Guide:Castor - Revision history

Dan at 01:44, 21 September 2025

2025-09-21T01:44:55Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:44, 20 September 2025
Line 49:		Line 49:
	\|history= SFC		\|history= SFC
	}}		}}
	The postwar UFP [[Star Fleet]] was really no better off regarding exploration starships than its prewar		The postwar UFP [[Star Fleet]] was really no better off regarding exploration starships than its prewar [[UESF\|UE forebear]] had been. Even though superb new cruisers had been fielded, the increased military duties tied them up rather completely. And although survey vessels had also increased in number and reach with the ''[[Guide: Placido\|Placido]]'' program, the volume of space to be explored had become so vast that most survey indices used by [[UESPA]] indicated a clear downtrend throughout the [[2160s]] and [[2170s\|70s]].
	[[UESF\|UE forebear]] had been. Even though superb new cruisers had been fielded, the increased military
	duties tied them up rather completely. And although survey vessels had also increased in number
	and reach with the ''[[Guide: Placido\|Placido]]'' program, the volume of space to be explored had become so vast that
	most survey indices used by [[UESPA]] indicated a clear downtrend throughout the [[2160s]] and [[2170s\|70s]].

	The brunt of medium range exploration duty was carried by the venerable ''[[Guide: Daedalus\|Daedalus]]'' class survey		The brunt of medium range exploration duty was carried by the venerable ''[[Guide: Daedalus\|Daedalus]]'' class survey ships, which could be considered auxiliary cruisers at best. They were few in number and small in size, and Star Fleet desperately wanted to field an auxiliary cruiser equipped with more powerful impulse systems, modern survey and communication gear, much greater internal volume, and better structural integrity. After a brief competition between various design bureaus, Star Fleet settled on a [[Gemini Industries]] proposal that combined a barebones ''Placido'' hull with affordable, twin-nacelle warp machinery and a keel extension with fuel bunkerage and sensor mounts. The ship hauled along a gigantic yet lightweight secondary hull pod, via the help of an adapter piece that clamped the keel; the adapter also housed the extra impulse engines needed for maneuvering the combination at sublight.
	ships, which could be considered auxiliary cruisers at best. They were few in number and small in
	size, and Star Fleet desperately wanted to field an auxiliary cruiser equipped with more powerful
	impulse systems, modern survey and communication gear, much greater internal volume, and better
	structural integrity. After a brief competition between various design bureaus, Star Fleet settled on a
	[[Gemini Industries]] proposal that combined a barebones ''Placido'' hull with affordable, twin-nacelle
	warp machinery and a keel extension with fuel bunkerage and sensor mounts. The ship hauled along
	a gigantic yet lightweight secondary hull pod, via the help of an adapter piece that clamped the keel;
	the adapter also housed the extra impulse engines needed for maneuvering the combination at
	sublight.

	[[Image:No Photo Available.jpg\|left\|200px\|thumb\|Against the impressive background of the [[Briar Patch]] nebulae, two ''Castors'' maneuver in concert with an ''[[Guide: Almeida\|Almeida]]'' lead ship on a long range survey mission. At this stage, [[Star Fleet]] inventory did not include ships capable of performing this type of mission on their own; either a task force of ships was deployed for an extended mission, or a single vessel made a more or less cursory assessment on a small number of targets. Survey ships on solo missions often went missing in action. Their fates were usually not revealed until the latter half of the [[23rd century]], when proliferation of fast warp propulsion systems		[[Image:No Photo Available.jpg\|left\|200px\|thumb\|Against the impressive background of the [[Briar Patch]] nebulae, two ''Castors'' maneuver in concert with an ''[[Guide: Almeida\|Almeida]]'' lead ship on a long range survey mission. At this stage, [[Star Fleet]] inventory did not include ships capable of performing this type of mission on their own; either a task force of ships was deployed for an extended mission, or a single vessel made a more or less cursory assessment on a small number of targets. Survey ships on solo missions often went missing in action. Their fates were usually not revealed until the latter half of the [[23rd century]], when proliferation of fast warp propulsion systems drastically increased the frequency of Federation visits throughout the former exploration zones.]]
	drastically increased the frequency of Federation visits throughout the former exploration zones.]]

	Some twenty ''Placido'' hulls were ordered from their original production facilities, and two new		Some twenty ''Placido'' hulls were ordered from their original production facilities, and two new

Dan at 11:55, 6 March 2019

2019-03-06T11:55:45Z

Dan at 13:57, 19 March 2017

2017-03-19T13:57:31Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:57, 19 March 2017
Line 147:		Line 147:
	----		----
	*[[Timo's Guide to Starfleet\|Back to the Table of Contents]]		*[[Timo's Guide to Starfleet\|Back to the Table of Contents]]
	*[[2161-2200 - The Federation ~~(Guide)~~\|Back to "The Federation"]]		*[[Guide:2161-2200 - The Federation\|Back to "The Federation"]]
	*[[Of Ship Statistics (Guide)\|Appendix A: Of Ship Statistics]]		*[[Of Ship Statistics (Guide)\|Appendix A: Of Ship Statistics]]
	*[[Glossary (Guide)\|Appendix B: Glossary]]		*[[Glossary (Guide)\|Appendix B: Glossary]]

Dan: /* Gallery */

2015-05-17T02:09:55Z

Gallery

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:09, 16 May 2015
Line 140:		Line 140:
	==Gallery==		==Gallery==
	<gallery>		<gallery>
			File:Castor primary hull.png\|Independent primary hull
			File:Castor secondary hull.png\|Disconnected secondary hull
	</gallery>		</gallery>

Dan at 02:02, 17 May 2015

2015-05-17T02:02:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:02, 16 May 2015
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{Sidebar Guide ship		{{Sidebar Guide ship
	\|image=[[Image:Castor (starboard).png\|250px\|''Castor'' class survey cruiser]]		\|image=[[Image:Castor (starboard).png\|250px\|''Castor'' class survey cruiser]]
	\|classname= ''~~Placido~~''		\|classname= ''Castor''
	\|category= ~~surveyor (later scout)~~		\|category= survey cruiser
	\|years= [[2174]]-[[2208]]		\|years= [[2174]]-[[2208]]
	\|constructed= 10		\|constructed= 10

Dan at 02:02, 17 May 2015

2015-05-17T02:02:08Z

Show changes

Dan: created

2015-05-17T01:49:09Z

created

New page

{{Sidebar Guide ship
|image=[[Image:Castor (starboard).png|250px|''Castor'' class survey cruiser]]
|classname= ''Placido''
|category= surveyor (later scout)
|years= [[2174]]-[[2208]]
|constructed= 10
|length= 242.0 m
|beam= 108.4 m
|height= 114.8 m
|mass= 67,300 tons
|cruisespeed= w 3
|maxspeed= w 3.35
|endurance= 3 years
|officers= 
* 3 (ship operations)
* 26 (survey operations)
|enlisted= 
* 40 (ship operations)
* 31 (survey operations)
|troops=
|passengers=
|patients=
|crew=
|cargo=
|beamweapons= 
* 4x laser emitters (400 MW) (lateral primary hull)
|missileweapons=
|otherweapons=
|shields= 
* 3-layer graviton/subspace globular shield
|labs= 
* 1x GP
* 1x planetary sciences
* 1x life sciences/chemistry
|transporters= 
* 1x GP (2-pad); Mk I
|auxcraft= 
* 4 atmospheric shuttles
* 2 spatial shuttlepods
|historicalships= 
* ''USS Alert'' (NCC-283)
* ''USS Castor'' (NCC-280)
* ''USS Clara Barton'' (NCC-287)
* ''USS Greyhound'' (NCC-282)
* ''USS Pollux'' (NCC-281)
* ''USS Shrike'' (NCC-285)
|design= SFC
|name= SFC
|history= SFC
}}
The postwar UFP Starfleet was really no better off regarding exploration starships than its prewar
UE forebear had been. Even though superb new cruisers had been fielded, the increased military
duties tied them up rather completely. And although survey vessels had also increased in number
and reach with the Placido program, the volume of space to be explored had become so vast that
most survey indices used by UESPA indicated a clear downtrend throughout the 2160s and 70s.

The brunt of medium range exploration duty was carried by the venerable Daedalus class survey
ships, which could be considered auxiliary cruisers at best. They were few in number and small in
size, and Starfleet desperately wanted to field an auxiliary cruiser equipped with more powerful
impulse systems, modern survey and communication gear, much greater internal volume, and better
structural integrity. After a brief competition between various design bureaux, Starfleet settled on a
Gemini Industries proposal that combined a barebones Placido hull with affordable, twin-nacelle
warp machinery and a keel extension with fuel bunkerage and sensor mounts. The ship hauled along
a gigantic yet lightweight secondary hull pod, via the help of an adapter piece that clamped the keel;
the adapter also housed the extra impulse engines needed for maneuvering the combination at
sublight.

[[Image:No Photo Available.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Against the impressive background of the Briar Patch nebulae, two Castors maneuver in concert with an Almeida lead ship
on a long range survey mission. At this stage, Starfleet inventory did not include ships capable of performing this type of
mission on their own; either a task force of ships was deployed for an extended mission, or a single vessel made a more or
less cursory assessment on a small number of targets. Survey ships on solo missions often went missing in action. Their
fates were usually not revealed until the latter half of the 23rd century, when proliferation of fast warp propulsion systems
drastically increased the frequency of Federation visits throughout the former exploration zones.]]

Some twenty Placido hulls were ordered from their original production facilities, and two new
spacedocks built to accommodate the construction program. The hulls were internally configured to
rough Placido standard; the new 58 m nacelles were mounted on lateral pylons at the wingtips,
wreaking havoc on transatmospheric performance but not precluding landings and takeoffs outright.
The ventral sensor dome was replaced by a long boom mount for a significantly larger and more
versatile dish array. Defensive lasers were fitted in abundance, with four 400 MW hyperaccelerated
emitters dotting the main hull. Shields were also close to the original standard, based on a multilayered system similar to the Daedalus one, and comparable to combat vessel shielding in
ideal circumstances.

Mechanical locking points on both sides of the the keel gave a firm grip for the middle component
of the spacecraft – the interface structure housing the main impulse wings, interstellar navigation
gear and ventral cargo clamps. While a variety of loads could in theory be carried, the component
completing the whole was a single trititanium-durasteel pod 217 meters long and 62 meters across.
This huge structure was principally a light support frame and protective envelope for a staggering
number of different sensors. Yet inside were also accommodations for survey crews, which could
number in the hundreds for short duration missions. The regular contingent of the ship already
included almost thirty officers, only three of whom were directly involved in ship operations, the
rest handling various science functions. Four very capable atmospheric auxiliary craft were
available for the survey teams. In comparison, the option of separating the lifting body hull from the
rest of the ship was rarely used for planetary forays – but sometimes utilized for a wider survey of
the neighborhood, so that the sensor section could be left on orbit of a planet of interest.

The ten survey cruisers completed were christened the Castor class (with the second ship off the
dockyards inevitably named Pollux, and the others following various unrelated naming practices).
Registries from NCC-280 to NCC-289 were allocated. Survey operations began in late 2174, when
USS Shrike, escorted by the heritage light cruiser Yellowjacket, retraced the historic route of survey
ship Defiant, albeit without finding evidence on the fate of the original explorers. Similar ‘refresh
cruises’ were performed by other Castor units as well, sometimes without escort, as political
conditions near Earth had stabilized significantly.

Mission profiles were soon refined to take into account the widening starbase network. With the
help of these bases, the auxiliary cruisers could survey and secure most of the region of space
formerly cursorily charted by Enterprise ships. Starfleet was aware that this was just a temporary
solution, and that a truly new cruiser type would have to be fielded in the near future. For the time
being, the internal organization of the Federation took too much resources for any to be left for
radically new capital ship programs.

Famous Castor survey ships include USS Greyhound, which in 2176 observed the first confirmed
extragalactic visitor to human-explored space, a probe entering the UFP at warp 30. It is believed the device, a seemingly inert metal cylinder, came from the Smaller Magellanic Clouds. Federation
probes sent towards the area are yet to arrive, and messages from them are not expected until after
several centuries, by which time faster ships will undoubtedly have usurped from them their mission
significance. USS Clara Barton in turn helped fight the Rigelian fever at its outbreak in 2199 by
providing both laboratory facilities, database services and quarantine enforcement that initially
limited the plague to Rigel V. In 2190, USS Alert lived up to her name by revealing to the
Federation the outbreak of internal unrest in the Romulan space. No historical explanation has been
found for the brief battle near b Cersus, but the incident was enough to convince the UFP Council to
allocate more funds for the competition of the Caracal class multi-mission cruisers and other
ambitious Starfleet programs of the time.

Silence soon descended on Romulan space again, but few regretted the brief loosening of budgetary
strings. In any case, and despite the absence of external threats to the Federation, Starfleet held
regular wargames near Arcturus and Procyon, operating the spacious and well equipped Castors as
command ships in offensive formations. Despite exercises of this kind, the wartime unity of the
Fleet already showed signs of eroding. Vulcan was quite on schedule in the process of
decommissioning its old warfleet, and expected Andoria to follow suit. Yet as long as Starfleet had
nothing but auxiliary cruisers to offer in return, it was difficult to see how Fleet unification could
proceed as planned.

For the duration of the 2180s-2200s, Starfleet thus significantly downscaled its operations again,
hoping to provide time and resources for reorganization. It soon found out that the Klingon Empire
considered this a sign of weakness, and possibly a backhanded challenge as well. It also learned a
healthy respect of Orion guile and venom as the various pirate operatives continually disturbed
Starfleet maneuvers, UFP civilian traffic and local mining establishments, colonies and settlements.
The reputation of Starfleet did not yet quite strike fear in the hearts of wrongdoers.

==Gallery==
<gallery>

</gallery>

 
----
*[[Timo's Guide to Starfleet|Back to the Table of Contents]]
*[[2161-2200 - The Federation (Guide)|Back to "The Federation"]]
*[[Of Ship Statistics (Guide)|Appendix A: Of Ship Statistics]]
*[[Glossary (Guide)|Appendix B: Glossary]]
*[[Starfleet Organization - General Outline (Guide)|Appendix C: Starfleet Organization - General Outline]]
*[[Abbreviations From Outside (Guide)|Appendix D: Abbreviations From Outside]]

[[Category:Guide|{{PAGENAME}}]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:55, 6 March 2019
Line 49:		Line 49:
	\|history= SFC		\|history= SFC
	}}		}}
	The postwar UFP [[~~Starfleet~~]] was really no better off regarding exploration starships than its prewar		The postwar UFP [[Star Fleet]] was really no better off regarding exploration starships than its prewar
	[[UESF\|UE forebear]] had been. Even though superb new cruisers had been fielded, the increased military		[[UESF\|UE forebear]] had been. Even though superb new cruisers had been fielded, the increased military
	duties tied them up rather completely. And although survey vessels had also increased in number		duties tied them up rather completely. And although survey vessels had also increased in number
Line 57:		Line 57:
	The brunt of medium range exploration duty was carried by the venerable ''[[Guide: Daedalus\|Daedalus]]'' class survey		The brunt of medium range exploration duty was carried by the venerable ''[[Guide: Daedalus\|Daedalus]]'' class survey
	ships, which could be considered auxiliary cruisers at best. They were few in number and small in		ships, which could be considered auxiliary cruisers at best. They were few in number and small in
	size, and ~~Starfleet~~ desperately wanted to field an auxiliary cruiser equipped with more powerful		size, and Star Fleet desperately wanted to field an auxiliary cruiser equipped with more powerful
	impulse systems, modern survey and communication gear, much greater internal volume, and better		impulse systems, modern survey and communication gear, much greater internal volume, and better
	structural integrity. After a brief competition between various design bureaus, ~~Starfleet~~ settled on a		structural integrity. After a brief competition between various design bureaus, Star Fleet settled on a
	Gemini Industries proposal that combined a barebones ''Placido'' hull with affordable, twin-nacelle		[[Gemini Industries]] proposal that combined a barebones ''Placido'' hull with affordable, twin-nacelle
	warp machinery and a keel extension with fuel bunkerage and sensor mounts. The ship hauled along		warp machinery and a keel extension with fuel bunkerage and sensor mounts. The ship hauled along
	a gigantic yet lightweight secondary hull pod, via the help of an adapter piece that clamped the keel;		a gigantic yet lightweight secondary hull pod, via the help of an adapter piece that clamped the keel;
Line 66:		Line 66:
	sublight.		sublight.

	[[Image:No Photo Available.jpg\|left\|200px\|thumb\|Against the impressive background of the [[Briar Patch]] nebulae, two ''Castors'' maneuver in concert with an ''[[Guide: Almeida\|Almeida]]'' lead ship		[[Image:No Photo Available.jpg\|left\|200px\|thumb\|Against the impressive background of the [[Briar Patch]] nebulae, two ''Castors'' maneuver in concert with an ''[[Guide: Almeida\|Almeida]]'' lead ship on a long range survey mission. At this stage, [[Star Fleet]] inventory did not include ships capable of performing this type of mission on their own; either a task force of ships was deployed for an extended mission, or a single vessel made a more or less cursory assessment on a small number of targets. Survey ships on solo missions often went missing in action. Their fates were usually not revealed until the latter half of the [[23rd century]], when proliferation of fast warp propulsion systems
	on a long range survey mission. At this stage, [[~~Starfleet~~]] inventory did not include ships capable of performing this type of
	mission on their own; either a task force of ships was deployed for an extended mission, or a single vessel made a more or
	less cursory assessment on a small number of targets. Survey ships on solo missions often went missing in action. Their
	fates were usually not revealed until the latter half of the [[23rd century]], when proliferation of fast warp propulsion systems
	drastically increased the frequency of Federation visits throughout the former exploration zones.]]		drastically increased the frequency of Federation visits throughout the former exploration zones.]]

Line 79:		Line 75:
	The ventral sensor dome was replaced by a long boom mount for a significantly larger and more		The ventral sensor dome was replaced by a long boom mount for a significantly larger and more
	versatile dish array. Defensive lasers were fitted in abundance, with four 400 MW hyper-accelerated		versatile dish array. Defensive lasers were fitted in abundance, with four 400 MW hyper-accelerated
	emitters dotting the main hull. Shields were also close to the original standard, based on a multi-layered system similar to the ''Daedalus'' one, and comparable to combat vessel shielding in		emitters dotting the main hull. Shields were also close to the original standard, based on a multi-layered system similar to the ''Daedalus'' one, and comparable to combat vessel shielding in ideal circumstances.
	ideal circumstances.

	Mechanical locking points on both sides of the the keel gave a firm grip for the middle component		Mechanical locking points on both sides of the the keel gave a firm grip for the middle component
Line 105:		Line 100:
	Mission profiles were soon refined to take into account the widening starbase network. With the		Mission profiles were soon refined to take into account the widening starbase network. With the
	help of these bases, the auxiliary cruisers could survey and secure most of the region of space		help of these bases, the auxiliary cruisers could survey and secure most of the region of space
	formerly cursorily charted by ''[[Guide: Enterprise\|Enterprise]]'' ships. ~~Starfleet~~ was aware that this was just a temporary		formerly cursorily charted by ''[[Guide: Enterprise\|Enterprise]]'' ships. Star Fleet was aware that this was just a temporary
	solution, and that a truly new cruiser type would have to be fielded in the near future. For the time		solution, and that a truly new cruiser type would have to be fielded in the near future. For the time
	being, the internal organization of the [[Federation]] took too many resources for any to be left for		being, the internal organization of the [[Federation]] took too many resources for any to be left for
Line 120:		Line 115:
	found for the brief battle near [[b Cersus]], but the incident was enough to convince the UFP Council to		found for the brief battle near [[b Cersus]], but the incident was enough to convince the UFP Council to
	allocate more funds for the completion of the ''[[Guide: Caracal\|Caracal]]'' class multi-mission cruisers and other		allocate more funds for the completion of the ''[[Guide: Caracal\|Caracal]]'' class multi-mission cruisers and other
	ambitious ~~Starfleet~~ programs of the time.		ambitious Star Fleet programs of the time.

	Silence soon descended on Romulan space again, but few regretted the brief loosening of budgetary		Silence soon descended on Romulan space again, but few regretted the brief loosening of budgetary
	strings. In any case, and despite the absence of external threats to the Federation, ~~Starfleet~~ held		strings. In any case, and despite the absence of external threats to the Federation, Star Fleet held
	regular wargames near [[Arcturus]] and [[Procyon]], operating the spacious and well equipped ''Castors'' as		regular wargames near [[Arcturus]] and [[Procyon]], operating the spacious and well equipped ''Castors'' as
	command ships in offensive formations. Despite exercises of this kind, the wartime unity of the		command ships in offensive formations. Despite exercises of this kind, the wartime unity of the
	Fleet already showed signs of eroding. [[Vulcan]] was quite on schedule in the process of		Fleet already showed signs of eroding. [[Vulcan]] was quite on schedule in the process of
	decommissioning its old warfleet, and expected [[Andoria]] to follow suit. Yet as long as ~~Starfleet~~ had		decommissioning its old warfleet, and expected [[Andoria]] to follow suit. Yet as long as Star Fleet had
	nothing but auxiliary cruisers to offer in return, it was difficult to see how Fleet unification could		nothing but auxiliary cruisers to offer in return, it was difficult to see how Fleet unification could
	proceed as planned.		proceed as planned.

	For the duration of the [[2180s]]-[[2200s]], ~~Starfleet~~ thus significantly downscaled its operations again,		For the duration of the [[2180s]]-[[2200s]], Star Fleet thus significantly downscaled its operations again,
	hoping to provide time and resources for reorganization. It soon found out that the Klingon Empire		hoping to provide time and resources for reorganization. It soon found out that the Klingon Empire
	considered this a sign of weakness, and possibly a backhanded challenge as well. It also learned a		considered this a sign of weakness, and possibly a backhanded challenge as well. It also learned a
	healthy respect of Orion guile and venom as the various pirate operatives continually disturbed		healthy respect of Orion guile and venom as the various pirate operatives continually disturbed
	~~Starfleet~~ maneuvers, UFP civilian traffic and local mining establishments, colonies and settlements.		Star Fleet maneuvers, UFP civilian traffic and local mining establishments, colonies and settlements.
	The reputation of ~~Starfleet~~ did not yet quite strike fear in the hearts of wrongdoers.		The reputation of Star Fleet did not yet quite strike fear in the hearts of wrongdoers.

	==Gallery==		==Gallery==
Line 146:		Line 141:
	<br>		<br>
	----		----
	*[[Timo's Guide to ~~Starfleet~~\|Back to the Table of Contents]]		*[[Timo's Guide to Star Fleet \|Back to the Table of Contents]]
	*[[Guide:2161-2200 - The Federation\|Back to "The Federation"]]		*[[Guide:2161-2200 - The Federation\|Back to "The Federation"]]
	*[[Of Ship Statistics (Guide)\|Appendix A: Of Ship Statistics]]		*[[Of Ship Statistics (Guide)\|Appendix A: Of Ship Statistics]]
	*[[Glossary (Guide)\|Appendix B: Glossary]]		*[[Glossary (Guide)\|Appendix B: Glossary]]
	*[[~~Starfleet~~ Organization - General Outline (Guide)\|Appendix C: ~~Starfleet~~ Organization - General Outline]]		*[[Star Fleet Organization - General Outline (Guide)\|Appendix C: Star Fleet Organization - General Outline]]
	*[[Abbreviations From Outside (Guide)\|Appendix D: Abbreviations From Outside]]		*[[Abbreviations From Outside (Guide)\|Appendix D: Abbreviations From Outside]]


	[[Category:Guide\|{{PAGENAME}}]]		[[Category:Guide\|{{PAGENAME}}]]