Endgame Nova

Universe :	Endgame
Affiliation :	Federation
Class Name :	Endgame Nova
Type :	Science ship1
Unit Run :	NCC 72701 USS Rhode Island1 - Active At least one vessel, the USS Rhode Island, in service as of 24041
Commissioned :	Unknown
Dimensions :	Length : 165 m2 Beam : 62 m Height : 34 m Decks : 8
Mass :	80,000
Crew :	Unknown
Armament :	Phaser arrays1 possibly other weapons
Defence Systems :	Shield system Ablative armour generator is likely
Warp Speeds (TNG scale) :	Unknown3

Notes

In the original timeline these vessels were apparently a development of the existing Nova class which were in service in the early 2400s. It is unclear if these vessels represent an upgrade of the existing vessels or a completely new class based heavily on the Novas, although the former seems more likely.

The ships were fitted with phaser arrays, but probably also mounted a torpedo armament - transphasic torpedoes seem likely. They are also likely to have been fitted with ablative armour generators, a technology in use at this time. It is unclear whether these ships employed any form of transwarp drive or not.

Differences between the existing Nova and the Rhode Island appear to be concentrated on the saucer section, where the existing secondary navigational deflector has been largely rebuilt. There are also detail changes to the warp nacelles.

The Rhode Island apparently took part in deep space exploration missions, a role that the Nova class is currently considered unsuitable for. This would indicate that the future version of the ship has higher speed, longer range, and better accommodation facilities than the current class.3

Colour key

References

#	Series	Season	Source	Comment
1	VOY	7	Endgame, Part 1
2			Speculative	Assumed identical to standard Nova.
3	VOY	7	Endgame, Part 2

Comments

We know relatively little of the Rhode Island, which appeared in Voyager's "Endgame". Basically is seems to be a somewhat upgraded and modified Nova class, of which the USS Equinox seen in "Equinox" was an example. The Rhode Island is presumably the ship Captain Kim commanded on the four year deep space mission he mentions at the start of "Endgame"; if so this would indicate that the Rhode Island was a much more capable ship than the Equinox, which was stated to be a fairly slow short range ship.

We saw the ship use phaser arrays against the Klingons, but although it did not use torpedoes the original Nova class had these weapons, so the Rhode Island is likely to have transphasic torpedoes also. We never see it use an ablative armour generator, but this device was capable of being used on the much larger Intrepid class, so there's no real reason why a ship like the Rhode Island couldn't have one.

I've used dimensions which are the same as the original Nova, since none of the changes seem to have changed the size of the ship.

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Last updated : 29 Jun 2004

Series :	VOY Season 7 (Disc 7)
Episode :	Endgame, Part 1

Series :	VOY Season 7 (Disc 7)
Episode :	Endgame, Part 2

Source :	Speculative
Comment :	Assumed identical to standard Nova.