Editing Nebula Class

'''The starship specifications linked to below were originally created for the online RPG Star Trek: A Call to Duty. To see the original version, as well as specifications for other starships, please visit their website here[http://techspecs.acalltoduty.com]
'''


{| class="wiki-sidebar" align="right" border="2" style="background:silver;" bordercolor="white" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
|-
| colspan="2" style="color: #FFCC00; background-color: #000033; border: 1px outset #000033; text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | '''''Nebula''-class'''
|-
| colspan="2" align="center" | [[Image:nebulaclass.jpg |200px]]
|-
| class="odd" | '''Accommodation:'''
| class="even" | 750 (200 Officers - 550 Enlisted Crew)
{Evacuation Limit 9,800}
|-
| class="odd" | '''Classification:'''
| class="even" | Explorer [Defensive/Explorer/Diplomatic]
|-
| class="odd" | '''Development Project Started:'''
| class="even" | 2343
|-
| class="odd" | '''Production Start Date:'''
| class="even" | 2353
|-
| class="odd" | '''Production End Date:'''
| class="even" | Still in Production.
|-
| class="odd" | '''Length:'''
| class="even" | 442.23 meters
|-
| class="odd" | '''Width:'''
| class="even" | 318.11 meters
|-
| class="odd" width="100pt" | '''Height:'''
| class="even" | 130.43 meters
|-
| class="odd" width="100pt" | '''Weight:'''
| class="even" width="200pt" | 3,309,000 metric tons
|-
| class="odd" | '''Cargo Capacity:'''
| class="even" | Dependant upon mission type
|-
| class="odd" | '''Hull Composition:'''
| class="even" | Duranium-Tritanium composite.
|-
| class="odd" | '''Number of Decks:'''
| class="even" | 30 Total.
|-
|}

==Locations of Nebula Class Construction:==

Antares Fleet Yards, Antares IV; New Aberdeen Fleetyard, Aldebarran; Utopia Planitia, Mars; Copernicus Fleetyard, Luna; Atlas V Fleetyard, Deneb V. 

==Nebula Class Mission Profile==

The Nebula Class design was intended to provide a mobile platform for a wide range of ongoing scientific and cultural research projects. Replace aging Ambassador, Oberth and Excelsior class Starships as primary instruments of Starfleet’s exploration programs. 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 times of war and emergencies. Provide a mobile platform for testing and implementation of mission-specific or new technology of any kind. 

==GENERAL INFORMATION:==

The highly successful Nebula-class was developed along-side the Galaxy-class in the 2340s and 50s. While Starfleet firmly believed in the feasibility of the Galaxy-class, they wanted a more cost-effective ship that would be able to perform much of the same missions as the larger, more expensive capital ships under construction.

Part of the design that was approved by Starfleet included a multi-mission module that could easily be exchanged within days at a certified facility. The first of which consisted of a sensor dome attached to the rear of the ship. Designed to aid in long-range reconnaissance and search-and-rescue operations, the sensor pod quickly proved its usefulness, so much so that several Nebula-class vessels were allocated to border patrols.

With the flexibility given to it by the replaceable pod-module, the Nebula-class has quickly become one of the most produced and utilized starships of the 24th century.

==PHASER ARRAY==

The Nebula Class is fitted with three dorsal Phaser arrays on the primary hull, one primary dorsal array extending 340 degrees and two point defense arrays to either side of the Shuttlebay. The arrays cover the entire semi-sphere above the ship, except for a few blind spots close to the hull and Shuttlebay. One ventral Phaser array located on the primary hull extends approximately 320 degrees and covers the forward and lateral portions of the semi-sphere below the ship, except for those blind spots close to the hull. There are a total of 4 Phaser arrays on primary hull.

On the secondary hull there is one Phaser array on each nacelle pylon provides coverage on either side of the ship. A single point defense array near the aft torpedo launcher provides defense to the aft of the ship. A Phaser array on the ventral side of the ship provides coverage to areas below the ship. There are a total of 4 Phaser arrays on secondary hull.

When the weapons pod is installed, there are three Phaser arrays located on the module itself to provide additional protection.

The Nebula-class vessel utilizes the Type X Phaser array system. The eight arrays are all type X, the new standard emitter. 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). Current Tactical policy has Phaser arrays automatically rotate Phaser frequency and attempt to lock onto the frequency and phase of a threat vehicle's shields for shield penetration.

Groups of emitters are supplied by redundant sets of energy feeds from the primary trunks of the electro plasma system (EPS). Individually, each type X-emitter can only discharge approximately 5.1 MW (megawatts). However, several emitters (usually two) fire at once in the array during standard firing procedures, resulting in a discharge of approximately 10.2 megawatts.
The maximum effective range on the Type X emitter is 300,000 kilometers. 

==TORPEDO LAUNCHERS==

The Nebula Class is fitted with two torpedo launchers, one located just above the main deflector dish and another at the rear of the ship above the impulse engine; provide the Nebula-class with additional defense and offense capabilities. These launchers are identical to the launchers found in the Galaxy-class, and hence have the capability of firing up to ten torpedoes at one time, with a reload time of six seconds.

The Nebula Class is armed with 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. Some of these vessels also carry a small complement of quantum torpedoes. 

Payload: The ship can carry a maximum of 250 torpedoes. When outfitted with the weapons pod, the number of torpedo casings carried increases to 450 in number.

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

==DEFLECTOR SHIELDS==

The Nebula Class is equipped with a symmetrical subspace graviton field. This type of shield is fairly similar to those of most other starships. Under Starfleet Directives all vessels incorporate the nutation shift in frequency. 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.

There are ten shield generators on a Nebula-class starship, each generating a field of 384 MW in amplitude. During alert situations, up to six shield generators can operate in parallel phase-lock, providing a continuous output of approximately 2,304 MW. Peak momentary load of a single generator has been rated at 473,000 MW for periods approaching 170 milliseconds.

The shields, when raised, operate at two distances. One is a uniform distance from the hull, averaging about 10 to 12 meters. The other is a bubble field, which varies in distance from any single point on the hull but has a common center within the ship.

==COMPUTER CORE==

Number of computer cores: Three; any of these three cores is able to handle the primary operational computing load of the entire vessel. Two of the cores are located near the center of the Primary Hull between Decks 5 and 14 (one on the port side, one on the starboard), while the third is located in the Engineering Hull between Decks 18 and 25.

Type: The computer cores on Nebula-Class starships are Isolinear storage devices utilizing faster than light processing drives with Isolinear temporary storage.

==WARP PROPULSION SYSTEM==

The Nebula Class is equipped with the TPG Matter/Anti-Matter Reaction Drive. Information on this Warp Drive is classified [repealed: 2371; now available in standard Starfleet Omnipedia Databases].

Normal Cruising Speed: Warp 6

Maximum Speed: Warp 9.6 for 12 hours

Note:  Vessels equipped with the TPG M/ARA Drive System no longer have the maximum cruising speed limit of Warp 5, 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.

==IMPULSE PROPULSION SYSTEM==

Nebula-class starships use slightly modified impulse engines of the type found on Galaxy-class ships. The main impulse engine is located on deck 16 on the rear of the connection pylon, just above the secondary shuttle bay. There are also two smaller secondary engines located on the saucer section, located on deck 10. The main engine can propel the ship at speeds just under .75c. Full impulse is 0.25c, with half-impulse being 0.125c and one-quarter impulse being 0.0625c. Maximum impulse is .994c (one tenth away from 186,282 miles per second, which is warp one), and requires the saucer engines providing additional power. Standard impulse operations are limited to .25c, due to time dilation problems.

==NAVIGATION DEFLECTOR==

The main deflector dish is located along the forward portion of the secondary hull, and is located just forward of the primary engineering spaces. Composed of molybdenum/duranium mesh panels over a duranium framework, the dish can be manually moved 7.2 degrees in any direction off the ship's Z-axis. The main deflector dish's shield and sensor power comes from three graviton polarity generators located on deck 24, each capable of generating 128 MW which fed into a pair of 550 millicochrane subspace field distortion amplifiers.

==TRACTOR BEAM==

The Nebula 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 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.

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 Nebula Class is equipped with a total of four personnel transporters capable of a maximum payload mass of 800kg (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 Nebula Class also has a total of four cargo transporters capable of a maximum payload Mass of 500 metric tons.

Finally a total of four 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 sixty persons per hour. 

==COMMUNICATIONS==

Standard Communications Range: 42,000 - 100,000 kilometers with a Standard Data Transmission Speed: 18.5 kiloquads per second. The Subspace Communications Speed: Warp 9.9997 

==SENSOR SYSTEMS==

Long range and navigational 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 can be interchanged and re-calibrated with any other pallet on the ship. 
 
The Nebula Class is also equipped with a Warp Current Sensor. This is an independent subspace graviton field-current scanner, allowing the ship to track vessels 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.

==TACTICAL SENSORS==

There are twenty-four independent tactical sensors installed on Nebula-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 84% efficient against electronic counter-measures (ECM).

==STELLAR CARTOGRAPHY==

The stellar cartography bay is situated on decks 9 and 10, with direct EPS power feed from Engineering. The Main Entrance is located on Deck 9, with maintenance shafts on decks 8 and 10. All information is directed to the bridge and can be displayed on any console or the main viewscreen. The large room contains highly-specialized holographic emitters which are capable of creating detailed representations of any region of space stored in the ship’s computer.

==SCIENCE LABS==

There are numerous science labs on a Nebula-class ship, and each can be configured to perform many different functions. The different science labs include bio-chem-physics labs, XT (extra-terrestrial) analysis labs, eugenic labs, astrophysics/Astrometrics and stellar cartography labs. 

==MEDICAL SYSTEMS==

There are two facilities on Deck 12 that are used by the medical department to diagnose and treat ailments. The primary Sickbay facility, which is located on the port side of the saucer section, consists of two medical intensive-care wards, an attached laboratory, the Chief Medical Officer’s office, and a small nursery. The second facility, located on the starboard side, is similar to the primary sickbay but features two dedicated surgery suites, a physical therapy facility, a nursery and a null-grav therapy ward. Adjacent to the second facility is a dental care office and a full biohazard isolation unit.

Normal on-duty medical complement for alpha and beta shifts is one staff physician, two nurses and one medical technician. During the night shift, normal staffing drops to two nurses. Approximately 40% of all crew personnel are cross-trained for emergencies.

As on Starbases and other large ships, the Nebula Class has nurse stations scattered throughout the vessel at critical junctions. These areas are staffed on a rotating schedule during green mode, and during higher alert status they may all be activated. They provide first aid to injured personnel and become quick essential command posts during situations when the ship is damaged. When the Captain needs to know how many people are injured, those who find out serve at these stations. Aid stations are normally located on every other deck, however the exact configuration and number is adjustable, pursuant to the wishes of the CMO and CO.

==CREW QUARTERS==

All crew and officers' quarters are located on decks 2, 3, 5-9, and 11-20.  

Individuals assigned to the ship 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 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.

Starfleet personnel from the rank of Lt JG and up to Commander are given one set of quarters to themselves. These accommodations typically include a small bathroom, a bedroom (with standard bed), a living/work area, a food replicator, a sonic 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 ship both have special quarters, located on Deck 8.

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 large bedroom bedroom(with a luxurious bed), living/work area, bathroom, food replicator, sonic shower, old-fashioned water shower, personal holographic viewer, provisions for pets, and even a null gravity sleeping chamber (if requested).

Nebula-class starships are symbols of UFP authority, a tool in dealing with other races. The ship is easily configured for diplomatic missions, and the need to transport or accommodate Very Important Persons, diplomats, or ambassadors often arise. 

These quarters are located on Deck 8. These quarters include a bedroom, spacious living/work area, personal viewscreen, sonic 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.

==RECREATIONAL==

Nebula-class vessels are large starships designed for deep-space exploration and patrol, as well as extended missions. As such, crew morale is boosted by various recreational facilities.

There are four standard holodeck facilities on a Nebula-class vessel, all located on deck 11. 

There are also a total of twenty Holosuites on the Nebula Class. These are smaller versions of standard Federation Holodecks, designed for individual usage (the four 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 similar to the Holodecks on an Intrepid-class Starship. There are 20 Holosuites onboard, situated on decks 11 and 21.

==THE LOUNGE (Ten Forward)==

This is a large lounge, located on Deck 10, at the forward most part of the ship. It has a very relaxed and congenial air about it; Ten-Forward 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.

Ten-Forward 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 (usually serviced by an on-duty 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. The replicators are also able to produce other food and beverages for the crew to enjoy in this relaxed social setting.
 
==SHUTTLEBAYS==

The main shuttlebay is located on Deck 4, aft, and oversees flight operations for auxiliary spacecraft attached to the ship. The large shuttlebay contains six shuttlepods, as well as various shuttlecraft that can be used by flight-qualified personnel. 
The main shuttlebay also contains equipment and spare parts to conduct repairs on damaged shuttles, and normally carries enough raw materials to completely build two new shuttlecraft.

A second shuttlebay is located on deck 22 at the rear of the ship, just below the impulse engine.

Because of the position of the pod, most flight operations are conducted from the second shuttlebay. When a shuttle must be launched from the main shuttlebay, the ship is slowed to one-eighth impulse power, to allow for more precise maneuvering from the shuttle pilot.

==SHUTTLECRAFT==

The Nebula Class is equipped with a total of twelve shuttlepods, six Medium-size Personnel Shuttles, four Large-size Personnel Shuttles and two Danube-class runabouts, exact load out depends upon the Nebula’s mission profile. 

==OPERATIONS==

As a Nebula Class is designed specifically to be multi-mission capable the numer of mission profiles are almost endless. Missions for a Nebula-Class vessel may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Ongoing Scientific Investigation:  A Nebula-class starship is equipped with extensive scientific laboratories and a wide variety of sensor probes and sensor arrays, giving her the ability to perform a wide variety of ongoing scientific investigations. 

Federation Policy and Diplomacy: A Nebula-class starship may also serve a role in 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. 
Contact with Alien Lifeforms: Pursuant to Starfleet Policy regarding the discovery of new life, facilities onboard include a variety of exobiology and xenobiological suites, and a small cultural anthropology staff, allowing for limited deep-space life form study and interaction. 

Tactical/Defensive Operations: Utilizing the now-standard Type-X emitters and Galaxy-class torpedo launchers, the Nebula-class is often used on patrol missions or sent in to areas to settle sector skirmishes. 

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, and small-scale planetary evacuations - medium or large scale planetary evacuation is not feasible. 
Deep-space Exploration: The Nebula is an ideal platform for deep-space exploration and long-term missions. Several vessels have already returned from five-year deep-space missions with great success. 

The ability given to the Nebula-class by the changeable pod-module allows the ship to perform almost any mission assigned to it by Starfleet Command.

==LIFEBOATS==

Pods are located on decks below Deck 2. 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 each vessel, because they are the last four to leave the ship. These are located on Deck three. 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.

==POD MODULES==

The Nebula-class is unique in that it has a large interchangeable equipment module located at the rear of the ship. The ‘pod’ as it is sometimes called, can be replaced with another - sometimes within a few days - when performed at a starbase. Changing pods is a very involved process, and frequent module changes can cause undue stress on the ship. As such, procedure dictates that the ship must not change modules more often than every 6 months without due reason. Such reasons could include damage to the previous module, special missions from Starfleet, or testing new equipment.

The original Nebula-class vessels utilized an elliptical module, which was connected to the engineering section by two reinforced struts. Revisions to the structure later changed the connecting pylon to a singular connection strut. This revision also included a new module design, in the form of a triangular module. This design officially replaced the elliptical module in 2370, and Completion of the upgrade was completed fleet-wide by 2380.

There are several different pods available, some of which are outlined below.

Sensor pod: The majority of the first Nebula-class ships were outfitted with this pod, which greatly extended the ship’s sensor range. With this pod the Nebula-class ship is virtually unmatched in regards to sensor capability. Ships with this pod module were routinely assigned to deep-space exploration, hostile border patrols or long-range reconnaissance.

Weapons pod: With the recent Borg invasions and Dominion War, Starfleet quickly mobilized to deploy the weapons pod, which contains 8 forward-facing torpedo launchers, and 3 Type X point-defense Phaser emitters. The launchers are fed by an additional 200 photon torpedoes stored in the pod itself. While equipped with eight launchers, each launcher is a smaller type similar to that used by Intrepid-class ships, and as such can only fire up to 3 torpedoes at once, with a reload time of 6 seconds. Later versions of the pod are also equipped with a limited number of quantum torpedoes. The weapons pod is also equipped with two shield generators (one main, one backup), since it was realized that the pod would be an easy target. The shield generators are the same type used through-out the rest of the ship, and draw power directly from the auxiliary energy reserves during Red Alert situations.

Tactical pod: This is a recent addition to the Nebula-class fleet, and is quickly becoming the default module for all new Nebulas being built. The design combines the scanning capabilities of the sensor pod and the offensive capabilities of the weapons pod into one module. There are disadvantages to this design. The tactical pod contains 75 less torpedoes (125), in order to make room for the sensor pallets. Also, the scanners are primarily designed to aid in targeting for the torpedoes and Phasers, and as such are not optimized for long-range usage.

Hospital pod: This specialty pod, while not found in wide-spread use, includes the same medical facilities found in large Starbases and is equipped to handle several hundred casualties at once.

Habitation/Colony pod: This pod contains a large number of residential quarters, and is sometimes used on long-term missions, or on missions focusing on populating a colony. Depending on configuration, up to 6,000 people can be ferried in the habitation module. With slight modifications, this module can be configured to act as a troop transport, enabling the ship to carry several thousand troops. During the offensive on Cardassia Prime at the end of the Dominion War, several habitation pod-equipped ships were used with great efficacy to transport Marines to the front lines. This module also contains a dozen dedicated transporters, allowing the roughly 5,000 troops to be beamed out within a relatively short amount of time.

Shuttlebay/Hangar pod: This experimental pod includes a large shuttle hangar with the space to hold over two dozen runabouts and fighters. Further information regarding maximum capacity and capabilities is classified pending review by Starfleet Command.

Skid pod: This pod, while rarely used, can be used to tow a smaller ship at high warp for extended distances. The pod consists of two elongated pylons, which are then connected to another ship with reinforced bolts. By not using tractor beams, the Nebula-class ship is able to divert more power to the structural integrity field, and thus travel at a higher velocity for a longer period of time.

Miniature Warp Nacelles: This type of pod is still considered experimental, and most likely will not be approved for fleet-wide use. The design features two nacelles, each approximately one-third scale, positioned directly above the main nacelles. While not giving the ship a higher warp speed, it does allow the ship to maintain high warp for a longer period of time. Given the amount of work that must be put into properly connecting the mini-nacelles, they are likely to remain in the experimental phase for some time. At this time, only four Nebula-class starships are equipped with this ‘module’.

Most Nebula-class ships are assigned two main modules (one sensor and one weapons module), though some ships are also given a specialty module (hospital/habitation/skid). Some ships are making the tactical pod their main module, since it combines the abilities of the two main pods. At this time, the Hangar Pod is found on only a select number of ships. In order to exchange pods, the ship must be docked at a certified facility for a minimum of two days, to give suitable time to perform diagnostics on all connections and systems. The exchange must be approved by both the ship’s captain and the station commander. 

An upgrade recently approved by Starfleet Command allows a Nebula-class ship to have ablative armor installed over critical points on the ship, mostly centered on the points connecting the pod-module to the ship itself. This upgrade is currently limited to ships serving on the out-skirts of the Federation border, or near hostile borders, due to limited resources.

Many of the above modules contain habitable decks, and are referred to by letters; Deck A would be the top-most deck, deck B would be below it, and so on. Access to these decks is normally restricted, due to the sensitivity of the surrounding areas.

==DECK CONFIGURATION==

Deck 1 - Captain's Ready Room, Main Bridge, Observation Lounge 

Deck 2 - Junior Officer's Quarters, Environmental System Controls 

Deck 3 - Junior Officer's Quarters, Upper Shuttlebay, Shuttlebay Upper Maintenance Bay

Deck 4 - Main Shuttlebay, Main Shuttlebay Maintenance Bay, Shuttlebay Operations

Deck 5 - Shuttlebay Lower Maintenance Bay, VIP Accommodations 

Deck 6 - Transporter Room 1-4, Main Science Labs 

Deck 7 - Senior Officer’s Quarters, Arboretum

Deck 8 - Crew Quarters, Commanding Officer Quarters, Executive Officer Quarters, VIP Quarters

Deck 9 - Senior Officer’s Quarters, Stellar Cartography (Main Entrance)

Deck 10 - Ten-Forward Lounge, Stellar Cartography (Lower Bay), Holodecks (Upper Bay)

Deck 11 - Holodecks 1-4 (Main Entrance), Holosuites, Gymnasium 1-2 (High Bay), Banquet Halls 

Deck 12 - Main Sickbay, Sickbay Main Computer, Surgical Ward, Neo-natal Ward, Biohazard Ward, Critical Triage Ward, Primary ICU, Overflow ICU, Trauma Stasis Unit, Medical Sciences Ward 

Deck 13 - Cargo Bays 1-2, Residential Quarters 

Deck 14 - Cargo Bay 3-4, Residential Quarters 

Deck 15 - Cargo Loading Doors, Armory 

Deck 16 - Captain's Yacht Docking Port 

Deck 17 - Crew Quarters

Deck 18 - Crew Quarters

Deck 19 - Crew Quarters

Deck 20 - Crew Quarters

Deck 21 - Holosuites

Deck 22 - Structural Integrity Field Systems, Matter Injectors 

Deck 23 - Deflector Dish 

Deck 24 - Main Engineering, Sensor Maintenance 

Deck 25 - Science Labs

Deck 26 - Aft Torpedo Launcher, Defensive Shield Systems 

Deck 27 - Environmental Support, Waste Management

Deck 28 - Cargo Bays

Deck 29 - Antimatter Supply Manifold, Antimatter Storage Pods 

Deck 30 - Tractor Beam Emitter, Antimatter Generator, Antimatter Injector, Antimatter Loading Hatch, Warp Engine Core Jettison Hatch

==COMMENTS==

I make no secret of the fact that along with the Akira Class the Nebula Class is one of my favorites. Many people simply snub the Nebula as a cheaper Galaxy Class but I think that is hopelessly shortsighted. The interchangeable mission pod can turn this versatile class from a fighter carrier, to a hospital ship to a Battleship in just a few short days. 

[[image:neb.jpg|thumb|right|'''Nebula Class Starship''']]

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