Challenger Class Cruiser

The second class of "large" spacecraft being constructed. While Lockmart is the primary contractor they have a partnership with General Dynamics Electric Boat. A company with long experience in building, large, strong, and light hulls. It has been noted that building a space ship is closer to building a submarine than it is to building an airplane.
The Challenger Class Cruiser is a ship 420 feet long with 5 decks. It has full gravity. The Challenger class is also armed, a first for any spacecraft from Earth. Hostile forces are out there. This is not a maybe. Three phaser banks are indicated. Force Fields are also provided sufficient to stop her own weapons for a time.
The first of the Challenger class ships the Francis R. Scobee was built as an impulse only vessels meant for 110 crew. Data coming from the Warp Drive Project has doomed the Scobee to never be upgraded.
The Challenger warp cruiser can achieve a speed of Warp Factor 3 in cruise mode and Warp Factor 4 in emergencies. Current plans are to cut back on crew for long duration missions. Hibernation is also being looked into as a solution to the supply problem on long duration missions.
The Nascent Corp of Discovery is seen as the primary operator of the Challenger Class. The United States has two ships planned, one under Space Command and one under NASA. the Ane have a vessel as well.
==Specs==
*Science capacity - 50 -- Class 2 sensors. Tri-logic computers. Small crew.
*Crew Comfort - 100 -- basic submarine.
*Duration - 100 -- no replicators. Nuff said.
*Medical facilities - 50
*Tactical maneuvering - 500 -- early effort a bit piggly for her size.
*Strategic Speed - 76 -- WF 3 diLithium One light year in 13 days cruise. 
*Defense - 250 -- Class 5 shields, and not much staying power.
*Offense - 250 -- Class 5 phasers with a lack of staying power.
*Versatility - 200 -- small crew, simple sensors
*Internal Security – 50. On the order of the science capacity.
==Ships in the Class==
*USS Francis R. Scobee -- USA Space Command, Commissioned. Tests with the WX-200 indicate a return to the drawing board for important changes. The Francis R. Scobee is destined to never be a warp drive ship.
*CDSS Michael J Smith -- Corps of Discovery The first Earth built warp drive ship.
*SS Sharon Christa McAuliffe -- NASA to infinity, and beyond!
*CDSS Unity -- Corps pf Discovery. An Ane Confederation contribution. It is painted in ADF colors.
*JSS Ellison S. Onizuka -- Japan Space Agency Reseaerch not self defense. It is sailing with the CoD.
*CDSS Judith A. Resnik –- Corps of Discovery 
*CDSS Ronald E. McNair –- Corps of Discovery 
*USS Gregory B. Jarvis -– USA Space Command, their first warp drive ship.
*ESS Jacques Piccard -- ESA 
The class is closed with these vessels and the class will be supplanted by the Colombia Class Cruiser 
Category:Technology
Category:Space
Category:Ships
Category:Military