Survey ship

In starship classification, a survey ship or survey vessel was a specialized type of starship designed for conducting surveys. They shared many common features with both scouts and science vessels. 
In 1958, T'Mir suggested she might be able to arrange for Mestral to be aboard the next survey ship that visited Earth. Mestral declined, as he didn't wish to wait twenty years just to perform statistical scans from high orbit; he preferred to explore the planet from the ground. ()
On April 5, 2063, the Vulcan survey ship detected the test flight of the first Human warp-capable ship, the Phoenix, and initiated the first open contact between Humanity and another species. ()
In the 2260s of the alternate reality, information on Starfleet and non-Starfleet survey vessels was located in the Federation database. ()
In 2268, Captain Kirk of the recommended to Starfleet to dispatch a survey vessel to Argus X due to its rich tritanium deposits. ()
In early 2366, the was sent in response to the Sheliak Corporate's notification to the Federation of the existence of Human life on the planet Tau Cygna V. Prior to contacting the inhabitants, Captain Jean-Luc Picard asked Commander William T. Riker to speculate on what they might find on the surface; his first officer guessed that it might be "a lone survey ship. Maybe a dozen or so survivors." What they found was a colony of over fifteen thousand. ()
== Survey vessel classes ==
* Hierarchy
** 
** Hierarchy survey vessel
* Vulcan High Command
** Vulcan survey ship
** 
** 
** Vulcan survey ship (22nd century)
* United Earth
** 
* United Federation of Planets
** 
** Class 4 stardrive vessel
== Survey vessels by name ==
;Named
* Antares
* 
* 
* 
* D'Vahl
;Unnamed
* Cardassian survey vessel
== External links ==
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de:Erkundungsschiff
ja:調査艦
nl:Onderzoekschip
Category:Spacecraft classifications
Category:Spacecraft classifications (alternate reality)