Nova Class:

Nova-class
Accommodation:	80 (15 Officers - 65 Enlisted Crew) {Evacuation Limit 225}
Classification:	Frigate [Surveyor]
Development Project Started:	2363
Production Start Date:	2367
Production End Date:	Still in production.
Length:	180 meters
Width:	43 meters
Height:	34 meters
Weight:	276,948 metric tons
Cargo Capacity:	11,750 Metric Tons
Hull Composition:	Duranium-Tritanium composite
Number of Decks:	8 Total.

Locations of Nova Class Construction:

Avondale Production Facility, Rigel II and San Francisco Fleet Yards, Earth

Nova Class Mission Profile

The Nova Class design was intended to provide a platform for extended scientific survey and scouting missions. Replace the Oberth for system and planetary survey missions. Provide autonomous capability for full execution of Federation defensive, cultural, scientific, and explorative policy in deep space or border territory. Serve as a frontline support vehicle during emergencies and a platform for the extension of Federation diplomacy and policy. Provide non-critical functions such as transport of personnel and cargo when necessary, extended aid, and short-range patrol.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The Nova Class is aggressively designed; the small ship and its lack of amenities manage to surpass one’s first impression of its diminutive size. Known for its durability, the Nova Class has swiftly lost its status as a ‘little ship’ and is slowly gaining acclaim for usefulness in making for more accurate missions to new areas of space, bringing back teraquads of data on individual systems that is then disseminated amongst the fleets.

The Nova sports impressive weaponry for its size, and its scientific capabilities more than make up for its reduction in speed when compared to its larger ‘cousins’. Double deflector dishes also provide added security when far from a starbase or suitable repair facility, in that a single malfunctioning or damaged deflector will not prevent the ship from going to warp.

Highly accurate sensors and computer systems makes it the perfect tool to send into scarcely known territory and many discoveries have been made by the Nova Class finding things larger Explorer-type ships such as the Galaxy Class left behind.

Amenities are few and far between on a Nova, but its work is important and crews that work on these small ships know their worth and protect their reputations fiercely. Much like the favored Oberth, the Nova is sure to hold a place in Starfleet lore for a long time to come.

PHASER ARRAY

The Nova Class is equipped along the dorsal saucer section with four Phaser strips; two of which extend from the aft curvature, along the length of the saucer and stop short of the auxiliary deflector incision. The aft firing arc is covered by two smaller arrays angled on the rear of the saucer section. The relative bottom of the ship is protected by two similar arrays as on the Dorsal, extending to the rear of the saucer and following the curve to the aux deflector incision. Additional protection is provided by a single array that extends laterally across the ventral engineering hull just fore of the warp core ejection port. Far aft strips placed laterally on either side of the main shuttlebay on the dorsal engineering hull cover the rearmost firing arc for a total of nine Phaser strips.

Even though the Nova Class is a small vessel, it still utilizes the Type-X array system. The six arrays are all Type-X. Each array fires a steady beam of Phaser energy, and the forced-focus emitters discharge 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.

Each Phaser array takes its energy directly from the impulse drive and auxiliary fusion generators. Individually, each Type-X emitter can only discharge approximately 5.0 MW (megawatts). However, several emitters (usually two) fire at once in the array during standard firing procedures, resulting in a discharge approximately 10 MW.

The maximum effective range on the Type X emitter is 300,000 kilometers.

TORPEDO LAUNCHERS

The Nova Class is fitted with three standard torpedo launchers. Two fore, and one aft. Torpedo tubes one and two (fore) are located on either side of the auxiliary deflector just forward of the incision. The tubes are recessed into the ‘prongs’ and can fire as many as two torpedoes per forward salvo, making a total forward salvo of four torpedoes per firing. Aft coverage is handled by a third torpedo launcher facing the rear of the ship in the upper engineering hull near where it meets the saucer.

The Nova Class is armed with the Type-6, 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 ship.

Payload: The Nova Class can carry a maximum of 55 torpedoes.

Range: Maximum effective range is 3,500,000 kilometers.

DEFLECTOR SHIELDS

The Nova Class is equipped with an asymmetrical peristaltic subspace graviton field. This type of shield is similar to those of most other Starships, but rated higher than most vessels of equivalent size as a defensive measure due to its role. Other than incorporating the now mandatory nutational shift in frequency, the shields alter their graviton polarity to better deal with more powerful weapons and sophisticated weaponry (including Dominion, Breen, and Borg systems).

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 the tactical officer analyzes this, the shield can be configured to have the same frequency as the incoming weapon - but different nutation. This tactic dramatically increases shield efficiency.

There are 11 shield grids on the Nova Class and each one generates 145.5 MW, resulting in total shield strength of 1,595 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 can protect against approximately 42% of the total EM spectrum (whereas a Galaxy Class Starship's shields can only protect against about 23%), made possible by the multi-phase graviton polarity flux technology incorporated into the shields.

The shields, when raised maintain an average range is 30 meters away from the hull.

COMPUTER CORE

Number of computer cores: One. The primary computer core is accessed in the control room on Deck 2. It covers three decks and extends from Deck 2 to Deck 4. It is fed by two sets of redundant EPS conduits as well as primary power.

Type: The V-109 primary computer assembly is built specifically for the Nova Class starship by Viscosity Computing on Argos-IV. The structure of the computer is similar to that of most other supercomputing systems in use by Federation vessels with stack segments extending through the ship forming trillions of trillions of connections through the processing and storage abilities of modern Isolinear chips. For missions, requirements on the computer core rarely exceed 45-50% 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.

WARP PROPULSION SYSTEM

The Nova Class is equipped with an F-Type Standard Matter/Anti-Matter Reaction Drive, developed by Ceres Industries. Information on this Warp Drive can be found in any Starfleet Library or Omnipedia.

Normal Cruising Speed: Warp 6

Maximum Speed: Warp 8 for 12 hours

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

IMPULSE PROPULSION SYSTEM

Nova Class starships use a single T2-16 fusion powered impulse engine, the Nova Class carries more than enough thrust to maneuver at her fully laden weight. Built by Tallier Propulsion, the T2-16 is lauded for its reliability under extended use, as well as its fuel efficiency.

The impulse engine can propel the Nova Class at speeds just under .25c, at ‘Full Impulse’ and an upper ceiling of .75c at three quarters the speed of light. Generally, Starfleet Vessels are restricted to .25c speeds to avoid the more dramatic time dilation effects of higher relativistic speeds. However, such restrictions can be overridden at the behest of the ship’s captain.

NAVIGATION DEFLECTOR

A standard Nova Class main deflector dish is located in the engineering 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 twelve 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 6, each capable of generating 128 MW, which can be fed into two 480 millicochrane subspace field distortion generators.

TRACTOR BEAM

The Nova Class is equipped with a multiphase subspace graviton beam, used for direct manipulation of objects from a submicron to a macroscopic level at any relative bearing to the ship. 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. 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 wave-guides. 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.

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.

TRANSPORTER SYSTEMS

The Nova Class is equipped with one personnel transporter capable of a maximum payload mass of 900kg (1,763 lbs) at a maximum range: 40,000 km. The maximum beam Up/Out Rate is approximately one hundred persons per hour per Transporter

The Nova Class also has one cargo transporters capable of a maximum payload Mass of 800 metric tons.

Finally a total of two emergency transporters which are capable of a maximum range of only 15,000 km (send only) [range depends on available power] with a maximum beam out rate of one hundred persons per hour.

COMMUNICATIONS

Standard Communications Range: 30,000 - 90,000 kilometers with a Standard Data Transmission Speed: 18.5 kiloquads per second. The Subspace Communications Speed: Warp 9.9997

SENSOR SYSTEMS

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: Astronomical phenomena, planetary analysis, remote life-form analysis, EM scanning, passive neutrino scanning, parametric subspace field stress (a scan to search for cloaked ships), thermal variances and quasi-stellar material. Each sensor pallet (11 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 ship to track ships at high warp by locking onto the eddy currents from the threat ship's warp field, and then follow the currents by using multi-model image mapping.

The Nova Class starship is equipped with two high-power science sensor pallets in the forward saucer section, ventral side. The pallets are unplated for ease of upgrade and repair, as well as enhancing sensor acuity.

TACTICAL SENSORS

There are 10 independent tactical sensors on the Nova Class. 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 90% efficient against ECM, and can operate fairly well in particle flux nebulae (which has been hitherto impossible).

STELLAR CARTOGRAPHY

One Stellar Cartography Bay is located on Deck 5, 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. When under warp or staffed by demand, the Stellar Cartography Bay is manned by on supervising officer and as many as three subordinates.

SCIENCE LABS

There are 16 science labs on the Nova Class starship, four of which are non-specific labs that can be easily modified for various scientific endeavors including Bio/Chem, and Physics tests and/or experiments, crews rotate often among these laboratories. Located mostly on Deck 4 with small auxiliaries in other areas of the ship where appropriate, the Nova Class laboratories are well equipped due to the nature of their mission profile. More specific and specialized laboratories include Atmospheric Physics, as well as the more dangerous High-Energy Physics (note: additional SIF Field Generators are installed in the bulkheads around this lab).

Additional laboratories include a Botany Lab, where experiments and studies are done on the various phylum found on the surfaces of planets being surveyed, as well as development of better, more robust terraforming flora for use in colonization. The Geology Laboratories cover two major areas, Planetary and Astronomical. Though a good portion of the Nova’s time is spent in-system, other missions may include studying astronomical phenomena and these laboratories are provided for that purpose. Other laboratories study genetics and Xenobiology.

Spending a year at a time away, the Nova Class computer core is one of the few that uses a significant part of its processing and storage capacity. The data collected is usually offloaded at a starbase where it can be audited and distributed among the fleets.

MEDICAL SYSTEMS

There is an adequate sickbay facility located on Deck 3, equipped with ICU and Biohazard Support, a Radiation Treatment Wards that doubles as a Surgical Ward, a ward for Null-Gravity Treatment and Isolation Suites There is also a Morgue, and dental care is handled in the main ward.

The Chief Medical Officer’s office is attached to Sickbay, and the main ward contains a load-out of four standard biobeds, with ten more in the main treatment ward, and a small complement of emergency cots. Pursuant to new Medical Protocols, all Medical Facilities are equipped with holo-emitters for the emergency usage of the Emergency Medical Hologram System. The Counselor’s office is also located on Deck 3 to assure a more efficient medical treatment environment. Though small, the office is nicely decorated and comfortable for the patient. There are no visual sensors in this office and audio recordings are done only with the voice code of the Counselor.

It has standard furnishings (decorated to the Counselors preference), a personal viewscreen, a computer display, a replicator, and a washroom/head. It has an individual therapy room furnished with chairs and couch for one-on-one sessions. 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.

CREW QUARTERS

Due to the small size of the Nova Class, and its internal arrangement of systems and laboratories, crew accommodations are distributed through every deck of the ship

Individuals assigned to a Nova Class 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 quarter’s configuration.

Standard Living Quarters are provided for both Starfleet and non-commissioned crew. Aboard a Nova Class, bringing families aboard is usually discouraged due to the lengthy ‘working’ missions.

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

Starfleet personnel from the rank of Ensign up to Lieutenant Commander are given one set of quarters to themselves (cohabitation is not required). 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.

The Captain and Executive Officer of the Nova Class both have special, much larger quarters.

These quarters are much more luxurious than any others on the ship, with the exception of the VIP 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 luxurious bed), living/work area, bathroom, food replicator, ultrasonic shower, old-fashioned water shower, personal holographic viewer, and even provisions for pets.

Though not ideally suited for diplomacy, the Nova Class (like all Starfleet Vessels) provide accommodations for special guests and visiting personnel aboard the ship. Though not as well appointed as on most vessels, the Nova’s VIP quarters are more than adequate.

These quarters are located on Deck 6. These quarters include a bedroom, spacious living/work area, personal viewscreen, ultrasonic shower, bathtub/water shower, and provisions for pets, a food replicator, and a null-grav sleeping chamber. These quarters can be immediately converted to class H, K, L, N, and N2 environments.

RECREATIONAL

Smaller ships tend not to be as well equipped as larger vessels in Starfleet. Though all are well attired, smaller vessels do not come with all the fringe benefits of a large ship, such as a Galaxy or Ambassador Class.

There are two Holodecks aboard the Nova Class. Located on Deck 3, these Holodecks are proprietary Federation Technology and can comfortably support up to 10 people at a time.

CREW MESS

The crew mess hall serves double duty aboard the Nova Class because of its small size. Located in the forward section of Deck 2, the Mess is equipped with a two mass-use food replicators with an extensive recipe listing from over two hundred worlds. Eating accommodations are provided by a slew of tables with a small row of molded couches and chairs that follow the forward curve of the mess hall and face the large viewports on either side of the hall.

The Mess Hall has a battery of recreational games and assorted "stuff.? 3-D chess, octagonal billiards tables, and a storage center with more eclectic games such as Plak-tow can be found in the mess hall.

SHUTTLEBAY

Located in the aft dorsal portion of the engineering section, the Main Shuttlebay is the primary port for entrance and egress, as well as management of the Nova Class auxiliary craft and shuttles. The Main Shuttlebay is managed by a team of Helmsmen/Pilots, Engineers and Technicians, and Operations personnel that are based on the Flight Operations office under the supervision of the Flight Control Officer.

The Nova Class Main Shuttlebay is equipped with two Type-9 Medium Long-Range Shuttlecraft

AUXILIARY SHUTTLEBAY

Just forward and up from the Main Shuttlebay is the Nova Class Auxiliary Shuttlebay. Smaller in size and scope, the Auxiliary Shuttlebay houses the cold-storage facilities for its auxiliary craft, as well as additional maintenance areas. When not in use, the Auxiliary Shuttlebay is kept locked and only opened for regular maintenance checks.

The Nova Class Auxiliary Shuttlebay is equipped with two Type-16 Shuttlepods and two Workbee-type Maintenance Pods.

WAVERIDER CRAFT

Type: Nova Class WaveRider Craft Accommodation: 3 flight crew, 3 passengers Power Plant: 3 Magnodynamic thrusters (Aft), fusion core, maneuvering thrusters. Dimensions: Length: 16.8m; Width: 14.5m; Height: 3.1m Performance: Impulse: .25c, Atmospheric: Mach-12 Armament: 2 Type-IV Phaser Arrays.

An auxiliary craft for Nova Class Survey Vessels, the WaveRider-Type atmospheric shuttlecraft is designed to facilitate close quarters examination and survey of planetary bodies by science personnel aboard the ship.

At just over 20 meters in length, the vessel is small enough to be carried by the Nova Class but large enough to be useful. Intended to work in atmosphere, the small craft is high fuel efficient at Mach-5 and above, making use of the conventional propulsion with back up impulse and RCS thrusters for maneuvering in space.

Unlike ordinary shuttlecraft, the WaveRider does not enter the ship’s Main and Auxiliary Shuttlebays; instead, it inserts itself into a recessed port in the ventral part of the saucer just forward of the main sensor dome. Access to the WaveRider is provided by a hatchway inside the ship and a ladder-equipped hard umbilical.

The Waverider is not warp capable.

OPERATIONS

Seeking out new worlds and new civilizations is central to all that Starfleet stands for. The Nova Class Survey Vessel facilitates this, outfitted for long-duration missions over planets and systems, cataloging and monitoring anything and everything of interest inside a designated area.

Mission for a Nova Class starship may fall into one of the following categories, in order of her strongest capable mission parameter to her weakest mission parameter.

Ongoing Scientific Investigation: A Nova Class starship is equipped with scientific laboratories and a wide variety of sensor probes and sensor arrays, as well as the state-of-the-art dorsal subspace sensor assembly; giving her the ability to perform a wide variety of ongoing scientific investigations.

Contact with Alien Life forms: Pursuant to Starfleet Policy regarding the discovery of new life, facilities aboard the Nova Class include a variety of exobiology and xenobiological suites, and a small cultural anthropology staff, allowing for limited deep-space life form study and interaction.

Federation Policy and Diplomacy: A Nova Class starship’s secondary role is the performance of diplomatic operations on behalf of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets. These missions may include transport of Delegates, hosting of negotiations or conferences aboard in the vessel’s Conference Hall, courier for important people and/or items, and first contact scenarios.

Tactical/Defensive Operations: Though not designed primarily for battle, the Nova Class like all Starfleet vessels is designed to be resilient and ably armed.

Emergency/Search and Rescue: Typical Missions include answering standard Federation emergency beacons, extraction of Federation or Non-Federation citizens in distress, retrieval of Federation or Non-Federation spacecraft in distress. Planetary evacuation is not feasible.

LANDING MODE

Nova Class vessels are capable of atmospheric entry and egress with equipment worked into the physical design of the starship. Each Nova Class vessel is equipped with anti-gravity generators as well as impulse and RCS lifters strategically placed at the mass and stress points on the bottom portion of the engineering section.

During sub-orbital insertion, the Nova Class lowers the projection sphere of the deflector shields and assumes an angle of attack perpendicular to the angular rotation of the planetary body if it has an atmosphere. This allows the vessel’s shape to work as a lifting body with air traveling under the broad and flat saucer and under the wing-like nacelle struts. Once in the atmosphere, navigation is controlled with RCS thrusters and use of the aft impulse engines.

It is standard procedure to lower the landing gear at approximately 2500m above the Landing Zone (LZ) surface, regardless of LZ altitude. This minimizes the drag on the vessel. Once prepared for landing, aft impulse engines are shut down and four vents on the ventral hull are opened.

These vents cover the ventral impulse thrust plates. Impulse engines in miniature, the thrust plates serve only to provide lift to the Nova Class as the anti-gravity generators effectively reduce its weight. The RCS thrusters provide final maneuvering power.

Once on the ground, crew or equipment can be transported to the surface from the vessel, or use the ship’s turbolift system that connects to channels inside the landing struts themselves, and open out near the ‘feet’.

Take-off is done in reverse.

LIFEBOATS

Pods are located on decks below Deck 1. Each pod can support a total of eighty-six person-days (meaning, one person can last eighty-six days, two can last for forty-three, etc.). Two pods are reserved for the top four officers in the chain of command on the ship, because they are the last four to leave the ship. These are located on Deck 2.

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. The current lifepods are called ASRVs, or autonomous survival and recovery vehicles.

In situations when the base vessel is not near a habitable system, up to four ASRVs may be linked together in a chain at junction ports to share and extend resources.

DECK CONFIGURATION

Deck 1: Bridge, Captain’s Ready Room, Conference Room, Senior Officer’s Quarters, and Escape Pods

Deck 2: VIP Quarters, Executive Officer’s Office, Junior Officers Quarters, Observation Lounge, Mess Hall, Transporter Room, Holodecks 1&2, Aft Ventral Cargo Bay, Storage (5), Main Computer Core, Escape Pods, Primary Impulse Engine (Amidships), and Impulse Engine Deuterium Surge Tanks

Deck 3: Sickbay, Primary Sickbay Support Systems (ICU, Biohazard Support, Surgical Ward, Critical Care, Null-Gravity Treatment, Isolation Suites, etc.), Chief Medical Officer’s Office, Counselor’s Office, Security Office/Brig, Armory, Crew Quarters, Transporter Room 2, Auxiliary Shuttlebay, Escape Pods, Auxiliary Deflector Control, Torpedo Launching Systems (P/S) Photon Torpedo Magazine, and Photon Torpedo Loading Mechanism

Deck 4: Arboretum, Botany Lab, Geology Lab (Planetary), Geology Lab (Astronomical), Planetary Development Lab, Chief Science Officer’s Office, Crew Quarters, EPS Node Monitoring, SIF Systems, Dorsal Main Phaser Emitters (P/S), Aft Saucer Phaser Emitters (P/S), Aft Ship Phaser Emitters (P/S), Ventral Main Phaser Emitters (P/S), Ventral Sensor Dome, and WaveRider Shuttlecraft Docking Port

Deck 5: Main Shuttlebay, Flight Control, Storage (8), Crew Quarters, Astrophysics Lab, Stellar Cartography, Photon Torpedo Magazine, and Photon Torpedo Loading Mechanism

Deck 6: Main Deflector Control, Operations Office, Crew Quarters, Repair Bay, Deuterium Fuel Storage, and Multi-Purpose Laboratories (3), Cargo Bays (3)

Deck 7: Crew Quarters, Main Engineering, Dilithium Reaction Chamber, Engineering Lab, Chief Engineer’s Office, Cargo Transporters, Landing Systems Control, and Landing Systems Maintenance

Deck 8: Escape Pods, Anti-Matter Storage Pods, Warp Core Ejection Systems, and Anti-Matter Pod Ejection Systems, Phaser Emitter, and Tractor Beam Systems. Landing Struts (2 1P/S)

COMMENTS

Definitely a tiny ship when compared to some of the other classes. One other obvious drawback is her low top speed of warp eight. Keep in mind however this vessel is designed specifically to go from system to system and conduct detailed research.

Nova Class Starship