So, how does Starfleet build its starships?

[LaughingCheese]

I can only recall 3 instances of starships being shown under construction (this is of course different than starships simply being in dry dock).

One is in TNG, when we see an overhead view of the Utopia Planitia Fleet yards.

The Galaxy class construction site is apparently so huge its easily visible from space.

The next time we see a starship under construction is in Enterprise, when a terrorist group hijacks the verteron pulse array. (I don't think I saw that episode, so the details are sketchy for me.), and the Columbia or something is visible in dry dock.

And then, of course, we have the new NCC 1701 Enterprise under construction in Iowa for the new Star Trek movie.


So, I'd like to look at how starships are constructed in Star Trek versus how they might actually be constructed.

(nvm then! )

[Lighthawk]

I can only recall 3 instances of starships being shown under construction (this is of course different than starships simply being in dry dock).

One is in TNG, when we see an overhead view of the Utopia Planitia Fleet yards.

The Galaxy class construction site is apparently so huge its easily visible from space.

The next time we see a starship under construction is in Enterprise, when a terrorist group hijacks the verteron pulse array. (I don't think I saw that episode, so the details are sketchy for me.), and the Columbia or something is visible in dry dock.

And then, of course, we have the new NCC 1701 Enterprise under construction in Iowa for the new Star Trek movie.


So, I'd like to look at how starships are constructed in Star Trek versus how they might actually be constructed.

Of course, the first "starships" would probably be bigger Saturn 5 type rockets with multiple stages, definitely solar powered, maybe even nuclear or fusion powered for when the craft gets too far for the Sun's light to be useful in energy production. (And perhaps even fusion-catalyst anti-matter reactors if we're lucky. )

I don't know about the rest of it, but...solar powered? What on earth makes you say that?

[LaughingCheese]

I can only recall 3 instances of starships being shown under construction (this is of course different than starships simply being in dry dock).

One is in TNG, when we see an overhead view of the Utopia Planitia Fleet yards.

The Galaxy class construction site is apparently so huge its easily visible from space.

The next time we see a starship under construction is in Enterprise, when a terrorist group hijacks the verteron pulse array. (I don't think I saw that episode, so the details are sketchy for me.), and the Columbia or something is visible in dry dock.

And then, of course, we have the new NCC 1701 Enterprise under construction in Iowa for the new Star Trek movie.


So, I'd like to look at how starships are constructed in Star Trek versus how they might actually be constructed.

Of course, the first "starships" would probably be bigger Saturn 5 type rockets with multiple stages, definitely solar powered, maybe even nuclear or fusion powered for when the craft gets too far for the Sun's light to be useful in energy production. (And perhaps even fusion-catalyst anti-matter reactors if we're lucky. )

I don't know about the rest of it, but...solar powered? What on earth makes you say that?

I was speaking off the cuff, and as a result played this trope straight!

What else would power it through the solar system? Plain old rockets? Nuclear?

Anyway, let's try to stay on topic please??

[Sionnach Glic]

We've never had any firm numbers on construction times to my knowledge. IIRC, the TNG TM gives about 4 years to build a GCS. And after Wolf 359, a time span of 10 years was believed to be sufficient to replace the 40 ships lost in the battle.

[Graham Kennedy]

Actually Shelby said at the end of BoBW that "We should have the fleet back up in less than a year."

Some other datapoints :

In TMP Decker said that "we've just spent 18 months redesigning and refitting the Enterprise", a process which resulted in "an almost totally new Enterprise." Even assuming they did the design work more or less as they built, this is impressively quick for a job that appears to be little short of building a whole new ship. More realistically, I'd say that time should be apportioned as 6 months for design and 12 months for the rebuild.

The alternate Enterprise in ST II has an unknown build time, but much of the hull was in place in 2255, and it was not completed until 2258 so the build time was significantly more than 3 years. If we took this Enterprise as being about 2x the dimensions of the TMP one, and therefore 8x the volume, then a build time of 8-12 years would be right in line with the 18 month refit seen in TMP.

If we assume the original Defiant project began at "Q Who", and was shelved when the Borg threat became "less urgent" in "Best of Both Worlds" with the ship all but completed, then the total design and build time for the original Defiant was about 15 months. Perhaps 3 months for design, 12 months for construction?

The Mirror universe rebels were able to build a Defiant from scratch in no more than 15 months, possibly a good deal less (we don't know when they captured DS9). They stole the plans from our universe, so they didn't need to design it. A longer build time makes sense anyway, as they had no access to a specialised construction facilities or crews; they basically cobbled the ship together from whatever was to hand after they captured DS9.

So what we've seen of build times is actually reasonably consistent; a year or so to build a small ship like the Defiant, 18 months or so for something more Connie sized, and 8 or so years for something the size of a GCS.

As for how, available evidence seems to suggest the ship is built on the surface, and then launched into orbit where it's put in drydock for final finishing off. Though the rebel Defiant was apparently built entirely in space, which may be Starfleet practice with some ships, too.

[Sionnach Glic]

Actually Shelby said at the end of BoBW that "We should have the fleet back up in less than a year."

Ah, okay. It's been a while since I've seen that one.

[McAvoy]

Actually Shelby said at the end of BoBW that "We should have the fleet back up in less than a year."

Some other datapoints :

In TMP Decker said that "we've just spent 18 months redesigning and refitting the Enterprise", a process which resulted in "an almost totally new Enterprise." Even assuming they did the design work more or less as they built, this is impressively quick for a job that appears to be little short of building a whole new ship. More realistically, I'd say that time should be apportioned as 6 months for design and 12 months for the rebuild.

The alternate Enterprise in ST II has an unknown build time, but much of the hull was in place in 2255, and it was not completed until 2258 so the build time was significantly more than 3 years. If we took this Enterprise as being about 2x the dimensions of the TMP one, and therefore 8x the volume, then a build time of 8-12 years would be right in line with the 18 month refit seen in TMP.

If we assume the original Defiant project began at "Q Who", and was shelved when the Borg threat became "less urgent" in "Best of Both Worlds" with the ship all but completed, then the total design and build time for the original Defiant was about 15 months. Perhaps 3 months for design, 12 months for construction?

The Mirror universe rebels were able to build a Defiant from scratch in no more than 15 months, possibly a good deal less (we don't know when they captured DS9). They stole the plans from our universe, so they didn't need to design it. A longer build time makes sense anyway, as they had no access to a specialised construction facilities or crews; they basically cobbled the ship together from whatever was to hand after they captured DS9.

So what we've seen of build times is actually reasonably consistent; a year or so to build a small ship like the Defiant, 18 months or so for something more Connie sized, and 8 or so years for something the size of a GCS.

As for how, available evidence seems to suggest the ship is built on the surface, and then launched into orbit where it's put in drydock for final finishing off. Though the rebel Defiant was apparently built entirely in space, which may be Starfleet practice with some ships, too.

Seems reasonable. Though you would imagine that the more they build starships of the same class, the quicker they are made.

[Graham Kennedy]

I don't doubt that there is leeway in the figures. The first of a class may take longer, as may "unlucky" ships which experience build problems, whereas as you get more experience and smooth out problems, build times will likely go down. Wouldn't surprise me if they were churning out Defiants in 9 months or less by the end of the war.

[LaughingCheese]

I don't doubt that there is leeway in the figures. The first of a class may take longer, as may "unlucky" ships which experience build problems, whereas as you get more experience and smooth out problems, build times will likely go down. Wouldn't surprise me if they were churning out Defiants in 9 months or less by the end of the war.

Right; I was thinking for a ship of the Galaxy class's magnitude a timeframe of ten years would be required for the design, maybe 3 or 4 or 4 or 5 years for the first construction, then consecutively less after that.


Actually though, I was actually more wondering about actual construction methods rather than designing.

A concept drawing of the new Enterprise under construction:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2726/447 ... c6a2_o.jpg

A Galaxy class vessel under construction on the Martian surface:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/447 ... 7746_o.jpg


I guess what I'm wondering is how do you think starships are constructed in the Star Trek universe, versus how they actually would be?


I suppose one could see a sea vessel type shipyard being used.

I don't really see why not, but I don't think its probably that they would be build on the ground.

Perhaps the RCS thrusters are powerful enough to lift the whole saucer module on completion, but what about the Stardrive section?

Would that be constructed modularly and then assembled in space?

[Aaron]

They use a magic field to mess with the ships mass already, add in a surface based tractor beam and you could lift the ship up into orbit.

[LaughingCheese]

They use a magic field to mess with the ships mass already, add in a surface based tractor beam and you could lift the ship up into orbit.

Probably so.

[Lt. Staplic]

In reality, I think our spaceships will be built on earth for a long time, there's just too much that could go wrong building in space. Eventually if we get to be realy active with space exploration, I could see a large facility being built that is kind of like a shuttle bay in Trek, inside it's normal 'earth like' for the construction of the ship away from the harsh vacuum and radiation, then when it's finished opening it up and allowing the ship to exit into space. This way you don't have to use a bunch of fuel to escape the Earth's gravity.

[Graham Kennedy]

Contrary to popular belief it's actually much, much harder to build stuff in space than it is on Earth. We have a million years of instinct telling us how to work on the surface, go into space and you're fighting it instead of using it. No doubt Starfleet would be massively better, but still.

As for ships on the surface, I always loved this...

[Aaron]

Yeah, that is pretty good.

[Deepcrush]

I'd prefer the idea of building on the surface. Easier to move the supplies and provide labor. Easier to defend from nature or attack.