Difference between revisions of "Category:Starfleet Facilities"

Starfleet facilities come in a number of forms, ranging from the massive spacedocks that orbit major worlds to deep space outposts to minor planetary facilities. This article concerns the various types of facilities in use by Starfleet, rather than specific classes of space stations. Individual space stations will fall into one of these types, while classes of space stations might be representative in multiple facility types. For example, some Regula-class space stations are outposts and some are science stations. Many Presidium-class stations are starbases in their own right, but some starbases consist of more than one of these stations along with ground facilities.

Types of Starfleet Facilities

While this is not an all-inclusive list, Starfleet Facilities are broadly categorized in the ways listed here, referring to their importance, their size, and their position in the chain of command.

Starbase

Starbase 11, an example of a starbase with a major surface presence, but only a the basic orbital infrastructure needed to repair starships.

A starbase is the largest level of facility command in Starfleet, referring to the senior command in a sector or a section of a very major sector.

A starbase is the central hub for command and control for a large area of space, and so it is based either from a surface installation or a major space station. Often, starbases have both ground and orbital facilities, with total crews in the tens of thousands. Starbase 375 is an example of a starbase that is only located on one station, Starbase 11 is predominantly ground-based with only a handful of minor orbital stations, and Starbase Bravo is an example of a starbase that has both major orbital and ground facilities. Starships not assigned to a particular task force take orders from the starbase in their sector.

Starbases In-Play

• As a command, starbases are best understood in the way they were presented in Star Trek: The Original Series. They're where the commodore lives. Wherever the Enterprise was, it seemed to be responsible to the commodore of the closest starbase, with Starbase 11 being a great example of this.
  • For Bravo Fleet, this is a little different as your ship is going to be taking its orders from your Task Force Commanding Officer; you're part of a mobile unit not tied to a specific area. With that being said, you're going to run into local forces as well: the bread-and-butter ships that ply the space lanes around the Federation. A sector is 20 light-years by 20 light-years by 20 light-years, and it might have dozens of ships other than yours handling the quotidian stuff while you have awesome adventures.
  • Not every starbase commander is going to be pleased to see a Fourth Fleet starship in their sector, as you're not an element they can control. You might find yourself a mere pawn in a game of three-dimensional chess between admirals that you're unaware of. It's Federation, not the Romulan Free State, though, so you're not going to find yourself faced with an outwardly hostile local commander very often, but you might still have to find ways of greasing bureaucratic wheels to get your mission accomplished.
• Even the smallest starbases are hubs for either a whole sector or a large chunk of one, so they're almost always going to be relatively busy. They present a welcome change of pace from independent exploration by giving you access to a wide variety of both Starfleet and civilian characters to interact with.
• Large Starfleet bases like Starbase Bravo or Starbase 72 are not exciting places to be, like Deep Space 9. There is no seedy underbelly to a gleaming city in space in a post-scarcity society, after all. If you want that kind of atmosphere, you'll have to go to the borders.
• There are three starbases associated with the Fourth Fleet: Starbase Bravo, Starbase 72, and Starbase 86. Each of these settings are available for use in your story, regardless of what Task Force you are in, once you have your avatar ship and are free to move around the galaxy.
• Given that even the smallest starbases would have crews of over a thousand and exercise control over the surrounding space, almost every starbase would be commanded by at least a commodore or rear admiral. The largest and most important starbases, such as Starbase 1 might even be commanded by a vice admiral or admiral. In some cases, there might be a Sector Commander separate from the Starbase Commanding Officer, who might then be as low-ranked as commander, but it would be very unusual for this type of facility not to have a flag officer present.
• A starbase's number is not indicative of its age. Starbase 72 is newer than Starbase 74, for instance, as its number refers to the task force that is based out of it. Starbase 4 is home to the 4th Fleet. Starbases may also be numbered based on the sector they are in.

Outpost

A map of outposts Zulu I through Zulu VII, which were located along the Romulan Neutral Zone in the 23rd century.

Outposts are smaller commands located near the borders of Federation space, where they serve to monitor and defend a section of space. Customs enforcement duties are a common task for outposts. Outposts can be based in space or in ground facilities.

The Sierra Outposts are an example of this type of command; they were established shortly after the Earth-Romulan War and focus entirely on surveilling and defending the Federation-Romulan border. The Sierra Outposts report to Starbase 39-Sierra, the anchor of the Kaleb sector defenses, the name of the starbase and outposts referring to the Earth Starfleet code-name for that section of the border. Some outposts have mission profiles other than defense: Outpost Seran T-1 is a research station where the dilithium crystal chamber for the USS Enterprise-D was designed. In this case, that outpost reported directly to the Advanced Starship Design Bureau rather than a sector's starbase. It was designated an outpost both because of its remote location and to conceal the nature of its mission. Ajilon Prime is an example of a colony which also had a Starfleet outpost, though this one appeared to be entirely surface-based. Outpost is also an informal term in general for colonies or other territorial possessions of the Federation.

Outposts In-Play

• Outposts are smaller than starbases. These are the kinds of commands that monitor a very small chunk of a border, to either confirm the identity of an ally, perform customs enforcement services, or dispatch defensive units against an enemy. In Star Trek a small number of other types of facilities were referred to as 'outposts' including small science posts and things of that nature.
• An outpost is more likely to need your help than a starbase would. Given that these bases are often just a sensor station with a few defenses, it's not like they can send a fleet or even a single starship out to meet threats. They have to hold out until they get help from a passing ship or from their sector's starbase. This is especially true of backwater outposts that don't receive the same attention and upgrades ones along major borders (such as the Romulan border) do.
• Outposts vary in size, but they're only capable of limited refueling and repair services for starships. You might be able to limp back to one to get patched up for the journey to a proper starbase.
• Outpost commanding officers range from Lieutenants assigned to lead small garrisons on minor planetary outposts to commanders or captains leading larger outposts. Generally speaking, an outpost does not warrant a flag officer. Watching ships pass along the border isn't particularly exciting most of the time, so an outpost commander is likely happy to see any visitors, such as a ship like yours from the Fourth Fleet!
• Naming schemes for outposts differ based on where they are located. The Romulan and Klingon borders have had a combination letter-number scheme since the days of the Earth Starfleet, while other outposts might just be named for the planet they orbit.

Deep Space Station

Deep Space Station K-7, one of the K-class stations built along the Klingon Border in the 23rd century.

Deep Space Stations (the most famous example being Deep Space 9) come in two forms: stations outside of Federation space (such as Deep Space 9 itself, when first established) and space stations positioned outside of planetary systems (such as Deep Space Station K-7). Deep Space Stations are almost always space stations, but there are exceptions.

They range in purpose depending on their location, but are often used as staging points for Starfleet's exploratory vessels. Many deep space stations serve in an advanced warning capacity, functioning similarly to outposts in that regard, but they are generally larger and more independent than outposts. The current Starbase 38 was originally designated Deep Space 38 until Barzan II became a member of the Federation, while Deep Space 9 retained its original designation due to the high degree of name recognition with that designation earned during the Dominion War.

Deep Space Stations In-Play

• Deep space stations aren't as clearly defined by their missions as the previous two categories: a large, important base might be a deep space station, or a tiny trade facility might be to. What's key is where they are: either in literal deep space (not in a planetary system) or in a system that is not within Federation space. We saw this with the two examples of deep space stations on screen: K-7 and DS9.
• Most deep space stations are not actually that far away from Federation space, given the difficulties of keeping a base of any size supplied, rather they're more likely to be the last major facility a starship encounters on its way out on an exploratory mission.
• Deep space stations generally consist of the widest variety of classes of any of these categories.
• Larger Deep Space Stations are generally known as Deep Space #, while smaller ones are known as Deep Space Station #.
• Commanding officers of deep space stations run the gamut from commanders to admirals, depending on the station's location, mission, and importance.

Science Station / Research Station

Regula 1, an archetypical science station.

Science and research stations are located all over the Federation, conducting research that is too dangerous to be conducted in populated areas or which requires specific microgravity conditions. These tend to be smaller facilities, often with entirely civilian crews even if they report in some way to Starfleet. They are often disconnected from their local sector's command structure. An example is Research Station Tango-Sierra, which is in the Sierra system but does not report to Starbase 39-Sierra, but instead directly to Starfleet Medical. Regula I itself is an example of a station under civilian leadership, even though the station itself was built, maintained, and supplied by Starfleet. Jupiter Station in the Sol system is an example of a station under Starfleet control which also has civilian scientists aboard. Science stations report to Starfleet Science and the relevant branch, such as Starfleet Biology or Starfleet Physics. Stand-alone hospital stations would also fall under this category, reporting to Starfleet Medical.

Science Stations In-Play

• The far-off base conducting dangerous scientific research is a major trope in science fiction. Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn relied heavily on Regula 1's isolation and the danger of the Genesis Device to develop a sense of peril in the film. It makes sense, too: if you're building something that could potentially destroy a planet, you don't want to do it in the middle of a populated system. It's the same with certain kinds of biological research, too, as seen in many Star Trek episodes: you don't want to risk unleashing a plague.
• Science stations might not be doing anything dangerous, they may simply be in orbit of something that's interesting enough to study but not interesting enough to send a large starship to sit in orbit for several years. A planet might have an interesting ecology, a novel mineral might be floating in the rings of a gas giant, or a lost civilization might have ruins in a particular system that need studying.
• These tend to be the smallest of bases, with crews of less than a hundred. The Jupiter is a notable example, being a class that can house many more scientists in certain configurations, so it's more likely to be in a populated system.
• Science stations often are unarmed or lightly armed, so they're another good candidate for rescue missions.
• A science station wouldn't be able to help you much in terms of repair or resupply, but they'd at least be on a freighter route, so it's better than nothing!
• Science stations would run the gamut in terms of commanding officers, ranging from civilians to commanders or captains.

Shipyard / Fleet Yard

Before its destruction in 2385, Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards was the most important starship construction facility in the Federation. The Galaxy-class ships were built here, along with the Defiant and Voyager.

A shipyard or fleet yard (fleet yards are generally larger, but the nomenclature is not always used precisely) is a command that focuses entirely on constructing, maintaining, refitting, and dismantling starships. These commands typically contain multiple space stations, drydocks, and/or planetary facilities. They are well-defended because of their strategic importance; especially after the attack on Mars in 2385, unidentified vessels approaching Starfleet shipyards will be treated with hostility. While any starbase is capable of constructing starships of some size, distributed production has its limits for supply chain and quality assurance reasons, which means that the Federations major shipyards are some of its most important assets. Some shipyards specialize in a specific task: Devron Fleet Yards, for example, was built to maintain ships for Admiral Jean-Luc Picard's rescue armada. Surplus depots are a kind of shipyard that specializes in storing unused starships (and even space stations) and/or stripping them down for parts, an example being Surplus Depot Z15 over Qualor II, which is operated by the Zakdorn on behalf of Starfleet.

These facilities range in size from a few drydocks to hundreds of berths for starships. Many shipyards are larger than starbases and even count starbase-type stations among their facilities. Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards had no fewer than six Presidium-class stations alongside dozens of drydocks and extensive ground facilities on Mars before its destruction. All shipyards report to Starfleet Shipyard Operations, a division of Starfleet Engineering.

Shipyards In-Play

• Bravo Fleet's primary shipyard is Avalon Fleet Yards. Devron Fleet Yards is a secondary facility, more devoted to maintenance and repair than to building new ships, which also serves as the headquarters of Task Force 93. As with the starbases mentioned above, these settings are free to use in your stories regardless of which task force you are in, once you have your avatar ship.
• Shipyards are few and far between, most often located near the core of the Federation. You're most often going to end up at a standard starbase for repairs, but if your ship is very badly damaged or needs a refit, you might go to a shipyard instead. Keep in mind, though, that if your ship is being laid up in a drydock, it's not there for the short haul.
• Other than surplus depots, shipyards are very major commands, almost always with a flag officer commanding them, especially given that the construction of individual starships is often supervised by a commander or captain.

Starfleet Facilities In-Play

• The Federation is huge, covering hundreds of sectors and thousands of planets, when you factor in every single minor colony and outpost. This leaves a lot of room to imagine different kinds of bases in your writing to suit the needs of your story, whether you need a bustling border trade station like K-7 or a sleepy research base that hasn't seen visitors in years. Go where you need to go and where your story takes you. That doesn't mean that any base you visit automatically becomes fleet canon and needs a dot on the map, but if you have an exciting adventure with a base during your ship's travels, consider submitting it as fleet canon!
• Generally speaking, your ship's 'home' is your task force's headquarters, whatever that may be, even if you're all the way across the galaxy.
• There is only one station in the Gamma Quadrant and there are none in the Delta Quadrant, so make sure you pack a lunch when going through either wormhole.
• These categories are not all-inclusive, so don't interpret them as keeping you from coming up with a type of station we didn't list here. It's just meant to be a guide on what your character would understand a starbase to be versus an outpost, etc.