Constellation class starship (Star Trek)

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The Constellation class is a class of starships once used by United Federation of Planets's Starfleet organization in the Star Trek fictional universe. The Constellation class is a contemporary to the refitted Constitution class and Miranda class as seen in its similar primary hull and identical warp nacelles. A Constellation class starship is composed of a saucer-shaped primary hull with two backward-angled pylons at the aft end. The pylons rise vertically from the ventral side and dorsal side and each supports two warp nacelles at its end. The class was likely first produced in the late 23rd century and was mostly obsolete and underpowered by the mid-24th century. As of the 2370s, the Constellation class is no longer in production.

In real life, the Constellation class starship was designed by the visual effects staff of Star Trek: The Next Generation and first appeared in the season one episode The Battle. The episode as originally shot referred to the USS Stargazer as a "Constitution-class" starship, but after this was decided to be inappropriate the dialog was re-dubbed and the new model constructed. In the episode footage, LeVar Burton's lips can be seen saying the word "Constitution" as "Constellation" is overdubbed.

[edit] Known Constellation-class starships

USS Constellation (NX1974/NCC-1974)

Named for the USS Constellation, she was lead ship of her class. In 2293, she underwent her first shakedown trials as NX-1974 (and appeared briefly on readout screens in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country). Afterward she was given permanent commission as NCC-1974. Constellation served in Starfleet for many decades; she was sent to Deep Space Nine to transport a captured Jem'Hadar to Starbase 201 in 2372. Circa stardate 51408.6 in 2374, Constellation was ordered to assist USS Defiant to search for survivors from USS Honshu (NCC-60205), a Nebula class starship.

USS Gettysburg (NCC-3890) 

Named for the site of an important battle in the American Civil War (1861-65), she was formerly commanded by Admiral Mark Jameson who, as captain, rescued hostages from Mordan IV in the 2320s in exchange for weapons. Gettysburg visited Deep Space Nine for maintenance in 2375 during the Dominion War.

USS Gihlan (NCC-9731) 

According to an article by Rick Sternbach in Star Trek: The Magazine, she was named for Commodore Gihlan't'aehn, director of the Copernicus Yards in 2280 who oversaw development of the Constellation class starship.

USS Hathaway (NCC-2593) 

Named for Anne Hathaway, the starship Hathaway was launched from the Copernicus Ship Yards in 2285. The ship was decommissioned but was reactivated circa stardate 42923.4 in 2365 and was briefly commanded by Commander William Riker during exercises against USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) circa stardate 42923.4 in the Braslota system. Hathaway was later involved in the Romulan tachyon blockade at the outbreak of the Klingon Civil War in 2368.

USS Magellan (NCC-3069) 

Named for explorer Ferdinand Magellan, the starship Magellan was commanded by Captain Conklin and docked at the Arkaria Base circa stardate 46682.4 in 2369. During the Magellan's stay at the Arkaria Base, the ship's crew put on a talent show and Captain Conklin did a poetry reading. Presumed later destroyed, decommisioned, or lost in action.

USS Stargazer (NCC-2893) 

Formerly commanded by Captain Jean-Luc Picard earlier in his career, Stargazer performed an exploratory survey of Sector 21503 and was attacked by a Cardassian warship and barely escaped. Stargazer later engaged and destroyed a Ferengi Marauder during the Battle of Maxia in the Maxia Zeta system in 2355, being severely damaged in the encounter and subsequently abandoned by the crew. After the loss of Stargazer, Captain Picard was court-martialed but cleared of wrongdoing. Nine years after the Battle of Maxia she was returned to Starfleet by a Ferengi daimon circa stardate 41723.9 in 2364.

USS Valkyrie (NCC-2590) 

The final designation of Constellation class studio shooting model when it became a display on various tours and conventions. According to Rick Sternbach, it didn't appear under this designation in on-screen footage. [1] The model was originally detailed using the wing and wing box assemblies from a VF-1 Valkyrie model kit from The Super Dimension Fortress Macross anime series. [2] [3] The VF-1 Valkyrie was named after the North American XB-70 Valkyrie experimental bomber, which in turn was named after the Valkyries of Norse mythology.

USS Victory (NCC-9754) 

Named for the HMS Victory, the starship Victory was Commander Geordi La Forge's first Starfleet assignment under Captain Zimbata. Circa stardate 42286.3, Victory rendezvoused with USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) at coordinates 3629 by 584. Circa stardate 46357.4, the Victory was assigned to a stellar nuclei population survey somewhere within sectors 21538 to 23079.

[edit] Trivia

• In her novel, Enterprise: The First Adventure, which details the first voyage of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) under Captain James T. Kirk's command, Vonda McIntyre erroneously refers to the Enterprise as a Constellation class vessel (instead of Constitution class). This error is repeated in the novelizations of the third and fourth Star Trek movies.

[edit] External links

• "Constellation class" at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek WikiWiki
• "Constellation class" at STARTREK.com
• "Constellation class" by Stephen Pugh
• "Constellation class" at LCARScom.Net
• "Constellation class" at the Neutral Zone Starship Database