Odyssey class

Odyssey
Information
Affiliation	Starfleet
Role	Explorer
Date Entered Service	2381
Expected Refit Cycle	5 years (minor) 20 years (major)
Time Between Resupply	3-5 years
Crew Capacity
Standard Complement	2,502 persons 417 officers 2,085 enlisted
Emergency Capacity	10,608 persons
Dimensions
Length	1061.1 meters
Width	371.9 meters
Height	147.9 meters
Decks	37 decks
Propulsion
Propulsion System	matter/anti-matter warp drive quantum slipstream drive
Cruising Speed	Warp 8
Maximum Speed	Warp 9.6
Emergency Speed	Warp 9.99 (for 12 hours)
Armaments
Energy Weapons	12 phaser arrays
Torpedo Launchers	2 forward launchers 2 aft launchers
Torpedo Payload	photon torpedoes quantum torpedoes probes
Shields	standard shielding system
Defensive Systems	ablative hull armor duranium/tritanium double hull structural integrity field
Auxiliary Craft
Facilities	3 shuttlebays
Support Craft	30 shuttlecraft 6 transports 12 maintenance craft
Template:Specifications

The Odyssey-class starship was a Starfleet vessel first introduced in the early 2380s. It was one of the largest and most powerful Federation starship classes of its time, a true successor to the earlier Galaxy-class.

Class History

Development of the Odyssey-class began in the early 2370s. Even as the Sovereign-class was entering service, the Starfleet Corps of Engineers looked ahead to its next groundbreaking achievement. It was felt by some that the Sovereign had been pressed into service too soon, largely in an effort to meet the Borg threat, and that this had significantly altered the trajectory of the class itself. The plan moving forward was to design a vessel that would succeed (and ultimately surpass) both the Galaxy-class and the Sovereign-class by building upon the lessons learned from each.

No one could have imagined such a design would need to have been implemented so quickly, especially with the Galaxy- and Sovereign-classes still actively serving frontline duties. Yet, circumstances changed and Starfleet’s experiences with the Dominion War pressured engineers to once again push ahead earlier than they had planned.

The keel for the USS Odyssey was laid down in 2376 at the San Francisco Fleet Yards. Work began on a second vessel, the USS Verity, soon afterward at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards. Conflicts between the Odyssey, Ascension, and Excalibur projects, however, led to tension among the respective design teams and a stiff competition for resources. Ultimately, the Odyssey-class was deemed a higher priority and the necessary resources were allocated accordingly.

Despite these protests and setbacks, both the Odyssey and the Verity were launched in 2381, five years after construction had begun. They quickly proved their worth in field trials as well as on active duty and were considered by many to be a successful demonstration of the project. Unfortunately, their size placed certain limitations on the number of vessels that could be constructed, fielded, or otherwise serviced by existing fleet yards. These included the amount of physical resources as well as the personnel available. Still, Starfleet had every intention of requisitioning the class for serial production.

That all changed with the destruction of the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards in 2385. The Starfleet Corps of Engineers immediately put a hold on further production, first to address the more urgent need of sorting out the aftermath of the attack, and then to seek other Federation facilities with the resources and the infrastructure to support such a project. They eventually identified the San Francisco Fleet Yards, the 40 Eridani A Starfleet Construction Yards, and the Gavor Shipyards as possible candidates for when the time came to resume.

The Odyssey and Verity were the absolute pinnacle of Starfleet engineering upon their launch. However, the Corps of Engineers knew that would not always be the case. Thus, it was always their intent to further upgrade and modernize the class as new capabilities and technologies became available, allowing it to remain relevant well into the future. This enabled them to use the hold on production to refine the design and to incorporate systems that had been field tested on other starships during the interim. Most notable for the Mark II Odyssey-class was the addition of quantum slipstream drive and enhanced sensor arrays.

Mission and Purpose

Content Coming Soon

Shipboard Life

Content Coming Soon

Ships Commissioned

• USS Odyssey (NX-97000)
• USS Verity (NCC-97000)
• USS Astraea (NCC-80895-A)

Appendices

Writing Notes

The Odyssey-class is by far one of the largest starship designs ever fielded by Starfleet. Similar to the Vesta-class, encountering a vessel of this type as an NPC would be extremely unusual as there are literally only a handful currently operating throughout the entire Federation. Characters should be impressed, proud, and perhaps humbled to even set foot aboard one.

It makes sense, then, that serving aboard an Odyssey-class starship would be as prestigious (if not moreso) than even the much sought after Vesta-class. All personnel are most likely to be the best in their fields and, given the ship's size and importance, it's not unheard of for certain department heads (e.g. chief engineer, chief medical officer, executive officer) to hold the rank of captain alongside the commanding officer.

In cases where the vessel is being used as a flagship for a member of the admiralty, command may be assigned to a relatively junior captain who oversees the daily operations on behalf of the flag officer. Ships not utilized for this purpose are assigned to senior captains with considerable experience in long-range exploratory and diplomatic missions.

Special Note: Because of their unique role as flagships and emissaries on behalf of the Federation, an Odyssey-class starship may include departments not normally found aboard smaller vessels or simulations.