Difference between pages "Command Policy" and "Engineering Glossary"

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{{icons|bfo}}Last Update: 25 April 2023
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This Engineering Glossary is a guide to common terms one may encounter while serving aboard a starship. The heading of each term will take you out of this system to Memory Alpha.
  
=1 - Registry Definition=
+
== [[ma:Warp_drive|Warp Drive]] ==
#The registry lists all starships, starbases, and other entities available to Bravo Fleet for use as Commands or Games.
+
[[File:Warp-speed-Enterprise.jpg|alt=A Galaxy-class ship at warp.|thumb|270x270px|A ''Galaxy''-class starship at warp, with the characteristic distortion of the stars around it because of its relative speed.]]
#The registry’s purpose is to maintain consistency across Bravo Fleet and its ongoing canon. As such, entries will not be added to, removed, or altered from the registry without permission of the Intelligence Office.
+
Warp Drive is a form of non-Newtonian propulsion that moves starships faster than the speed of light by manipulating subspace to bend space and reduce the apparent mass of the vessel in order to bypass the laws of Relativity.<ref>Sternbach, R., & Okuda, M. (1993). Section 5.1: Warp Field Theory and Application. In ''Star Trek: The next generation technical manual'' (pp. 57–62). Pocket.</ref> Without warp drive, journeys between star systems would be impossible without sleeper or generation ships. Federation and Klingon warp drives operate with a matter/antimatter reactor powering warp coils in outboard nacelles, while Romulan warp drives are powered by artificial quantum singularity reactors.<ref>[[ma:Face_Of_The_Enemy_(episode)|''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Season 6, Episode 14: "Face of the Enemy"]]</ref>
#The registry represents the In Character starships and starbases available to the Fourth Fleet in {{Year}}, and the starships and starbases available for Games and Commands.
 
##Exceptions such as non-Starfleet ships or ships of a different era have been created for Fictions or Games, and may not be used as Primary Commands. These will be more often added, deleted, or altered.
 
##The use of registry entries in Games is governed by Section 4 of the Operations Policy.
 
#Ships in the registry should only be used in lore by the members or Task Forces (in the case of TFHQ ships or Flagships only) to which they are assigned. If a story requires another ship, it should use a name not listed in the registry and would fall within the bounds of member canon.
 
#Events involving registry ships ''prior to'' 2399 may be referenced in circumstances such as character service records and backstory. This restriction changes at 2399 as this is when the current fleet canon went live; members should not be dictating fleet or member canon after this outside of their own characters and Command.
 
#Ships are assigned to a member's dossier when they are created as Commands on BFMS. A member must create an application for the Command that the Intel Office processes. The IO does not create Commands for members. Commands exist to house Missions, Stories, and crew rosters; they show the ship on the member's dossier, and ensure the registry displays what ships are available or unavailable. ''All'' ships in use require a Command, including RPGs and squadron ships.
 
##Once a ship has been relinquished, the BFMS Command will be labelled as 'Archive' and exist on the member's dossier for archival purposes only. Members may edit the Command page or the roster, but they may not add further Missions or Stories.
 
#Members should not apply for Commands on BFMS until they are ready to acquire or change their Primary Command, or for a fiction/RPG proposal to be discussed with the Intelligence Officer/Operations Officer. Draft Commands or proposals self-identifying as WIPs will have their registry link removed or be deleted.
 
#Upon a Command's assignment, a member may not change that Command until three months have elapsed or they are promoted, whichever comes first
 
##Exceptions may be permitted at the discretion of the Intelligence Officer. This may apply in cases such as the release of new starship classes or other significant alterations to the command registry.
 
=2 - Primary Commands=
 
#Primary Commands are attached to a member's dossiers as their character's starship or auxiliary craft. They are the vessels assigned In Character to a member’s Task Force in the Fourth Fleet in {{Year}}.
 
#Members can write on their Primary Commands on their own or with others. Writing with others on a Primary Command does not require a proposal or activity commitment being sent to the Intelligence Office. Members ''may not'' use their Primary Command as an RPG; ie, they may not openly recruit for crew or create a separate website, and collaboration should be limited to invitation-only. RPGs which any member of the Fleet may apply to join must be accepted by the Bravo Fleet Operations Officer, and thus Primary Commands are unsuitable for this purpose.
 
#All Commands will be removed from a member's dossier upon transfer to the Reserves.
 
#When a member reaches the rank of Midshipman they may request a ship on the registry for use as their Primary Command. Ship classes available are unlocked upon reaching certain ranks.
 
#Members below the rank of Captain may only have one Primary Command. Requesting a new eligible Primary Command will result in the current registry ship being removed from the member's dossier and returned to the pool of available ships.
 
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
 
|+Ship classes by rank
 
|-
 
!Midshipman!!Lieutenant Commander!!Commander!!
 
|-
 
|[[Phoenix Class|Phoenix]]
 
|[[Aquarius Class|Aquarius]]
 
| colspan="2" |[[Akira Class|Akira]]
 
|-
 
|[[Raven Class|Raven]]||[[California Class|California]]|| colspan="2" |[[Defiant Class|Defiant]]
 
|-
 
|
 
|[[Challenger Class|Challenger]]
 
|[[Duderstadt Class|Duderstadt]]
 
|
 
|-
 
|  ||[[Cheyenne Class|Cheyenne]]|| colspan="2" |[[Echelon Class|Echelon]]
 
|-
 
|  ||[[Edison Class|Edison]]|| colspan="2" |[[Excelsior II Class|Excelsior II]]
 
|-
 
|  ||[[Grissom Class|Grissom]]|| colspan="2" |[[Gagarin Class|Gagarin]]
 
|-
 
|  ||[[New Orleans Class|New Orleans]]||[[Intrepid Class|Intrepid]]
 
|
 
|-
 
|  ||[[Norway Class|Norway]]|| colspan="2" |[[Inquiry Class|Inquiry]]
 
|-
 
|
 
|[[Nova Class|Nova]]
 
| colspan="2" |[[Luna Class|Luna]]
 
|-
 
|  ||[[Olympic Class|Olympic]]|| colspan="2" |[[Manticore Class|Manticore]]
 
|-
 
|
 
|[[Parliament Class|Parliament]]
 
| colspan="2" |[[Nebula Class|Nebula]]
 
|-
 
|  ||[[Rhode Island Class|Rhode Island]]|| colspan="2" |[[Pathfinder Class|Pathfinder]]
 
|-
 
|  ||[[Reliant Class|Reliant]]|| colspan="2" |[[Prometheus Class|Prometheus]]
 
|-
 
|
 
|[[Saber Class|Saber]]
 
| colspan="2" |[[Sutherland Class|Sutherland]]
 
|-
 
|  ||[[Springfield Class|Springfield]]|| colspan="2" |
 
|-
 
|  ||[[Steamrunner Class|Steamrunner]]|| colspan="2" |
 
|}
 
=3 - Squadrons=
 
  
#The Squadron system allows members holding the dossier rank of Captain and above greater flexibility in their Command choices. Where Commanders and below may pick a single Primary Command from a list, Captains are entitled to a certain level of ‘Squadron Strength’ in their Command selection. This gives them options like choosing between a single, larger ship or multiple smaller ones.  
+
Earlier versions of warp drive could not be operated close to large gravitational masses like planets<ref>''[[ma:Star Trek: The Motion Picture|Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]''</ref>, but this limitation has been removed by the start of the 25th century.<ref>[[ma:The_Next_Generation_(episode)|''Star Trek: Picard'', Season 3, Episode 1: "The Next Generation."]]</ref> Warp drive can be impeded by many things, notably disruptions to subspace. Warp drive systems developed through the mid-24th century also caused direct damage to subspace and for a time Starfleet Command imposed a Warp 5 speed limit except in emergencies.<ref>[[ma:Force of Nature (episode)|''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Season 7, Episode 9: "Force of Nature"]]</ref> Refinements to Starfleet warp drive designs mitigated this effect by the 2380s, but it led to the accelerated retirement or re-engining of multiple old-style starship classes, including the ''Miranda'' and ''Excelsior.''  
#If a member holds multiple Commands under the Squadrons system, these ships are all subject to the same usage requirements as outlined under Primary Commands above. They may not be used as RPGs, and IC are starships assigned to the member’s Task Force.
 
##All ships must have their own Command on BFMS. This is solely to ensure the registry accurately reflects what ships are in use and dossiers show all of a member's ships. Members are free, however, to house Stories and Missions involving the ship and crew on any of their squadron BFMS Commands.
 
##Members with multiple ships should designate one as their Primary Command on BFMS. This is solely for display and organisational purposes, and has no other or IC significance. The Primary Command must be a Squadron Commands, and may not be an RPG or Fiction.
 
##Members have some freedom on how to IC depict these multiple ships. They may be entirely unaffiliated, all falling directly under their Task Force’s IC chain of command, with the member using them to tell totally different stories.
 
##Members may use all/some of them to form an IC-only unit within their Task Force, referred to as a squadron. This typically takes its title from the squadron’s ‘lead ship’ or starbase (for example, a squadron led by the USS Endeavour would be called ‘Endeavour Squadron’). This ensures all squadrons have a unique IC name. Members may not call these IC units ‘task groups’, to avoid confusion with the OOC unit.
 
##Members may create an officer in command of this squadron, who may or may not also be the commanding officer of one of these starships/starbase, and who falls IC under the chain of command of the member’s Task Force. All Canon Policy rank restrictions remain.
 
#The Squadron Strength to which a member is entitled is dependent on their dossier rank.
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|+'''Squadron Strength by Dossier Rank'''
 
!Captain
 
!Fleet Captain
 
!Commodore
 
!Rear Admiral
 
!Vice Admiral
 
!Admiral
 
!Fleet Admiral
 
|-
 
|3
 
|4
 
|6
 
|7
 
|8
 
|9
 
|10
 
|}
 
  
== 3.1 - Starship Strength ==
+
Many systems have been proposed to travel at even faster speeds than warp drive can (slipstream and transwarp, e.g.), and several alien races such as the Voth and Borg have managed to perfect them, but faster-than-warp technologies remain purely in the purview of experimental prototypes in Starfleet; it is anticipated that warp will remain the dominant mode of interstellar travel in the Alpha Quadrant for at least the first half of the 25th century.
  
# Ship classes are allocated a certain level of Strength depending on their size, power, modernity, and so forth.
+
=== [[ma:Antimatter|Antimatter]] ===
# Members may select any number of ships as their Commands under the Squadrons system, so long as the total Strength does not exceed their rank entitlement.
+
[[File:Antimatterpod1.jpg|alt=A schematic of a typical anti-matter storage pod. Most starships would have dozens of such pods.|thumb|186x186px|A schematic of a typical anti-matter storage pod. ]]
# Ship classes by rank (As above in 2 - Primary Commands) may not directly correlate with a starship's squadron strength. This is intentional, reflecting how some ships may be more or less popular when they are a member's only command, but valued differently when part of a larger squadron.
+
Antimatter is a form of matter with mass but with the opposite charge and spin as standard matter. Matter and antimatter will annihilate each other when they come in contact. It is used in both antimatter reactors and antimatter weapons. Aboard Starfleet vessels, anti-deuterium is used for both of these purposes. It is stored in modules near to the antimatter reactant injectors. Because antimatter cannot come in contact with matter without exploding, it is stored within high-power magnetic forcefields that suspend it in a vacuum. In an emergency, antimatter pods can be ejected from a starship. Refined antimatter is created at facilities around the Federation, and this process is extremely energy intensive.<ref>Sternbach, R., & Okuda, M. (1993). Section 5.4: Antimatter Storage and Transfer. In ''Star Trek: The next generation technical manual'' (pp. 67–68). Pocket.</ref> Some starships have onboard antimatter generators, but they are highly inefficient and provide antimatter at a ratio of 1 unit of antideuterium for every 10 units of deuterium provided.<ref>Sternbach, R., & Okuda, M. (1993). Section 5.7: Onboard Antimatter Generation. In ''Star Trek: The next generation technical manual'' (pp. 71–72). Pocket.</ref>
  
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
+
=== [[ma:Bussard_collector|Bussard Collector]] ===
|+Ship classes by rank
+
[[File:Sovereign bussard collector.png|alt=The bussard collectors on the Enterprise-E|thumb|277x277px|The bussard collectors on the ''Enterprise''-E being used to dramatic effect to suck in metreon gas. This gas was later expelled and ignited to defeat two Son'a cruisers.]]
|-
+
Bussard Collectors, also known as Bussard Ramscoops, use magnetic fields to attract interstellar hydrogen atoms and other free-floating gases for use as fuel aboard a starship. Most effective at warp speeds, this system is used to continually replace small amounts of fuel and to provide stop-gap fuel in the event of a shortage.<ref>Sternbach, R., & Okuda, M. (1993). Section 5.6: Bussard Ramscoop Fuel Replenishment. In ''Star Trek: The next generation technical manual'' (p. 70). Pocket.</ref> This system can also be used to collect and expel other gasses, for scientific or tactical purposes.<ref>[[ma:Samaritan_Snare_(episode)|''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Season 2, Episode 17: "Samaritan Snare."]]</ref><ref>[[ma:Night_Terrors_(episode)|''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Season 4, Episode 19: "Night Terrors."]]</ref><ref>''[[ma:Star Trek: Insurrection|Star Trek: Insurrection]]'' </ref> On Starfleet ships, Bussard collectors are always on the forward ends of the warp nacelles. It is a common misconception that they are some sort of intake manifold for the warp engines themselves, but they are not directly connected to the warp coils or any other propulsive systems.
!1!!2!! colspan="2" |3
 
!4
 
|-
 
|Small Civilian Ship
 
|[[Alita Class|Alita]]
 
|
 
|[[Constitution III Class|Constitution III]]
 
|[[Odyssey Class|Odyssey]]
 
|-
 
|[[Aquarius Class|Aquarius]]|| colspan="2" |[[Akira Class|Akira]]||[[Galaxy Class|Galaxy]]
 
|
 
|-
 
|[[California Class|California]]|| colspan="2" |[[Duderstadt Class|Duderstadt]]||[[Obena Class|Obena]]
 
|
 
|-
 
|[[Challenger Class|Challenger]]
 
|[[Echelon Class|Echelon]]
 
|
 
|[[Ross Class|Ross]]
 
|
 
|-
 
|[[Cheyenne Class|Cheyenne]]|| colspan="2" |[[Excelsior II Class|Excelsior II]]||[[Sagan Class|Sagan]]
 
|
 
|-
 
|[[Defiant Class|Defiant]]
 
| colspan="2" |[[Gagarin Class|Gagarin]]
 
|[[Sovereign Class|Sovereign]]
 
|
 
|-
 
|[[Edison Class|Edison]]|| colspan="2" |[[Inquiry Class|Inquiry]]||[[Vesta Class|Vesta]]
 
|
 
|-
 
|[[Grissom Class|Grissom]]|| colspan="2" |[[Luna Class|Luna]]||
 
|
 
|-
 
|[[Intrepid Class|Intrepid]]
 
| colspan="2" |[[Manticore Class|Manticore]]
 
|
 
|
 
|-
 
|[[New Orleans Class|New Orleans]]|| colspan="2" |[[Nebula Class|Nebula]]||
 
|
 
|-
 
|[[Norway Class|Norway]]|| colspan="2" |[[Pathfinder Class|Pathfinder]]||
 
|
 
|-
 
|[[Nova Class|Nova]]|| colspan="2" |[[Prometheus Class|Prometheus]]||
 
|
 
|-
 
|[[Olympic Class|Olympic]]||[[Sutherland Class|Sutherland]]
 
| ||
 
|
 
|-
 
|[[Parliament Class|Parliament]]|| colspan="2" | ||
 
|
 
|-
 
|[[Phoenix Class|Phoenix]]||
 
|  ||
 
|
 
|-
 
|[[Raven Class|Raven]]||
 
|-
 
|[[Rhode Island Class|Rhode Island]]
 
|
 
|-
 
|[[Reliant Class|Reliant]]
 
|
 
|-
 
|[[Saber Class|Saber]]||
 
|-
 
|[[Springfield Class|Springfield]]||
 
|-
 
|[[Steamrunner Class|Steamrunner]]
 
|
 
|}
 
#For example, upon reaching the rank of Captain a member has a Squadron Strength entitlement of 3. If they already have a Commander-level ship, they are only using 2 of their Squadron Level. They may ‘upgrade’ as they did upon reaching the rank of Commander, returning their current ship to the registry and choosing a single new Command with a Strength of 3. If they keep their ship with its Strength of 2, they may choose to add to their dossier another ship with a Strength of 1.
 
##Members are under no obligation to use their total Squadron Strength. These Commands are a reflection of the hard work of members, however, and may be chosen for storytelling opportunities or simple prestige.
 
#‘Small Civilian Ship’ is a catch-all term for non-Starfleet civilian vessels members may wish to use for different kinds of storytelling. It refers to ships of, for example, the [[Kaplan F17 class]] or the [[Groumall class]], usually freighters, that are not affiliated IC with Starfleet and may be used for trading, prospecting, exploration, or other adventures. Acquiring a ship like this is subject to a successful Fiction Proposal, and so they are not listed as available on the registry but created as required by the Intelligence Office.
 
#The Intelligence Office may make adjustments to ship class Strengths to account for balance as the system and canon evolve. No member will have an asset removed because of a rebalance, but they would only be grandfathered in until they wanted to change their squadron, at which point the new strength values would be used.
 
  
== 3.2 - Starbase Strength ==
+
=== [[ma:Deuterium|Deuterium]] ===
 +
Deuterium is an isotope of hydrogen containing both a proton and a neutron. It is used to fuel starships' matter/antimatter reactors and fusion reactors. Deuterium is stored as slush in large tanks on every starship. A ''Galaxy''-class starship has tanks large enough to support three years of warp travel without refueling.<ref>Sternbach, R., & Okuda, M. (1993). Section 5.5: Warp Propulsion System Fuel Supply. In ''Star Trek: The next generation technical manual'' (p. 69). Pocket.</ref> Deuterium is preferred over protium (hydrogen without a neutron) because it contains twice the energetic potential.
  
# Starbases as Commands work the same as starships under the Squadron system, but are subject to different requirements. They represent starbases assigned In Character to the member’s Task Force in the Fourth Fleet in {{year}}.
+
=== [[ma:Dilithium|Dilithium]] ===
# Members do not have to choose between a starbase or starship under the Squadron system. They are only restricted by their rank’s total Squadron Strength.
+
[[File:Stdilithiumcrystals2.png|alt=A dilithium crystal installed in a dilithium articulation frame, ready to be inserted into a matter/antimatter reaction chamber.|thumb|242x242px|A dilithium crystal in an articulation frame.]]
# Registry Starbases are created by the Intelligence Office, and will have their own wiki article explaining the location and setting material relevant to that starbase that has been ratified by the Intelligence Office. This is Fleet Canon that cannot be altered without permission of the Intelligence Office, even by the member to whom the starbase registry is attached. As such, members should heavily consider their choice, as a Starbase Command is under more restrictions and requirements from the Intelligence Office.
+
Dilithium is a crystaline compound that is the only known way of moderating a matter/anti-matter reaction. Without dilitihium, traditional warp cores cannot function.<ref name=":0" /> This substance can be refined or synthesized from its component parts, but it cannot be replicated. Dilithium decrystalizes with use but is not consumed by the reaction process. Decrystalized dilithium can be recrystalized with gamma radiation bombardment<ref>''[[ma:Star_Trek_IV:_The_Voyage_Home|Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home]]''</ref> or a theta matrix compositer<ref>[[ma:Family_(episode)|''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Season 4, Episode 2: "Family"]]</ref>, but there will always be material lost during this process, as it is only about 50% efficient with current methods. This means that spacefaring races must rely on having access to substantial, active sources of dilithium or they risk losing the ability to power their ships.  
## Members interested in creating a station command should consult directly with the Intelligence Office if one of the concepts on the wiki isn't suitable for their idea.
 
# Because stations impact shared canon more directly than starships, members will be unable to trade in a station for six months after acquiring it, not including time spent in the reserves.
 
  
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
+
=== [[ma:Warp_core|Matter/Antimatter Reaction Assembly (M/ARA)]] ===
|+Starbase classes by Strength
+
[[File:IntrepidWarpCore.jpg|thumb|The reaction chamber of an [[Intrepid Class|''Intrepid''-class starship]]'s matter/antimatter reactor, known as a dilithium swirl chamber.]]
|-
+
Known more commonly as the warp core, the Matter/Antimatter Reaction Assembly uses the controlled intermixing of deuterium and anti-deuterium to create energy in the form of plasma to power a starship's warp engines and other systems. At each end of the warp core, there is a reactant injector connected to either the ships deuterium tanks (the matter reactant injector or MRI) or anti-deuterium tanks (the antimatter reactant injector or ARI). These injectors  control the rate of flow into the reaction assembly, and thus the amount of power being generated. The magnetic constrictor segments are the next major component of the M/ARA, connecting the reactant injectors to the reaction chamber. These segments use intense magnetic fields to channel the reactants at the right angle and pressure. The reaction chamber uses dilithium to mediate the matter/anti-matter reaction, and this is where the two substances annihilate one another to create plasma, which is channeled to the warp coils through the power transfer conduits.<ref name=":0">Sternbach, R., & Okuda, M. (1993). Section 5.2: Matter/Antimatter Reaction Assembly. In ''Star Trek: The next generation technical manual'' (pp. 57–62). Pocket.</ref> It normally takes at least thirty-minutes to start a warp core from cold<ref>[[ma:The_Naked_Time_(episode)|''Star Trek: The Original Series'', Season 1, Episode 6: "The Naked Time"]]</ref>, but more rapid cold starts are possible with the precise alignment of the injectors.<ref>[[ma:Human_Error_(episode)|''Star Trek: Voyager'', Season 7, Episode 18: "Human Error"]]</ref> In catastrophic emergency situations where damage has been sustained to the M/ARA and a warp core breach is imminent, the warp core of nearly every starship can be jettisoned through a hatch, most often on the keel of the ship.<ref>Sternbach, R., & Okuda, M. (1993). Section 5.10: Catastrophic Emergency Procedures. In ''Star Trek: The next generation technical manual'' (pp. 73–74). Pocket.</ref>
!2!!3!!4
 
|-
 
|[[Jupiter Class|Jupiter]]||[[Anchorage Class|Anchorage]]||[[Canopus Class|Canopus]]
 
|-
 
|[[K Class|K-Type]]||[[Copernicus Class|Copernicus]]||[[Unity Class|Unity]]
 
|-
 
|[[Regula Class|Regula]]||[[Narendra Class|Narendra]]||
 
|-
 
|[[Vision Class|Vision]]||[[Presidium Class|Presidium]]||
 
|-
 
| ||[[Watchtower Class|Watchtower]]||
 
|}
 
  
== 3.3 - Attached Ships ==
+
=== [[ma:Nacelle|Warp Nacelle]] ===
 +
A warp nacelle is an outboard cylindrical structure (i.e. a nacelle) that contains a vessel's warp coils.<ref>Sternbach, R., & Okuda, M. (1993). Section 5.3: Warp Field Nacelles. In ''Star Trek: The next generation technical manual'' (pp. 63–64). Pocket.</ref> Federation starships tend to have their nacelles in pairs arranged symmetrically. In fact, it is so common for nacelles to come in pairs that the phrase "third nacelle" has entered the vernacular as a 24th and 25th-century equivalent to the phrase "third wheel"<ref>[[ma:Inside_Man_(episode)|''Star Trek: Voyager'', Season 7, Episode 6: "Inside Man"]]</ref>.  Starfleet warp nacelles almost always have bussard collectors. A starship's nacelles are a good indication of which era it was designed in, as the nacelles for multiple classes in a single period tend to share characteristics (or are actually identical), reflecting the trends in warp coil design at the time.
  
# Certain commands, like starbases, have an attached ship, which has its own registry entry but has an effective Strength of 0. Whether or not an attached ship is selected does not affect a member’s Squadron Strength.
+
=== Warp Coil ===
# Most attached ships are assigned to starbases. Upon requesting a starbase, the member should identify to the Intelligence Office an appropriate choice of ship from the registry. That ship will then be removed from the public pool. It will not be given a BFMS Command, but should be written about as part of the starbase’s Command.
 
# The ''Odyssey''-class always has an ''Aquarius''-class ship attached. Unlike with starbases, the ''Aquarius''-class’s name is predetermined and cannot be changed. Details about an ''Odyssey’s'' ''Aquarius''-class will be listed on the ship’s wiki page.
 
# A strength 1 starship is attached to every station command in order to ensure that members have the ability to interact with fleet events set in other areas. This starship is assigned to the station directly to support it, as the ''Defiant'' was to DS9. This does not add to or subtract from the strength of a member's squadron, i.e. you could not use additional squadron strength to attach a strength 2 starship to your station.
 
# Members may choose to depict any of their other ships as attached to or operating out of the starbase.
 
  
== 3.4 - Requesting Squadron Ships ==
+
=== Warp Core ===
 +
See [[Engineering Glossary#Matter.2FAntimatter Reaction Assembly .28M.2FARA.29|Matter/Antimatter Reaction Assembly (M/ARA)]].
  
# Members must use BFMS to request any Commands under the Squadron system, in the same manner as Command requests at the ranks of Lieutenant Commander or Commander.
+
=== Warp Field ===
# BFMS requests for new Commands under the Squadron system must use the ‘Lore Office Proposal’ window to clearly communicate their allocation of their Squadron Level. This must include what ships, if any, are being returned to the registry.
+
 
## If a new Captain requests a Command with a Strength of 3 with no further detail, the Intelligence Office will assume they are returning their current ship to the registry, just as with previous upgrades, and process accordingly.
+
=== Electro-Plasma System (EPS) Grid ===
## If a Member wishes to retain their current Command and add another, they may request the new ship under BFMS and say so in the Proposal window. A simple message, such as ‘I am keeping the USS Lollipop (Strength 2), and adding this one (Strength 1) for a total Squadron Strength of 3’ will suffice.
+
 
## If a Member wishes to return any of their ships to the registry, they must say so. Any requests for additional Commands that does not include a registry return and would bring a member over their Squadron Strength will be deleted. A simple message, such as ‘I am returning the USS Lollipop (Strength 2) and adding this one (Strength 3) for a total Squadron Strength of 3’ will suffice.
+
== Computer Systems ==
# If the Intelligence Office receives competing requests for the same starship, requests for a primary command from Lieutenant Commanders or Commanders will be prioritised, or upgrades to a single Strength 3 starship for new Captains. After that, ships will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
+
 
=4 - Fictions=
+
=== Optical Data Network (ODN) ===
#Stories about alternative settings such as non-Starfleet ships or historic eras are called 'Fictions'. Like primary or squadron commands and RPGs, they have their own BFMS Command page and are held to the same standards in content and canon compliancy.
+
 
#Fictions may only be written by one individual member. Stories with multiple writers count as role-playing games, which fall under the purview of the Operations Department.
+
=== Isolinear Chip ===
#A member who has reached the rank of Commander may submit a fiction proposal to the Intelligence Office. This is not necessary for fiction based on their Primary Command.
+
 
#The proposal should explain the premise of the story, a loose estimation of expected length, and what it contributes to Bravo Fleet canon, present or historic. It should include a broad activity commitment, such as '1 Story posted per month.' This is not a binding agreement, but helps the Intelligence Office identify inactive Fictions.
+
=== Bioneural Gel Pack ===
#Starfleet ships in the year {{year}}  are not an appropriate setting for Fictions. Members should use their Primary or Squadron Commands for these.
+
 
# Fictions do not draw from ships in the Bravo Fleet Registry, and so should discuss their ship, station, or concept needs with the Intelligence Office so an appropriate entry can be created.
+
=== Isolinear-Bioneural Chip ===
#Fictions not set in {{Year}} should ''not'' draw from ships in the Bravo Fleet Registry. Members are subject to the same rank-based restrictions of classes (for example, a Commander writing a fiction set in 2375 still cannot request a Sovereign-class), but of course can request era-appropriate ship classes not listed in the registry.
+
 
# A new fiction will have its own Command on BFMS, assigned to the member. This Command is for use solely within the bounds of the accepted fiction proposal, and must not be used as a Primary Command.
+
== Structural Systems ==
# Bravo Fleet fiction supports and enriches Bravo Fleet Canon, present and historic. Proposals from non-Trek settings will be rejected. Proposals from alternate universes of Star Trek will need to demonstrate their relevance to Bravo Fleet Canon content, themes, or characters to be accepted.
+
 
 +
=== Structural Integrity Field (SIF) Generator ===
 +
 
 +
=== Inertial Dampener ===
 +
 
 +
== Hull Components ==
 +
 
 +
=== Primary Hull ===
 +
 
 +
=== Secondary Hull ===
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=== Interconnecting Dorsal ===
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 +
=== Nacelle ===
 +
 
 +
=== Mission Pod ===
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== References ==

Latest revision as of 21:14, 11 March 2024

This article is official Bravo Fleet canon.

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This Engineering Glossary is a guide to common terms one may encounter while serving aboard a starship. The heading of each term will take you out of this system to Memory Alpha.

Warp Drive

A Galaxy-class ship at warp.
A Galaxy-class starship at warp, with the characteristic distortion of the stars around it because of its relative speed.

Warp Drive is a form of non-Newtonian propulsion that moves starships faster than the speed of light by manipulating subspace to bend space and reduce the apparent mass of the vessel in order to bypass the laws of Relativity.[1] Without warp drive, journeys between star systems would be impossible without sleeper or generation ships. Federation and Klingon warp drives operate with a matter/antimatter reactor powering warp coils in outboard nacelles, while Romulan warp drives are powered by artificial quantum singularity reactors.[2]

Earlier versions of warp drive could not be operated close to large gravitational masses like planets[3], but this limitation has been removed by the start of the 25th century.[4] Warp drive can be impeded by many things, notably disruptions to subspace. Warp drive systems developed through the mid-24th century also caused direct damage to subspace and for a time Starfleet Command imposed a Warp 5 speed limit except in emergencies.[5] Refinements to Starfleet warp drive designs mitigated this effect by the 2380s, but it led to the accelerated retirement or re-engining of multiple old-style starship classes, including the Miranda and Excelsior.

Many systems have been proposed to travel at even faster speeds than warp drive can (slipstream and transwarp, e.g.), and several alien races such as the Voth and Borg have managed to perfect them, but faster-than-warp technologies remain purely in the purview of experimental prototypes in Starfleet; it is anticipated that warp will remain the dominant mode of interstellar travel in the Alpha Quadrant for at least the first half of the 25th century.

Antimatter

A schematic of a typical anti-matter storage pod. Most starships would have dozens of such pods.
A schematic of a typical anti-matter storage pod.

Antimatter is a form of matter with mass but with the opposite charge and spin as standard matter. Matter and antimatter will annihilate each other when they come in contact. It is used in both antimatter reactors and antimatter weapons. Aboard Starfleet vessels, anti-deuterium is used for both of these purposes. It is stored in modules near to the antimatter reactant injectors. Because antimatter cannot come in contact with matter without exploding, it is stored within high-power magnetic forcefields that suspend it in a vacuum. In an emergency, antimatter pods can be ejected from a starship. Refined antimatter is created at facilities around the Federation, and this process is extremely energy intensive.[6] Some starships have onboard antimatter generators, but they are highly inefficient and provide antimatter at a ratio of 1 unit of antideuterium for every 10 units of deuterium provided.[7]

Bussard Collector

The bussard collectors on the Enterprise-E
The bussard collectors on the Enterprise-E being used to dramatic effect to suck in metreon gas. This gas was later expelled and ignited to defeat two Son'a cruisers.

Bussard Collectors, also known as Bussard Ramscoops, use magnetic fields to attract interstellar hydrogen atoms and other free-floating gases for use as fuel aboard a starship. Most effective at warp speeds, this system is used to continually replace small amounts of fuel and to provide stop-gap fuel in the event of a shortage.[8] This system can also be used to collect and expel other gasses, for scientific or tactical purposes.[9][10][11] On Starfleet ships, Bussard collectors are always on the forward ends of the warp nacelles. It is a common misconception that they are some sort of intake manifold for the warp engines themselves, but they are not directly connected to the warp coils or any other propulsive systems.

Deuterium

Deuterium is an isotope of hydrogen containing both a proton and a neutron. It is used to fuel starships' matter/antimatter reactors and fusion reactors. Deuterium is stored as slush in large tanks on every starship. A Galaxy-class starship has tanks large enough to support three years of warp travel without refueling.[12] Deuterium is preferred over protium (hydrogen without a neutron) because it contains twice the energetic potential.

Dilithium

A dilithium crystal installed in a dilithium articulation frame, ready to be inserted into a matter/antimatter reaction chamber.
A dilithium crystal in an articulation frame.

Dilithium is a crystaline compound that is the only known way of moderating a matter/anti-matter reaction. Without dilitihium, traditional warp cores cannot function.[13] This substance can be refined or synthesized from its component parts, but it cannot be replicated. Dilithium decrystalizes with use but is not consumed by the reaction process. Decrystalized dilithium can be recrystalized with gamma radiation bombardment[14] or a theta matrix compositer[15], but there will always be material lost during this process, as it is only about 50% efficient with current methods. This means that spacefaring races must rely on having access to substantial, active sources of dilithium or they risk losing the ability to power their ships.

Matter/Antimatter Reaction Assembly (M/ARA)

The reaction chamber of an Intrepid-class starship's matter/antimatter reactor, known as a dilithium swirl chamber.

Known more commonly as the warp core, the Matter/Antimatter Reaction Assembly uses the controlled intermixing of deuterium and anti-deuterium to create energy in the form of plasma to power a starship's warp engines and other systems. At each end of the warp core, there is a reactant injector connected to either the ships deuterium tanks (the matter reactant injector or MRI) or anti-deuterium tanks (the antimatter reactant injector or ARI). These injectors control the rate of flow into the reaction assembly, and thus the amount of power being generated. The magnetic constrictor segments are the next major component of the M/ARA, connecting the reactant injectors to the reaction chamber. These segments use intense magnetic fields to channel the reactants at the right angle and pressure. The reaction chamber uses dilithium to mediate the matter/anti-matter reaction, and this is where the two substances annihilate one another to create plasma, which is channeled to the warp coils through the power transfer conduits.[13] It normally takes at least thirty-minutes to start a warp core from cold[16], but more rapid cold starts are possible with the precise alignment of the injectors.[17] In catastrophic emergency situations where damage has been sustained to the M/ARA and a warp core breach is imminent, the warp core of nearly every starship can be jettisoned through a hatch, most often on the keel of the ship.[18]

Warp Nacelle

A warp nacelle is an outboard cylindrical structure (i.e. a nacelle) that contains a vessel's warp coils.[19] Federation starships tend to have their nacelles in pairs arranged symmetrically. In fact, it is so common for nacelles to come in pairs that the phrase "third nacelle" has entered the vernacular as a 24th and 25th-century equivalent to the phrase "third wheel"[20]. Starfleet warp nacelles almost always have bussard collectors. A starship's nacelles are a good indication of which era it was designed in, as the nacelles for multiple classes in a single period tend to share characteristics (or are actually identical), reflecting the trends in warp coil design at the time.

Warp Coil

Warp Core

See Matter/Antimatter Reaction Assembly (M/ARA).

Warp Field

Electro-Plasma System (EPS) Grid

Computer Systems

Optical Data Network (ODN)

Isolinear Chip

Bioneural Gel Pack

Isolinear-Bioneural Chip

Structural Systems

Structural Integrity Field (SIF) Generator

Inertial Dampener

Hull Components

Primary Hull

Secondary Hull

Interconnecting Dorsal

Nacelle

Mission Pod

References

  1. Sternbach, R., & Okuda, M. (1993). Section 5.1: Warp Field Theory and Application. In Star Trek: The next generation technical manual (pp. 57–62). Pocket.
  2. Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 6, Episode 14: "Face of the Enemy"
  3. Star Trek: The Motion Picture
  4. Star Trek: Picard, Season 3, Episode 1: "The Next Generation."
  5. Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 7, Episode 9: "Force of Nature"
  6. Sternbach, R., & Okuda, M. (1993). Section 5.4: Antimatter Storage and Transfer. In Star Trek: The next generation technical manual (pp. 67–68). Pocket.
  7. Sternbach, R., & Okuda, M. (1993). Section 5.7: Onboard Antimatter Generation. In Star Trek: The next generation technical manual (pp. 71–72). Pocket.
  8. Sternbach, R., & Okuda, M. (1993). Section 5.6: Bussard Ramscoop Fuel Replenishment. In Star Trek: The next generation technical manual (p. 70). Pocket.
  9. Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 2, Episode 17: "Samaritan Snare."
  10. Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 4, Episode 19: "Night Terrors."
  11. Star Trek: Insurrection
  12. Sternbach, R., & Okuda, M. (1993). Section 5.5: Warp Propulsion System Fuel Supply. In Star Trek: The next generation technical manual (p. 69). Pocket.
  13. 13.0 13.1 Sternbach, R., & Okuda, M. (1993). Section 5.2: Matter/Antimatter Reaction Assembly. In Star Trek: The next generation technical manual (pp. 57–62). Pocket.
  14. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
  15. Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 4, Episode 2: "Family"
  16. Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 1, Episode 6: "The Naked Time"
  17. Star Trek: Voyager, Season 7, Episode 18: "Human Error"
  18. Sternbach, R., & Okuda, M. (1993). Section 5.10: Catastrophic Emergency Procedures. In Star Trek: The next generation technical manual (pp. 73–74). Pocket.
  19. Sternbach, R., & Okuda, M. (1993). Section 5.3: Warp Field Nacelles. In Star Trek: The next generation technical manual (pp. 63–64). Pocket.
  20. Star Trek: Voyager, Season 7, Episode 6: "Inside Man"