Specifications - Elysium Class
Summary
The First of its class.
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General
| Class | Elysium | |
| Role | Diplomatic / Support | |
| Duration | 200 Years | |
| Class History | Ten years after the Dominion war, Federation policy moved away from defence and reconstruction and back to exploration and discovery. A new generation of starships push further into the unknown depths of space, but with this great step into a new era, areas of neglect within the fleet become apparent. As the frontier expands, Starfleet acknowledged it’s lack of capable modernized Diplomatic vessels. It is said that necessity is the mother of invention; this holds no greater truth than in the creation of the Elysium class ship. The new generation of starships the Century and Majestic classes were faster, more capable and far more advanced than their predecessors. However they lacked the facilities to ensure a strong diplomatic presence and with the Federations influence and borders expanding faster than ever before this was of paramount importance. The concept of a diplomatic vessel, fully capable of handling the Federations affairs and serving as the epitome of what the United Federation of Planet’s stands for, was born. The initial design was to take inspiration from iconic Starfleet classes, such as the Constitution, Excelsior, Galaxy and other classes which had served as the flagship and build something which captured their styling but with a more modernized touch. Concepts were drawn up and presented to the board of the Corps of Engineers, all of which were rejected. It took 18 months to refine the design, until finally the engineers involved in the Elysium Project were able to hone in on the initial shape and function, the Primary and Secondary roles and the dimensions of the vessel. During this period Starfleets focus remained on Command and Control, Exploration and Tactical Vessels giving classes that filled these roles design and implementation priority, the Elysium class was relegated to lower priority design teams. It was not until diplomacy became paramount in keeping another war at bay that Starfleet Command once again assessed the potential of the Elysium Class. The very design of the vessel had proved a challenge, her sheer size and the power required set the project back for half a decade while scientists and engineers worked to provide the ship with a power source capable of not only moving the ship but powering the systems and technologies she would house within. The results of these efforts was a horizontal tri-core configuration which worked in unison to monitor and regulate power output, being more efficient in fuel consumption and power generation these cores were able to do more than their dual-core predecessors. The cores utilized had themselves been redesigned, they were now smaller their internal technologies streamlined to ensure minimal space and power were wasted. Working together, the cores were capable of producing 33% more power in high capacity usage than their dual-core counterparts, this would herald a new era in energy production for the federation. With the success of the tri-core design, the Corps of Engineers started to adapt and streamline the technology utilized in the remainder of the project, leading to a more efficient use of space within the design. More challenges in the design were encountered during the initial testing of the vessel, the stress placed on the hull and superstructure of the ship by its own immense mass had caused unanticipated structural damage to the neck and saucer sections of the ship. With the current design proving impractical, the Corps of Engineers went back to the drawing board, using the data they had attained they altered the design of the Elysium. The result was the unique split saucer pylon which served to reduce subspace turbulence, allow for higher warp speeds and the ability to better sustain long periods of time at these higher speeds. One of the challenges they had not managed to overcome was the stress placed on the ship during rapid maneuvers, as a result of this the turn rate of the vessel was limited to avoid these undue stresses. The design was entering the home stretch with the ships primary diplomatic functions and the lesser but still important exploration and science functions fulfilled, it seemed to the engineers involved however that their earlier streamlining of the ships components had left them with an abundance of unused space within the vessel. The project team entered deliberation on how to best utilize the surplus space on the vessel. However it wasn’t until the destruction of Romulus in 2387 that the team decided to fit the design with Industrial Replicators and spacious storage facilities, allowing for a Support and Aid sub role. With its Diplomatic and Support roles, the Elysium would be able to tackle the two major issues facing the Federation. With its adequate production capabilities the ship would be able to aid the Romulans in any circumstance, from Reconstruction of cities and colonies, to the rapid deployment of medical and scientific facilities. While Starfleet used the ship to dispense humanitarian assistance to the Romulan people the vast diplomatic facilities of the ship would provide suitable neutral grounds for smoothing relationships with the Romulan Star Empire and the now aggressive Klingon Empire. The initial specifications had called for a more intimidating array of weapon systems but the significant power drains placed on the ship forced a rethinking of the ships load out. Designers came to the conclusion that fire power would be decreased by almost half. The ships excess weapons were removed and a small portion of their utilized power was diverted to the defense systems of the vessel, including the shields and point defense batteries. The remaining saved power would be rationed between the secondary departments and recreational facilities on board. Near the end of the design process a final attempt to push the ships diplomatic functions by Starfleet Command saw the addition of a mobile Academy, allowing cadets first-hand experience in space and on a fully functioning Starship. The motion was challenged by citizens of the Federation, citing that it was far too dangerous for cadets to be so close to unstable political regions, however both Starfleet Command and the Starfleet Academy Commandant argued that it was all the more vital that cadets could see the events of their future unfold and be ready to take on that challenge, the first-hand experience would give these cadets the knowledge and wit to survive in the uncertain years to come. Having seen nigh on two decades in design and construction the prototype was launched in late 2388 and with the final stages of testing complete, the Elysium was assigned to Ninth Fleet’s Task Force 47 under the watchful gaze of Rear-Admiral Myrkul Sharr. With the task force’s proximity to the Romulan Star Empire and the Admiral’s decades of Diplomatic experience and relations with the Romulan people it would prove a true and full test of the vessels design and function, any flaws becoming apparent under the stresses of real world events which would require the ship to be pushed to its very limits and beyond. The crew of the Elysium were required to undergo six weeks’ worth of training while the Admiral was briefed on the very role of the ship, her operational function and the relationship between the Civilian Sector and the rest of the ship. Note: Only one Elysium Class per Task Force. |
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| Time Between Refits | 10 Years | |
| Time Between Resupply | 7 Years |
Dimensions
| Length | 1062M | |
| Width | 370m | |
| Height | 144.4m | |
| Decks | 37 |
Personnel
| Officers | 380 | |
| Enlisted Crew | 1710 | |
| Marines | 128 | |
| Civilians | 282 | |
| Emergency Capacity | 10000 |
Speed
| Cruise Speed | 7.8 | |
| Maximum Speed | 9.5 | |
| Emergency Speed | 9.55 |
Weapons & Defensive Systems
| Shields | Auto-Modulating Shields Metaphasic Shielding Regenerative Shielding Ablative Armour |
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| Weapon Systems | Type XII Array: 12 Burst Fire Quantum Torpedo Launcher: 4 - Quantum Torpedo: 604 Tri-Cobalt Devices: 36 |
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| Armament | Point Defence Batteries: 18 |
Auxiliary Craft
| Shuttlebays | 2 | |
| Shuttles | Hunley Shuttle: 2 Brunel Workpod: 12 |
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| Fighters | Gryphon Fighter/Bomber: 6 Valkyrie Space Superiority Fighter: 12 |
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| Runabouts | Captain`s Yacht - Sovereign Runabout: 1 |