a poor candidate for even interplanetary travel, and is traditionally used as a means of transport between objects only a few kilometers apart. The craft is capable of atmospheric flight, allowing for routine flights between orbiting craft or stations and planetside facilities. Ships of this type are stationed aboard various starship classes and stations, both spaceborne and planetside.

A variant of this type, the Type-15A Shuttlepod, shares the same specifications of its sister craft, but is capable of reaching a maximum delta-v of 13,200 m/sec. The Type-15A was a limited production craft and the information gained from its service allowed for further streamlining of what would eventually become the Type-16 Shuttlepod. Still, the 15A remains in active service, and existing Type-15 spaceframes can easily be converted to the 15A provided that off the shelf parts are available. However, it should be noted that Starfleet Operations has deemed that the 15A spaceframe exhausts its fuel supply rather quickly and its production at major assembly plants is now discontinued.

Type: Light short-range warp shuttle.
Accommodation: Two flight crew, six passengers.
Power Plant: One 50 cochrane warp engine, two 750 millicochrane impulse engines, four RCS thrusters.
Dimensions: Length, 6.0 m; beam, 4.4 m; height 2.7 m.
Mass: 3.38 metric tones.
Performance: Sustained Warp 3.
Armament: Two Type-IV phaser emitters.

The Type-6 Personnel Shuttlecraft is currently in widespread use throughout Starfleet, and is only recently being replaced by the slightly newer Type-8 Shuttle of similar design. The Uprated version of this vessel is considered to be the ideal choice for short-range interplanetary travel, and its large size makes it suitable to transport personnel and cargo over these distances. A short-range transporter is installed onboard, allowing for easy beam out of cargo and crew to and from their destination. Atmospheric flight capabilities allow for this shuttle type to land on planetary surfaces. Ships of this type are currently in use aboard virtually every medium to large sized starship class, as well as aboard stations and Starbases.

The Type-6 is perhaps the most successful shuttle design to date, and its overall structure and components are the foundations upon which the Type-8, -9, and -10 spaceframes are based.

Major technological advancements in the 2370’s allowed for further upgrades to be made to the engine systems aboard shuttlecraft. These upgrades make this craft more capable of long-range spaceflight and, like its starship counterparst, no longer damages subspace.

Type: Medium long-range warp shuttle.
Accommodation: Two flight crew, two passengers.
Power Plant: One 400 cochrane warp engine, two 800 millicochrane impulse engines, four RCS thrusters.
Dimensions: Length, 8.5 m; beam, 4.61 m; height 2.67 m.
Mass: 2.61 metric tones.
Performance: Warp 6.
Armament: Two Type-VI phaser emitters.

The Type-9 Personnel Shuttle is a long-range craft capable of traveling at high warp for extended periods of time due to new advances in variable geometry warp physics. Making its debut just before the launch of the Intrepid-class, this shuttle type is ideal for scouting and recon missions, but is well suited to perform many multi-mission tasks. Equipped with powerful Type-VI phaser emitters, the shuttle is designed to hold its own ground for a longer period of time. Comfortable seating for four and moderate cargo space is still achieved without sacrificing speed and maneuverability. As is standard by the 2360’s, the shuttle is equipped with a medium-range transporter and is capable of traveling through a planet’s atmosphere. With its ability to travel at high-warp speeds, the Type-9 has been equipped with a more pronounced deflector dish that houses a compact long-range sensor that further helps it in its role as a scout. The Type-9 is now being deployed throughout the fleet and is especially aiding deep-space exploratory ships with its impressive abilities.

Type: Utility craft.
Accommodation: One operator.
Power Plant: One microfusion reactor, four RCS thrusters.
Dimensions: Length, 4.11 m; beam, 1.92 m; height 1.90 m.
Mass: 1.68 metric tones.
Performance: Maximum delta-v, 4,000 m/sec.
Armament: None

The Work Bee is a capable stand-alone craft used for inspection of spaceborne hardware, repairs, assembly, and other activates requiring remote manipulators. The fully pressurized craft has changed little in design during the past 150 years, although periodic updates to the internal systems are done routinely. Onboard fuel cells and microfusion generators can keep the craft operational for 76.4 hours, and the life-support systems can provide breathable air, drinking water and cooling for the pilot for as long as fifteen hours. If the pilot is wearing a pressure suit or SEWG, the craft allows for the operator to exit while conducting operations. Entrance and exit is provided by the forward window, which lifts vertically to allow the pilot to come and go.

A pair of robotic manipulator arms is folded beneath the main housing, and allows for work to be done through pilot-operated controls. In addition, the Work Bee is capable of handling a cargo attachment that makes it ideal for transferring cargo around large Starbase and spaceborne construction facilities. The cargo attachment features additional microfusion engines for supporting the increased mass.

Operations aboard an Excelsior class starship fall under one of three categories: flight operations, primary mission operations, and secondary mission operations.

Flight Operations are all operations that relate directly to the function of the starship itself, which include power generation, starship upkeep, environmental systems, and any other system that is maintained and used to keep the vessel spaceworthy.

Primary Mission Operations entail all tasks assigned and directed from the Main Bridge, and typically require full control and discretion over ship navigation and ship's resources.

Secondary Mission operations are those operations that are not under the direct control of the Main Bridge, but do not impact Primary Mission Operations. Some examples of secondary mission operations include long-range cultural, diplomatic or scientific programs run by independent or semi-autonomous groups aboard the starship.

Despite the fact that the Excelsior Class design philosophy leaned heavily toward Exploration and Diplomatic Missions, she is still classified as a multi-role Starship, in keeping with Federation Council Policy. This offers the Federation, and Starfleet, flexibility in assigning nearly any objective within the realm of Starfleet's assigned duties.

Missions for an Excelsior Class starship may fall into one of the following categories, in order of her strongest capable mission parameter to her weakest mission parameter.

The normal flight and mission operations of the Excelsior class starship are conducted in accordance with a variety of Starfleet standard operating rules, determined by the current operational state of the starship. These operational states are determined by the Commanding Officer, although in certain specific cases, the Computer can automatically adjust to a higher alert status.

During catastrophic systems failure aboard an Excelsior class starship, the Primary Saucer section can detach from the engineering hull and flee via emergency thrusters and the retained forward momentum from emergency separation. This is considered a permanent measure, as reattaching the engineering hull to the saucer section requires a Starbase facility or Repair Depot to completely integrate the two vessels again. Typically, situations that require abandoning the engineering hull result in the destruction of the engineering hull, and upon rescue of the saucer section crew, the vessel is decommissioned.

Due to the unique shape of her hull, the Excelsior class cannot land within a gravity well and maintain hull integrity for Transatmospheric operations. This does not mean that the hull cannot withstand a landing - quite the contrary, in an extreme emergency, the Excelsior class could effect a surface landing while only losing an estimated 45% of hull integrity while structural members are estimated to have failure rates as high as 75%. While integrity is not high enough to allow for deep-space operations, enough of the internal volume and structural members should remain to allow for a landing that is safe for her crew.

Pursuant to Starfleet General Policy and Starfleet Medical Emergency Operations, at least 40% of the officers and crew of the Excelsior class are cross-trained to serve as Emergency Medical Technicians, to serve as triage specialists, medics, and other emergency medical functions along with non-medical emergency operations in engineering or tactical departments. This set of policies was established due to the wide variety of emergencies, both medical and otherwise, that a Federation Starship could respond to on any given mission.

The recreation deck and lounge on deck 15 along with the VIP/guest quarters on deck 2 can serve as emergency intensive care wards, with an estimated online timeframe of 30 minutes with maximum engineering support. Further, the shuttle bay has 5 mobile hospitals that can be deployed either on the flight deck, or transported to Cargo Bay 2 or 3 for emergency overflow triage centers. Cargo Bay 3 also provides for the emergency atmosphere recalibration to type H,K, or L environments, intended for non-humanoid casualties. All facilities are equipped with full Bio-hazard suites, to minimize and prevent crew exposure to potentially deadly diseases.

Aside from the escape options of shuttlecraft or transporters, the primary survival craft of the Excelsior class is the escape pod or lifeboat. Each Excelsior Class carries a total of 100 of the 8-person variants, which measures 5.6 meters tall and 6.2 meters along the edge of the triangle. Each Lifeboat can support a full compliment for 8 months, longer if the lifeboats connect together. All are equipped with navigational sensors, microthrusters, plus emergency subspace communication equipment.

Rescue and Evacuation Operations for an Excelsior class starship will fall into one of two categories - abandoning the starship, or rescue and evacuation from a planetary body or another starship.

Resources are available for rescue and evacuation to an Excelsior class starship include:

Resources available for abandon-ship scenarios from an Excelsior class starship include:

Overall Length 511.25 meters
Overall Draft 86.76 meters
Overall Beam 195.64 meters

Standard - 14 Type V phaser turrets, 2 photon torpedo launchers, 2 aft torpedo launchers
Uprated - 14 Type VIII phaser turrets, 2 photon torpedo launchers [5 tube], 2 aft torpedo launchers

NOTE: Currently, all Excelsior Class starships utilize the Type VIII phaser turret and the 5 tube high-speed torpedo launchers. The Standard specification reflects the armament of the Excelsior class upon her original launch approx. 100 years ago.

Deck 5: Main Phaser and Fire Control, Auxiliary Control Room and Support, Impulse Engines and Engineering Support

Deck 6: Primary Life Support Systems, Primary Computer Core Control, Cargo Bay 1 & 2, Holodeck 1 and 2

Deck 7: Computer Core, Sickbay, Chief Medical Officer's Office, Primary Science Labs, Counselor's Office

Deck 8: Computer Core, Junior Officers and Crew Quarters, Main Lounge, Secondary Science Labs, Fusion Power Generators 1 and 2

Deck 9: Interconnecting Dorsal/Intermix Shaft/Turbolifts, Forward Torpedo Bay Control, Forward Torpedo Bay Magazine, Armory, Holding Cells, Chief Tactical Officer's Office

Deck 10: Transporter Room 1, Interconnecting Dorsal/Intermix Shaft/Turbolifts, Forward Torpedo Launchers, Shuttlebay Hangar and Maintenance Section

Deck 11: Upper Engineering Support Area, Machine Shop, Primary Maintenance Support Center, Shuttlebay, Warp Core - M/ARA Reaction Assembly, Deuterium Storage Tanks

Deck 12: Main Engineering, Primary Systems Support Compartment, Living Quarters, Shuttle Bay, Warp Core - M/ARA Reaction Assembly, Fusion Power Generators 3 and 4

Deck 13: Living Quarters, Primary Shuttle Maintenance Hangar, Main Deflector Auxiliary Systems, Emergency Batteries / Fusion Power Generators 4-6, Aft Phaser and Torpedo Weapon Control, Warp Core - M/ARA Reaction Assembly, Emergency Transporter Rooms 1 and 2

Deck 14: Secondary Deflector Control, Living Quarters, Stellar Cartography, Cargo Bay 1,Warp Core - M/ARA Reaction Assembly, Engineering Section Impulse Engine Control and Support Center, Engineering Section Impulse Engines, Enlisted Personnel Living Quarters

Deck 15: Recreation Deck/Zero-G Gymnasium, Crew Lounge, Deuterium Storage,Warp Core - M/ARA Reaction Assembly, Engineering Section Impulse Engines, Nacelle Power Transfer Assembly, Nacelle Personnel Transfer Conduit, Primary and Emergency Deflector Dish Graviton Polarity Generators, Subspace field distortion generators, Enlisted Personnel Living Quarters

Deck 16: Tertiary Multipurpose Laboratories, Transporter Room 2, Emergency Transporter Room 3-4, Warp Core - M/ARA Reaction Assembly, Cargo Bay 3 - Primary Cargo Bay, Cargo Bay 2, Cargo Bay 4, Cargo Transporters 2, 3 and 4.

Deck 17: Waste Recycling, Environmental Control, Emergency Batteries, Brig, Secondary Computer Core, Anti-matter Generators, Gravimetric Polaron Generators, Secondary Shield Generators, Warp Core - M/ARA Reaction Assembly

Deck 18: Anti-matter Injectors, Warp Core - M/ARA Reaction Assembly, Emergency Gravimetric Polaron Generators, Tractor Beam Generator, fore and aft Tractor Beam assemblies

This is the one point in this entire page where you'll find that, for the first time, the authors step out of the Star Trek universe and back into our own 21st Century mindset. The information presented on this page is a result of hours and hours worth of researching, more researching and then a rigorous and intensive process of compiling the best information from canon sources, and making an attempt to fill in the blanks. For the purposes of ST:ACTD, these are the specs for the Excelsior class vessel. Now to address some of the problems found in compiling this information, followed by a brief explanation as to why a certain path was taken in these specs.

What's the difference between Excelsior and Excelsior-Refit starships: Well, other than some cosmetic differences, not a whole lot. Take a look at these images:

Note: The starship on the top is the original NX-2000 class Excelsior hull. On the right is the Excelsior Refit style hull. Note the larger nacelles, the additional hull plating around the deflector array, along with the additional impulse engine mounts on the saucer section.

Why isn't the Excelsior equipped with the latest and greatest equipment in Starfleet: The biggest problem I had with the Excelsior class was dealing with her age. Clearly, she is the elder statesman of the fleet. The hull design is well over one hundred years old - which means that she has outlasted even the expected service duration of the Galaxy Class, as a matter of comparison - and is unlikely that Starfleet would continue updating existing hulls this long after the production and expected life of the vessel when the same resources could be put into newer hulls. I would gauge this to mean that updates on the lines of shields and phasers reached their apex with the Type VIII Phaser Turret and shield generators that would put her close to par with a Norway Class vessel, as far as combat ability. After seeing so many Excelsior Class ships get ripped by the Dominion, while newer vessels appeared to have a higher survivability rate, I felt that the shields and phasers are on par for a vessel that likely was refit before the launch of the Galaxy Class. Effective against most enemies of the Federation, and certainly nothing to sniff at compared to her original armament, but I doubt the infrastructure of an Excelsior Class could handle Type X arrays without significant downtime and a prohibitive resource expense.

For proof, however, as to what kind of phaser the Excelsior family of vessels sports, I had to go to the source - canon - and check images of starships from DS9, Voyager, etc, along with checking as many canon and semi-canon sources I could find on the class. Check out these two images:

Note: The image on the left is of the USS Valley Forge (NCC 43305) getting blasted by a Dominion polaron beam from the DS9 Episode "Sacrifice of Angels", while next to it is an image of the model used by Paramount for the USS Lakota (NCC 42762). On both images, though it is easier to see them on the Lakota, you can see yellow squares with two weapon blisters - these are the phaser turrets, ala the phaser banks found in the TOS movies. So far, the only phaser array styles used by the Type IX and Type X are the so-called strip arrays found on the Ambassador, Galaxy Class, and later vessels, so that means that the Excelsior and Excelsior Refit class of vessels have Type XIII turrets, the last of the turret style of phaser.

Shields are an upgrade, and while not on par with newer vessels, do reflect the relative age of the Excelsior class when compared to vessels that have been launched to replace her on exploration (Galaxy, Intrepid) and Defensive (Ambassador and Excelsior) missions. I mean, if the same hull could be continually upgraded to the latest and greatest technology forever, why develop a new ship, you could just reuse the old hulls forever.

While other systems may have been updated on par with a Galaxy Class, and given the relative finite amount of supplies allocated for the deployment of starships, I believe that rather than make spot repairs and updates to Excelsior Hulls, Starfleet would likely decommission and replace them with newer Intrepid, Norway or Excelsior hulls. I believe, in general, her computers are on par with a New Orleans Class, she has the same automated torpedo launchers as the Excelsior Class, which means she is no slouch in a firefight. Unfortunately, she is an older ship, and after her losses illustrated on DS9, it is the opinion of this author that the Excelsior Class is likely on the way out as far as a frontline starship in the United Federation of Planets Starfleet.

So which type of ships are the Excelsior's of ST:ACTD - the USS EXCELSIOR or the ENTERPRISE-B/REFIT type of Excelsior class? Well, they are likely the plain Excelsior hull that everyone knows from ST:3 and ST:6. We've seen many more of them in service (on DS9, movies, etc) to lend weight to that assumption. That doesn't necessarily mean that our ships don't have the Enterprise-B type hull, that is a matter for the SM to decide. There aren't any really inherent perks to having the Ent-B hull, as the necessities of the refit are moot after advancement in technology.

Wait a minute, how could Starfleet be retiring the Excelsior Class? We don't know that Starfleet is retiring them, so how can you say that? I can say that pretty easily, considering that the Excelsior class hull is over 100 years old (since it was first designed), and has seen an atrocious record in combat against primary threat vessels (Cardassian, Dominion and Borg) which that is clearly evident in the last two seasons of DS9. We have also seen the introduction of the Ambassador, Galaxy, Nebula, Intrepid, the Excelsior, the Steamrunner, the Norway, the Saber, and the Nova, all which cross-over the Excelsior Class vessels primary mission roles as Explorer, Diplomatic Liason/Escort, and Warship.

Originally, the Excelsior appears to have replaced the Constitution-Refit (Enterprise, Enterprise-A) series of Starships to serve as the backbone of the Federation Starfleet, which it appears to have done according to canon, and was supplanted by the Ambassador class, which was supposed to be supplanted by the Galaxy Class, which appears to be replaced by several ships - the Intrepid and Nova Classes on the Scientific/Exploration missions and the Excelsior and Steamrunner Classes on the Defensive/Tactical side of things. Has the Excelsior class been "retired" from service by Starfleet, certainly not, they still serve with distinction, however, I would venture that Starfleet is no longer building a century old hull when construction materials could be put into a newer Nebula or Intrepid Hull. A situation that is similar to this would be the US Air Force and her fleet of B-52's - so many of them were built during the Cold War, that to decommission all of them would be expensive, time-consuming, and crippling to war plans and overall defensive and offensive strategy. They are still in service, despite the introduction of B-1 Swing Wing bombers, Stealth Bombers, etc, but on the same note, they aren't still being built by Boeing, either. Again, if someone can explain to me that, if the same hull could be continually upgraded to the latest and greatest technology forever, why develop a new ship if you could just reuse the old hulls forever?

Why doesn't the Excelsior Class or Excelsior-Refit have at least 22 decks ala Star Trek: Generations? The Excelsior class just isn't tall enough to have 22 decks - if the ship is 86m tall - and if you look at the exterior shot of the damage to the Enterprise-B, there were several decks below Deck 22, so lets assume for arguements sake that the Ent-B had 25 decks, that would leave roughly 3.44m, or approx. 10 feet, per deck. The average building here on earth allows for 10 feet per story, with a foot above and below for floor/ceiling spaces, with 8 feet of living space. Well, we know that Starships have access points/Jefferies tubes that are at least 3 feet tall.....do the math, that means at least 5 (but closer to 6) feet per deck must be taken up by floor/ceiling/crawl spaces. That would leave only 5 feet for living spaces. Awfully cramped and bad for posture.

Aren't your crew size and evacuation sizes off (ala the DS9 Tech Manual)? They sure are; those numbers in the DS9 Tech Manual are identical to the Nebula Class (a much wider and larger ship); so I cut them down to reflect the Excelsior Class is a much smaller craft.

Copyright 2001 - Star Trek : A Call to Duty. Use of these specifications is restricted to the Star Trek: A Call to Duty (ST:ACTD) Technical Specifications domain at http://techspecs.acalltoduty.com and may only be reproduced with the express permission of the ST:ACTD on sites that clearly serve to provide information on ST:ACTD, its various ships and stations, or other related topics. Editing the contents of the information present on this page or reformatting the way in which it is presented is not permitted without the direct permission of ST:ACTD. Wherever possible, published sources were consulted to add to the wealth of knowledge in this document, and in some cases, this text was reproduced here. Sources used are properly cited in the "Credits and Copyright Information" appendix. No copyright infringement is intended.