Constitution class The Constitution " - class was a Federation Class I Heavy Cruiser " ' in the ' . They were the premier front - line Starfleet vessels in the latter half of the 23rd century . They were designed for long duration missions with minimal outside support and are best known for their celebrated missions of galactic exploration and diplomacy which typically lasted up to five years . History . By 2267 , there were approximately twelve " Constitution " - class starships in the fleet . ( ) These included the NCC - 1700 , the , the , the , the , the , the , the , , and the . ( ) The most famous " Constitution " - class starship was the USS " Enterprise " ( NCC - 1701 ) , launched under the command of Captain Robert April in 2245 . The " Enterprise " gained its reputation during its historic five year mission ( 2265 - 2270 ) under the command of Captain James T . Kirk . ( ) In 2266 , on stardate 1709 , the " Enterprise " was instrumental in preventing a war between the Federation and the Romulan Star Empire . When a crossed the Romulan Neutral Zone and destroyed several Earth Outpost Station s , Captain Kirk barely managed to outwit the enemy commander and stop his vessel from returning to Romulus and reporting on the Federation ' s weakness . ( ) The mission parameters for the class meant that its vessels usually operated widely dispersed on their own and that encounters with class sisters were few and far between . However , the year 2267 saw a gathering of the class when a large part of its vessels was assembled at Starbase 11 for refitting and repairs . ( ) Despite the successes of the class , exemplified by the performance of Kirk ' s ship , the mission parameters for the " Constitution " - class also meant that the vessels of the class operated under highly dangerous circumstances , resulting in a relatively high loss rate , and that being assigned to one was hazardous at best . In 2267 for example , the USS " Constellation " under the command of Commodore Matt Decker fell victim to what has become known as the " Doomsday machine " , when it was on a routine survey mission near system L - 374 . Both ship and entire crew were lost . ( ) Likewise , and less than a year later in 2268 , the Vulcan manned USS " Intrepid " was lost with its entire crew , in a fatal encounter with a huge simple cellular being in star system Gamma 7A of Sector 39J . ( ) Later that year , the USS " Exeter " became infected with an unknown virus , a residue from biological warfare which had raged on Omega IV and which the ship was orbiting , again killing her entire crew , save for its captain , Ronald Tracey . While undamaged , the contaminated ship was for the time being left adrift . ( ) In late - 2268 , " Excalibur " , " Hood " , " Lexington " , and " Potemkin " took part in the disastrous testing of the M - 5 multitronic unit , which had been placed in control of the " Enterprise " . The " Excalibur " was severely damaged , with all hands lost . The " Lexington " also was brutally assaulted by the M - 5 computer when the unit became unstable . ( ) Later that year , " Defiant " responded to a distress call from an unexplored sector of space , claimed by the Tholian Assembly . Shortly upon entering the region , the " Defiant " crew began experiencing sensory distortion , and insanity quickly spread throughout the ship . The ship ' s surgeon was unable to determine what was happening , and eventually the insanity induced by the phenomenon led the crew to kill each other . Three weeks later , Starfleet ordered the " Enterprise " to mount a search mission to locate the " Defiant " . On stardate 5693 . 2 , the " Enterprise " located her adrift , lost between universes in a space warp . As a result of a later phaser exchange between the " Enterprise " and several Tholian vessels , a hole was created through the spatial interphase , pushing the " Defiant " into the mirror universe . ( ) " The " Defiant " emerged in the 22nd century mirror universe , where the Tholians of that universe had created the interphase rift by detonating a tricobalt warhead within the gravity well of a dead star . The " Defiant " was initially captured by the Tholians , but later taken over by the Terran Empire with control of the ship finally passing to . " ( ) " In 2267 , the was a Constitution - class starship of the Imperial identical in configuration to the prime " Enterprise " . " ( ) Physical arrangement . The " Constitution " - class featured the saucer section - engineering section - warp nacelle layout common to most Starfleet vessels . All ships of the class of the same level of refit appeared to be identical at first glance , but closer inspection revealed minor detail differences on certain vessels . ( ; ; etc . ) Various science labs , numbering fourteen in all , ( ) were located in the primary hull in the class ' original configuration . An officer ' s lounge and dining area would be located in the aft superstructure beneath the bridge after the 2270s refit . ( ) There were at least seven turbolift s that serviced the primary and secondary hulls . ( ) The modular design of the " Constitution " - class allowed for component separation in times of crisis . The primary and secondary hulls could separate where the connecting " neck " joined the saucer , allowing either section to serve as a lifeboat if the other was too badly damaged . If an emergency was confined to the warp engine nacelles , it was theoretically possible to disengage and jettison them while keeping the bulk of the vessel intact . Any hull separation was considered a dangerous procedure and not always an option . ( ) Though not an aerodynamic craft , in emergencies , " Constitution " - class vessels were able to break orbit and enter a class M planet ' s upper atmosphere ( and maintain altitude control while passing through it ) for a limited period of time , conditional on the ship ' s ability to re - achieve escape velocity . ( ) Refit history . From 2254 , or earlier , to 2265 " Constitution " - class vessels featured a large deflector dish , a large bridge dome of semi - spherical shape , and an antenna spike protruding from the Bussard collector cap on each warp nacelle . The impulse drive had two exhaust vents in 2254 , and as many as eight smaller vents in 2265 . ( ) Sometime between 2265 and 2266 , the old deflector dish was replaced by a significantly smaller model , the spikes on the Bussard collectors were removed , a smaller bridge dome of flatter curvature was installed , the aft caps on the warp nacelles were each equipped with a spherical attachment , and the impulse drive now had only two large exhausts . ( ) The interior passageways , main bridge interior and briefing room were already redesigned sometime between 2254 and 2265 , and new intercom s were installed . In 2266 , the interior passageways were again modified , the briefing room was completely redesigned , and the overhauled main bridge featured an enlarged main viewscreen and upgrades to the control interface s and station arrangement , but the overall appearance of the bridge remained relatively unchanged as compared to 2265 . ( ) The crew quarters of the 2254 configuration had the capability of carrying slightly more than 200 crewmembers . ( ) In the 2266 configuration , crew quarters could hold a crew complement of over 400 . ( ) In the late 2260s to early 2270s , the " Constitution " - class starships underwent their last known major refit program . The actual refitting took eighteen months of work and essentially a new vessel was built onto the bones of the old , replacing virtually every major system . Thus , the " Constitution " - class continued in service for at least a further twenty years . Essential upgrades were made to the " Constitution " - class ' warp systems ; the old cylindrical nacelle s were replaced with new angular ones and the warp nacelle struts were connected to the engineering hull much closer to the neck than before . The engineering hull roughly retained its original shape – while the original hull was essentially a conical cylinder , the refit was much more rounded . The deflector dish was upgraded , doing away with the " satellite " dish architecture . As for the interior of the hull , the most obvious upgrades were the enlargement of the shuttle deck and landing bay , as well as the addition of a horizontal matter - antimatter reaction assembly and a vertical intermix chamber . New also was the installment of the double photon torpedo launcher with its rectangular housing in the neck of the vessel . Also , the phaser configuration was changed to channel energy though the warp core . Furthermore , the saucer section was considerably extended ( almost twenty meters ) , while the rest of the surface remained about the same . Major changes were made to the interior of the " Constitution " - class starships ; many new systems were added and existing ones upgraded . Summarizing , only the internal structure of the saucer and very little of the engineering hull and neck may have survived the 2270s refit . ( ) Command and control systems . The " Constitution " - class ' primary command center , the main bridge , was located on top of the vessel ' s primary hull , on Deck 1 . From here , the commanding officer supervised the entire starship ' s operation . The command chair was located in the recessed area at the center of the room , in a direct line with the main viewer . This position was equidistant from all the control consoles that operated specific areas of the ship . Consequently , the captain could be immediately updated on the condition of the vessel or its crew during missions , and orders could be given clearly with a minimum of effort . The chair was mounted on a circular pillar , attached to a rectangular footplate that was directly anchored to the deck , giving it considerable support during an attack . It was designed to swivel on the support so that the captain could turn to any member of the bridge crew . Piloting and navigation functions were carried out at the helm console , located in the center of the room , positioned in front of the command chair . This panel consisted of three main sections . On the left was a compartment which opened automatically to permit operation of the targeting scanner . Next to this was the main control panel , which operated maneuvering thruster s , impulse engines , and fired the ship ' s weapons . Directly below this panel was a row of eight flip - switches provided to set warp flight speeds . The central section of the conn panel was fitted with a number of sensor monitor lights , and was dominated by two main features : the alert indicator and the astrogator , which was used for long - range course plotting . The navigator ' s station had a control panel for entering course and heading data and the flight path indicator , and supplied information on any deviations or course corrections in progress . It also had controls for the weapons systems . Other stations on the bridge were provided for communications , engineering , weapons control , gravity control , damage control , environmental engineering , science and library computer , and internal security . All stations were normally manned at all times . Mounted into the room ' s forward bulkhead was the main viewscreen . Visual sensor pickups located at various points on the " Constitution " - class ' outer hull were capable of image magnification and allowed a varied choice of viewing angles . The computer systems aboard the " Constitution " - class starship were duotronic based . ( ; ) Upgrades . Only one turbolift serviced the bridge of the original configuration " Constitution " - class ship . In the late 2260s , some were refit with a second lift on the port forward section of the bridge . ( ) After the major refit in the early 2270s , the bridge aboard " Constitution " - class vessels would continue to utilize two turbolifts , but both would be located behind the command chair . ( ) The bridge of the " Constitution " - class starships were subject to many minor and major cosmetic changes over their many years of service . In particular , the main bridge of the USS " Enterprise " seems to have undergone considerable changes in appearance . In the late 2260s , along with the added turbolift , the bridge design changed from a segmented flat - panel peripheral station configuration to a completely circular design , including curved overhead view screens , and railings and steps which matched the arc of the circumference . At the same time , an automatic bridge defense system was also installed that obscured the translucent overhead dome , which did not return until the " Galaxy " - class bridge . ( ) This marked the beginning of major changes to come which would utilize the updated substructure , most notably , its systems were fully upgraded along with the refit of the early 2270s . ( ) The bridge underwent only a few minor modifications from that point until the destruction of the ship in 2285 . The bridge of the , commissioned one year later ( in 2286 ) , had mainly cosmetic differences at launch , but , by 2287 , it had been drastically upgraded to reflect the advances made in computer control technology . The bridge module had again been replaced by 2293 . The lighter color scheme of the original " Enterprise " - A bridges had made room for a darker , more militaristic look . ( ; ; ; ) Propulsion systems . The " Constitution " - class of starships has been fitted with both lithium and dilithium reactor circuits in the warp drive assembly over its service lifetime . The vessel ' s standard cruising speed was warp 6 , while its maximum cruising speed was warp 8 . Warp 9 was also possible for this class of starship , although it was highly discouraged because it was an unsafe velocity . The was twice modified to achieve a speed of warp 11 . The probe " Nomad " increased the ship ' s engine efficiency by 57 % in 2267 , allowing the ship to reach warp 11 , but Kirk persuaded " Nomad " to reverse its " repairs " because the ship ' s structure could not stand the stress of that much power , and it would eventually destroy the ship . ( ) More extensive modifications were made to the ship by the Kelvan s in 2268 , who were able to produce velocities that were far beyond the reach of Federation science , allowing the " Enterprise " to safely maintain a cruising speed of warp 11 while traveling through the intergalactic void . ( ) The maximum warp speed recorded for this class by itself was warp 14 . 1 , achieved by the " Enterprise " due to sabotage to the vessel ' s warp drive system . While the ship itself was not structured to take that speed for any length of time , the " Enterprise " was able to maintain that velocity for nearly fifteen minutes . ( ) The " Enterprise " also maintained stability at warp 22 while tractored to a ship going warp 32 . ( ) Following the 2270s refit of the class , the " Constitution " was equipped with a linear dilithium - controlled MARA ( matter / antimatter reactor assembly ) , and a pulse dilithium - controlled assembly was installed by the mid 2290 s aboard the USS " Enterprise " . ( ; ) The " Constitution " - class ' impulse drive system was a twin - port engine , capable of velocities at least warp factor 0 . 8 . ( ) A fusion explosion equivalent to at least 97 . 835 megatons would result if the impulse engines were overloaded . ( ) Main engineering . Main engineering was from where the ship ' s warp was controlled . All thrust and power systems were primarily controlled from this site , and it is also where the main dilithium crystal reactor was located . Life support was controlled separately from Deck 6 . ( , ) During the 2270s " Constitution " - class refit , the interior design of the engineering section was drastically upgraded , featuring the vertical warp core and the horizontal intermix area . Main engineering was lodged on Decks 14 and 15 . Deck 14 was the uppermost level of the engineering hull , and was the anchoring framework for the connecting dorsal and the warp nacelle pylons . On the forward end of the deck was the engineering computer monitoring room , which encircled the cortical intermix shaft and opens , to the rear , into the engineering computer bay . Deck 15 housed the main engineering room . Located in the center of the room , and extending for many levels both above and below the deck , was the vertical linear intermix chamber . This complex , radically new design in intermix technology , provided operational power for the impulse drive system and furnished enough additional energy to power all other shipboard systems . Both matter and antimatter for this chamber were contained in a series of magnetic bottles , which were housed in pods at the base of the intermix shaft . ( ) Tactical systems . Laser and phaser systems . During the early 2250s , " Constitution " - class heavy cruisers were armed with a complement of directed energy weapon s , that possessed enough power to destroy half a continent in a concentrated bombardment . In addition , these vessels carried on board laser cannon s , capable of operating on energy fed remotely from the ship . ( ) By 2266 , phaser bank s were standard complement aboard this class of ship . A bank actually consisted of a single emitter and its power supply , though it was common practice to fire two banks at a time and refer to it as a single firing . ( ) Ship - mounted phaser banks had a range of approximately 90 , 000 kilometer s . Like hand phasers , they were capable of being adjusted to stun , heat , or disintegrate targets , including objects or beings in space or on a planet ' s surface . The focus could be adjusted from a narrow to a wide beam . When only motion sensor readings were available , the ship ' s phasers could be set for proximity blast and bracket the approximate coordinates of the target . ( ) In the original configuration , a battery of several forward phaser emitters was located on the lower part of the ventral side of the saucer section . Aft firing banks were located above the shuttlebay on the secondary hull . There were also port , starboard , and midship phasers . ( ; ) . After the refit of the 2270s , " Constitution " - class ships mounted three dual - emitter phaser banks on the ventral and three on dorsal faces of the saucer . They covered the forward , port and starboard flanks . Two single emitter aft banks were above the shuttlebay and four midship single emitter banks were located on the ventral surface of the engineering hull . Phaser power was increased by drawing energy directly from the warp drive . This increase in firepower had a drawback , in that the phasers would be cut off if the main reactor was off - line . This problem hampered the USS " Enterprise " on at least two occasions , one in the 2270s and again in 2285 . ( ; ) Torpedo systems . The " Constitution " - class originally mounted six forward torpedo tube s and an aft tube for launching photon torpedo es . The forward tubes were located in the same area as the forward phaser banks . The tube covering the aft firing arc launched torpedoes from the end of the secondary hull . This combined arsenal was powerful enough to destroy the entire surface of a planet . ( ; ; ) The post - refit vessels had two forward firing torpedo launcher s , though each tube could fire at least two torpedoes before reloading . ( ; ) Deflector shields . The " Constitution " - class starship had a powerful deflector shield grid in the 2260s . The shield grid was divided into four segments , referred to as " number one shield " , " number two shield " , etc . ( ) At full power , with the warp reactor tied into the shield system , it was capable of absorbing and repulsing a bombardment of energy impacts equal to the detonation of 360 photon torpedo es of the type the " Enterprise " was equipped with at the time , before the shielding power was completely lost . In 2267 , for example , the " Enterprise " survived an attack from the " Nomad " probe . " Nomad " fired four powerful bolts of energy , each with the equivalent force of ninety photon torpedoes . The first hit reduced shielding power only by twenty percent . After being hit with the equal force of 270 photon torpedoes , warp maneuvering power was lost . Shields were lost with the fourth hit . ( ) The deflector shield grid was much more vulnerable to intense standard phaser bombardment . In 2268 , an Orion scout ship was able to cause buckling in some of the shields of the " Enterprise " after it had made just five attack runs on the ship . On the seventh run , the " Enterprise " lost one of its four shields . ( ) Other more powerful weaponry could take the shields down even more easily , the planet killer for example could completely deplete a " Constitution " - class starship ' s shielding power with only three hits with its antiproton beam . ( ) The diversion of all but emergency maintenance power to the shields had the adverse affect of reducing phaser power by fifty percent . ( ) A single detonation of a nuclear warhead less than a hundred meters away could cause internal overloads on the ship and leak radiation through the shields to the outer regions of the ship . ( ) Without the warp reactor to power the shields , the system was not very effective in protecting the ship . With only the impulse reactor s powering the shields , a Klingon battle cruiser could deplete a " Constitution " - class starships shielding power with only few passes of disruptor fire . ( ) After the refit , in the 2280s , a " Constitution " - class starships needed 13 . 5 seconds to lower and raise their shields when taking a shuttlecraft on board via its tractor beam . Piloting the shuttle in manually reduced this time significantly . ( ) During yellow alert s , defense field s were activated to offer basic protection to the main bridge . ( ) Transporter systems . Extravehicular transporter to and from the ship was accomplished by a number of transporter systems , which allowed personnel or equipment to be transported over large ranges . The transporter platform featured six pads , which were numbered clockwise , beginning with the right front . A redesigned field generator matrix was mounted into the rear wall of the chamber aboard the refit configuration " Constitution " - class starships . Aboard the refitted " Constitution " - class vessels , the transporter operator stood within an enclosed control pod , which had a floor - to - ceiling transparent aluminum panel through which he or she could view the transport platform . This panel served to shield the operator from the effects of any cumulative radiations emitted by the new transporter machinery , a side effect of the more powerful system . A door in the standard transporter room wall led to a staging area where landing parties prepared for transporter . Airlocks . Refit " Constitution " - class starships possessed a number of airlocks permitting direct physical access to the ship . One was located at the aft of Deck 1 on top of the saucer section . Two more were located in the lower saucer section , port and starboard , concealed by sliding hull plates . ( ) These lower two were accessed through staging areas . Four spacesuit lockers lined one wall , each containing one suit , providing enough to clothe a standard party of four . A small , locked arms cabinet held phasers ; communicators , tricorder s , translators , and outerwear were contained in a separate cabinet on another wall . ( ) The next set of airlocks were located on the port and starboard sides of the torpedo bays . The final set were located on the port and starboard sides of the secondary hull at the midline . ( ; ) These airlocks opened into the ship ' s main cargo bay . There was also a " gangway " - style airlock on the port edge of the saucer section . ( ) Located on the upper surface of the saucer section of the refitted " Enterprise " were numerous small hatches used for entrance and egress during extra - vehicular activities . ( Kirk , Spock , Decker , McCoy , and the Ilia probe used one of these hatches to leave the ship when they arrived at " V ' Ger " s " core " . ) ( ) Landing bay and cargo facilities . Deck 17 was the main access level of the engineering hull . The aft landing bay provided personnel in small craft with a means of entering or exiting the vessel , as did docking port on either side of the level . The original configuration of the " Constitution " - class carried a standard complement of 4 shuttlecraft , some of which were Class F . ( ) The refit configuration " Constitution " - class starship featured a new landing bay design . A wide range of Starfleet and Federation craft could utilize this state - of - the - art landing facility . Alcoves on either side of the landing bay provided storage for up to six standard Work Bee s , and furnished all necessary recharging and refueling equipment . Additional space was available for the storage of non - ship shuttlecraft . Just within the landing bay doors was a force field generator unit , which was built into the main bulkhead s on either side of the entry area . This field allowed craft to enter the ship , while at the same time retaining the atmosphere and temperature within the landing bay . Deck 18 , the refit configuration shuttlecraft hanger bay , was situated at the widest point of the engineering hull . Much of the deck consisted of open space , as it was the mid - level of the cargo facility ; thirty - two cargo pod modules could be stored in the alcoves lining the forward , port , and starboard sides of the bay . The shuttle hangar had sufficient room for the storage of four craft at any given time . During normal storage situations , these shuttlecraft faced aft . This deck also housed the vessel ' s lifeboat facilities . These one - man craft , which escaped through blow - away panels in the side of the secondary hull , were provided for those persons were unable to reach the primary hull in case of an emergency . ( ) Crew support systems . Medical systems . On the original " Constitution " - class starships , a sickbay facility was located on Deck 6 , which featured an examination room , a nursery , the chief medical officer ' s office and a medical lab . At least one other medical lab was located elsewhere on the vessel , and was used for biopsy , among other things . Sickbay was considered the safest place to be on the ship during combat . ( ) With the class refit of the 2270s , the medical facilities of the " Constitution " - class starship were considerably updated . New micro - diagnostic tables were capable of fully analyzing the humanoid body at the sub - cellular level , offering the physician a total understanding of the patient ' s status . Another new addition was a medical stasis unit , in which patients whose conditions were considered immediately life - threatening could be placed into suspended animation until the proper cure or surgical procedure could be established . ( ) Crew quarters . Crew quarters were located throughout the saucer section – keeping with Starfleet tradition , Deck 5 housed the senior officers ' quarters . On the refit configuration vessels , these staterooms were quite similar to the VIP units on Deck 4 , with only a few differences . On starships of the original configuration , the officers ' quarters featured two areas , separated partly by a wall fragment . One area was allocated as sleeping area , featuring a comfortable bed , and another as work area , including a desk and computer terminal . Entrance to a bathroom was provided through the quarter ' s sleeping area . Both areas could be configured to personal preference . ( ; ) On " Constitution " - class vessels , staterooms of the senior officers were composed of two areas which were separated by a retractable , transparent aluminum partition . The room ' s entrance opened into the living area . A library computer terminal and work desk were provided here . The room ' s corner circular nook , normally occupied by a dining booth , could be modified at the officer ' s request . The other half of the stateroom was a sleeping area , which held a single large bed that could double as sofa during off - duty relaxation . A transparent door led into the bathroom area . By the 2290s , crew space was at a premium , and the size of officers ' quarters was reduced to one large room and crewmen were housed in dormitories with bunk beds . ( ; ) Recreational facilities . Aboard the original " Constitution " - class starships , there were at least six recreation rooms , which included three - dimensional chess and card game tables . There was also a holographic rec room , which was the predecessor of the holodeck . Also aboard were an arboretum , gymnasium , a bowling alley , a theater , and a chapel . ( ; ) On the refitted " Constitution " - class vessels , recreational facilities were further expanded . One large room in the aft section of the starship ' s saucer section furnished off - duty personnel with a wide variety of recreational games and entertainment . At the front of the room was an immense , wall - mounted viewing screen . Beneath this was an information display alcove ; five small screens exhibited , upon request , a choice of pictorial histories . A raised platform in the center of the lower level floor featured a diversity of electronic entertainment . ( ) Officers ' lounge . Located at the stern of Deck 2 aboard the refit configuration " Constitution " - class starship was the officers ' lounge . Here , four huge view ports afforded a spectacular view of the ship ' s warp nacelles and space beyond . To the sides , small plant areas held flora from several worlds and a small pool featured freshwater tropical fish . Just forward of this section of the lounge were two privacy areas . In each privacy area , a view screen was mounted into the wall , providing a full exterior tour of the vessel . ( ) Appendices . Appearances . The " Constitution " - class " Enterprise " appeared in every episode of TOS and TAS ( except for ) . TOS episodes featuring other " Constitution " - class vessels as well as the " Enterprise " are listed below . Background information . For information on the origin of the " Constitution " - class designation , please see . Interiors . For information on the " Constitution " - class interior sets , please see " Constitution " - class sets . Registry number . Art Director Matt Jefferies was , apart from designing the ship , also responsible for conceiving its original , famous registry number " NCC - 1701 " . As he explained , " " Since the 1920 ' s , N has indicated the United States in Navy terms , and C means ' commercial ' vessel . I added an extra C just for fun . Interestingly , Russia ' s designation is CCC . So The N and C together made it kind of international . After that , I had to pick some numbers . They had to be easily identifiable from a distance , so that eliminated 3 , 8 , 6 , 9 and 4 - none of which is that clear from a distance , That didn ' t leave much ! So 1701 was as good a choice as any . The reason we gave for the choice afterwards was that the " " Enterprise " " was the 17th major design of the Federation , and the first in the series . 17 - 01 ! " " ( " " , p . 62 ) , " " ( . . . ) which , incidentally and coincidentally , happens to be very close to the license number on my airplane – NC - 17740 . But I have never really stepped out and squashed the rumor that the number on the " " Enterprise " " came off my airplane . " " ( ) Saucer separation . A saucer separation capability for the " Constitution " - class was suggested as early as the second season of the " Original Series " in the original script of its episode , but was never produced for budgeting reasons . The capability was however envisioned by the producers , " " Designed to operate separately from the rest of the ship , the saucer therefore contains all elements necessary for independent operation . " " ( " The Making of Star Trek " , p . 171 ) The intent made it even into the official series ' internal writer ' s guide , " The Star Trek Guide " ( third revision , page 15 of the supplement and generally dubbed the " " Writer ' s Bible " " ) , where the saucer section was described to be " " in fact a completely self - sustaining unit which can detach itself from the galaxy drive units and operate on atomic impulse power for short range solar system exploration . " " The original saucer separation intent was reconfirmed years later on two occasions , when efforts were underway to revitalize the live - action franchise . Production Illustrator for " " , Ralph McQuarrie , stated on several of the concept drawings he had created for a newly conceived " Enterprise " , " " The saucer of the " Enterprise " ( which was detachable ) ends up in the shroud . They meet the aliens and had a dramatic finale . These two images are of the " Enterprise " saucer in the shroud . ( . . . ) The disc of the " Enterprise " would separate from the rest of the ship to land on the surface of planets . " " The sketches McQuarrie referred to , of the independently operating saucer section , were published in " The Art of Ralph McQuarrie " ( pp . 124 - 129 ) . The second occasion occurred when " " Producer Robert Goodwin reported in a progress memo dated , " " Meanwhile we ' re having a new model of the " Enterprise " constructed , with the added bonus of a saucer section which can separate from the engine nacelles , should such a maneuver be a necessary part of some story . This capacity of the " Enterprise " was described in " The Making of Star Trek " , although it was never utilized in the first series . " " ( " " , issue 11 , p . 39 ) Yet another saucer separation sequence was envisioned by Andrew Probert in 1979 when script treatments for " Phase II " s successor , " The Motion Picture " , were in flux . During a lull in script development Probert came up with an alternative scene in which " V ' Ger " releases a Klingon battle cruiser . Upon re - materialization the Klingons true to their nature immediately attack the " Enterprise " . During the battle Kirk is forced to a perform a maneuver akin to that of William T . Riker in . Douglas Trumbull liked the idea and had Probert draw up color storyboards to show the sequence . Some of the storyboards were published in , and in " The Art of Star Trek " , pages 198 - 199 . Probert ' s concept was not entirely a flight of fancy as the actual studio model , in line with Goodwin ' s prior memo annotation , was constructed in such a way that a saucer separation could be filmed if the need arose . ( " " , 3rd ed . , page 9 ) Probert himself remarked in this regard , " " The " Enterprise " was always designed to separate from the Engineering section . I knew about this when I did " Star Trek : The Motion Picture " . And if you look at the bottom of Kirk ' s " Enterprise " " [ note : original configuration ] " , you ' ll notice two triangular items , which are two of the landing feet for the saucer . Regardless of whether it was Matt Jefferies ' original intention or not , it ' s sort of the way that " Trekdom " or " " Star Trek " lore " has labeled those features . So taking my cue from that for " Star Trek : The Motion Picture " , I placed four landing legs in the bottom of the " Enterprise " and crated a very specific separation line on the dorsal . " " ( " " , booklet , p . 8 ) Size . The dimensions of the " Constitution " - class , 947 feet ( 289 meters ) long for the original configuration and 1 , 000 feet ( 305 meters ) for the refit - configuration , have been set in stone in time immemorial as far as " Star Trek " lore is concerned . That being said and oddly enough , neither dimension has actually ever been canon ically confirmed , as neither dimension was ever seen or referred to in any of the live - action " Star Trek " productions . The original configuration length of 947 feet was first derived from Stephen Edward Poe ' s reference book , " The Making of Star Trek " , p . 178 , and that dimension has been propagated in every subsequent reference work ever since . However , what Poe did not mention was that designer Matt Jefferies had originally produced that graphic in 1967 as a reference for Poe ' s employer , model kit company Aluminum Metal Toys for their 1968 second edition retooled USS " Enterprise " model kit , No . S951 – where the graphic was displayed on the side of the box prior to its publication in the book – and not for the actual " Original Series " production . Remarkably , the dimension of the starship had been in flux until that time as producer Gene Roddenberry ' s memo of 24 August 1964 evidenced , " " We anticipate a final design might see the ship as 200 feet in length , and thus even a 1½ - inch scale would give us quite a huge miniature . " " This figure , initially accompanied with a crew complement of 203 would actually more or less stand until Jefferies , utilizing his engineering background , recalculated the figures for his design three years later . ( " The Making of Star Trek " , pp . 89 , 134 ) The original configuration " Constitution " - class length came closest to canon , when two ship size comparison graphics were featured in the " Original Series " third season episode . The two computer console graphics , also created by Jefferies , showed a " Constitution " - class vessel in comparison with a Romulan battle cruiser and an in the episode barely discernible yardstick . Yet , careful measurement of the production art of the graphic , using the featured yardstick , measured the " Constitution " - class vessel actually at exactly 900 feet ( 274 meters ) . Jefferies later sold his original plan view design art , including that for AMT , in the Profiles in History " The Star Trek Auction " of 12 December 2001 , in order to raise funding for the charity . Likewise , the 1 , 000 feet length of the refit - " Constitution " - class was never canonically established on screen either , instead generally gleaned from the 1991 reference book , " " , where it was propagated to the public at large . The " Manual " itself was based on the internal document " " in which Andrew Probert had provided dimensions for most of the more prominent Starfleet vessels until then established in the live - action franchise . Actually , Probert himself had in turn based his dimensions on the size comparison production art , Visual Effects Art Director Nilo Rodis had created for , published in a " Cinefantastique " article ( Vol 17 # 3 / 4 , 1987 , p . 77 ) almost half a decade earlier , and where the size was in fact already disclosed for the very first time . This was not a whimsical act on Rodis ' part ; As that movie introduced a multitude of newly - designed starships at once and since studio models were almost never build in scale to each other , visual effects compositors at Industrial Light & Magic needed some sort of a reference dimensional framework in order for them to take the ships ' relative sizes into account , when editing their ship effects footage if more that one appeared in a shot , for the interior Earth Spacedock scenes in particular . By setting the refit - " Enterprise " at exactly 1 , 000 feet , Rodis used that ship as the yardstick against which all other ships were measured in the movie . Studio models . For information on the " Constitution " - class studio model s , please see : Deleted Scene . A deleted scene from featured the model of a " Constitution " - class starship , the , in the office of . Since the alternate reality " Constitution " - class is markedly different in design , it is unclear whether this would have implied the prime " Constitution " - class also existed in the alternate reality . Footnotes . The launch date of the class ( for the Starship vs . " Constitution " - class dichotomy , please refer to : Starship - class background information ) has never been established , but the reference book " The Making of Star Trek " stated on page 203 that the producer ' s intent was that the " " Enterprise " - class starships have been in existence for about forty years . " Its author Stephen Whitfield , who had full access to production sources , wrote the book during the production of season two , narrowing the class launch window down to the mid - 2220s . Interestingly , this meant that the " Enterprise " was a relative latecomer into the class , as its launch year was generally understood , but not firmly established , to be 2245 by production staffers and as was propagated in numerous reference books afterwards . Greg Jein in his influential " The Case of Jonathan Doe Starship " article also proceeded from this understanding and , taking his cue from the " MK IX / 01 " annotation on the technical journal graphic Montgomery Scott was reading in , postulated the ship to be of a newer " MK IX " subclass , with the USS " Constitution " ( NCC - 1700 ) as its ( sub - ) class vessel , in the process trying to make sense of the lower registry numbers by postulating them to belong to older subclasses . Jein postulated the " Enterprise " as the second MK IX subclass member , hence the justification of the " 01 " addition to both the registry " NCC - 17 " and the technical journal graphic as seen , the reasoning adopted by the original registry designer , Matt Jefferies , as he himself had stated above . After some corresponding with suggestions to and fro , the definitive name list of vessels belonging to the , then still called Starship - class , was agreed upon by the producers ( dutifully carried over to the decal sheet of AMT ' s 1968 re - issue USS " Enterprise " model kit ) at the start of the series ' second season , and comprised the following vessels ( " The Making of Star Trek " , pp . 164 - 165 ) : " If I recall correctly , the charts visible on film / video listed only ship names and registry numbers . One can probably glean some class designations from the ship icons in the diagrams . I don ' t have the original art handy ( I think it ' s archived on Syquest disks , which I don ' t have the ability to read , even if I could find the disks themselves ) , but I recall giving the info to Bjo Trimble , and I ' m pretty sure she used most of it in her revised " Star Trek Concordance " . I might note that some of the ship registry numbers came from Greg Jein ' s interpretation of the starship chart in Commodore Stone ' s office in " Shore Leave " ( TOS ) . Other registry numbers came from Franz Joseph ' s " Star Fleet Technical Manual " or his Starship blueprints . In still other cases , the ships and / or numbers did not come from either source , but were consistent with some fleet status charts I did elsewhere on the " Enterprise " - A in " Star Trek VI " . ( In other words , there ' s something that just about everyone will disagree with , but I also hoped that there would be at least something that almost everyone would agree with . ) I should also point out that I prepared several charts for the rescue briefing scene , and that not all of them ended up in the final cut of the film . I don ' t recall which ones were used , or which ones ended up unseen . I do seem to recall that there was at least one chart that had quite a number of registries – mostly , I recall , from FJ ' s work – that ended up unused . " Apocrypha . " Constitution " - class registry . Although not considered canon , several sources have produced a long list of " Constitution " - class starships . The main source was Franz Joseph ' s aforementioned " Star Fleet Technical Manual " , which listed over one hundred " Constitution " - class ships divided into subclasses : " Constitution " , " Bonhomme Richard " , " Achernar " , and " Tikopai " . Ships of the class were later expanded by other publications such as " Ships of the Star Fleet " which included the " Endeavour " , " Enterprise " , and " Enterprise " ( II ) subclasses . It should be noted that Joseph incorporated all the ship names the " Original Series " producers had originally proposed at the start of the second season , and had only these listed in his " Star Trek Blueprints " companion publication .