Author: David Allen Batchelor

 

 

Introduction

 

 

Is Star Trek really a science show, or just a lot of "gee, whiz" nonsensical
Sci-Fi? Could people really DO the fantastic things they do on the original Star Trek and
Next Generation programs, or is it all just hi-tech fantasy for people who can't face
reality? Will the real world come to resemble the world of unlimited power for people to
travel about the Galaxy in luxurious, gigantic ships, and meet exotic alien
beings as equals?

 

 

 

 

Well, as for the science in Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry and the writers of the show
have started with science we know and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d it to fit a framework of amazing
inventions that support action-filled and entertaining stories. Roddenberry knew some
actual basic astronomy. He knew that space ships unable to go faster than light would take
decades to reach the stars, and that would be too boring for a one-hour show per week. So
he put warp drives into the show — propulsion by distorting the
space-time continuum that Einstein conceived. With warp drive the ships could reach far
stars in hours or days, and the stories would fit human epic adventures, not stretch out
for lifetimes. Roddenberry tried to keep the stars realistically far, yet imagine human
beings with the power to reach them. Roddenberry and other writers added magic like the
transporter and medical miracles and the
holodeck, but they put these in as equipment, as powerful tools built
by human engineers in a future of human progress. They uplifted our vision of what might
be possible, and that's one reason the shows have been so popular.

 

 

 

 

The writers of the show are not scientists, so they do sometimes get science details
wrong. For instance, there was a show in which Dr. Crus her and Mr. LaForge were forced to
let all of the air escape from the part of the ship they were in, so that a fire would be
extinguished. The doctor recommended holding one's breath to maintain consciousness as
long as possible in the vacuum, until the air was restored. But as underwater scuba divers
know, the lungs would rupture and very likely kill anyone who held his breath during such
a large decompression. The lungs can't take that much pressure, so people can only survive
in a vacuum if they DON'T try to hold their breath.

 

 

 

 

I could name other similar mistakes. I'm a physicist, and many of my colleagues watch
Star Trek. A few of them imagine some hypothetical, perfectly accurate science fiction TV
series, and discredit Star Trek because of some list of science errors or impossible
events in particular episodes. This is unfair. They will watch Shakespeare without a
complaint, and his plays wouldn't pass the same rigorous test. Accurate science is seldom
exciting and spectacular enough to base a weekly adventure TV show upon. Generally Star
Trek is pretty intelligently written and more faithful to science than any other science
fiction series ever shown on television. Star Trek also attracts and excites generations
of viewers about advanced science and engineering, and it's almost the only show that
depicts scientists and engineers positively, as role models. So let's forgive the show for
an occasional misconception in the service of an epic adventure.

 

 

 

 

So, what are the features of Star Trek that a person interested in science can enjoy
without guilt, and what features rightly tick off those persnickety critics? Well, many of
the star systems mentioned on the show, such as Wolf 359, really do exist. Usually,
though, the writers just make them up! There have also been some beautiful special effects
pictures of binary stars and solar flares which were astronomically accurate and
instructive. The best accuracy and worst stumbles can be found among the features of the
show that have becom e constant through all of the episodes. Here's a list of the standard
Star Trek features, roughly in order of increasing scientific incredibility:

 

 

 

 

Features List

 

 

• The Ships Computer
• Matter-Antimatter Power Generation
• Impulse Engines
• Androids
• Alien Beings
• Sensors & Tricorders
• Deflector Shields, Tractor Beams & Artificial Gravity
• Subspace Communications
• Phasers
• Healing Rays
• Replicator
• Transporter
• Holodeck
• Universal Language Translator
• Warp Interstellar Drive
• Wormhole Interstellar Travel & Time Travel
• Conclusion

• ---

   

  The Ship's Computer:
  

   

  Most of the things it does are within the plausible realm of artificial intelligence
  that computer scientists anticipate. We have auto-pilot functions and navigational systems
  today, and these are the most used functions of the Enterprise computer. Our computers
  even approach the ability to interpret spoken orders that the Enterprise computer has. In
  400 more years — the time when Star Trek: The Next Generation is set — it is reasonable
  to expect many of the abilities of this computer to really be achieved.

   

  Introduction   Features List
  
  

   

  Matter-Antimatter Power Generation:
  

   

  This is one of the best scientific features of Star Trek. The mixing of matter and
  antimatter is almost certainly the most efficient kind of power source that a starship
  could use, and the way it's described is reasonably correct — the antimatter (frozen
  anti-hydrogen) is handled with magneti c fields, and never allowed to touch normal matter,
  or KA-BOOM! This much is real physics. Let's not bother about the dilithium crystals part
  . . . sorry, but that's just imaginary.

   

  Introduction   Features List
  
  

   

  Impulse Engines:
  

   

  These are rocket engines based on the fusion reaction. We don't have the technology for
  them yet, but they are within the bounds of real, possible future engineering.

   

  Introduction   Features List
  
  

   

  Androids:
  

   

  Well, an important research organization for robotics is the American Association for
  Artificial Intelligence. At a recent conference on cybernetics, the president of the
  Association was asked what is the ultimate goal of his field of technology. He replied,
  "Lieutenant Commander Data." Creating Star Trek's Mr. Data would be a historic
  feat of cybernetics, and right now it's very controversial in computer science whether it
  can be done. Maybe a self-aware computer can be put into a human-sized body and convinced
  to live sociably with us and our limitations. That's a long way ahead of our computer
  technology, but maybe not impossible.

   

  By the way, Mr. Data's "positronic" brain circuits are named for the circuits
  that Dr. Isaac Asimov imagined for his fictional robots. Our doctors can use positrons to
  make images of our brains or other organs, but there's no reason to expect that positrons
  could make especially good artificial brains. Positrons are antimatter! Dr. Asimov just
  made up a sophisticated-sounding prop, which he never expected people to take literally.

   

  Introduction   Features List
  
  

   

  Alien Beings:
  

   

  Most scientists now agree that life probably exists in other solar systems, now that we
  understand biochemistry a little. The chemical elements for carbon-based life like the
  lifeforms on Earth are common in the Universe, so maybe lifeforms like ourselves are
  numerous in the Galaxy. We can imagine all kinds of intelligent creatures, with any number
  of arms, legs, eyes, or antennae — maybe a lot smarter than we are. It seems doubtful
  that humanoid shapes would be as common as the alien races on the Star Trek shows, though.
  Well, we have to allow the show some concessions to the shapes of available actors. Could
  half-human/half-alien hybrids ever exist, like Mr. Spock? It seems almost impossible, but
  with recombinant DNA, our scientists have already created interspecies hybrids. Mr. Spock
  is not totally beyond biochemical reality, but definitely at the edge.

   

  Introduction   Features List
  
  

   

  Sensors & Tricorders:
  

   

  We have vibration sensors, sonar, radar, laser ranging, various kinds of light
  wavelength detectors and energetic particle detectors, and gravimeters. We also do a
  little three-dimensional imaging of the interiors of solid objects, like the human body,
  with magnetic fields and radioactivity detectors. The sensors and tricorders on Star Trek
  are quite different and more revealing as plot devices than anything we have. But with a
  stretch of the imagination, the tricorder scan could have today's magnetic resonance
  imager as its ancestor. The Enterprise's sensors must use the more advanced (and
  imaginary) "subspace fields," when it detects far-away
  objects in space, because the crew never has to wait for signals to travel to a target and
  return. Not all of the sensors on the show are possible.

   

  Introduction   Features List
  
  

   

  Deflector Shields, Tractor Beams & Artificial Gravity:
  

   

  We know how to deflect electrically charged objects using electromagnetic fields, and
  there are concepts for protecting space travelers from cosmic radiation this way. That's
  the only phys ics trick we know that resembles the powerful special effects of the
  Enterprise shields. We can also make big magnets that have some respectable attraction,
  and with the right electronic circuits regulating the strength of the magnets, we can
  imagine towing some kinds of metal objects through space. A beam that is projected at
  something to attract it is purely imaginary. We don't have any way to create artificial
  gravity either. Generating artificial graviton particles is imaginable, but there's no way
  to say how it might be done.

   

  Introduction   Features List
  
  

   

  Subspace Communications:
  

   

  Mathematicians discovered the concept of a subspace within a space continuum decades
  ago, and science fiction writers appropriated the term to serve their needs for a
  super-advanced way to reach other points in space, time or "other" universes.
  The concept is alive in physics today, in theories that our space-time may have eleven or
  more dimensions — three space dimensions and time, plus seven more that are "curled
  up" within a tiny sub-atomic size scale, where they conveniently explain mysteries of
  the forces of physics. But Star Trek uses its own unrelated version of subspace, with
  signals that can travel as fast as the fastest starship. This is just a convenient notion
  to get messages to Star Fleet and back by the end of a TV show, with no realistic physics
  behind it.

   

  Introduction   Features List
  
  

   

  Phasers:
  

   

  According to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual, phasers are named for
  PHASed Energy Rectification. They are really just spectacular energy blasters, with no
  detailed physics explanation. The original concept was that they were the next
  technological improvement upon LASERs. To the extent that they differ from LASERs, they
  are just fanciful props, descended from generations of blasters in science fiction of de
  cades past.

   

  Introduction   Features List
  
  

   

  Healing Rays:
  

   

  Star Trek's Dr. Crusher shines a healing ray on her wounded patients and the skin or
  bone heals immediately. That's just a magical medical miracle of the imaginary 24th
  century. Surgeons today do work with lasers to cauterize or seal some tissues, and repair
  detached retinas. Some dentists use them, too. Also, there is actually a form of adhesive
  that can stick human cells together like Elmer's Glue ™, and synthetic skin for
  temporarily protecting wounds! But the body's own healing is usually as fast as any other
  method. On the other hand, there is some evidence that weak electric currents can
  accelerate healing of bones, so something similar to Dr. Crusher's procedure — but not
  instantaneous — may become possible some day.

   

  Introduction   Features List
  
  

   

  Replicator:
  

   

  Today, we know how to create microchip circuits and experimental nanometer-scale
  objects by "drawing" them on a surface with a beam of atoms. We can also suspend
  single atoms or small numbers of atoms within a trap made of electromagnetic fields, and
  experiment on them. That's as close as the replicator is to reality. Making solid matter
  from a pattern as the replicator appears to do, is pretty far beyond present physics.

   

  Introduction   Features List
  
  

   

  Transporter:
  

   

  We don't have a clue about how to really build a device like the transporter. It uses a
  beam that is radiated from point A to point B where it STOPS at just the right precise
  place — even passing through some barriers along the way — and reconstructs the person
  it carries on the spot. Or it captures a person's pattern, dematerializing him or her, and
  brings the person to some other point. All of the rematerialized atoms and mol ecules are
  somehow in the precisely correct positions, with the right temperatures and adhering
  together just as if the transportee had not been dematerialized. Rematerializing, why
  doesn't everything fall to pieces if a gust of wind or just normal gravity disturb the
  reappearing atoms? Nothing in the physics of today gives a hint about how that might be
  possible. Arthur C. Clarke said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is
  indistinguishable from magic." But we can't assume every magical feat could be
  accomplished, given sufficiently advanced technology.

   

  Introduction   Features List
  
  

   

  Holodeck:
  

   

  The same applies to this one. Holograms are apparent images with three dimensional
  structure. We can't imagine a way to assemble matter in the same way as the light in a
  hologram.

   

  Introduction   Features List
  
  

   

  Universal Language Translator:
  

   

  As this is used on the Star Trek shows, it's just an automagical device to enable
  characters to get through the stories. It would be too tedious and repetitious in a
  one-hour show for the characters to overcome real language barriers in a realistic manner
  in every show. The way the Enterprise crew can encounter an alien spacecraft, "hail
  them on standard frequencies," and establish instant telecommunications on their
  viewscreens is a preposterous shortcut to keep the plot from faltering. We can certainly
  dismiss the possibility of such an invention ever being built.

   

  Introduction   Features List
  
  

   

  Warp Interstellar Drive:
  

   

  This must be the crowning achievement of Federation technology! Despite its fundamental
  role in the show's plot, it violates known physics to an extent that can't be defended.
  The detailed explanation of the warp field effect in the ST: TNG Technical Manual only
  raises mo re questions than it resolves. It is said to involve huge discharges of energy
  and subspace fields that aren't understood in today's science. However, barring a very
  unlikely demolition of Einstein's theory by future, revolutionary discoveries in quantum
  physics, warp drive can't exist. Physicists of today understand the space-time continuum
  rather well, and there is very good reason to think that no object can move faster than
  the speed of light. This doesn't stop scientists like the great expert on relativity and
  quantum theory, Stephen Hawking, from enjoying the fun of the TV series, however.

   

  Introduction   Features List
  
  

   

  Wormhole Interstellar Travel & Time Travel:
  

   

  These are questionable consequences of some mathematical models for extremely bizarre,
  artificial arrangements of titanic super-massive objects — untested imaginary models
  where Einstein's relativity theory is stretched to its ultimate limits. We don't have any
  evidence that Einstein's theory is valid in these theoretical cases, and the arrangements
  of these giant spinning masses don't occur in nature.

   

  Introduction   Features List
  
  

   

  Conclusion:
  

   

  So, the bottom line is: Star Trek science is an entertaining combination of real
  science, imaginary science gathered from lots of earlier stories, and stuff the writers
  make up week-by-week to give each new episode novelty. The real science is an effort to be
  faithful to humanity's greatest achievements, and the fanciful science is the playing
  field for a game that expands the mind as it entertains. The Star Trek series are the only
  science fiction series crafted with such respect for real science and intelligent writing.
  That's why it's the only science fiction series that many scientists watch regularly . . .
  like me.

   

  Introduction   Features List

 

 

Phasers
The term phaser is an acronym for PHASed Energy Rectification, referring to the original process (now obsolete) by which energy supplied to the phaser system was converted to another form for use against various targets. Phasers may be used for a variety of purposes: at lower energy settings as a nonfatal weapon or an active scan device; at higher settings as a mining tool or weapon. Various sizes of phasers exist, ranging from one easily concealable in the hand (Type I) to rifle-sized (Type III) to those mounted on starships (Type VII – Type X).

Phaser energy is released via the application of the Rapid Nadion Effect (RNE). Nadions are subatomic particles that have the ability to liberate and transfer the strong nuclear forces within particular types of materials (the crystals that the phaser emitters are constructed from). At lower settings, phasers emit simple electromagnetic beams (similar to a laser or a high voltage electrical charge, depending upon the desired effect).

Note: Actual operation of phasers is somewhat unclear as none of the material that currently exists has presented us with a definitive explanation of exactly how the weapon functions or why the various effects we see take place (i.e. the creeping disintegration of people after they have been hit by a phaser and why only the people are disintegrated while their surroundings remain intact). It is unclear as to what the NDF component of the phaser beam is comprised of. The description in the TNG TM implies that the nadions are the medium or catalyst for the phaser energy release, not the constituent of the phaser energy release. The simplest explanation is that the phaser beam is comprised of anti-gluons (a particle not known to exist at this time), since gluons are the basic particles that carry the strong nuclear force. The following material attempts to "fill in the gaps" in accounting for these observed behaviors.

The emitted NDF beam interacts with the target material, disrupting the bonds between atomic/subatomic particles in the atomic nuclei of the material (thereby causing the particles to disassociate and the target material to disintegrate once a critical threshold has been reached). The disintegration of the target material is normally accompanied by secondary explosive effects (resulting from the release of the binding energy in the target material). However, much of the binding energy is consumed in two additional processes which occur in the material impacted by the beam: (1) domain transition–where target material is transitioned out of the normal space domain into subspace; and (2) secondary disintegration (NDF cascade effect)–where material that is not in direct contact with the beam also disintegrates. The energy loss to these two secondary effects is most notable when phasers are used against low density materials (such as carbon-based lifeforms) at medium settings. Due to differences in material composition and lack of direct connectivity on the atomic and subatomic level between, for example, carbon-based lifeforms and other environmental materials (i.e. the dirt or tritanium floor that they are standing upon) these secondary effects do not normally carry over into the surrounding materials.

Target material density (more correctly, binding energy per nucleon or Be/N) has an effect on the efficacy of the phaser beam NDF effects. Materials with a high Be/N are more resistant to NDF effects–although once the critical threshold of the target material is reached, disintegration and secondary explosive effects tend to be both more rapid and more violent due to the higher energy released by the target material.

Neutronium, for example, is essentially impervious to phaser NDF effects because it is collapsed matter–the high Be/N and additional gravitational forces incumbent in collapsed matter means that the critical threshold for neutronium is beyond the output capabilities of even the latest generation of phasers.

We know from multiple canonical examples that phasers are ineffective against neutronium. This (currently) appears to be the ONLY material against which they are ineffective. This is due to the anomalous nature of neutronium (essentially a solid mass of compressed neutrons) and the extreme compressive forces within the neutronium mass. The use of "natural" neutronium appears to be generally contraindicated as standard starship armor or structural material (due most likely to the extreme density/mass and the attendant side-effects). Mention HAS been made of synthetic neutronium that appears to share many (if not all) of the features of "natural" neutronium… but it is likely that this material does not have all of the qualities/effects of "natural" neutronium as it IS used in various mechanisms and as armor in specialized applications. Such use implies that the material can be shaped and held to that shape and that it can be plated to or alloyed with other, more mundane materials. Given this, it is unlikely that synthetic neutronium is phaser proof, it is more likely that it is extremely phaser resistant.

Shipboard Phasers: The UFP uses a number of phaser types as its primary slower-than-light (STL) tactical weapon. Phasers are rated according to emitter size/power, with Type X being the largest and Type VII the smallest normally used on starships. The Galaxy Class, for example, uses the largest, Type X emitters. In the more modern starships the emitters are collected into continuous arrays to maximize both the available firepower and the weapon firing arc. In these cases, the output from the individual emitters is collimated and emitted as a single, coherent beam or pulse. The elliptical saucer main dorsal array that is clearly visible on the upper surface of the Galaxy Class saucer section is an example of this type of array. A single emitter in this array has an output of 5.1 MW, the entire 200 emitter array has a combined output of 1.02 GW.

Array beam parameters may be varied at the discretion of the ship's Commanding Officer/Tactical Officer via the fire control system (although the fire control system will normally adjust the beam autonomously for optimum effect within the current set of Rules of Engagement (ROE) that are in effect). The variable parameters include phaser frequency, phaser energy level, SEM (Simple ElectroMagnetic) to NDF (Nuclear Disruption Force) ratio, beam type (continuous, pulse, and beam cross-section/shape) and duration.

Pulse Phaser Cannons: The pulse phaser cannon (PPC) is a relatively recent development in UFP weapons technology and represents an attempt to package a high level of firepower into a smaller space. The most well-known example of this technology can be seen in the Defiant Class Heavy Escort, which has 4 PPCs that can fire in the forward arc. The PPC uses a mechanism similar to the continuous array, however, the number of emitter elements is smaller (while the emitters themselves are larger and somewhat more powerful) and they are optimized for burst release of their energy.

The following is based upon material and illustrations of the PPC in the DS9 TM and represents MY estimate of the Defiant's weapon capabilities. Many fans tend (in my opinion) to credit too much capability to the Defiant class vessels in regards to combat capability. The ships ARE intended primarily to be warships and they ARE powerful FOR THEIR SIZE (about 1/10th the size of a Galaxy). But they don't really compare on an even basis with such ships as the Galaxy or Nebula class or a Romulan Warbird. Generally, when determining combat capability, bigger IS better (as demonstrated by the relative combat capacity of a wet-navy destroyer versus a battleship–which is essentially what a Defiant versus Galaxy match-up would be). A Defiant class, if lucky or if employed with above normal skill in the proper situation, could destroy a vessel such as a Galaxy or a Romulan Warbird or a Klingon Vor'Cha–but it would be seriously hurt or destroyed itself (witness the rapid destruction of USS Valiant at the hands of the Dominion battleship). Defiant did as well as it did because it is sort of difficult to destroy the ship without killing off most of the major characters–they had to come up with a special weapon in the hands of the Breen to do so–and the ship wasn't actually destroyed until after the crew had abandoned it.

The PPCs on the Defiant Class vessels consist of 9 large emitter crystals, the associated focusing, control and firing equipment, and an output capacitor. The individual emitters fire in sequence at various frequency and energy level offsets (as determined by the fire control system), the output from each emitter being held in the output capacitor until all the emitters have fired, at which time the pulse is released towards the target. The frequency and energy offsets of each of the individual emitters has the effect of making the pulse generally more effect against target shielding–increasing the drain on target shields and the probability of shield penetration. The four PPCs in a Defiant Class vessel (due to efficiency increases, high cyclic rate and the previously mentioned frequency/energy offset) compare well in output to the saucer main dorsal array of a Galaxy Class starship (an estimated 650 MW versus 1020 MW)–in a package that is less than 1/10th the mass and requires a much smaller crew.

Hand Weapons: A number of types of hand phaser weapons exist and are currently deployed. The Type I is a small weapon that fits easily in the hand and is used when Starfleet personnel do not want to appear armed for diplomatic or security reasons. Its settings range from 1 to 8. The Type II is a larger, pistol sized weapon and has additional additional settings 9-16. The Type III is a rifle equivalent and several models exist (the model seen in TNG and the early DS9 episodes which is obsolescent but still in use and the Type IIIa and IIIb seen in later DS9, Voyager episodes, and in ST: First Contact and ST: Insurrection). The Type III has settings from 1-16 and an increased power cell capacity (50% greater than the Type I and Type II).

Settings 1 – 3 are stun settings of increasing severity; settings 5 and 6 cause thermal and cellular disruption effects but are not necessarily fatal; setting 7 is fatal to standard lifeforms (without causing the body to disintegrate); setting 8 will disassociate a human-sized lifeform; and settings 9-16 cause increasing degrees of damage, with setting 16 capable of explosively decoupling up to 650 cubic meters of rock per shot.

Phaser Effectiveness

The following material is drawn from the TNG and DS9 TMs. I will be doing comparisons, as time permits between the data presented in the TMs and observed effects in the episodes and movies. If you know of any scenes or dialog that might be helpful/informative, please let me know (and please give the episode or movie in which it can be found).

Hand Phasers:

This table presents the various hand phaser settings and their effect on 6g/cc density target material.

Discussion:

SEM:NDF ratio is the ratio between the Simple Electromagnetic and Nuclear Disruption Force components of the phaser beam. Damage Index is the penetration of the beam into a sample of standard target material (which seems to be roughly analogous to hull material) per discharge in centimeters.

One of the major questions here is, what is meant by explosive decoupling? How much, if any, of the target material undergoes domain transition? Logic indicates that it would be less than 50%, since a domain transition of 50% or better leads to disassociation of the target material (judging from the damage description concerning humanoid vaporization).

Looking at the table, it is evident that lower density materials will disassociate first… up to a certain point. Once past a particular discharge energy threshold (at about setting 10 or SEM:NDF ratio of greater than 1:10) lower density materials appear to be less apt to totally disassociate. This may be due to a number of factors, the most likely being that the NDF cascade effect cannot propagate through the less dense material with sufficient speed to prevent material failure/energetic fracture of the target material prior to disassociation. The remainder of the non-disassociated mass seems to decouple to a degree with minor explosive effects (sufficient to propel the material several feet with a moderate velocity). Since it is NOT stated that medium. Heavy or ultradense alloys undergo this effect, it seems reasonable to conclude, at this point, that these materials propagate the NDF cascade with sufficient rapidity to allow total disassociation of the affected mass. Since no data is provided concerning the affected mass and no clear canonical examples exist to provide a reasonable estimate of the affected mass (i.e. examples where it would be easy to determine the amount of duranium, steel, or tritanium disassociated with any degree of accuracy), it is extremely difficult or even impossible to provide an accurate estimate of hand phaser effectiveness against ship structural materials.

Medium alloys are most likely what we today would consider aerospace structural materials (alloys of titanium, aluminum, vanadium, etc.). heavy alloys are most likely steels, stainless steels, and nickel-base alloys. Dense alloys would most likely be comprised of depleted uranium and similar materials such as osmium, platinum and gold. Ultradense alloys are most likely comprised of materials from the ST Expanded Periodic Table of Elements (no copies of which are currently available for examination). This would include duranium and tritanium (whose names indicate that they are elements, not alloys).

As an aside, however, we DO know that it takes 2.4e6 MJ (2.4 TJ) to vaporize 1 m^3 of tritanium [p. 134 of the TNG TM]. It seems probable that a Type II hand phaser at setting 16 possesses the capability to disassociate this volume of tritanium, however, we have no canonical or official indication of this capability.

Shipboard Phasers:

According to the TNG TM, the standard Type X emitter has an output of 5.1 MW [p. 123]. Also according to the TNG TM, the Type II phaser has an output limit of 0.01 MW [p. 123]. This would imply that a Type X emitter is 510 times more powerful than a Type II phaser (ignoring any losses in efficiency which may exist). Adjusting the chart above for this factor we end up with the following (this is extremely inaccurate as we have no clear indication of the relationship between shipboard phaser settings and hand phaser settings… that is, while it is canonically established that shipboard phasers may be set to stun settings and high SEM settings (for applications such as energy transfer and active scanning) we do not know the upper limit for ship mounted emitter SEM:NDF ratio… it is likely that it may exceed the 1:40 ration of the hand phasers):

Discussion:

The figures above apply to a single Type X emitter. Making an adjustment for density (7.3 cc/g versus 6 cc/g in the case of iron versus the material listed above), a single Type X emitter can probably disassociate an spherical asteroid composed of iron that has a radius of 46.9 meters.

The main forward dorsal array on a GCS is compose of 200 Type X emitters. Recharge rate on GCS emitter arrays is less than or equal to 0.5 seconds. This means that at high power outputs, there will be a 0.78 second delay between the beginning of 1 discharge and the beginning of the next.

Given that there are 200 emitters in the array, geologic displacement would be as follows (if the Type X emitters have settings equivalent to the hand phaser settings):

The volume displaced using setting 16 is roughly equivalent to a spherical asteroid composed of iron that has a radius of 274.5 m^3. A single discharge at this setting would geologically displace a planetary surface area ~8 km on a side to a depth of 1 meter. This number matches up well with observed effects, particularly those observed in the TNG episode "Q Who" (the E-D's first encounter with the Borg). During this episode, the E-D fires upon the Cube, creating three hemispherical craters in the cube. An analysis of the imagery indicates that the craters have a diameter that exceeds the breadth of the E-D saucer section (~463 meters). It should be kept in mind that the Cube material probably has an average density greater than 6g/cc and most likely has some sort of reinforcement field, similar to the SIF, in operation. It should ALSO be kept in mind that the outer structure of a Cube is diffuse (meaning the material is not one solid mass). The Cube evidently either has no defensive shields active or the defensive field was not effective against phaser effects (until the Borg adapted to phaser weapons). A video clip of this event can be viewed here.

Phasers and other NDF weapons appear to be highly effective against standard ship structural and hull materials (including ultradense alloys such as tritanium and duranium). The DS9 Dominion War arc has provided numerous examples of NDF effect weapons (phasers, disrupters, and polaron beams) in action. Once shield penetration is accomplished, destruction of the target ship is very rapid (within a few seconds at most) due to the combined effects of weapon fire and internal system failure. In the following example, you can see that the Excelsior class ship is struck on the ventral saucer surface by a polaron beam from a Cardassian orbital weapon platform. Penetration of the shield and of the Excelsior saucer section takes about 1 second (16 frames). Careful examination of the video reveals that , while the weapon beam is of a fairly small diameter (~3 meter diameter) the resultant hole in the ship is several times that in diameter (20 meters or more in diameter). It can also be noted that the ship structural materials are slightly less affected by the NDF cascade than are the hull material and the internal, nonstructural materials (i.e. bulkheads, decks, etc.). This video can be viewed here.

Putting actual energy equivalency numbers to these capacities is difficult, if not impossible, due to the fact that the actual energy output of a phaser (or other NDF effect weapon) cannot be directly correlated to standard EM weapons or to NDF effects. While target material vaporization DOES occur, this vaporization is the result of domain transition of a significant portion of the target material, not the result of thermal energy addition and is more correctly labeled as disassociation or disintegration.

That being said, it SHOULD be possible to provide a rough EM equivalency for NDF effects on the following bases:

(1) This equivalency value represents the amount of energy a SEM weapon (such as a laser, plasma weapon or standard particle beam) would have to put out to achieve a similar result to a NDF weapon;

(2) This value DOES NOT reflect the actual energy output of the NDF weapon (which is usually orders of magnitude lower);

(3) This value is an approximation (and a poor one at that) as most SEM weapons cannot match phaser or other NDF weapon effects with any precision and without extensive release of additional energies to the environment. If, for example, a hand phaser utilized a SEM beam to achieve its effects, use of the weapon at these settings would cause extensive secondary damage (usually in the form of a shock wave or thermal pulse should the discharge take place in an atmosphere) to the immediate area and to the wielder of the weapon;

(4) We assume that, to match the disassociation effect of the NDF weapon, the SEM weapon MUST vaporize, as a minimum, the amount of material the phaser causes to transition out of the continuum (this has the approximate effect of cutting the EM equivalency in half, as to make the total mass "disappear," the SEM weapon would have to vaporize the entire mass);

(5) In order to provide a reasonably accurate estimate, the data from the TNG TM section on hand phasers will be utilized to provide the baseline data (as it is difficult to quantify most of the scenarios we see in the movies/episodes to a reasonable degree of accuracy);

(6)NDF effects vary with target material type. This means that it is NOT easily possible to simply determine NDF EM equivalency at a lower setting and interpolate it to an EM equivalency for a higher setting or another type of target material that differs substantially than the target material the original calculations were done for.

EM Equivalency Calculation (Type II hand phaser):

NOTE: data for the following calculations is taken from either the Marks' Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers (10th Ed.) or CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (80th Ed.).

Case 1: Disassociation of a humanoid target (setting 8).

Assumptions: A humanoid target is comprised overwhelmingly of water, therefor, in order to disintegrate a humanoid it is necessary to vaporize a mass of water equivalent to the mass of the target in question. For the purposes of this particular example, basis (4) above is NOT applied, the calculation determines the amount of energy needed to vaporize the ENTIRE mass.

Water: Mass: 80 kg, molar mass: 18 g/mol, enthalpy of vaporization :43.350 kJ/mol (@ 313.15 K.. about human body temperature)

energy = mass/molar mass x enthalpy of vaporization or;

80,000 g/18 g/mol x 43.350 kJ/mol = 192.67 MJ

Discharge duration for this setting is 1.75 seconds, so output power is 110.1 MW or roughly 11,000 times the stated MAXIMUM for a Type II phaser (0.01 MW).

Case 2: Explosive decoupling of 650 m^3 of rock/ore (6 g/cc density).

Assumptions: Since 50% continuum transition will result in the disassociation of the entire target mass, transition percentage must be less than 50%. Also, since transition/disruption seems to flow in order from least to most dense, the least dense material in the target mass will transition first (in the case of this particular target material this would be the Silicon (Si) content, which is markedly less dense than the heavier elements in the total target mass (the iron and other metals). given a density of 6 g/cc, the Si content of the rock/ore is less than 50% (in order to achieve this average density). If we calculate for a 1% domain transition for the Si, this represents approximately 0.5% of the total mass. The actual EM equivalency will most likely fall between the 1% and the 50% value (0.5% to 25% of the total mass).

Rock/Ore: mass: 6,000 kg/m^3, total mass 3.9e6 kg, 0.5% of total 195,000 kg, 25% of total 975,000 kg.

Si: melts @ 1684 K, boils at 3540 K, enthalpy of fusion: 1802 kJ/kg, enthalpy of vaporization 14,050 kJ/kg; molar weight 28.086 g/mol; specific heat 0.8 kJ/kg K

The Si will go through two phase changes: solid to liquid and liquid to vapor. It is assumed that the starting temperature is 298 K.

(1) Calculate energy required to raise temperature from 298 to 1684 K:

195,000 kg x 0.8 kJ/kg K x (1684-298 K) = 2.16e8 kJ or 2.16e5 MJ

(2) Calculate energy necessary for solid to liquid phase change:

195,000 kg x 1802 kJ/kg = 3.51e8 kJ or 3.51e5 MJ

(3) Calculate energy required to raise temperature from 1684 to 3540 k:

195,000 kg x 0.8 kJ/kg x (3540-1684) = 2.89e8 kJ or 2.89e5 MJ

(4) Calculate energy required for liquid to vapor phase change:

195,000 kg x 14,050 kJ/kg = 2.74e9 kJ or 2.74e6 MJ

(5) Total energy required for vaporization is the sum of the above: 3.59e6 MJ

Discharge duration at setting 16 is 0.28 seconds, total EM power output equivalency is: 1.28e7 MW or 12.8 TW

Total energy required for vaporization equivalent to a 50% domain transition of the Si content would be 640 TW.

If we interpolate this output to the Type X starship mounted emitter used on the Galaxy class (output factor is 510, ignoring possible inefficiencies) set at an equivalent to setting 16, we end up with an output that ranges from 6,528 TW to 326,400 TW for a single emitter. This would result in a main forward dorsal array output (200 total emitter segments) between 1,305,600 TW and 65,200,000 TW.

Actual EM output equivalency will likely be closer to the 1% value than to the 50% value, other than that, it is difficult to come any closer to a particular value than to say that it would fall into the range above. (Actually it would be reasonable to say that domain transition is more equivalent to atomization than it is to vaporization, which would require an additional energy input to atomize the vapor… in which case the EM output equivalency would be higher).

Torpedoes
The UFP presently uses two types of autonomous seeking weapons: photon torpedoes and quantum torpedoes. The term torpedo in this context is somewhat misleading in that the weapons in question perform more like 20th Century air-to-air missiles than they do wet-navy torpedoes. Both weapons make use of similar or identical technologies with the exception of the warhead package. The torpedo is the UFP's primary Faster-Than-Light (FTL) and extended range weapon for starship tactical operations.

Note: Photon torpedo explosive yields can be readily calculated because we know the amount of reactants in the torpedo warheads. The actual equivalency of isotons to explosive yield remains somewhat questionable in that the various TM's list the values that I give here. In the Voyager episode "Scorpion Part 2" the explosive yield of a photon torpedo is stated in dialog as 200 isotons–using the figures in the TM, this would require a reactant mass in excess of 70 kg, which is unlikely–therefore, it seems that a decimal place has been lost somewhere–either in the TM's or in the dialog. In any case, it is the energy equivalency of the isoton unit that changes, not the explosive force of the torpedo, itself( which means that if you use the Voyager isoton equivalency, multiply the isoton figures here by a factor of 10)–UNLESS, of course, the Voyager torpedo has an actual output of 200 TM isotons (which, however unlikely, is possible, should sufficient room be made in the casing for the required reactant mass).

A torpedo has 4 primary components: the casing; the warhead package; the guidance and control package; and the propulsion package.

(1) The casing contains and protects the other components and is provided with penetrations for sensors, propulsion and component access.

(2a) The photon torpedo warhead is a matter/antimatter reaction device. The warhead yield is variable at the discretion of the ship's Commanding Officer/Tactical Officer but, due to reaction inefficiencies, the upper limit of warhead yield is currently 18.5 isotons using a 7.3 kg combined matter/antimatter loading.

(2b) The quantum torpedo warhead is a two-stage device which relies upon Zero Point Energy (ZPE) for its primary effect. The first stage of the warhead is a standard photon torpedo warhead whose yield has been boosted to an output of 21.8 isotons. The output of this stage of the warhead is used to activate the Zero Point Initiator (ZPI) which, in turn, releases the ZPE that exists within the space contained within the initiator in the warhead. Nominal yield is approximately 50 isotons.

(3) The guidance and control package is a combination of sensors, navigation control and fire control (warhead fusing, safety systems and detonation control). The torpedo may be employed in a number of modes: autonomous; semiautonomous; or command. In autonomous mode, the torpedo uses its onboard sensors to locate and track its designated target and attempts to intercept that target within the parameters loaded into its control system by the Tactical Officer/ship's fire control system. In semiautonomous mode, the ship uses a combination of its own sensor data and data provided via link from the launching (or other designated) ship to intercept its target. In command mode, the torpedo follows flight control commands received via link from the launching (or other designated) ship.

(4) The propulsion package consists of a matter/antimatter fuel cell, a reaction chamber, warp sustainer coils, and exhaust venturies and provides the propulsive capability of the torpedo. A torpedo launched at warp will travel at warp as it acquires a hand-off warp field from the launching ship. This warp field is sustained by the power input to the warp sustainer coils by the M/A fuel cell. Torpedo warp velocity may exceed launching ship velocity by up to 10%. Maneuverability is provided by differential constriction of the exhaust venturies. A torpedo launched sub-light does not have warp flight capability (as no hand-off warp field is generated). Propulsion is provided by the initial launch impulse and is augmented by the exhaust from the M/A reaction in the fuel cell. Torpedo sublight velocity may exceed launching ship velocity by up to 75% (but will in no case break the warp barrier). Current maximum effective range of the latest generation torpedo (including, it is assumed, quantum torpedoes) is 4,050,000 km.

More information on torpedo warp propulsion is available in the Warp Propulsion System section of the Propulsion page.

There is some question as to the effectiveness of torpedo warheads. If the explosion is unshaped, then most (easily more than 50%) of the yield energy is wasted into empty space due to the spherical nature of the explosion wavefront. The weapon is also a electromagnetic weapon rather than a NDF weapon, which further reduces its effectiveness. Certain passages in the quantum torpedo description in the DS9 TM imply that the M/A explosion CAN be shaped, directed and retained (for a brief period of time) in the torpedo through the use of a combination lining of dilithium and synthetic neutronium and it would seem logical to extend this technology to the standard photon torpedo–in which case you significantly improve the effectiveness of the weapon, turning it into the 23rd century equivalent of an air-to-air missile with a shaped charge (HEAT) warhead.

Tactical Deflectors (Shields)
Tactical deflectors represent a combination technology, similar to that of standard UFP tractor beams in function. The standard UFP shield generator has two primary subassemblies: (1) a graviton generator (capacity dependent upon the particular model and application); and (2) a subspace field generator/amplifier (whose capabilities are standardized and can be modified via software modification).

Each primary subassembly plays a particular role in protecting the ship. The gravitonic subassembly provides protection form physical impacts by redirecting physical objects away from the ship via gravitic interaction. The latest generation of the standard shield generator has an impulse capacity of approximately 5.6e13 Newtons at a 125 meter stand off distance [this is sufficient to impart an delta V of 3e8 m/sec^2 (c) to a 185,600 kg object or to severely refract EM energy]. This impulse increases to 5.7e16 Newtons at a standoff of 4.5 meters (which is the approximate standoff for the hull-tight shields we see in the late DS 9 episodes}. This impulse is sufficient to impart a acceleration of c to a 191,000 metric ton object or to severely refract EM energies. Final object trajectory will be determined by the vector sum of the shield impulse vector and the object velocity vector. The shield impulse vector is, by design, perpendicular to the shield surface, directly outward from the shield.

The frequency agile subspace field generator/amplifier provides protection against EM and quasi-EM phenomena and weapons (including NDF effect weapons such as phasers and disruptors). protection is provided by two phenomena. The subspace field generated by the shield generator produces no propulsive effects (but does interfere with standard warp fields) because it lacks the requisite geometry that causes the propulsive effect in standard warp fields. The first effect is subspace scattering, when incoming energies are scattered away from the ship by subspace field interaction in which (for example) an incoming weapon beam's cross-section is expanded and the beam itself is refracted by the field. This causes the beam (or portions of the beam) to miss the ship. The degree of refraction and scattering is a function of weapon/energy frequency mismatch–the greater the mismatch, the greater the refraction/scattering. The second effect is subspace domain transition. The presence of an active subspace field surrounding the ship places the ship out of phase with normal space-time. The degree of displacement is a function of shield field frequency. A higher frequency causes a greater phase shift due to an increase in field strength. A high degree of phase offset between the incoming energy and the ship lowers the amount of interaction between the energy and the ship. In the case of a NDF weapon passing through the shield and striking the ship, any mismatch between beam phase and ship phase means that less of the ship's material will be affected by the beam (usually enough to preclude all but microscopic damage–this is supported by comments in the TNG TM personal phasers section where it is stated that high power phaser beams DO affect shielded materials THROUGH the shield). Both effects in combination protect the ship against NDF fluxes up to (in the case of the most powerful shipborne model of the latest generation standard shield) 750 MW at standard loads and approximately 928 GW at peak load.

Shield generators possess frequency agility over their band of operation in order to minimize or prevent Threat weapon phase matches, thereby allowing the weapon energies to bypass the protective function of the shield. Protection against wide-band EM fluxes is provided by maximizing shield frequency, thereby maximizing phase offset. Wide-band protection is usually not employed because it is extremely energy intensive and it interferes extensively with ship sensor function.

Both aspects of the tactical deflector are subject to withering effects (reduction of capability) under sustained load. The gravitonic aspect withers due to graviton consumption in excess of generator refresh rate. As gravitons are consumed in interactions, the generator attempts to maintain field strength. As generator load increases, heat builds up in the generator, reducing generator efficiency and additionally lowering refresh rate in a vicious circle. Generator cooling capacity is therefore a prime determinant of shield strength and duration. Shield graviton strength is also reduced by NDF effect (the NDF effect causes the energetic gravitons that come into contact with the weapon beam to undergo domain transition, effectively removing them from the field). The subspace aspect is subject to withering is due to a similar mechanism. Energies passing through the subspace field create interference in the field and resonances which feed back to the subspace generator/amplifier, causing heat to build up in the generator/amplifier and reducing efficiency. This reduction in efficiency results in a progressive weakening of the subspace field due to an inability to maintain frequency parameters. In extreme cases, field frequency will either lock at a set frequency (or limited range of frequencies), allowing Threat weapons to affect the ship or the the shield will actually collapse. Other types of tactical deflector equipment exist beyond the standard shield generator. These include multiphasic shielding and regenerative shielding.

Multiphasic shielding represents a software (and limited hardware) modification to the standard shield generator. The multiphasic generator is able to generate multiple subspace fields simultaneously at various frequency offsets. This approach has several advantages over the standard shield in particular applications in that it:

(1) decreases the possibility of threat vessels determining the ship's field frequency for weapon frequency matching (due to the inability of the Threat sensors to accurately scan the inner field layers); and

(2) increases scattering effects by causing the energy to pass through multiple subspace fields. The increase in scattering effect is particularly useful against wide-band EM fluxes.

The regenerative shield represents an extensive hardware and software modification to the standard shield generator. Regenerative shielding possesses the capability of using incoming energy to feed the shielding systems through modified feedback via the same subspace interactions that cause shield withering. This power may be shunted to either of the subassemblies individually or both subassemblies together. The parasitic feedback (in the case of subspace interaction effects) has the additional benefit of reducing generator heat buildup in proportion to the amount of parasitic siphoning. The result is a shield that is more resistant to withering effects, though it is not necessarily stronger than a non-regenerative field in overall capacity.

Brief Discussion:

As noted before, this particular approach to tactical deflectors is intended to address several effects that the previous model did not address as well:

(1) Why shield and weapon frequency is important and exactly what frequencies are meant by those particular references in the official materials and episodes/movies.

(2) Why the ship experiences impacts and impact accelerations when a weapon such as a phaser or disruptor hits the ship when the shields are up at full… The beam actually passes through the field (though it is greatly attenuated) and so an impact IS felt. Physical object impacts SHOULD NOT impart an acceleration to the ship, based upon the basic shield gravitonic interaction process laid out in the TNG TM, unless the object somehow makes it through the shield.

(3) Why, in ST:6 UC, for example, a photon torpedo that bursts against the shield still leaves a burn mark on the ship's hull… the physical torpedo is stopped by the gravitonic component of the shield and detonates. The energy flux from the detonation is attenuated by the subspace component but is still powerful enough (if the shield is sufficiently close to the hull) to affect the outer layer of the hull and impart an impact acceleration. The presence of such phenomena also implies that torpedo explosions DO have a subspace component. This is most likely due to the fact that the torpedo explodes within a drive field created by the sustainer coils (even when traveling STL). The (subspace) frequency of the warhead energies will be determined by the parameters of the torpedo drive field… the closer the match to the phase offset, the greater the amount of damage done to the ship. Explosion of the torpedo within the shield magnifies the effective yield of the warhead because it reduces the scattering effect (because the energy passes through less of the shield field and because the field both acts as a lens, focusing the detonation and because the energies interact with the subspace component, resulting in an increased phase match with the target).

Deflectors, by design, are not continuously effective against the entire EM spectrum. If the entire EM spectrum were blocked, it would not be possible for the shielded ship to see beyond the confines of the shield. The programming of the deflectors provide windows for the ship's sensors to look out through while protecting the ship. Shield frequency and bandwidth are randomly varied to minimize the potential of Threat vessels determining shield operating parameters and adjusting their weapon parameters to more easily penetrate or even bypass the shield. It is also possible for the shield parameters to be modified (either by the Tactical Officer or autonomously by the deflector control system) in order to optimize the shields against Threat weapons of known frequency and spectrum.

Deflectors also interfere with the formation and geometry of the ship's warp field. This interference is counteracted by a number of specialized subroutines in the flight control, propulsion, and tactical systems.

The figures and data given below for Galaxy class deflector shield strengths are based primarily on the data in the TNG TM and on calculations based upon similarities between the deflector and tractor descriptions in the TNG TM (leading to the implication that the two share a common technology, means of operation and similar capabilities based upon power output). Adjustments have also been made for observed behavior on the shows and in the movies.

Given the similarities between tractor beams and tactical (and navigational) deflectors, it should be possible to calculate an approximate standard gravitic impulse for a shield generator:

The main tractor beam of a GCS uses two 16 MW graviton polarity sources (32 MW total). the tractor beam can impart a nominal delta-V of 5 m/s^2 to a payload of 7,500,000 metric tons at a standoff of 1000 meters. It can impart the same delta-V to an object of 1 metric ton at ranges approaching 20,000 km. The tactical deflector system utilizes twelve 32 MW graviton polarity sources (384 MW total) which, at 1000 meters, should be able to impart a delta-V of 5 m/s^2 to a payload approaching 1.8e8 metric tons. This is a force (gravitic impulse) of approximately 9e11 Newtons.

Shield standoff distances are usually substantially less than 1000 meters. We have seen standoffs varying from approximately 100 meters for the E-D in TNG to skin tight for various ships in DS9. It has been canonically and officially established that shield standoff distance can be varied through operator input. It is also stated that the lower the shield standoff distance, the more powerful the shield (this makes sense, as the strength would vary either by the inverse square rule or as a function of shield surface area [as standoff distance is reduced by a factor of 2, shield strength will increase by a factor of 4]). The surface area rule seems to be the more probable indicator of shield strength variance and using that rule we end up with a gravitic impulse of 5.76e13 N at a standoff of 125 meters for the standard GCS tactical deflector operating at nominal power. At peak power, the rating would be 7.1e16 N. These translate into the capacity to stop a 192 metric ton object traveling at c at nominal power and stopping a 236,667 metric ton object traveling at c at peak power. Both of these figures are for SINGLE shield generators.

It should be noted that a certain percentage of shield capacity will be consumed by standard navigational and radiation hazard protection, reducing the capacity available for other uses. The unavailable capacity will be determined by local conditions (gas/dust density and background radiation flux).

The standard UFP shield generator used in the Galaxy class has a standard graviton load rating of 384 MW and a minimum NDF energy dissipation rate of approximately 104 MW. Peak graviton load of a single generator is approximately 473 GW with a minimum NDF energy dissipation rate of 128 GW for 0.17 seconds.

During normal (Cruise Mode) operation, 2 generators (1 in the saucer section and 1 in the engineering hull) provide energy to the shield grid, with the saucer providing coverage for the warp nacelles via shield extension. During alert situations, 7 generators are on-line in parallel phase lock with 3 generators providing coverage for the saucer, 2 for the engineering hull and 1 for each nacelle. Operating in phase lock allows energy transference across the shield grid, allowing total shield energy to be concentrated against particularly energetic attacks/physical impacts. Most UFP starship tactical deflector systems operate operate in a similar manner, depending upon the actual geometry/hullform of the ship.

In the episodes/movies we hear continual references to forward, aft, port or starboard shields, while the TNG TM implies that the shields are unitary in nature (with the 7 generators operating in parallel phase lock). I have split the generator load among the various sections of the ship, in accordance with the actual placement of shield generators. This serves to allow such references, while still allowing for shield energy to be transferred between shields. In this case, the saucer deflector is the forward shield, the engineering hull deflector is the aft shield, and the warp nacelle shields are the port and starboard shields. The nacelle shielding is the weakest because the deflector interferes with warp propulsion, making the nacelles prime targets (we often see how easily ships lose warp propulsion capability in combat)–this is probably a contributing factor in why so many battles seem to be fought STL rather than FTL (after all, it wouldn't do to lose a warp nacelle when you are traveling at warp–the ship would immediately be destroyed).

Using the shield energy distribution detailed above, it is possible to estimate how long a tactical deflector could resist a particular level of weapon fire. The PEDR of the shield represents the amount of incoming energy (of whatever form) the shield can dissipate without going into overload (that is, having to draw more power than the base power rating). The baseline PEDR can be maintained almost indefinitely. The overload PEDR will result in rapid withering of the shield due to heat build up/energy rebound in the tactical deflector system (at peak power the tactical deflectors can only be maintained for 0.17 seconds). Thus, the amount of shield overload will determine the rate at which the shield withers (but this is only a rough estimate). For example:

A GCS forward shield utilizes 3 shield generators, giving it a combined PEDR of 312 MW NDF and a gravitic impulse of 1.78e14 N (it is assumed, for this example, that energy cannot be cross-bled from the other sections of the shield and that the shield is operating at an approximate stand off of 125 meters).

Given the above, the forward shield could resist penetration by a GCS main forward dorsal phaser array for approximately:

384,000 MW (for 0.17sec) / 1020 MW x 0.17 sec = 64 seconds.

This assumes that the shield is optimized against the incoming energy and that no other loads are being experienced by the shield. Threat manipulation of weapon frequency and energy, as well as the presence of additional loads upon the shield (due to background radiation, the presence of dust, gas or other objects, etc.) will lower this time, often significantly.

Calculating deflector resistance to torpedoes is more difficult as the kinetic energy of the torpedo must be accounted for, as well as the energy of the warhead. In addition, the effects of warhead detonation inside an active subspace field (the sustainer coil drive field) appear to give the energy an effect beyond what is to be expected (meaning that it is possible that the presence of the drive field phases the detonation such that a significant portion of the energy can bypass the tactical deflector.

Cloaking Devices
Little information is available about the cloaking devices used by the Romulans and the Klingons. What follows is a possible explanation concerning their theoretical basis and function.

The cloaking device allows a starship to operate within certain constraints with what is essentially invisibility. A cloaked starship is extremely hard (though not impossible) to detect, though neither weapons nor active sensors can be used while cloaked. Earlier generation cloaks were much simpler than the latest generation technology used by the Klingons and the Romulans. Early cloaked vessels could be tracked via motion detection (TOS "Balance of Terror")and by exhausted waste products and impulse reaction products (ST VI:Undiscovered Country). Contemporary cloaked vessels cannot be tracked in this manner.

A ship is cloaked via the application of a cloaking field, which is similar in many respects to a warp propulsion or other subspace fields. This field, which operates on a different frequency and bandwidth than standard subspace fields, essentially submerges the cloaked ship into an additional domain of subspace beyond that used for warp propulsion, essentially taking it out of phase with the universe at large. Because the ship is slightly out of phase with the normal space-time continuum, it is extremely difficult to detect. The ship and field are essentially transparent to most scans and natural phenomena and material that is released from the ship remains phased (and hence, undetectable). Further refinements and advances in cloaking technology have advanced cloaking techniques to the point where it is now becoming possible to almost completely disassociate the ship from the normal space-time continuum, enabling the ship to pass through solid objects and making it largely immune to weapons fire.

Cloaking devices are extremely power intensive (on the level of warp drives) and this level of power consumption in conjunction with the fact that any energies or objects launched or released from a cloaked vessel remain out of phase, means that weapons cannot be used while a ship is cloaked–thus a starship must decloak before it can engage in combat.

 

Power Generation and Distribution
Several power generation systems exist on most types of starships. In general, there are three main power generation systems: (1) the Matter/Antimatter Reactor Assembly (M/ARA); (2) The Impulse Propulsion System (IPS); and (3) the Auxiliary Power System (APS). When a starship possesses all three types of power systems, the primary source of power is the M/ARA, the secondary power source is the IPS, and the APs acts largely as an emergency backup and supplement to the other two systems. Power from all of these systems is distributed throughout the ship via the Electro-Plasma System (EPS).

Matter/Antmatter Reactor Assembly: The M/ARA is the primary source of shipboard power–both for the operation of ship systems and for the operation of the Warp Propulsion System (WPS). M/ARA maximum output is determined during the design stages by the power requirements for the WPS as these requirements outweigh other power considerations by several orders of magnitude. Standard ship hotel and tactical loads represent only a small fraction ( less than 1e6 MW) of the total output of the M/ARA (which can exceed 1e13 MW for larger classes of ships such as the Galaxy class).

As the name implies, the M/ARA generates power from the mutual annihilation of matter and antimatter under controlled conditions. Matter and antimatter from fuel storage is fed into the M/ARA at varying ratios (this ratio of matter to antimatter is generally referred to as the intermix ratio) and the reaction cross-section radius varies between 2.1 to 9.3 cm (from low power to high power–a larger cross-section radius means more annihilations per unit time). The system operates in one of two modes: Mode 1is used for lower energy levels delivered to the EPS for sublight operations. The dilithium crystal is used to moderate this reaction and the Dilithium Crystal Articulation Frame (DCAF) aligns the dilithium crystal so that two of the edges of one of the crystal facets are parallel to the reaction cross-section radius. The intermix ratio for power generation is 10:1 (10 units of matter per unit of antimatter). Mode 2 is used during warp propulsion in order to create the Critical Warp Pulse Frequency (CWPF) for warp propulsion operations. DCAF orientation is controlled in three axes so as to place the mathematical collision point 20 angstroms above the upper facet of the dilithium crystal. The actual reaction takes place at the chamber centerpoint in either mode.

Note: There is no indication as to the location of the reaction cross-section during Mode 1(whether it is inside or outside of the dilithium crystal, itself). It is most probable that the actual reaction takes place at some distance above the crystal (the antimatter having passed through the crystal on its way to the reaction cross-section).

During Mode 2 operations, intermix ratio varies with the desired warp factor. At idle, the intermix ratio is 25:1. For power generation and warp 1 entry, intermix ratio is 10:1 and the ratio decreases steadily through the warp curve until it reaches 1:1 at warp 8. Warp factors greater than 8 use more reactants, but the intermix ratio remains at 1:1.

At lower power levels and high intermix ratios (used for EPS power generation and distribution) plasma flows from the M/ARA through the PTCs (Power Transfer Conduits) to the EPS, where power is drawn from the plasma via MHD (magnethydrodynamic) generators for distribution throughout the ship as AC or DC electrical power using a standardized electrical distibution system. A portion of the spent plasma is vented overboard in order to maintain system operating pressure within specifications. During high power operations, ship's power demands are met by plasma from the IRCs that is sent to the EPS. The PTCs are isolated from the EPS and the plasma in the PTCs acts as a conductor for the energy released in the M/A reaction in the M/ARA–because the intermix ratio is set at 1:1, little or no plasma is generated during the process (a small amount is generated due to the M/A reaction not being 100% efficient). The energy pulses travel through the plasma, down the PTCs to the warp coils.

Power for particularly high energy ship systems, such as phasers and shields, is provided via direct plasma taps from the EPS for the components in question. Local generators and/or power transformers convert the energy in the plasma into a form that can be used by the components. The level of power required to operate these systems, while low in comparison to warp power requirements, is sufficient to render standard power distribution systems too inefficient and massive for use in these particular applications.

Note: It isn't really possible to say too much that is concrete in regard to power distribution or power requirements for a starship, as little solid information is available in the technical manuals or the episodes/movies. The above represents my best guess–supported by some comments that Rick Sternbach has made in the newsgroup startrek.expertforum.ricksternbach. The largest power loads aboard a typical starship will be: (1) the warp propulsion system (this requires the most power of any system aboard, by orders of magnitude); (2) the tactical deflector system; (3) phasers; (4) structural integrity and inertial damping (SIF and IDF); (5) long range sensors; (6) transporters and replicators; and (7) ship hotel loads (gravity, temperature and air). During STL (slower-than-light) operations, a ship such as a Galaxy class has more power potentially available than it could possibly use or distribute–even with all shields drawing full power and all weapons firing continuously. There is no technical reason, other than a failure of or damage to the distribution or generation systems, why a starship should ever be short of power when not under warp drive. Nor should it be necessary to spout such orders as more power to the shields–since the shields are an autonomous system that will draw the necessary power, up to their peak power load (473 GW per generator), in order to protect the ship.

IPS Power Generation: During warp flight, the IPS is the primary source of power for ship's systems. IPS power is sufficient to provide for all ship's loads (including tactical deflectors and weapons) with a significant excess capacity. During power generation operations, the fusion plasma from the IRCs (Impulse Reaction Chambers) is shunted to the EPS by the IPS Accelerator/Generator rather than being exhausted overboard as per the normal propulsive path. The EPS uses the plasma from the IRCs to generate AC and DC electrical power for distribution to ship's systems (although, as with power generation using the M/ARA, certain components are directly tied to the plasma distribution system due to high power requirements).

Power generation for ship's requirements using the IPS is preferred to using the M/ARA for power generation for logistical reasons (even when the ship is not traveling at warp). Power generation using the M/ARA consumes the ship's onboard stock of antimatter–a resource that is not easily renewable. Power generation using the IPS draws only from the ship's deuterium stocks and these stocks may be replenished without recourse to Starfleet logistical support by collection of free hydrogen via the Bussard Collectors.

IPS power generation is not possible during impulse operations (except for that power drawn from the plasma via MHD in the IPS accelerator/generator) due to propulsion having priority over power generation from the IPS. During impulse operations, power for ship's requirements is normally drawn from the M/ARA.

Auxilliary Power System: Most UFP starships have an auxilliary power system for use in emergencies or when additional power might be required beyond that available from the M/ARA or the IPS. The APS usually consists of one or more IRCs that are not tied into the IPS and that are located at various decentralized positions throughout the ship (in order to minimize loss of capacity due to combat or other damage and to provide power to sections of the ship which have been isolated from the main EPS system due to damage or casualty). APS capacity is usually limited in both total power available and in duration.

Environment
Operations outside the biosphere of a planet requires the maintenance of an environment that is conducive to the efficient operation of the lifeforms that man the ship. Air, gravity, food, waste removal and processing, and protection from radiation and other hazards must be provided to protect the crew of the ship and to allow them to function. A number of systems exist to provide the proper environment aboard UFP starships.

Ship Structure
Cross sectional view of standard UFP starship hull construction here

Transporters
Matter Replication
Tractors

Warp Propulsion System
The Warp Propulsion System (WPS) is comprised of four major components: the Matter/Antimatter Reactor Assembly (M/ARA); the Plasma Transfer Conduits (PTCs) and Electro-Plasma System (EPS); the warp nacelles; and the associated computer control systems. The M/ARA and PTCs provide plasma at the required energy levels and pulse frequencies to the warp nacelles, where the warp coils transform the energy in the plasma into a warp field. The strength and frequency of the individual pulses is determined by energy level and the frequency of the plasma that is used to produce the pulse. Impulse plasma cannot be used for warp propulsion because it lacks the critical pulse frequency imparted to the M/ARA plasma by the dilithium crystal assembly.

The warp coils are generally fired in sequential order from fore to aft (for forward motion). Alterations in firing order and in individual pulse strength are used to maneuver the ship while under warp drive. Each pulse from a warp coil generates a subspace field of a particular strength. As this field propagates, a number of things happen:

(1) Field strength decreases in inverse proportion to the square of the propagation distance of the field from the coil;

(2) Field propagation rate relative to the ship is proportional to the input energy level (the higher the level of energy input to the coil from the PTCs, the higher the propagation speed);

(3) Each individual pulsed field interacts with the field from the preceding pulse, creating a pattern of mutual interference and reinforcement. The reinforcement increases the local subspace stress values, while interference decreases it. The ship moves towards the area of lower subspace stress ("downhill") at a rate dictated by the differential between the two (the higher the differential, the higher the velocity);

(4) Subspace stress differential values would have to be the same for all ships traveling at a stated warp factor (given identical local subspace conditions);

(5) Pulse timing would be dictated by the desired subspace stress values. These values are determined in turn by the pulsed field interaction (desired stress differential), the amplitude and cycle point of the plasma flowing to the warp coil from the PTC, and the critical distance from the ship's hull for the field interactions (which is fixed for the various modes of flight and desired maneuvers for each particular class of ships). More fields interacting would increase/decrease the localized stresses, increasing the stress differential and the velocity of the ship;

(6) The ENERGY requirement per pulse remains constant (ignoring efficiency losses) as a function of coil mass and critical distance for a given subspace domain. POWER requirement increases as a function of pulse rate.

The subspace pulse is (in simple terms) an expanding bubble. This bubble interacts with the bubbles from previous and following pulses to form a combined field whose geometry is shaped so as to provide a subspace field gradient. Again, note that there is not one, singular field. Rather, each pulse creates a separate field that, in interaction with previously propagated fields (from previous pulses) and post-propagated fields (from following pulses), creates the combined subspace field gradient (in essence, a field that is the summation of the constituent fields from the various pulses).

Using a "rubber sheet" analogy akin to that used to explain gravitation effects,the field creates a slope that the ship runs down by building a "hill" behind the ship and a "valley" in front of it (if the coils fire fore to aft in the standard sequence). The relative "heights" of these high and low spots are also affected by local subspace background stress values–if an area of high stress is in front of the ship, this will reduce the effective combined subspace field gradient, requiring a higher gradient than expected to achieve the desired warp factor. The orientation of the slope is dependent upon combined subspace field geometry. The "steepness" of the slope is due to the value of the gradient.

A dimensionally smaller ship has a lower critical field distance and the warp coils of a smaller ship are usually less massive. This indicates that a smaller ship usually has lower energy(and hence power) requirements for a stated warp factor than a larger ship. This is a consequence of ship dimensions rather than ship mass (except for the warp coil mass effects). This can be seen when we compare the power requirements for warp propulsion for the Galaxy and Defiant class ships (See Chart 1). A smaller ship is generally more energy efficient. One drawback of the smaller size, however, is that (in the instance of Defiant, for example) the use of fewer and smaller warp coils lowers the theoretical limit on subspace field stress values due to the requirement of higher pulse rates per individual coil and the subsequent more rapid approach to coil saturation and efficiency drop-off. Thus, a smaller ship has a lower theoretical top velocity. This is balanced somewhat by the lower energy requirements for pulse activation (slowing approach to saturation)-the balance between these two variables is dependent upon the specifics of the coil set mass and physical composition/geometry. In a general sense, having a larger number of coils is better, this equating to higher warp maneuverability (greater or more precise ability to manipulate field geometry) and a higher theoretical top speed. Theoretically, a four nacelle ship would be more maneuverable than a 2 nacelle ship (though the control system and software would be more complex) and would also have a higher theoretical top speed.

Plasma from the M/ARA is used to energize the warp coils in a specific firing sequence and timing, running from fore to aft. The plasma is moved to the warp coils from the M/ARA via the PTCs. Plasma from the M/ARA during warp operations differs from impulse (fusion) plasma in that it possesses what is referred to as the Critical Warp Pulse Frequency (CWPF). The CWPF is a result of the partial suspension of the M/A reaction in the Dilithium matrix during warp power operations. The CWPF is determined by the warp factor desired. Higher warp factors require a higher CWPF. Each pulse travels via the PTCto the warp coils, where magnetic gates are sequenced to admit the plasma to each coil in succession. Each coil fires at a slightly different energy level (with each resultant pulsed field propagating at a speed proportional to the pulse energy level at the moment of plasma injection).

In normal forward motion, the pulse energy level rises as the coils fire from fore to aft, the after fields propagating at a slightly higher speed than the immediately previous field. In reverse motion, the coils fire in reverse order, the pulse energy rising as the coils fire from aft to fore. The speed differential between the pulsed fields allows for field interaction (and the formation of the subspace differential nodes necessary for FTL flight). The pulsed nature of the combined fields (and node formation) means that the ship is moved via a method akin to peristalsis. Each combined field forms and collapses (and the subspace nodes and subspace field gradient with it) and the ship moves with each pulse.

The cyclic nature of the pulsed fields means that the ship does not fully enter subspace. Instead, the ship is partially phased into one of a number of subspace domains (the particular domain being a function of field strength-the particular domain determining the local value of c and, hence, the pseudo FTL velocity that the ship attains (otherwise known as warp factor)). This partial phasing of the ship allows continued interaction of the ship with the normal space environment on a number of levels that would not be available if the ship were to fully enter the subspace domain. Alterations in course are effected by altering the location of the field differential nodes-thus altering the vector of the combined field gradient. This alteration is achieved by subtle differences in coil pulse timing/energy. Ship pitch, yaw and bank can be altered in this manner.

Torpedo Warp Propulsion: Torpedo propulsion at warp velocities differs somewhat from normal ship propulsion in that the torpedo drive uses sustainer coils to maintain a parasitic warp field that is handed off from the ship to the torpedo during the launch process. Torpedo velocity can be up to 110% of ship velocity upon launch. The torpedo warp sustainer field is a static rather than pulsed field (due to torpedo power and control system limitations). This means that the field differential node loci and field stress gradient are fixed and that maneuverability is a function of differential constriction of the M/A reaction cell exhaust. Torpedoes will normally sustain the parasitic field until ½ of the onboard antimatter reactant load is exhausted (although this parameter may be changed via input from the tactical system by the ship's Tactical Officer). Torpedo field strength and combined field differential can also be adjusted by the Tactical Officer in order to maximize the torpedo's ability to penetrate into the outer layers of target defensive shields. It is theoretically possible (with correct selection of torpedo drive parameters) to match target shield parameters, allowing the torpedo to pass through the target's shields.

High Warp Corridors: Highways or high speed warp corridors are a phenomenon of the local and area subspace field stress levels. The combined differential stress is a function of the differential stress created by the WPS and of the background subspace field stress. What this means is that in areas of higher stress, a higher differential must be created by the WPS to maintain the same speed that existed in an area of lower field stress. In essence, the extremely low background stress levels allow you to create a much higher combined stress field differential than you would be able to do normally, for the same power input. It is the direction of the combined stress differential that overrides here, rather than any particular gradient in the background stress–because the input of the background stress is essentially zero.

The best way to look at this is to consider it from the perspective of friction or drag (though this is somewhat misleading). High background stress levels are the equivalent of high drag or high friction–it requires substantially more power to travel at Warp 6 in a high stress area than it does in a low stress area–the actual power/stress differential in the high stress area might actually be equivalent to those required for travel at warp 9 in an area of normal background stress. A high speed corridor has an extremely low background stress–it might be so low as to make the normal power/stress differential for warp 1 sufficient to enable you to travel at warp 9–so that theoretically you could hit the high multiple 9's in such a corridor.

High speed corridors would tend to be found in volumes with little or no mass or concentration of energy (it is the presence of large masses/energy concentrations, among other things, that distorts subspace). Using a topographical analogy, a planetary system would represent a hill or a mountain (in regards to subspace stress) whereas intergalactic or interstellar space (where no significant dust/gas mass or energy concentrations exist) would be a valley. This would imply that corridors do not generally lead directly from star system to star system, but might lead by or close to (relatively speaking) systems of interest.

Impulse Propulsion
The Impulse Propulsion System is the primary drive for STL travel. The IPS is a combined action/reaction-subspace drive system capable of accelerations in excess of 1000 gravities (g's). A generic IPS consists of one or more impulse engines, each of which is comprised of one or more Impulse Reaction Chambers (IRCs), an Accelerator/Generator (A/G), a Driver Coil Assembly (DCA), and a Vectored Exhaust Director (VED).

An IRC is essentially a proton-proton fusion reactor, with a output that can be throttled from 10e11 to 10e8 MW. The high energy plasma from the IRC is exhausted from the IRC through the A/G, which can operate in one of three modes: (1) propulsion–in this mode the A/G raises the velocity of the plasma for more effective propulsion and the plasma is directed to the DCA; (2) power generation–the A/G is shut down and the plasma is diverted to the Electro-Plasma System for power generation or; (3) combined–the A/G generates power from the IRC via MHD while allowing the plasma to proceed to the DCA. The DCA uses energy from the plasma to create a low level (less than 1 Cochrane) subspace field that: (1) reduces the effective mass of the ship by a significant magnitude (from 4.5e6 metric tons to less than 1 metric ton for a Galaxy class, for example); and (2) acts as a streamlining field to allow the ship to pass more easily through the continuum. The plasma is then directed outboard via the VED for propulsive effect. The VED allows the thrust to be vectored and, in combination with the Reaction Control System (RCS) provides maneuverability for the ship during STL operations.

The continuum slippage effect operates in a similar manner to the pulsed warp fields during FTL operations. The primary differences being that the subspace field generated has insufficient strength to transition the ship into subspace (thus the c barrier is not exceeded) and the field is continuous rather than pulsed (the field pulsing requirement is unnecessary since the ship never leaves normal space). The DCA field creates a subspace field gradient that does provide some propulsive effect to the ship on the 000.0 vector (directly forward). This velocity vector is fixed, since field geometry is fixed.

Note: The operation of the IPS is not particularly well explained in the literature or the episodes/movies, leaving the question of exactly how it manages to produce the stated accelerations open. An examination of the data in the TNG TM shows that there is insufficient fuel carried onboard a Galaxy class to accelerate it to a significant fraction of c even once without running out of fuel if the drive is a pure action/reaction drive. Reducing the apparent mass of the ship via the subspace field does not solve this problem since the mass of the fuel carried is also reduced in proportion (thus maintaining a constant propulsive impulse for a given volume of fuel). The only way the stated acceleration can be obtained (and a reasonable fuel mass be retained) is via the conservation of energy during the ship's change of mass. Using the Galaxy class as an example:

Initial (actual) mass is 4.5e9 kg with the ship at an initial velocity of 10 m/s at 000.0. When the mass reduction effect is applied (reducing the effective mass to 4500 kg for this example) the ship will jump to a velocity of 1e4 m/s at 000.0. This would be an instantaneous acceleration of about 1000 g's. Deceleration would work in reverse–raise the mass of the ship to decelerate. Failure of the drive or loss of power to the DCA would cause an immediate deceleration of the ship. It would seem likely, on this basis, that the ship's mass can be selectively altered to achieve a desired velocity (in combination with minimal output from the IPS in the form of plasma). Actual, applied accelerations to the ship via thrust would be minimal. It also seems likely that the field can be ramped up or down–that is, the timing of the mass change can be altered, from nearly instantaneous to being stretched over several seconds.

My comments regarding the continuum slippage effect are supposition, but they go some way towards explaining several observed phenomena–the ability of the ship to accelerate given the insufficiency of fuel mass and the fact that we never observe any ships in the ST universe use decoupled maneuvering (pointing the ship in one direction while continuing to travel along the original velocity vector) during combat, implying that the ships are continually under some form of acceleration and that changing the axes of orientation will change the base velocity vector.

Reaction Control System
The Reaction Control System (RCS) provides low speed thrust and maneuverability during evolutions such as docking or station-keeping and provides for directional and attitude control during STL maneuvers (in combination with the IPS). Reaction Control Modules (RCMs) are located along the periphery of the ship in order to provide thrust and directional/attitude control. Each RCM consists of a gas fusion reaction chamber, a magnethydrodynamic (MND) energy field trap, and a set of vectored-thrust exhaust nozzles. Local fuel supplies (deuterium) exist as part of the RCM and fuel may also be transferred from the main deuterium storage tanks to the local fuel storage as the local stores are depleted.

 

This page will contain text dealing with normal ship operations and procedures and a detailed discussion of starship combat in the ST universe (which also includes a comparative discussion of the various ships, including non-UFP ships).

Ship Statistics

This section provides an estimate of the capabilities of various ships that have appeared in the ST universe. Except for the information provided for the Galaxy class (GCS), most of the information provided here is based upon my observations, deductions, and inferences and has no canonical status. Numbers are rounded for convenience. Ship profiles are based upon comparison to GCS capabilities (seeing that the GCS is the only ship class we currently have any meaningful hard data on). Primary determinants of ship capability are size in comparison to a GCS, record of combat of that type of ship (against both GCS and other ships on the list); and passing comments made on the ships in various episodes and canonical references. I have attempted to avoid the use of non-canonical materials beyond what I, myself, have added. I am reasonably certain that, while the ship specifics are not necessarily correct/accurate, the information provided here represents a good comparison between the capabilities of the ships listed. Aficionados or fans of particular ships or types of ship may not like what they see here—but lacking any canonical data or reasoned and well-supported arguments to the contrary (which you may provide if you so desire), these estimates stand. As additional information becomes available, these profiles will be updated. Remember that what you see on the screen is subject to the vagaries of dramatic necessity and is not necessarily a reasoned or accurate portrayal of comparative ship capabilities (meaning that if Defiant needs to destroy a Dominion Destroyer this week for the episode to work out, it will be able to do so, regardless of the actual statistics or capabilities).

Sovereign Class Ship (SCS): This is the Enterprise-E.

Weapons:

Type X phaser arrays: Saucer dorsal array: 1225 MW; Saucer ventral array (p/s): 600 MW each; Saucer dorsal (mid) array (p/s): 30 MW; Saucer dorsal (aft) array (p/s): 40 MW; Lower hull ventral array: 160 MW; Nacelle pylon array (p/s): 60 MW

Torpedo launchers: 5 launchers: saucer ventral (rapid fire quantum torpedo launcher), 2 lower hull ventral forward, 2 lower hull ventral aft. All are available in docked configuration. Photon torpedo launchers can fire up to 12 torpedoes per impulse. Quantum topedo launcher appears capable of launching up to 4 torpedoes in rapid succession. Photon torpedo launcher cycle time is approximately 12 seconds for a full salvo, 10 seconds for 8 torpedo salvo, 5 seconds for 4 torpedo salvo, almost immediate for single torp firings. Cycle time for quantum torpedo launcher is currently unknown. 275+ casings carried, ~25% of which will be probes.

Shields:

Main: PEDR(estimated): 1025 MW (NDF). Maximum: 4.64e6 MW (NDF)for 170 ms.

Backup: Unknown.

Note: SCS shields utilize multiphasic shield generators, the latest advance in defensive treknology.

Velocity:

Cruising: TBD. Maximum sustained cruise: TBD. Maximum: warp 9.975+.

Tactical note: Despite its size and mass, a SCS is at least as maneuverable as an ICS in all flight regimes.

Galaxy Class Ship (GCS): This is the Enterprise-D.

Weapons:

Type X phaser arrays: Saucer dorsal array: 1020 MW; Saucer ventral array: 816 MW; Saucer aft array (p/s) total of 2: 25 MW each; Battlesection dorsal connector array (available only in undocked configuration): 255 MW; Battlesection ventral array: 130MW; Battlesection aft array (p/s, d/v) total of 4: 25 MW each; Nacelle pylon arrays (p/s) total of 2: 50 MW each. With the ship in docked configuration (cruise mode), the phasers may be fired continually for 45 minutes. If the ship is separated, the saucer section arrays are limited to 15 minutes of continuous fire (due to energy limitations).

Torpedoes: Upgraded launchers may fire ptorps or qtorps. 3 launchers: battlesection fore and aft, saucer aft (unavailable in cruise mode). Launchers have the capability to fire up to 10 torpedoes in 1 impulse. Launcher cycle time is approximately 12 seconds for each full salvo, 10 seconds for 8 torpedo salvo, 5 seconds for a salvo of 4 or fewer torpedoes, almost immediate for single torp salvos. 275 torpedo casings carried (~25% of these—70—are probes of various types).

Shields:

Main: PEDR: 730 MW (NDF). Maximum Capacity: 3.31e6 MW for 170 ms.

Backup: PEDR: 475 MW (NDF). Maximum: 2.15e6 MW for 170 ms.

Velocity:

Cruising: warp 6. Maximum sustained cruise: warp 9.2. Maximum: warp 9.6 (12 hours). Ship can travel at warp 9.9 until auto engine shutdown at t=10 minutes.

Additional ships will be added as data becomes available. Data will be updated as appropriate.

Starship Comparison Chart (c. 2376)
This chart provides a very basic comparison between most of the known starships. The combat rating for the ships is essentially my estimate of the combat effectiveness of the ship, based upon observed performance, known weapons loadout, sensor capability, general technology, maneuverability, and top speed. It does not take into account special circumstances (such as the ship being crewed by the heroes of the show/movie, which throws everything out the window), specific tactical considerations, or special equipment (such as cloaking devices). This is a general comparison only and is somewhat limited by the general lack of knowledge we have concerning most of these ships.

Notes: (1) A very rough estimate, but considering the firepower, maneuverability, and speed improvements over the Galaxy class, this class is at least 3 times as effective. (2) Little real data exists as only one copy of this experimental type is known to exist. Observed performance indicates significant advanatage over Nebula class. (3) These are uprated versions of the original class, with increases to top speed and most likely additional weapons. (4) Design/theoretical speed is warp 9.98, however, deficiencies in design limit speed to warp 9.5 due to power limitations. (5) Thses vessels have or are capable of mounting a cloaking device. Cloaking devices can provide a significant advantage in specific tactical situations, greatly increasing the combat rating of the ship. (6) Essentially a slightly uprated version of the Warbird A, indistinguishable in appearance, possessing a higher top speed. (7) An uprated version of the standard Galor, sometimes referred to as Keldon class. Weapons fit is similar, but crew is larger and vessel has greater persistence and slightly better technology.

Starfleet FM 102.1.2377

(Warp Regime Combat Operations)

This section deals with starship versus starship combat while one or both ships are under warp drive. The tactics and limitations discussed here are primarily based upon the capabilities of the Treknology rather than how things appear on the screen in the shows and movies. The necessities of dramatic presentation and the limits of FX budgets dictate that combat (as it appears) bears little or no resemblance to what would actually occur, given the available technology. Actual combat in a ST type universe would be vastly different than hat we have seen.

Weapon Systems Considerations

Weapon systems are highly constrained during warp regime operations. Contemporary phaser systems are largely ineffective due to the degrading effects of the firing and target ships' warp fields (the advent of the ACB-jacketed phaser may bring increased effectiveness to phasers in this regime, but until system deployment becomes more widespread and more data is collected, the effectiveness of this approach is unproven). There is an estimated 25% chance of hitting a warp regime target with phasers during a head on engagement, but the probability of such a hit causing meaningful damage is less than 25%. The only truly effective warp regime weapon at this time is the torpedo (either quantum or photon).

The photon and the new quantum torpedoes are the primary warp regime weapon system due to its warp flight capability, long range, high explosive power, and autonomous operation. While the stated range of the current generation of torpedoes is 4,050,000 km, tactical considerations significantly limit actual engagement ranges as noted in Table 102.1.A, below:

102.1.A Torpedo Range (Warp)
The stated maximum effective range for the current generation of torpedoes is 4,050,000 km. This range does not take into account the relative velocities of the firing and target ship, the velocity of the firing ship or the geometry of the tactical situation. The chart below lists estimates of the maximum range of torpedoes in the warp regime along the forward (Da), beam (Db) and aft (Df) axes against non-maneuvering targets with a matching velocity (speed and vector).

Notes: Delta-V is the overtake speed for a torpedo fired at a target traveling at the same velocity as the firing ship in the direct forward arc. (1) Torpedoes cannot be targeted at vessels on the beam at these velocities due to the short maneuvering time available to the torpedo.

Torpedo ranges don't work out to be quite what might be expected in warp combat for a number of reasons. The first reason is that, since we are talking about warp propulsion, standard considerations about velocity and maneuvering are inapplicable. For example: in normal STL combat, the velocity (not just the speed) of the launching ship is a major consideration–torpedoes can be launched up to a maximum velocity of 0.75c, however, if the torpedo is launched in the aft direction, the velocity of the launching ship must be subtracted from the final velocity of the torpedo (since the velocity vectors are 180 degrees out). This does not happen in warp, due to the fact that the torpedo velocity results from the hand-off field from the ship's drive field. Once the torpedo is launched, it is traveling at the launching ship's speed (plus up to an additional 10%) along whatever vector the torpedo is launched along.

The short ranges in the forward arc are due to the limitations of active drive time on the torpedo. The drive (and warp field) will only remain active for a certain length of time (depending upon the speed at which the torpedo is traveling). The range listed is that overtake distance which can be covered (given the stated delta-V) at the stated warp factor–the torpedo itself still travels the full 4,050,000 range, but it is overtaking a target which is only slightly slower than itself.

The ranges to the beam are essentially a result of decreasing maneuvering time. While it is easy for the torpedo to change directions (in regard to energy expenditure), it still takes time to do so. As the available maneuvering time becomes shorter, the angle off the initial launch angle that can be obtained grows less and less until, at the higher warp factors, engaging targets more than a few degrees of the direct forward and aft axes becomes impossible. In such cases, however, it is generally possible to reduce torpedo velocity to increase available maneuver time.

The ranges stated above decrease greatly against maneuvering targets. This is because the torpedo must expend energy in altering course to intercept the target. As a general rule of thumb, the "no-escape" zone (that range at which the target cannot escape from the torpedo through maneuver) for a torpedo fired against a maneuvering target will be (at maximum) about 1/2 of the ranges stated above.

 

Command/Control
Command and control of Federation (and other) starships is exercised primarily through the ship's main computer. In the event of a computer casualty, various manual back-up systems are available.

Communication
Intelligence
Intelligence encompasses a number of systems, most notably the various sensor systems. Starships and bases utilize a variety of sensor systems, each of which uses a variety of sensor types. Federation starships generally utilize what are generically termed the Navigational Sensors (NS) , Long Range Sensor system (LRS) and the Short Range Sensor system (SRS). Each of these systems consists of a number of arrays.

Long Range Sensors (LRS)

The long range sensor systems are comprised of a number of active scan and passive instruments that operate in the normal EM and subspace bands. The majority of these instruments are active scan subspace devices, which provide FTL information gathering. The maximum effective range of the LRS is ~5 light years in high resolution mode and ~17 light years (depending upon instrument type) in medium to low resolution. At maximum range, a sensor pulse takes 90 minutes to travel to the target and return. Within the confines of a solar system, information gathering is essentially instantaneous.

LRS Instruments:

wide-angle active EM scanner
narrow-angle active EM scanner
gamma ray telescope
variable flux EM sensor
lifeform analysis cluster
parametric subspace field stress sensor
gravimetric distortion scanner
passive neutrino imaging scanner
thermal imaging array
The active EM scan instruments are most likely multi-frequency radar and/or lidar(laser ranging) devices with mapping capabilities. The variable flux EM sensor is most likely a passive EM device. The parametric subspace field stress sensor would have applications in navigational mapping for warp travel and for detecting active subspace fields (including warp fields). The gravimetric distortion scanner would have applications in detecting and mapping natural and synthetic gravity fields. the imaging scanners are most likely used in conjunction to provide long-range visuals (via computer interpolation) such as we see on the main viewer.

These instruments are usually located directly behind the main deflector dish and share the use of the main deflectors subspace field generators to enable FTL scanning.

The LRS is designed to scan in the direction of flight (plus or minus a few degrees) and are routinely used to search for flight hazards.

The Ferengi rules of Aquisition

1. Once you have their money, never give it back

2. You can't cheat an honest customer, but it never hurts to try

3. Never spend more for an acquisition than you have to

4. Sex and profit are the two things that never last long enough

5. If you can't break a contract, bend it

6. Never let family stand in the way of opportunity

7. Always keep your ears open

8. Keep count of your change

9. Instinct plus opportunity equals profit

10. A dead customer can't buy as much as a live one

11. Latinum isn't the only thing that shines

12. Anything worth selling is worth selling twice

13. Anything worth doing is worth doing for money

14. Anything stolen is pure profit

15. Acting stupid is often smart

16. A deal is a deal (…until a better one comes along

17. A bargain usually isn't

18. A Ferengi without profit is no Ferengi at all

19. Don't lie too soon after a promotion

20. When the customer is sweating, turn up the heat

21. Never place friendship before profit

22. Wise men can hear profit in the wind

23. Never take the last coin, but be sure to get all the rest

24. Never ask when you can take

25. Fear makes a good business partner

26. The vast majority of the rich in this galaxy did not inherit their wealth; they stole it

27. The most beautiful thing about a tree is what you do with it after you cut it down

28. Morality is always defined by those in power

29. When someone says "It's not the money," they're lying

30. Talk is cheap; synthehol costs money

31. Never make fun of a Ferengi's mother

32. Be careful what you sell. It may do exactly what the customer expects

33. It never hurts to suck up to the boss

34. Too many Ferengi can't laugh at themselves anymore

35. Peace is good for business

36. War is good for business

37. You can always buy back a lost reputation

38. Free advertising is cheap

39. Praise is cheap. Heap it generously on all customers

40. If you see profit on a journey, take it

41. Money talks, but having lots of it gets more attention

42. Only negotiate when you are certain to profit

43. Caressing an ear is often more forceful than pointing a weapon

44. Never argue with a loaded phaser

45. Profit has limits. Loss has none

46. Labor camps are full of people who trusted the wrong person

47. Never trust a man wearing a better suit than your own

48. The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife

49. Old age and greed will always overcome youth and talent

50. Never bluff a Klingon

51. Never admit a mistake if there's someone else to blame

52. Only Bugsy could have built Las Vegas

53. Sell first; ask questions later

54. Never buy anything you can't sell

55. Always sell at the highest possible profit

56. Pursue profit; women come later

57. Good customers are almost as rare as Latinum – treasure them

58. Friendship is seldom cheap

59. Free advice is never cheap

60. Never use Latinum where your words will do

61. Never buy what can be stolen

62. The riskier the road, the greater the profit

63. Power without profit is like a ship without an engine

64. Don't talk shop; talk shopping

65. Don't talk ship; talk shipping

66. Anyone serving in a fleet who is crazy can be relieved, if they ask for it.

Anyone asking to be relieved is not crazy and must be forced to serve

67. Enough is never enough

68. Compassion is no substitute for profit

69. You could afford your ship without your government – if it weren't for your government…

70. Get the money first, then let the buyers worry about collecting the merchandise

71. Gamble and trade have two things in common: risk and Latinum

72. Never let the competition know, what you're thinking

73. Never trust advice from a dying Ferengi; listen but don't trust

74. A Ferengi without profit is no Ferengi at all

75. Home is where the heart is, but the stars are made of Latinum

76. Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies

77. Go where no Ferengi has gone before; where there is no reputation there is profit

78. There is a customer born every minute

79. Beware of the Vulcan greed for knowledge

80. If it works, sell it. If it works well, sell it for more. If it doesn't work, quadruple the price and sell it as an antique

81. There's nothing more dangerous than an honest businessman

82. A smart customer is not a good customer

83. Revenge is profitless

84. She can touch your ears but never your Latinum

85. Death takes no bribes

86. A wife is a luxury, a smart accountant a necessity

87. Trust is the biggest liability of all

88. When the boss comes to dinner, it never hurts to have the wife wear something

89. Latinum lasts longer than lust

90. Mine is better than ours

91. He who drinks fast pays slow

92. Never confuse wisdom with luck

93. He's a fool who makes his doctor his heir

94. Beware of small expenses…a small leak will kill a ship

95. Important, more important, Latinum

96. Faith moves mountains, of inventory

97. If you would keep a secret from an enemy, don't tell it to a friend

98. Profit is the better part of valor

99. Never trust a wise man

100. Everything that has no owner, needs one

101. Never do something you can make someone do for you

102. Nature decays, but Latinum lasts forever

103. Sleep can interfere with opportunity

104. Money is never made. It is merely won or lost

105. Wise men don't lie…they just bend the truth

106. There is no honor in poverty

107. Win or lose, there's always Huyperian Beetle Snuff

108. A woman wearing clothes is like a man without profit

109. Dignity and an empty sack is worth the sack

110. Only a fool passes up a business opportunity

111. Treat people in your debt like family…exploit them

112. Never sleep with the boss' wife unless you pay him first

113. Never sleep with the boss' sister

114. Small print leads to large risk

115. Greed is eternal

116. There's always a way out

117. If the profit seems too good to be true, it usually is

118. Never cheat a honest man offering a decent price

119. Buy, sell, or get out of the way

120. Even a blind man can recognize the glow of Latinum

121. Everything is for sale, even friendship

122. As the customers go, so goes the wise profiteer

123. A friend is only a friend until you sell him something. Then he is a customer

124. Friendship is temporary, profit is forever

125. A lie isn't a lie until someone else knows the truth

126. A lie isn't a lie, it's just the truth seen from a different point of view

127. Gratitude can bring on generosity

128. Ferengi are not responsible for the stupidity of other races

129. Never trust your customers

130. Never trust a beneficiary

131. If it gets you profit, sell your own mother

132. The flimsier the produce, the higher the price

133. Never judge a customer by the size of his wallet (…sometimes, good things come in small packages

134. There's always a catch

135. The only value of a collectible is what you can get somebody else to pay for it

136. The sharp knife cuts quickly. Act without delay!

137. Necessity is the mother of invention. Profit is the father

138. Law makes everyone equal, but justice goes to the highest bidder

139. Wives serve; brothers inherit

140. The answer to quick and easy profit is: buy for less, sell for more

141. Competition and fair play are mutually exclusive. Fait play and financial loss go hand-in-hand

142. A Ferengi waits to bid until his opponents have exhausted themselves

143. The family of Fools is ancient

144. There's nothing wrong with charity… as long as it winds up in your pocket

145. Always ask for the costs first

146. a. Sell the sizzle, not the steak

b. if possible sell neither the sizzle nor the steak, but the Elphasian wheat germ

147. New customers are like razor toothed gree worms. They can be succulent,

but sometimes they bite back

148. opportunity waits for no one

149. Females and finances don't mix

150. Make your shop easy to find

151. Sometimes, what you get free costs entirely too much

152. Ask not what your profirs can do for you; ask what you can do for your profits

153. You can't free a fish from water

154. The difference between manure and Latinum is commerce

155. What's mine is mine, and what's yours is mine too

156. Even in the worst of times someone turns a profit

157. You are surrounded by opportunities; you just have to know where to look

158. Don't pay until you have the goods

159. The customer is always right (…until you have their cash

160. Respect is good…Latinum is better

161. Never kill a customer, unless you make more profit out of his death than out of his life

162. His money is only your's when he can't get it back.

163. A thirsty customer is good for profit, a drunk one isn't

164. Never spend your own money when you can spend someone else's

165. Never allow one's culture's law to get in the way of a universal goal…profit

166. Never give away for free what can be sold.

167. If a deal is fairly and lawfully made, then seeking revenge especially unprofitable revenge, is illegal.

168. Beware of relatives bearing gifts

169. If you're going to have to endure, make yourself comfortable

170. Never gamble with an empath

171. Time is Latinum. The early Ferengi gets the Latinum

172. If you can sell it, don't hesitate to steal it

173. A piece of Latinum in the hand is worth two in a customer's pocket

174. Share and perish

175. When everything fails…

a When everything fails – scream as loud as you can
b. When everything fails – run

176. Ferengis don't give promotional gifts!

177. Know your enemies… but do business with them always

178. The world is a stage – don't forget to demand admission

179. Whenever you think that things can't get worse, the FCA will be knocking on your door

180. Never offer a confession when a bribe will do

181. Even dishonesty can't tarnish the glow of Latinum

182. Whenever you're being asked if you are god, the right answer is YES

183. Genius without opportunity is like Latinum in the mine

184. There are three things you must not talk to aliens: sex, religion and taxes

185. If you want to ruin yourself there are three known ways: gambling is the fastest,
……..women are the sweetest, and banks are the most reliable way

186. There are two things that will catch up with you for sure: death and taxes

187. If your dancing partner wants to lead at all costs, let her have her own way and ask an other lady to dance

188. Never bet on a race you haven't fixed

189. Borrow on a handshake; lend in writing

190. Drive your business or it will drive you

191. Let others keep their reputation. You keep their money

192. If the flushing isn't strong enough, use your brain and try the brush

193. Klingon women don't dance tango

194. It's always good business to know about new customers before they walk in your door

195. Wounds heal, but debt is forever

196. Only give money to people you know you can steal from

197. Never trust your customers, especially if they are your relatives

198. Employees are the rungs on your ladder to success…don't hesitate to step on them

199. The secret of one person is another person's opportunity

200. A madman with latinum means profit without return

201. The justification for profit is profit

202. a. A friend in need is a customer in the making

b. A friend in need means three times the profit

203. A Ferengi in need, will never do anything for free

204. When the Grand Nagus arrives to offer you a business oportunity, it's time to leave town until he's gone

205. When the customer dies, the money stops a-comin'

206. Fighting with Klingons is like gambling with Cardassians…It's good to have a friend around when you lose

207. Never trust a hardworking employee

208. Give someone a fish, you feed him for one day. Teach him how to fish, and you lose a steady customer

209. Tell them what they want to hear

210. A wife, who is able to clean, saves the cleaning lady

211. In business deals, a disruptor can be almost as important as a calculator

212. If they accept your first offer, you either asked too little or offered too much

213. Stay neutral in conflicts so that you can sell supplies to both sides

214. Never begin a business transaction on an empty stomach

215. Instinct without opportunity is useless

216. Never take hospitality from someone worse off than yourself

217. Only pay for it, if you are confronted with a loaded phaser

218. Always know what you're buying

219. A friend is not a friend if he asks for a discount

220. Profit is like a bed of rose – a few thorns are inevitable

221. Beware of any man who thinks with his lobes

222. Knowledge is Latinum

223. Rich men don't come to buy; they come to take

224. Never throw anything away: It may be worth a lot of Latinum some Stardate

225. Pride comes before a loss

226. Don't take your family for granted, only their Latinum

227. Loyalty can be bought… and sold

228. All things come to those who wait, even Latinum

229. Beware the man who doesn't make time for oo-mox

230. Manipulation may be a Ferengi's greatest tool, and liability

231. If you steal it, make sure it has warranty

232. Life's not fair (How else would you turn a profit?

233. Every dark cloud has a Latinum lining

234. Never deal with a beggar; it's bad for profits

235. Don't trust anyone who trusts you

236. You can't buy fate

237. There's a sucker born every minute. Be sure you're the first to find each one

238. The truth will cost

239. Ambition knows no family

240. The higher you bid, the more customers you drive away

241. Never underestimate the importance of the first impression

242. More is good…all is better

243. If you got something nice to say, then SHOUT

244. If you can't sell it, sit on it, but never give it away

245. A warranty is valid only, if they can find you

246. He that speaks ill of the wares will buy them

247. Never question luck

248. Celebrate when you are paid, not, when you are promised

249. Respect other culture's beliefs; They'll be more likely to give you money

250. A dead vendor doesn't demand money

251. Satisfaction is not guaranteed

252. Let the buyer beware

253. A contract without fine print is a fool's document

254. Anyone who can't tell fake doesn't deserve the real thing

255. A warranty without loop-holes is a liability

256. Synthehol is the lubricant of choice for a customer's stuck purse

257. Only fools negotiate with their own money

258. A Ferengi is only as important as the amount of Latinum he carries in his pockets

259. A lie is a way to tell the truth to someone who doesn't know

260. Gambling is like the way to power: The only way to win is to cheat, but don't get caught in the process

261. A wealthy man can afford everything exept a conscience

262. No lobes, no profit

263. Never let a female in clothes cloud your sense of profit

264. It's not the size of your planet, but it's income, that matters

265. The fear of loss may be your greatest enemy or your best friend – choose wisely

266. A pair of good ears will wring dry a hundred tongues

267. Wish not so much to live long, as to live well

268. When in doubt…

……..a. When in doubt, lie

……..b. When in doubt, buy

……..c. When in doubt, demand more money

……..d. When in doubt, shoot them, take their money, run and blame someone else

269. Never purchase anything that has been promised to be valuable or go up in value

270. It's better to have gambled and lost than to never have gambled at all

271. There's many witty men whose brains can't line their pockets

272. The way to a Ferengi's heart is through his wallet

273. Always count their Latinum before selling anything

274. There is no profit in love; however, a strong heart is worth a few bars of Latinum on the open market.
……..Keep it on ice

275. Latinum can't buy happiness, but you can sure have a blast renting it

276. If at first you don't succeed, try to acquire again

277. Diamonds may be girl's best friends, but you can only buy the girl with Latinum

278. It's better to swallow your pride than to lose your profit

279. Never close a deal too soon after a female strokes your lobes

280. An empty bag cannot stand upright

281. Blood is thicker than water, but harder to sell

282. Business is like war; it's important to recognize the winner

283. Rules are always subject to change

284. Rules are always subject to interpretation

285. No good deed ever goes unpunished

286. When Morn leaves it is all over