Difference between revisions of "Vesta Class"

From Bravo Fleet
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(Updated to fit S3 Picard canon better.)
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{{icons|bfc}}
{{icons|bfc|fed|sf}}{{Specification
{{Specification
| image = [[Image:Vestaclass.jpg]]
| image = [[Image:Vestaclass.jpg]]
| displayName = '''''Vesta'' Class'''
| displayName = '''''Vesta'' Class'''
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| operator = [[Starfleet]]
| operator = [[Starfleet]]
| status = Active
| status = Active
| role = Explorer
| role = *Deep Space Exploration
*Technological Testbed
| type = Explorer
| type = Explorer
| precedingClass =  
| precedingClass = Sovereign
| succeedingClass =  
| succeedingClass =  
| dateEntered = 2388
| dateEntered = 2397
| productionEnd =  
| productionEnd =  
| retired =  
| retired =  
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| diameter =  
| diameter =  
| height = 87 meters
| height = 87 meters
| decks = 19
| decks = 24
| propulsionSystem = Matter/Antimatter powered warp drive
| propulsionSystem = Matter/Antimatter powered warp drive
| cruiseSpeed = Warp 8
| cruiseSpeed = Warp 8
| maxSpeed = Warp 9.8
| maxSpeed = Warp 9.9925
| emergencySpeed = Warp 9.99 (36 hours)
| emergencySpeed =
| energyWeapons = *8x Type-XII Phaser Arrays
| energyWeapons = *8x Type-XII Phaser Arrays
*2x Type-XII Pulse Phase Cannons
*2x Type-XII Pulse Phase Cannons
| torpLaunchers = *2 forward
| torpLaunchers = *2 forward
* 1 aft
* 2 aft
| torpPayload = *300 Photon Torpedoes
| torpPayload = *200 Photon Torpedoes
*200 Quantum Torpedoes
*100 Quantum Torpedoes
| shields = Multi-Layered Shielding System
| shields = Multi-Layered Shielding System
| dockingfacilities =  
| dockingfacilities =  
| shuttleBays = 1
| shuttleBays = 3
| shuttles = 10
| shuttles = 16
| runabouts = 2
| runabouts = 6
| fighters =  
| fighters =  
| aux =  
| aux =  
Line 48: Line 48:
| playable = yes
| playable = yes
}}
}}
The '''''Vesta''-class explorer''' is currently the fastest starship class in Starfleet, and serves as a bleeding-edge technological testbed for some of the most advanced spaceborne systems ever developed. Rare and extremely prized by their captains, these ships are reserved almost solely for prestigious exploratory missions and are rarely seen in the Federation’s core.
The '''''Vesta''-class explorer''' is an advanced, long-range explorer designed to investigate points of interest in deep space. This class is also a technological testbed for advanced sensor and propulsion systems and is currently the fastest production-model starship in Starfleet service. Sharing a design lineage with both the ''[[Intrepid Class|Intrepid]]'' and ''[[Sovereign Class|Sovereign]]'' classes, the ''Vesta'' combines speed with the latest exploratory systems to round out Starfleet's explorer inventory. As of the 25th century, only a handful of these complex and temperamental vessels have been launched.  


=== Science and Exploration ===
=== Science and Exploration===
While no vessel can beat a ''Century''-class when it comes to comprehensive scientific capabilities or overall capabilities as an explorer, the ''Vesta'' is built for even longer range missions with a more narrow scope: a ''Century'' surveys a wide area of space, while the ''Vesta'' hits areas of special interest like an arrow, thanks to her incredible top speed. Much more of the space aboard the ''Vesta'' is devoted to navigational and engineering support systems, which limits the number of labs it can have total, but the trade off for this is being able to get to its exploratory zones faster. So, in this sense, a ''Vesta'' might be sent to explore a very specific, far-off star system or nebula and then return samples or intelligence back home, while a ''Century'' would be better able to examine entire sectors of space independently, with the lab space onboard to handle the vast majority of the discoveries it makes. Unlike a ''Galaxy'' or ''Century''-class ship, the majority of the labs aboard a ''Vesta'' are allocated to the primary mission of the day, rather than independent side missions.
The purpose of the ''Vesta''-class starship is to serve as a long-range scientific and exploration platform capable of reaching anomalies, potential first contacts, and other points of interest faster than any other vessel. As compared to other explorers which are often given more general orders to survey a sector or other area of space, ''Vesta''-class ships typically are sent out to examine something specific that has caught Starfleet's attention. Given their high top speed, they will often plot the shortest possible course to their objective(s), rather than spending time on a broader survey—''Vesta'' class ships are best at deep and concentrated expeditions, rather than broad and open-ended ones.


The ''Vesta''-class has a dedicated runabout pad on the stern of the ship, which supports a complement of scout vessels and runabouts that is significantly greater than other ships of her size. These vessels are used during exploratory missions to speed up scientific surveys, with these auxiliary craft serving as an extremely effective force multiplier.  
To enhance her exploratory abilities, the ''Vesta''<nowiki/>'s large small craft facilities—two shuttle bays and a runabout pad—on the stern support a half-dozen runabouts or scout vessels, which are used to perform secondary missions along the ship's route. Mission teams can be dropped off to explore and then will either join the mothership at its final destination or get picked up on its return trip.


Computer systems aboard the ''Vesta'' are the most advanced version of bio-neural circuitry currently in production, making her one of the most effective spaceborne computing platforms in service. In practice, a significant amount of this computing power is devoted to her advanced navigational sensors, which help the ship perform effectively at her extremely high top speeds. Starfleet’s goal with this system, however, has been to eventually solve the computational imitations that have prevented the full development of slipstream technology. These systems are extremely maintenance intensive, both in terms of person-hours spent on calibrations and diagnostics, but also in specialized components that are either energy-intensive to replicate or which must be sourced from production facilities in the Federation’s core, which limits this ship’s endurance significantly.
All ''Vesta''-class starships have state-of-the-art scientific labs, sensors, and probes. Unlike the ''Ross'' or ''Odyssey'', they don't dedicate a significant amount of space to non-mission-critical labs for visiting science teams. The two docking ports on the bow of the ship can be used to launch large probes and the ''Vesta'' has the facilities to produce specialized scientific observation drones.  


=== Diplomacy ===
Computer systems aboard the ''Vesta'' us the latest version of hybrid bioneural-isolinear circuitry currently in production, making her one of the most capable spaceborne computing platforms in service. In practice, a significant amount of this computing power is devoted to her advanced navigational sensors, which help the ship perform effectively at her extremely high top speeds. Starfleet’s goal with this system is to eventually solve the computational imitations that have prevented the full development of slipstream technology. These sensors are extremely maintenance intensive, both in terms of person-hours spent on calibrations and diagnostics but also in specialized components that are either energy-intensive to replicate or must be sourced from production facilities in the Federation’s core.  
Like all explorers, the ''Vesta'' is intended to engage in first contact missions. As such, she has a comfortable suite of diplomatic quarters and facilities, capable of adaptation to any K, L, or M-class environment. With her high top speed, she makes a very effective diplomatic courier, but she is rarely assigned to such duties, given her utility as an explorer. These ships rarely host multiparty talks, but they do have sufficient accommodations to perform approximately as effectively as the tactically-oriented ''Sovereign'' can, lagging behind the ''Galaxy'' and quite far behind the ''Odyssey'' in this regard.


In many respects, Starfleet would prefer to keep the ''Vesta'' away from most diplomatic situations, to avoid giving potential threat powers further opportunities to examine this very advanced vessel up close, given that close to 80% of her systems are highly classified. On the same token, however, they are often deployed on domestic diplomatic missions during their rare visits home to Federation space, where they serve as an example of just how advanced Federation shipbuilding has become. A visit from one of these vessels is often seen as a sign of great respect from Starfleet and the Federation to even founding members like the Vulcans and Andorians.
===Diplomacy ===
Like all explorers, the ''Vesta'' is intended to engage in first-contact missions. As such, she has a comfortable suite of diplomatic quarters and facilities, capable of adaptation to any K, L, or M-class environment. While occasionally used for other diplomatic missions, the ''Vesta'' is not as suitable for multiparty talks as dedicated emissaries like the ''[[Obena Class|Obena]]'' or the larger ''[[Odyssey Class|Odyssey]]''. Her high top speed makes her perfect for use as a diplomatic courier, as the Vesta can get an ambassador anywhere they need to go much more quickly than any other Federation ship, but this is a secondary duty for the class.


=== Engineering ===
===Engineering===
Nearly everything onboard the ''Vesta'' is still highly experimental by 2399, which means that it’s an extremely maintenance-intensive ship. Engineering crews here are kept busy making sure that the bleeding-edge technology at work here is kept in running order. This is especially true of her advanced Class-10 warp drive system, as she is the first vessel to employ it outside of testbed scenarios. The warp core spans the height of the ship, powering two massive warp nacelles, which gives the ship the highest top speed in the fleet.  
Nearly everything onboard the ''Vesta'' is still highly experimental, which means that it’s an extremely maintenance-intensive ship. Engineering crews here are kept busy making sure that the bleeding-edge technology at work here is kept in running order. This is especially true of her advanced Class-10 warp drive system, as she is the first vessel to employ it outside of the prototyping stages. With a top speed of Warp 9.9925, she is twelve percent faster than 9.99 standard held by other modern vessels. Maintenance and operational protocols for the ''Vesta'' are still maturing, so the ship can be considered temperamental and even fragile from an engineering perspective, meaning that many diagnostics and other tasks must still be performed manually. It is expected that these issues will be solved within the next five to ten years as Starfleet gains more experience with the design, as has been the case with other starship classes.


The ship is quite long at 672 meters long, though comparatively narrow at just 192 meters wide, giving her a very slender appearance, especially on profile. This narrow forward profile is necessary to maintain very high speeds. While it does have distinct primary and secondary hulls, these two structures are joined completely, as with the ''Intrepid''-class. The main and secondary deflector dishes are both oversized compared to peer classes, and the vessel manages to look like it’s going fast even when it’s standing still.  
The ship is quite long at 672 meters long, though comparatively narrow at just 192 meters wide, giving her a very slender appearance, especially on profile. This narrow forward profile is necessary to maintain very high speeds. While it does have distinct primary and secondary hulls, these two structures are joined completely, as with the ''Intrepid''-class. The main and secondary deflector dishes are both oversized compared to peer classes, as part of Starfleet's hope that this vessel could one day host a functional slipstream drive, should the Federation ever gain reliable access to benamite ore. To that end, there are two large equipment bays on the ventral surface of the ship with retractable duranium shutters to allow for the easy replacement of engine components, including experimental prototypes.  


=== Tactical ===
===Tactical===
Given that they are often weeks, months, or even ''years'' beyond reinforcements, the ''Vesta'' was defined with the teeth to be able to protect itself from nearly any threat, rivaling the ''Sovereign''-class in this regard. All-around Type-XII phaser coverage is provided, along with two forward and two aft burst-fire torpedo launchers. Rather unusually for a large starship, she is also equipped with two forward-firing pulse phaser cannons, which can be used to great effect against clumsier vessels during combat. Considering that they are often so far from support, a ''Vesta''-class ship must often be prepared not just to wound an enemy and then escape but to inflict sufficient damage to discourage further pursuit, though when she ''does'' manage to escape, there are nearly no threat vessels that could catch her.
As her duties often take them to distant parts of the Federation and beyond its borders, the ''Vesta'' was defined to be able to protect itself. Compared to the ''Sovereign'', extensive torpedo armaments were scaled back in favor of exploratory systems, but she matches the ''Odyssey'' with two forward and two aft burst-fire torpedo launchers of the same design capable of firing salvos of up to fifteen warheads at a time. Also like the ''Odyssey'', her forward firepower is supplemented by a pair of pulse phaser cannons, which are located within the planetary sensor dome housing on the underside of the primary hull. Eight phaser arrays are located around the ship to provide comprehensive phaser coverage. Shield coverage is equivalent to that of the ''Sovereign''.  


Unlike a ''Sovereign'', a ''Vesta'' is not meant to lead a column of starships into battle; her tactical abilities are geared towards self-defense and long-term sustainability, and so these vessels are rarely deployed in fleet engagements. As such, they have few to no command and control systems, apart from those necessary to control her small fleet of runabouts for exploratory missions. As such, she is still primarily an explorer, rather than a deep space tactical vessel, despite her armaments.
The ''Vesta'' is not intended for purely tactical missions, as her capabilities are geared towards extricating herself from dangerous situations. While not a glass cannon, a ship of this class is not often going to stick around to slug it out with an adversary, as she is capable of outrunning almost anything that she encounters. Her high-power sensor suite allows for precision targeting and for the collection of reconnaissance data, and her best use in a large-scale combat situation would be to provide this information to other vessels.  


=== Shipboard Life ===
===Shipboard Life===
Assignment to a ''Vesta''-class ship is something highly sought by ambitious officers, as it is only granted to the absolute best in every area. While their missions might be shorter, these ships are sent to areas which Starfleet is interested in examining quickly and effectively with little external support, so they have to be prepared for anything. As such, this leads to a sense among ''Vesta'' crews that they are elite units, leading to both positive displays of comradeship as well as sometimes exclusionary and cliquish practices which make it difficult for new crewmembers to integrate, especially if a crew has already been deployed in the field.
''Vesta''-class starships are sleek, modern, and cutting-edge. For a scientist or for an engineer, they're a dream posting, as there is always something to keep you busy. A posting here means access to some of the latest and best equipment in Starfleet, much to the envy of other classes. Command of such a class is also a sought-after assignment, as they are few and number. While their missions might be shorter, these ships are sent to areas that Starfleet is interested in examining quickly and effectively with little external support, so they have to be prepared for anything. As such, this leads to a sense among ''Vesta'' crews that they are elite units, leading to both positive displays of comradeship as well as sometimes exclusionary and cliquish practices that make it difficult for new crewmembers to integrate.


Recreational facilities aboard a ''Vesta'' are quite comprehensive, though the ship’s size and shape keep her from having quite the luxury of a ''Galaxy'' or ''Odyssey''-class ship. Holodecks, holosuites, and recreational lounges are plentiful and most crew members have their own quarters.
Crew quarters aboard a ''Vesta'' are equivalent to those aboard a ''Sovereign'', as they are one of the last designs introduced before Starfleet's turn towards  though more communal facilities like on the ''[[Constitution III Class|Constitution III]]'' or ''[[Duderstadt Class|Duderstadt]]''. While ensigns and below have at least one roommate, lieutenants and above have a suite of their own. There are multiple holodecks and holosuites, as well as an arboretum, large forward lounge, and physical fitness facilities, but the narrow frame of the ''Vesta'' means less room for other more specialized facilities such as concert halls or promenades as you would find on a ''[[Ross Class|Ross]]'' or ''Odyssey''. Medical facilities are well-equipped to care for the needs of the ship's crew, but aren't ideal for large-scale medical missions—though these facilities can be supplemented through the conversion of cargo bays, shuttle bays, and holosuites for medical purposes. Ship-wide holography is available for EMH or LMH programs, as well as for crew recreation.


Department head roles aboard this class are often seen as direct stepping stones towards the command track on other explorers, with a tour on one of these ships being enough to catapult many officers up to executive officer positions. On that token, however, these assignments are so popular that crews will often stay together for many years.
==Class History==
When the starship ''Voyager'' returned in 2378, the premier explorer class was the ''Sovereign'', a long, lean vessel built for an era of conflict. Even as early as the 2370s, Starfleet Science felt that the ''Sovereign'' would never truly supplant the ''Galaxy'' in terms of scientific capabilities, as she traded too much space and too many labs for tactical systems. As part of several projects begun in the late 2370s to capitalize on ''Voyager''<nowiki/>'s discoveries, Starfleet commissioned Project Vesta to both address this concern by creating a vessel based on the ''Sovereign'' with additional scientific utility and to serve as a testbed for new propulsion systems, particularly quantum slipstream drive.


== Class History ==
Design of the new class formally began in 2379, but the processed was stalled during the 2380s due to resources being diverted to the Federation's attempted evacuation of Romulus. Thankfully, the project was housed at the Beta Antares shipyards, so it was not impacted directly when Utopia Planitia was destroyed in 2385, but Starfleet's inward turn following that event led to dwindling resources for what was explicitly a deep space vessel. ''Vesta'' herself was not launched until 2393 and then only with the basic framework of slipstream drive installed, as Starfleet had been unable to secure enough benamite ore for the system or solved the essential computational and sensor problems with navigating at such high speeds. Throughout a four-year shakedown and prototyping process, the slipstream drive element was quietly shelved in favor of fine-tuning the new class-ten warp drive. This was considered to be a success in its own right, though, as a ''Vesta''-class ship is twelve percent faster than any other ship in the fleet.
The ''Vesta''-class starship development began with the return of the starship ''Voyager'' in 2378, with the goal of using the advances that ship had discovered to create a new, purpose-built explorer that could break all previous speed records. The long-term goal was to develop a vessel capable of implementing the failed slipstream drive project started by Seven of Nine and B’Elanna Torres during ''Voyager''’s journey home, though the engineering requirements for this were still well beyond what Starfleet was capable of in the late 2370s.


The design process continued apace, though resources were diverted to other projects in the mid-2380s during the Federation’s attempted evacuation of Romulus, so it wasn’t until 2393 that the ''Vesta'' finally left spacedock. Following a year-long shakedown operation close to home, she was sent on her first long-range mission while her sisters were under construction. Performance was rated extremely highly, but the maintenance demands meant that this class could never be built in large numbers, so as of 2399 they remain a rare and highly advanced vessel in Starfleet.
In 2396, additional Vesta-class starships were ordered, even as refinement on the design continued. ''Vesta'' herself was commissioned in 2397, with the first production model units launching that same year. The ship remains an experimental class and technological testbed—with the eventual hope that she may still one day be capable of fielding a faster-than-warp engine. Thus far, Starfleet is pleased with the class in service, as it holds a middle niche between the massive ''Odyssey'' and the newer, smaller ''Constitution III''—a fast, smart, and efficient compromise between the competing design ethos of "more is more" versus a return to 23rd-century crew sizes.  


== In Play ==
==In Play==


* While all of the ‘big three’ explorers (Sovereign, Century, and Odyssey) are very advanced, the Vesta is a whole step out in front of them in terms of the advanced technologies built into her spaceframe. She’s one of the most complicated vessels in Starfleet history, which means she needs a highly trained engineering team, but she makes up for that by being a full third faster than even the Century at all out sprint speeds. She is currently the rarest of the explorer-type vessels, and is only sent on the most urgent and important long-range exploratory missions.
*''Vesta''-class starships are rare, sought-after commands. They're unlikely to be encountered as background ships in your missions, and their captains would need to be experienced explorers themselves.
* This is an incredibly desirable command for nearly any captain, especially given how few of these vessels there are currently in service. In 2399, the main way an officer would be assigned to command a ship like this would have been to be in command of a lesser vessel, or executive officer of an explorer for an extended period of time.
*Pulse phaser cannons do not make this a warship—they supplement more modest torpedo armaments compared to the ''Sovereign''.
* Encountering this vessel as an NPC would be extremely unusual; this isn’t a vessel you’d see as a ‘ship of the week’ with any sort of regularity, given that they’re designed to spend years out of contact.  
*Quantum Slipstream Drive does not work, as the Federation does not have access to the material (benamite) that's necessary to sustain a slipstream field. While this class was intended to prototype it, that feature has not been achieved—just like how the ''Excelsior'' was meant to be a transwarp prototype. The engineering bays mentioned above ''could'' be fitted with the equipment if this resource shortage were solved, but that would be a fleet canon decision and members aren't allowed to introduce this technology.
*The ''Vesta'' (designed by Mark Rademaker) has long been a feature of ''Star Trek'' fandom due to its popularity in the ''Star Trek'': Destiny series (by David Mack) and remains one of the few non-canon starship classes that is available in Bravo Fleet in recognition of its popularity. The latest version of this article was created to account for its role in a post-''Picard'' world, as it needs to complement both the ''Odyssey'' and ''Constitution III'' which debuted in Season 3 of ''Picard''. To do this, we have envisioned it as being the representative of what we're labeling the Antares School of starship design, which (in its most basic form) is the reaction to the early losses of two of the original six ''Galaxy''-class explorers by creating smaller, leaner vessels which could accomplish similar missions with a fraction of the crew complement. This lineage begins with the ''Nova and'' Intrepid, followed shortly by the ''Sovereign'', and then culminates here in the ''Vesta'' (with the Inquiry being another branch of this family.) The ''Odyssey'' is a continuation of the Utopia Planitia school of design (rounder shapes, bigger ships, and 'more is more') while the ''Constitution III'' is a resurgence of the 23rd century San Francisco school, which emphasizes more classic lines and a crew sweet spot of around 500. In sum: the ''Vesta'', Odyssey, and ''Constitution III'' are contemporaries (or at least all are still in production) with similar missions, but they accomplish those missions in different ways.


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[[Category:Federation Starship Classes (2385–2397)]]
[[Category:Federation Starship Classes (2385–2397)]]

Revision as of 21:07, 10 January 2024

This article is official Bravo Fleet canon.

Federation Faction Starfleet









The Vesta-class explorer is an advanced, long-range explorer designed to investigate points of interest in deep space. This class is also a technological testbed for advanced sensor and propulsion systems and is currently the fastest production-model starship in Starfleet service. Sharing a design lineage with both the Intrepid and Sovereign classes, the Vesta combines speed with the latest exploratory systems to round out Starfleet's explorer inventory. As of the 25th century, only a handful of these complex and temperamental vessels have been launched.

Science and Exploration

The purpose of the Vesta-class starship is to serve as a long-range scientific and exploration platform capable of reaching anomalies, potential first contacts, and other points of interest faster than any other vessel. As compared to other explorers which are often given more general orders to survey a sector or other area of space, Vesta-class ships typically are sent out to examine something specific that has caught Starfleet's attention. Given their high top speed, they will often plot the shortest possible course to their objective(s), rather than spending time on a broader survey—Vesta class ships are best at deep and concentrated expeditions, rather than broad and open-ended ones.

To enhance her exploratory abilities, the Vesta's large small craft facilities—two shuttle bays and a runabout pad—on the stern support a half-dozen runabouts or scout vessels, which are used to perform secondary missions along the ship's route. Mission teams can be dropped off to explore and then will either join the mothership at its final destination or get picked up on its return trip.

All Vesta-class starships have state-of-the-art scientific labs, sensors, and probes. Unlike the Ross or Odyssey, they don't dedicate a significant amount of space to non-mission-critical labs for visiting science teams. The two docking ports on the bow of the ship can be used to launch large probes and the Vesta has the facilities to produce specialized scientific observation drones.

Computer systems aboard the Vesta us the latest version of hybrid bioneural-isolinear circuitry currently in production, making her one of the most capable spaceborne computing platforms in service. In practice, a significant amount of this computing power is devoted to her advanced navigational sensors, which help the ship perform effectively at her extremely high top speeds. Starfleet’s goal with this system is to eventually solve the computational imitations that have prevented the full development of slipstream technology. These sensors are extremely maintenance intensive, both in terms of person-hours spent on calibrations and diagnostics but also in specialized components that are either energy-intensive to replicate or must be sourced from production facilities in the Federation’s core.

Diplomacy

Like all explorers, the Vesta is intended to engage in first-contact missions. As such, she has a comfortable suite of diplomatic quarters and facilities, capable of adaptation to any K, L, or M-class environment. While occasionally used for other diplomatic missions, the Vesta is not as suitable for multiparty talks as dedicated emissaries like the Obena or the larger Odyssey. Her high top speed makes her perfect for use as a diplomatic courier, as the Vesta can get an ambassador anywhere they need to go much more quickly than any other Federation ship, but this is a secondary duty for the class.

Engineering

Nearly everything onboard the Vesta is still highly experimental, which means that it’s an extremely maintenance-intensive ship. Engineering crews here are kept busy making sure that the bleeding-edge technology at work here is kept in running order. This is especially true of her advanced Class-10 warp drive system, as she is the first vessel to employ it outside of the prototyping stages. With a top speed of Warp 9.9925, she is twelve percent faster than 9.99 standard held by other modern vessels. Maintenance and operational protocols for the Vesta are still maturing, so the ship can be considered temperamental and even fragile from an engineering perspective, meaning that many diagnostics and other tasks must still be performed manually. It is expected that these issues will be solved within the next five to ten years as Starfleet gains more experience with the design, as has been the case with other starship classes.

The ship is quite long at 672 meters long, though comparatively narrow at just 192 meters wide, giving her a very slender appearance, especially on profile. This narrow forward profile is necessary to maintain very high speeds. While it does have distinct primary and secondary hulls, these two structures are joined completely, as with the Intrepid-class. The main and secondary deflector dishes are both oversized compared to peer classes, as part of Starfleet's hope that this vessel could one day host a functional slipstream drive, should the Federation ever gain reliable access to benamite ore. To that end, there are two large equipment bays on the ventral surface of the ship with retractable duranium shutters to allow for the easy replacement of engine components, including experimental prototypes.

Tactical

As her duties often take them to distant parts of the Federation and beyond its borders, the Vesta was defined to be able to protect itself. Compared to the Sovereign, extensive torpedo armaments were scaled back in favor of exploratory systems, but she matches the Odyssey with two forward and two aft burst-fire torpedo launchers of the same design capable of firing salvos of up to fifteen warheads at a time. Also like the Odyssey, her forward firepower is supplemented by a pair of pulse phaser cannons, which are located within the planetary sensor dome housing on the underside of the primary hull. Eight phaser arrays are located around the ship to provide comprehensive phaser coverage. Shield coverage is equivalent to that of the Sovereign.

The Vesta is not intended for purely tactical missions, as her capabilities are geared towards extricating herself from dangerous situations. While not a glass cannon, a ship of this class is not often going to stick around to slug it out with an adversary, as she is capable of outrunning almost anything that she encounters. Her high-power sensor suite allows for precision targeting and for the collection of reconnaissance data, and her best use in a large-scale combat situation would be to provide this information to other vessels.

Shipboard Life

Vesta-class starships are sleek, modern, and cutting-edge. For a scientist or for an engineer, they're a dream posting, as there is always something to keep you busy. A posting here means access to some of the latest and best equipment in Starfleet, much to the envy of other classes. Command of such a class is also a sought-after assignment, as they are few and number. While their missions might be shorter, these ships are sent to areas that Starfleet is interested in examining quickly and effectively with little external support, so they have to be prepared for anything. As such, this leads to a sense among Vesta crews that they are elite units, leading to both positive displays of comradeship as well as sometimes exclusionary and cliquish practices that make it difficult for new crewmembers to integrate.

Crew quarters aboard a Vesta are equivalent to those aboard a Sovereign, as they are one of the last designs introduced before Starfleet's turn towards though more communal facilities like on the Constitution III or Duderstadt. While ensigns and below have at least one roommate, lieutenants and above have a suite of their own. There are multiple holodecks and holosuites, as well as an arboretum, large forward lounge, and physical fitness facilities, but the narrow frame of the Vesta means less room for other more specialized facilities such as concert halls or promenades as you would find on a Ross or Odyssey. Medical facilities are well-equipped to care for the needs of the ship's crew, but aren't ideal for large-scale medical missions—though these facilities can be supplemented through the conversion of cargo bays, shuttle bays, and holosuites for medical purposes. Ship-wide holography is available for EMH or LMH programs, as well as for crew recreation.

Class History

When the starship Voyager returned in 2378, the premier explorer class was the Sovereign, a long, lean vessel built for an era of conflict. Even as early as the 2370s, Starfleet Science felt that the Sovereign would never truly supplant the Galaxy in terms of scientific capabilities, as she traded too much space and too many labs for tactical systems. As part of several projects begun in the late 2370s to capitalize on Voyager's discoveries, Starfleet commissioned Project Vesta to both address this concern by creating a vessel based on the Sovereign with additional scientific utility and to serve as a testbed for new propulsion systems, particularly quantum slipstream drive.

Design of the new class formally began in 2379, but the processed was stalled during the 2380s due to resources being diverted to the Federation's attempted evacuation of Romulus. Thankfully, the project was housed at the Beta Antares shipyards, so it was not impacted directly when Utopia Planitia was destroyed in 2385, but Starfleet's inward turn following that event led to dwindling resources for what was explicitly a deep space vessel. Vesta herself was not launched until 2393 and then only with the basic framework of slipstream drive installed, as Starfleet had been unable to secure enough benamite ore for the system or solved the essential computational and sensor problems with navigating at such high speeds. Throughout a four-year shakedown and prototyping process, the slipstream drive element was quietly shelved in favor of fine-tuning the new class-ten warp drive. This was considered to be a success in its own right, though, as a Vesta-class ship is twelve percent faster than any other ship in the fleet.

In 2396, additional Vesta-class starships were ordered, even as refinement on the design continued. Vesta herself was commissioned in 2397, with the first production model units launching that same year. The ship remains an experimental class and technological testbed—with the eventual hope that she may still one day be capable of fielding a faster-than-warp engine. Thus far, Starfleet is pleased with the class in service, as it holds a middle niche between the massive Odyssey and the newer, smaller Constitution III—a fast, smart, and efficient compromise between the competing design ethos of "more is more" versus a return to 23rd-century crew sizes.

In Play

  • Vesta-class starships are rare, sought-after commands. They're unlikely to be encountered as background ships in your missions, and their captains would need to be experienced explorers themselves.
  • Pulse phaser cannons do not make this a warship—they supplement more modest torpedo armaments compared to the Sovereign.
  • Quantum Slipstream Drive does not work, as the Federation does not have access to the material (benamite) that's necessary to sustain a slipstream field. While this class was intended to prototype it, that feature has not been achieved—just like how the Excelsior was meant to be a transwarp prototype. The engineering bays mentioned above could be fitted with the equipment if this resource shortage were solved, but that would be a fleet canon decision and members aren't allowed to introduce this technology.
  • The Vesta (designed by Mark Rademaker) has long been a feature of Star Trek fandom due to its popularity in the Star Trek: Destiny series (by David Mack) and remains one of the few non-canon starship classes that is available in Bravo Fleet in recognition of its popularity. The latest version of this article was created to account for its role in a post-Picard world, as it needs to complement both the Odyssey and Constitution III which debuted in Season 3 of Picard. To do this, we have envisioned it as being the representative of what we're labeling the Antares School of starship design, which (in its most basic form) is the reaction to the early losses of two of the original six Galaxy-class explorers by creating smaller, leaner vessels which could accomplish similar missions with a fraction of the crew complement. This lineage begins with the Nova and Intrepid, followed shortly by the Sovereign, and then culminates here in the Vesta (with the Inquiry being another branch of this family.) The Odyssey is a continuation of the Utopia Planitia school of design (rounder shapes, bigger ships, and 'more is more') while the Constitution III is a resurgence of the 23rd century San Francisco school, which emphasizes more classic lines and a crew sweet spot of around 500. In sum: the Vesta, Odyssey, and Constitution III are contemporaries (or at least all are still in production) with similar missions, but they accomplish those missions in different ways.