Mark III Galaxy-class Upgrade

Created by Captain Anthony Watson on Fri Aug 28th, 2015 @ 3:32pm

Project History

The Galaxy-class Mark III program represents the culmination of over fifteen years of work. It began in 2375 with the close of the Dominion War. Starfleet Command was impressed with the relative success of the Mark II Galaxy-class upgrade as deployed throughout the duration of the conflict. Mark II Galaxy-class starships proved themselves to be both capable and formidable in their service. Despite these positive reports, however, there were many who were concerned that such a hastily deployed system would not prove as sustainable over time.

The Starfleet Corps of Engineers was commissioned to review the entire Galaxy-class platform in light of its own performance as well as that of other development programs and to make a formal recommendation. They started by collecting technical performance data regarding every current and previously serving vessel to date. At the same time, they also conducted systematic interviews of personnel who had worked on or served aboard Mark I and Mark II Galaxy-class vessels. The results of this investigation were compiled and an initial report submitted in early 2379.

Starfleet Command reviewed the information and approved further development on the project. Continued advances in warp-field generation, power distribution efficiency, as well as other design elements from analysis of the USS Voyager's sojourn in the Delta Quadrant were also incorporated into the development process. The Starfleet Corps of Engineers submitted the official project recommendation for review in late-2388.

Following a devastating assult by three Tal-Shiar D'deridex-class warbirds in 2390, the USS Magellan (NCC-71820) was towed back to Utopia Planetia Fleet Yards where it was decided she would serve as the first platform for the Mark III upgrade.

Technical Information

Warp Drive & Propulsion Systems
The Galaxy-class has undergone several upgrades to its warp drive and propulsion systems since deployment first began in the early 2360s. Previous designs were rated as being among the most powerful in Starfleet, capable of generating approximately 12.75 billion gigawatts of power. Several smaller upgrades preceeding the Mark II design phase included such advancements as warp core refinements, nacelle overhauls, and impulse engine improvements.

What sets the Mark III Galaxy-class upgrade apart from earlier designs is the incredible focus that has gone into improving output, efficiency, and environmental friendliness of the warp drive and propulsion systems. In addition to borrowing from development of the Sovereign and Legacy-class starship designs, engineers also relied heavily on the lessons learned from Voyager's long journey home through the Delta Quadrant. These have resulted in a combined system that continues to rank among the most powerful in Starfleet while at the same time drastically reducing bleedoff and environmental damage to the surrounding space.

Command & Control Processing
The computer core is the location of a starship's central computer and houses primary processing equipment. Twenty-fourth century vessels were often equipped with isolinear cores which communicated with one another and ship's systems via an optical data network (ODN). Following the success of bio-neural circuitry in the early 2370s, the isolinear chips and optical data networks aboard most Federation starships were eventually replaced with more advanced bio-neural gel packs. Much of the usual isolinear circuitry aboard the Magellan had already been replaced with bio-neural cells, which are capable of processing information more efficiently, thereby increasing computer response time. Further upgrades and replacements were included as part of the Magellan's Mark III upgrade in 2390.

Holographic Systems Interface
The Library Computer Access and Retrieval System (LCARS) has been the standard computer operating system employed by the United Federation of Planets as well as used aboard Starfleet vessels, starbases, and installations for much of the twenty-fourth century. LCARS uses sophisticated artificial intelligence routines to understand and execute vocal natural language commands. Personnel also frequently interface with LCARS through PADDs, tricorders, and control panels.

In the twenty-fourth century, graphical controls housed underneath clear, touch-sensitive panels allowed LCARS interfaces to be quickly reconfigured by users to suit the task at hand. They could even be modified to include a tactile interface for visually-impaired officers. This enabled even complicated tasks to be executed with just a few button presses. By 2387, however, Starfleet had begun to incorporate three-dimensional control interfaces through the use of more advanced holographic technology aboard Federation starships and installations. Engineers at Utopia Planetia Fleet Yards included such holographic interface systems as part of the Magellan's Mark III upgrade in 2390.

Secondary Navigational Deflector
The navigational deflector (also known as the deflector dish, deflector array, or main deflector) is a component installed on many starships. It is mainly used to deflect space debris, asteroids, and any other objects that may lie in a starship's path and potentially be a hazard. On Federation starships, the main deflector is usually located at the front of the secondary hull.

One of the more noticeable changes included as part of the Mark III Galaxy-class upgrade is the secondary navigational deflector. Although not included within the initial Galaxy-class design, studies of saucer separation maneuvers (especially those undertaken at warp speeds) proved the need for additional protection. The secondary deflector is located on the dorsal surface, leading edge of the saucer-section directly forward of the main bridge.

Type XII Phaser Arrays
The Type XII phaser system has been used in dedicated planetary defense systems and starbase installations since its development in 2363. Many believed the Type XII system unsuitable for use on a starship because the power requirements were too high and the support systems too bulky. By 2368, however, technical improvements had allowed for considerable shrinkage in the size of equipment and starship power distribution systems had become capable of supporting the weapon. Considered to be the most powerful phaser weapons currently in use by the Federation, systems of this type were initially deployed aboard starships such as the Sovereign-class, Legacy-class and Prometheus-class designs. Satisfied by their performance, the Mark III Galaxy-class development program included an upgrade from Type X phaser arrays to Type XII phaser arrays as part of their recommendation.

Ablative Hull Armor
Ablative armor is a type of protective hull plating used aboard starships designed to disintegrate at a controlled rate under enemy fire. It dissipated the effects of directed energy weapons, decreasing damage to the main hull of the ship and thereby providing an extra layer of defense. Starfleet first began using ablative armor technology aboard Defiant-class starships in the early 2370s. A more enhanced ablative armor matrix was included as part of the Magellan Mark III upgrade in 2390.

It should be noted that under certain conditions, chroniton particles generated by Romulan cloaking devices can become lodged in the ablative armor matrix. On at least one occasion, a temporal surge caused by the explosion of a microscopic singularity shifted the chroniton particles in the hull into a high state of temporal polarization, thus causing a transporter beam to be redirected through time.

Tri-Cobalt Devices
A tri-cobalt device (also known as a tri-cobalt charge or tri-cobalt warhead) is a type of tri-cobalt explosive device utilized as a missile. They are capable of producing disruptions in subspace when used at extremely high yields. Tri-cobalt devices were not standard issue weapons aboard Starfleet vessels, but were somtimes carried in addition to the standard compliment of photon and quantum torpedoes. Engineers at Utopia Planetia Fleet Yards included four tri-cobalt devices in the Magellan's upgraded weapons compliment in 2390.