Constitution class

The Constitution-class was a Federation , Class I heavy cruiser that was utilized as premier exploratory Starfleet vessels during the mid-23rd century.
They were designed for long duration exploration and patrol missions with minimal outside support and were best known for their celebrated missions of galactic exploration and diplomacy. These starships were capable of operating on five-year mission cycles, with an operating endurance of eighteen years. (; ; ; display graphic)
== Design ==
During the mid-23rd century, at least twelve Constitution-class starships were commissioned by Starfleet. () Construction of these starships occurred at Earth's San Francisco Fleet Yards, California, and Luna's Tranquility Base. (; ; display graphic) During construction, many of the same unit components for the Constitution-class were also used in other ships built around same time such as the . ()
The Constitution-class was generally designed for the roles of exploration, patrol, and sometimes defense when necessary. () Within Federation space, these vessels were viewed as having the role of protector within the civilian community. ()
Two of the most notable designers and contributors to the Constitution-Class design were Larry Marvick, whose work included designing the controls for engineering, () and Doctor Richard Daystrom, who was responsible for the basic design of the computers used aboard this class. () In the 2260s, one brilliant engineer not involved with the construction became familiar with the design. As a result, Constitution-class Captain James T. Kirk of the stated that his chief engineer, Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott "knew everything about that ship there is to know. More than the men who designed it." () Indeed, Scotty even once bet Marvick himself that "a bottle of scotch says you can't handle the controls you designed." ()
When the concept was intially created, the designers imagined the class to be built in modular components that could be swapped out for upgrades and to extend the lifespan of the class ships. This was especially important because these ships were often on the front lines. (; ; )
Despite the successes of the class, exemplified by the performance of the Enterprise, under Captain James T. Kirk, 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.
== History ==
=== Launch ===
Future Enterprise captain, Robert April, was present when the ship's unit components were built. () The first ship, the U.S.S. Enterprise itself was launched April 11, 2245. ( display graphic; Enterprise dedication plaque) In addition to the Enterprise, the and the were also launched the same year. ( commemorative plaque, display graphic)
=== 2250s and early 2260s ===
Many discoveries and additions to Federation space were made during the early 2250s, with some major notable events.
During the early 2250s, the Constitution-class starship, USS Enterprise, made first contact with the Talosians on Talos IV. This combined with her numerous other discoveries and achievements made her the Federation flagship. ()
By this point the Constitution-class starships were considered Starfleet's premier vessels, as they were usually on the front lines patrolling Federation space and exploring uncharted areas just within the Federation's borders. (; )
Around the latter half of 2254, Constitution-class vessels were outfitted with the latest technology. (; ; )
In 2256, a war broke out with the newly reunited Klingon Empire after nearly a century. During this time, Constitution-class starships were ordered to off the front lines to patrol other regions of space while warships and other parts of the fleet were diverted to the war.
During the most Constitution-class ships were kept as a unit of last resort. At the time, the was assigned to patrol Sector 006, while the was ordered to continue its then five-year mission under Captain Christopher Pike. This order took a toll on their crews. During this time, with the ships out away on their five-year missions, it was rare to see a Constitution-class ship at all. ()
During the war and with resources being diverted to emergency fleet repairs, Constitution class starships were not a priority to keep refitted, with other ships more important to the war effort such as the with its spore drive receiving more attention to increase the chances of winning. ()
After the war, Starfleet began slowly modernizing the fleet in 2258, with personnel uniforms first. Aboard the Enterprise, new colorful Starfleet uniforms were adopted before some other ships. These uniforms did away with the dark blue color, reintroducing the division colors of gold for the command division, a slightly lighter blue and white for the sciences, along with red for the operations division, replacing the silver for the sciences and copper for the operations division. ()
=== Late 2250s and early 2260s ===
The late 2250s and 2260s were a time of Starfleet returning to their roots of exploration after the war, with several milestones of discovery such as the 5 year mission under Captain James T Kirk.
After the war, Starfleet began fleet wide upgrades to most vessels, especially Constitution-class starships and other ships built with the same components such as the Sombra-class. After the U.S.S. Enterprise had sustained major damage in late 2258 destroying part of her front saucer, the Enterprise and many other ships in the fleet received any of the same refits and hull adjustments. Upgrades were also applied internally such as the main Artificial Intelligence and transporters systems. At this time, holographic communication systems were dropped and removed, at least for the time being, from the class. (; )
In 2259, the class's U.S.S. Enterprise, which was responsible, helped clean up the mess at the planet Kiley 279 due to the battle with Control accidentally being nearby and affecting the planet. As a result of general order 1 being violated, it was renamed the "Prime Directive". (SNW: )
In 2259, the Constitution class U.S.S. Enterprise was the first federation vessel to make contact with Gorn ships, participating in several skirmishes and battles with them. (SNW: )
In 2265, with more advancements in ship technology over the last half decade, ships of the constitution class along with others in the fleet such as the Antares type began being upgraded and extensively refitted over the next few years. The Constitution-class starship, the Enterprise was at least one of the first to receive these extensively refits around 2265 in preparation for her first five-year mission under James T. Kirk. ()
Many Constitution-class vessels continued their exploration missions during the late 2260s, and the Enterprise went on perhaps the greatest mission to date under the command of James T Kirk, discovering and making contact with many new species. (; )
By the year 2267, many Constitution class starships had been upgraded. An example of this was when a gathering of the class when a large group was assembled at Starbase 11 for refitting and repairs, with all having the same modern components and exterior hull appearance. By this time the Enterprise had also been fully repaired, with new upgraded warp and impulse engines along with a new layout of interior areas that had previously been severely damaged such as the bridge and the ready/briefing room. ()
In 2267, Commodore Matt Decker's ship fell victim to what has become known as the "doomsday machine" when it was on a routine survey mission near system L-374, and both the ship and crew were lost, however the Doomsday machine gave the federation valuable insight into potential future uses of neutronium for alloys. ()
One major encounter with a new and unexplected life form was in 2268 when 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. The Enterprise responded, managing to resolve the situation by eliminating the threat. ()
The late 2260s also provided valuable insight into potential Federation medicine. The USS Exeter became infected with an unknown virus from 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. When the Enterprise responded, the crew was able to find a way to get their responding crew off the surface and find an answer and solution to curing the virus. ()
Constitution class vessels participated in new technology advancements during this time, such as in late-2268, the starships Excalibur, Hood, Lexington, and Potemkin gathered together and all took part in the disastrous testing of the M-5 multitronic unit, which had been placed in control of the Enterprise due to their role of occasional experimental testing, with an example being of adopting and testing new equipment and uniforms before the rest of the fleet at times. During the confrontation, 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. ()
More notable areas of other explorations, plus strange encounters, was when the 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, finding Defiant lost between universes in a space warp. As a result of a later phaser exchange between the Enterprise and two s, a hole was created through the spatial interphase, pushing the Defiant into the mirror universe. ()
=== The refit of the 2270s and conversion to the Constitution II class ===
Following a proud and full decade of achievements and discoveries, it was time for the latest upgrades and extreme advancements to be applied. In the early 2270s, the Constitution-class, with the Enterprise first, underwent massive refitting and redesign which was so radically different from previous iterations that it would be known as the . After this point, nearly all Constitution I class vessels were decommissioned or relegated to the back lines as training vessels in favor of the upgraded ships from the new class. At least one of the Constitution I class ships was retired to the fleet museum, in memory of the class' important legacy (; )
=== Mirror universe versions ===
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 2256 the became inadvertently trapped in the mirror universe, where its crew discovered that the Defiant had in the meantime undergone substantial modifications while it had been in the service of the Terran Empire. () Upon her return to the prime universe however, their findings became part of all the intelligence pertaining to the USS Discovery that was sequestered by Starfleet Command as strictly classified after the ship had disappeared yet again in 2258. () It explained why the command crew of the USS Enterprise was not aware of Defiants fate when it chanced upon her derelict hulk in 2268, shortly before she transited into the mirror universe, also unbeknownst to the Enterprise command crew at the time. ()
In 2267, the was a Constitution-class starship of the Imperial identical in configuration to the prime Enterprise, as was discovered by her command crew when they too became inadvertently trapped on the mirror universe version of their ship. () They were unaware of the fact that she had been based off the USS Defiant whose transition into the mirror universe they would only witness the following year, although remaining unable to connect the dots.
== Legacy ==
In 2384, was able to holographically change the 's control consoles to those a mid-23rd century Constitution-class starship so that the Enderprizian -- who were familiar with the consoles of the from that era -- could help pilot the Protostar. ()
An animated image of a Constitution class ship was used in Temporal Mechanics 101, as presented by Doctor Erin Macdonald of Starfleet Academy. ()
By 2401, the original Constitution-class had been completely phased out, though a few remained as training vessels. At least one Constitution-class starship retaining its original design, the , was preserved in the Fleet Museum in its late 2260s configuration. (; )
The time-displaced Commander Rayner from 3191 used the fact that Lieutenant Rhys's favorite kind of starship was the 23rd century Constitution-class as proof that he knew the man in the future. Rhys had told Rayner that he loved the ship's curves, something that Rayner himself agreed with. ()
== Technical data ==
=== Physical arrangement ===
[[File:Constitution class schematics profile.jpg|thumb|Profile schematic: bridge, shuttlecraft hangar, secondary hull, main sensor, sensor array t[op]/b[ottom] ]]
The Constitution-class featured the saucer section-engineering section-warp nacelle layout common to most Starfleet vessels. All ship configurations of the class of the 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' configuration in the 2260s. There were at least seven turbolifts that serviced the primary and secondary hulls. () The Constitution-class had at least two briefing rooms, one of which was located on Deck 14. ()
The modular design of the Constitution-class allowed for component separation in times of crisis. If an emergency was confined to the warp engine nacelles, it was theoretically possible to disengage and jettison the secondary hull while keeping the bulk of the vessel's main section 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. (; )
=== Propulsion systems ===
==== Warp engines ====
The main engines of Constitution-Class starships was a warp drive engine unit. This unit was powered by a warp core reactor unit that mixed hydrogen deuterium as fuel, made from matter, and anti-matter together in order to create the vast amounts of energy in the form of electro-plasma for that the warp engines required to function. This electro-plasma was then sent up into the warp coils located in the ship's engine nacelles on the secondary hull, allowing the warp coils and the warp field generator to work together to create a warp bubble to bend the fabric of spacetime behind the ship, and contract it in front allowing the ship to move faster than the speed of light while also using subspace.
The Constitution-class of starship were lithium, and later dilithium ed warp engines that fueled a matter/antimatter propulsion system over its service lifetime. (; display graphic) Altogether this allowed the class to spec a maximum safe cruising speed of warp 6 (or 384c) and an emergency speed of warp 8 (or 512c). (; ; display graphic)
During the mid-2250s the ship was more than capable of operating nominally at warp 7. () By the 2260s such a speed was unusual; Kirk's order of warp 7 in pursuit of an unknown ship after the destruction of Cestus III surprised the bridge crew, and both Spock and Scott advised against sustaining the speed. ()
The Enterprise infrequently reached warp 8; Kirk's order for the speed during the above pursuit alarmed Spock and Scott. () Scott confirmed, when asked if the ship could be capable of warp 8, that he could, and offered "maybe a wee bit more," even offering to, "sit on the warp engines myself and nurse them," if needed. () While the Enterprise had once engaged at warp 9 to escape the Romulan Neutral Zone (), doing so was highly discouraged because it was an unsafe velocity, as was noted following when the ship was taken over by the Beta XII-A entity. ()
With further modifications or influences, the Enterprise managed to even push beyond warp 9 on more than one occasion, once following modifications made by Lokai, it exceeded warp 10, and again achieved warp 10 when it was drawn into the creation point. (; )
The Enterprise was also twice modified to achieve a speed of warp 11. The first time was when the probe Nomad increased the ship's engine efficiency by 57% in 2267 and allowed 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. () The second time followed when more extensive modifications were made to the ship by the Kelvans 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. These upgrades would later be removed, and helped Starfleet make advancements for much faster warp in the Constitution II class. (; TMP)
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 artificially maintained stability at warp 22 while tractored to a ship going warp 32. ()
If the reserves for the antimatter engine ever dropped of the indicator below two anti-kilos, the engines would no longer regenerate. ()
===== Bussard collectors =====
The Constitution-class was equipped with Bussard collectors at the front of the warp nacelles. The primary purpose of Bussard collectors was that they could be used to collect interstellar hydrogen (deuterium) as fuel, and other various particles as needed for the ship. In times of emergency, Bussard collectors could also be used to expel these gases, along with the vessel's warp drive plasma. Bussard collectors were very useful for when these ships passed through a hydrogen rich nebula, as it allowed them to pull in hydrogen more efficiently than out in regular space. Hydrogen deuterium collected was used the primary fuel source for the constitution class starship and their warp cores. Bussard collectors on Constitution vessels had rotating intake impellers to help draw the gases in ,though these would be unable to function if the warp drive system went offline, or if power was diverted to a specific system. (; ; )
==== Impulse Drive ====
The main sub light drive on Constitution-class starships was an impulse drive, located at the back of the saucer/primary hull section of the ship and was where fusion exhaust propelled the ship. The impulse drive was capable of going to at least warp factor 1 at full speed, though vessels of the class needed to use their warp drive engines to go faster.
A fusion explosion equivalent to at least 97.835 megatons would result if the impulse engines were overloaded in 2267. ()
=== Tactical systems ===
While the Constitution-class was never meant as a warship, the vessel was adequately well-armed for dealing with various threats. Exercising Federation defense policy and if need be, sustained conflict was built into them. Thus, they carried an array of weapons thus allowing them to hold their own against even dedicated warships of its day. (, et al.)
=== Laser cannons ===
During the early 2250s when they were launched, Constitution-class heavy cruisers were armed with a complement of directed energy weapon laser cannons. Laser cannons were an upgrade over the phase cannons on previous ships in Starfleet, and were most notably used during the Federation-Klingon war in 2256. Laser cannons possessed enough to destroy half a continent in a concentrated bombardment. ()
By 2258, laser cannons were replaced with phaser banks on most starships due to upgrades. (; ; ; )
===== Phaser Banks =====
In 2258, laser cannons were replaced with the newer phaser banks. These phasers offered a greater increase in weapon power and flexibility. In order to prepare the ship for firing, the main phasers needed to be energized, primed, and brought to full power. () Phaser tracking controls was also used in phaser operation. ()
Phaser banks had a range of approximately 90,000 kilometers ()
The Constitions main phasers were targeted via directional beam produced by the navigator or helmsman, or Chief tactical officer at the tactical bridge station. Phasers could be supported via a direct line of communication with phaser crews located in the phaser control room, who managed the phasers and other tactical systems during a skirmish to make sure everything was working properly. ()
These ship mounted phasers were capable of being adjusted to a rate as low as 1/100th power, and like hand phasers were capable of 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. () Targeting was typically done visually, but could also be accomplished on motion sensors at a loss of accuracy. When only motion sensor readings were available, the ship's phasers could be set for proximity blast or a 100% dispersal pattern. ()
By 2257, this class of ship had a standard complement of six phaser emitters. ( display graphic) This included placements at port, starboard, and mid-ship, among which were two to (up to) four forward phaser banks. () There were also two banks each on the port and starboard on the dorsal surface of the primary hull. Two banks covered both flanks.( )
By the late 2260s, the ship also had aft banks located above and below the shuttlebay on the secondary hull. ()
===== Ground board Laser Cannons =====
In 2254, Constitution vessels carried on board laser cannons that were energy fed remotely from the ship. These were later phased out with the introduction of phasers. ()
==== Torpedo systems ====
Constitution-class ships had torpedo tubes located on the underside of the saucer section, and at least one aft tube mounted at the end of the secondary hull. (; ) When launching multiple Starfleet photon torpedoes in the late 2260s, this combined arsenal was powerful enough to destroy the entire surface of a planet. ()
The standard complement for launching torpedoes consisted of two 2 forward torpedo launchers, as well as aft torpedoes. (; )
==== Defensive systems ====
The Constitution-class starship had two types of defensive systems, consisting of deflector screens and shields. The shield 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 torpedoes 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. () A ship was no capable of firing full phasers with its screens up. ()
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 effect 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 reactors powering the shields, a Klingon battle cruiser could deplete a Constitution-class starship's shielding power with only few passes of disruptor fire. ()
=== Navigational deflector ===
The navigational deflector dish on Constitution-class vessels was mounted at the front of the secondary hull. It was mainly used to deflect/repel debris and other objects.
In 2268 the USS Enterprise used a deflector beam to attempt to shift a large asteroid off course when it threatened the planet Amerind. The attempt failed and caused damage to the ship's power. ()
== Interior design ==
The color scheme implemented aboard Constitution-class ships was predominantly red-orange accents alongside dark gray or light gray paneling. These colors were accented with soft white light or multicolored lights installed in floor and wall paneling, and later, in the ceiling. This color scheme was put in and kept from the Constitution-class refit of the mid-2250s to the early 2270s. (; ; ; ; )
File:USS Enterprise corridor 2259.jpg|A typical corridor on the Constitution-class, late 2250s
File:USS Enterprise corridor.jpg|A typical corridor on the Constitution-class, late 2260s
File:Una and Spock in the turbolift.jpg|Turbolift car interior, late 2250s
=== Main bridge ===
==== Overview ====
Located at deck 1 atop of the primary hull, the Constitutions main bridge directly supervised all primary mission operations and coordinated all departmental activities. Due to the age and variety of configurations of the Constitution-class, bridge configurations varied from mission to mission and ship to ship.
File:USS Enterprise Bridge, 2253.jpg|Bridge of the USS Enterprise in 2253
File:Constitution class bridge 2250s.jpg|Bridge of the USS Enterprise in 2254
File:USS Enterprise bridge, 2258.jpg|Bridge of the USS Enterprise in 2258
File:USS Enterprise bridge, 2259.jpg|Bridge of the USS Enterprise in 2259
File:USS Enterprise bridge, 2267.jpg|Bridge of the USS Enterprise in 2267
File:USS Enterprise bridge overview, 2269.jpg|Bridge of the USS Enterprise in 2269
File:USS Enterprise bridge wide, 2269.jpg|Bridge of the USS Enterprise in 2270
==== Command chair ====
The command chair was located in the recessed area at the center of the room, where 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. It was designed to swivel on the support so that the captain could turn to any member of the bridge crew.
File:Constitution command chair, 2254.jpg|The original gooseneck viewer in the mid-2250s
File:USS Exeter command chair.jpg||A typical captain's chair during the mid-2260s
File:Bob Wesley aboard Lexington.jpg|A high-back captain's chair during the late 2260s
The command chairs featured three slightly different versions of the same command chair. Most, such as the one on the , featured a backrest that only reached the mid-back. The 2250s and 2260s version of this chair had a "gooseneck viewer" on the right armrest. () A few, such as that of the , had a full backrest. ()
The command chair also had s on either of the arm rests used to operate the command console. The left side contained the button for companel, and the right side contained buttons for manually placing the ship on red or yellow alert, as well as one to jettison pod. () The gooseneck viewer was eliminated by 2266, but the other console controls remained. ()
==== Bridge stations ====
The command chair was position was equidistant from all the control consoles that operated specific bridge stations.
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 thrusters, 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 navigation console had a control panel for entering the 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 station, engineering station, weapons control, gravity control, damage control, environmental engineering, science and library computer, and internal security. (, et al.) All computer systems aboard the Constitution-class were duotronic-based. (; )
During the mid-2260s, these consoles were 203-R compatible. ()
==== Additional features ====
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. (, et al.)
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 viewscreens, and railings and steps which matched the arc of the circumference. At the same time, an automatic bridge defense system was also installed atop the ceiling. ()
=== Main engineering ===
 	
USS Enterprise main engineering, 2259 	USS Enterprise main engineering, 2259
 	
main engineering, 2266 	main engineering, 2268
 	
main engineeringin 2269, with new vertical warp core	Dilithium chamber in engineering in 2269
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/warp core was located for most of the ship's life. Life support was controlled separately from Deck 6. (, )
In 2259, the warp core was located in main engineering. The matter and antimatter were directed down into the reaction chamber where the dilithium crystals were and then the resulting electro-plasma was directed through unseen conduits into the warp conduits on the walls in the back of the engineering room to the warp nacelles. ()
In 2266, the warp core was moved to a separate room called the dilithium crystal energizer room, where the main warp reaction occurred horizontally. The warp plasma conduits to the nacelles remained in main engineering but were secured being a grate. () In 2268, the warp core was moved back to Engineering, with the dilithium crystals and main reaction occurring in a dilithium crystal converter. The matter anti-matter reaction still happened horizontally at this time and was still directed into unseen conduits beneath the engineering deck. In late 2269, a new vertical component of the warp core was added to the dilithium crystal converter. ()
=== Transporter rooms ===
Extravehicular transporter to and from the ship could be accomplished by a number of transporter systems besides the airlocks, which allowed personnel or equipment to be transported over large ranges. The transporter platform featured six small pads, which were numbered clockwise, beginning with the right front. (, ) A large section in the middle of the transporter could be used to transport large cargo. ()
A door in the standard transporter room wall led to a staging area where landing parties prepared for transporter. ()
The transporter room was also outfitted with a food slot. ()
File:Constitution transporter 2250s.jpg|Inward view of a transporter room from the late 2250s
File:Constitution transporter room, 2259.jpg|Inward view of a transporter room in 2259
File:Constitution class transporter room, 2268.jpg|Inward view of a transporter room, ca. 2268
File:Constitution class transporter room, 2269.jpg|Inward view of a transporter room, ca. 2269
File:Constitution transporter room from pad, 2269.jpg|View from transporter pad, ca. 2269
File:Constitution class transporter, 2266.jpg|Transporter pad
File:Constitution class transporter console, 2267.jpg|Transporter console
File:Constitution class transporter room food slot.jpg|Food slot
=== Landing bay and cargo facilities ===
The aft landing bay provided personnel in small craft with a means of entering or exiting the vessel.
The 2260s configuration of the Constitution-class carried a standard complement of 4 shuttlecraft, some of which were Class F. ()
The class contained at least five cargo holds. ()
File:Constitution class shuttle bay, 2259.jpg|External view, 2259
File:Galileo approaches USS Enterprise from Vulcan.jpg|External view, 2267
File:Galileo and Columbus on hangar deck.jpg|Internal view
File:Enterprise shuttlebay, 2269.jpg|Internal view with full complement of shuttles
=== Sickbay ===
On the Constitution-class starships in the late 2260s, 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. () Many of the tools used in the Sickbay aboard the USS Enterprise, following her launch, were designed by her first medical officer, Doctor Sarah April, as life aboard required frequent improvisation. ()
=== Crew lounge and recreation facilities ===
The crew/officers lounge on Constitution-class starships offered an officers' lounge, adored by multiple viewpoints and with tables and a seating area.
In the late 2260s, the crew lounge was located at the front of the saucer section, just above the three windows below it. ()
In the late 2260s due to smaller spaces from an increased crew capacity, the crew lounge was removed and split into at least six recreation rooms. These rooms usually contained three-dimensional chess, food synthesizers, and tables. By 2270 a holographic rec room was added, which was the predecessor of the holodeck. Aboard the ship were various other rooms as well such as an arboretum, galley, gymnasium, a bowling alley, a theater, and a chapel. ()
File:USS Enterprise officer's lounge 2259.jpg|Officers' lounge on a Constitution-class vessel in 2259
File:USS Enterprise bar 2259.jpg|A bar on a Constitution-class
File:Constitution class recreation room.jpg|A typical recreation room (2260s)
File:Constitution class mess hall.jpg|Mess hall
=== Crew quarters ===
Crew quarters were located throughout the saucer section – keeping with Starfleet tradition, Deck 5 housed the senior officers' quarters.
From the 2250s to at least 2265, officers' quarters on a Constitution-class were larger than in latter half of the 2260s due to an increase in a Constitution-class's crew compliment size from 203 to 450. (; ; ; )
From the late 2260s onward, the typical quarters of an officer 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. (; )
File:Christopher Pike on his bed, remastered.jpg|Captain's quarters, 2254
File:Pike's quarters, 2259.jpg|Captain's quarters, 2259
File:Michael Burnham in Spock's quarters.jpg|Crew quarters, 2250s
File:Constitution class quarters, 2269.jpg|Crew quarters, 2260s
File:Jonathan Archer (mirror) in a wraparound tunic.jpg|Senior officers' quarters, 2260s
=== Other internal ship features ===
Constitution class Starships had a variety of other equipment that it could use for both science and other functions, that were used in specific scenarios.
Scanning pods were attached to at least the aft end of the ship and could be deployed to investigate different space phenomena. The nature of these pods however was that they contained sensitive equipment that could unintentionally interact with the rest of the ship and cause damage, so they were designed to be jettisoned in the event of an emergence upon activating a red alert during hazardous events, such as an ion storm (TOS: ).
When not using the transporter as the primary means of transport on and off the ship for Extra Vehicular Activities outside in space, Constitution class vessels utilized a series of airlocks to facilitate this ability. These airlocks were usually kept protected underneath hull armor plating doors which needed to be opened in order for personnel to access the actual external door of the airlock to exit the ship (DIS: ; SNW: , ; TMP).
Constitution-class Starships had a series of docking ports located through the vessel, most prevalent on the secondary hull and with some on the primary hull as well. These could be used to dock with other starships and smaller craft such as escape pods and travel pods. Docking ports had extending tubes in order to dock with larger craft, though the tubes did not need to be extended if other vessels were using theirs. (DIS: ; SNW: ; TMP).
Constitution-class Starships contained escape pods, also known as lifeboats, to escape the ship in the event of an emergency such as a warp core breach or if the ship was severely damage and rendered unusable. These escape pods were hidden under the ship's armor like many vessels of the 23rd century and were able to be used after the armored hull plates had moved out of the way, similar to the airlocks and docking ports, then were able to be launched to safety. (TOS: ; TMP).
== Ships in class ==
;Named3
Name	Registry	Notes 	Status 	Date
 	NCC-1557	Destroyed at Parnassus Beta 	Destroyed	2259
 	NCC-1017	Destroyed by unknown antiproton weapon 	Destroyed	2267
 	NCC-1764	Lost in spatial interphase 	Missing 	2268
 	NCC-1701	 	Destroyed	2285
 	NCC-1664	Wrecked by friendly fire; Providing medical assistance	Active 	2384
 	NCC-1672	Abandoned over Omega IV 	Abandoned	2268
 	NCC-1703	 	Active 	2268
 	NCC-1631	Consumed by space borne amoeba 	Destroyed	2268
 	NCC-1709	 	Active 	2268
 	NCC-1975	Preserved at Fleet Museum 	Preserved	2401
 	NCC-1657	 	Active 	2293
;Unnamed
Name 	Registry	Notes	Status	Date
NCC-1700	NCC-1700	 	Active	2267
;Mirror Universe
Name	Registry	Notes 	Status 	Date
 	NCC-1701	Pulled into prime universe; Currently in storage	Mothballed	3191
;Alternate
Name	Registry	Notes 	Status 	Date
 	 	Existed in an alternate timeline visited by La'an Noonien-Singh	Ceased to exist	2259
;Fictional
Name	Registry	Notes 	Status	Date
 	- 	Depicted in commercial for Tribbles cereal	- 	2250s
;Uncertain
Name 	Registry	Notes 	Status	Date
NCC-1685	NCC-1685	Underwent layover at Starbase 11 	Active	2267
NCC-1697	NCC-1697	Underwent layover at Starbase 11 	Active	2267
NCC-1718	NCC-1718	Underwent layover at Starbase 11 	Active	2267
NCC-1831	NCC-1831	Underwent layover at Starbase 11 	Active	2267
 	NCC-1710	 	Active	2293
 	NCC-1371	Starfleet Academy training vessel 	Active	2374
 	NCC- 	Listed on fleet deployment chart near Klingon space	Active	2259
 	NCC- 	 	Active	2293
;Unnamed
* Unnamed Constitution-class starships
== Appendices ==
=== Appearances ===
The Constitution-class Enterprise appeared in every episode of SNW, TOS, and TAS (except for ). Episodes featuring other Constitution-class vessels, or the Enterprise for other series, are listed below.
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=== Background information ===
==== Name ====
For information on the origin of the Constitution-class designation, please see .
==== Interiors ====
.
==== Size ====
 	
Jefferies' detailed size plan views he created for AMT	Jefferies' detailed size plan views he created for AMT
 	
Jefferies' size comparison graphics production art… 	…as featured in "The Enterprise Incident"
The length of the Constitution-class had for over half a century been accepted as being 947 feet (289 meters) long, a figure once propagated across nearly all contemporaneous reference works dealing with the subject, beginning with Stephen Edward Poe's reference book, The Making of Star Trek, p. 178. The origin of the graphic used was designer Matt Jefferies, who had originally produced the graphic in 1967 not for the actual Original Series production, but as a reference for Poe's employer, model kit company Aluminum Metal Toys (AMT) 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 this, a specific length for the starship had not been solidly defined 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 early estimate, initially accompanied with an intended crew complement of 203, would more or less stand until Jefferies utilized his engineering background to recalculate the figures for his design three years later (The Making of Star Trek, pp. 89, 134).
The first brief onscreen indication of scale occurred 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 the , along with a barely discernible yardstick. Careful measurement of the production art using that yardstick produces a figure close to but not entirely congruent with other sources, placing the Constitution-class vessel as depicted here at 900 feet (274 meters). Jefferies later sold this original art, including that created for AMT, in the Profiles in History The Star Trek Auction of 12 December 2001, in order to raise funding for the charity.
With the return of the class to the limelight as redesigned for its and appearances, a new set of specific dimensions were established onscreen in a recurring manner for the first time. Most easily seen during , a length of 442 meters (1450 feet), width of 201 meters, and height of 93 meters can be identified on the dedication plaque of the Constitution-class USS Enterprise as it was in 2259. Of the 53% increase from the prior reference material figures, Discovery Production Designer Tamara Deverell said following its debut, "Overall, I think we expanded the length of it to be within the world of our Discovery, which is bigger, so we did cheat it as a larger ship." In the redesign's debut episode , Deverall intended to leave behind what she called an "Easter egg for the fans" in the form of a bridge display screen which stated the prior reference dimensions of 288.6 meters long, 127.1 meters wide, and 72.6 meters high, taken from Franz Joseph's Star Fleet Technical Manual. A full view establishing shot of the complete graphic on a freestanding bridge monitor screen, featuring these figures, was filmed but eventually trimmed from the episode as aired. However, the graphic remained partially visible on two other Discovery bridge station computer screens; Joann Owosekun's ops station and Paul Stamets' engineering station, legible in the latter case.
The revised class dimensions continue to be referenced in later appearances, such as in on a graphic for the derivative, which used the same space frame as the Constitution. On 12 August 2023, the database graphic appearing in for the was posted with clarity by Motion Graphics Designer Tim Peel on his Twitter account, establishing that Constitution-class ship as being 442 meters long, 192 meters wide and 93 meters high. A length of 442.06 meters for the USS Enterprise was cited within the Eaglemoss Collections reference publications as well.
==== Ships of the class ====
After the first season had concluded its run, it dawned upon Original Series producers Robert H. Justman and D.C. Fontana that a need had arisen to keep track of the already mentioned Constitution-class starships for future production reference. After some corresponding with suggestions to and fro, a 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. 163-165),
D.C. Fontana'sAside from the remarks behind several of the names, Fontana further annotated on her memo, "Alternates include the names of some famous fighting ships of the past, plus a couple of international variations we might consider, Star Fleet being composed of a united service." proposal 8 August 1967
* Enterprise
* Exeter
* Essex
* Excalibur
* Lexington
* Yorktown
* Endeavor
* El Dorado
* Excelsior
* Saratoga
* Constellation (destroyed in "Doomsday Machine." Presume she would be replaced by Starfleet)
* Hornet
* Wasp
* Farragut (mentioned as destroyed in "Obsession")
* Hood
* Bonhomme Richard
* Monitor or Merrimac, depending upon your loyalties
* Tori ("bird" [note: in Japanese])
* Lafayette
* Ari ("lion" [note: in Hebrew])
* Krieger ("warrior" [note: in German])	
Justman'sJustman noted in his memo, "I think there would be several other candidates, such as Saratoga and perhaps another English carrier, a , a Russian carrier and certainly a Japanese carrier [note: though the ultimately chosen was in reality a World War I and II -era Japanese battleship, as were the British and Russian , whereas, with the exception of the Excalibur and the Endeavor, all other by Justman proposed names were those of World War II aircraft carriers, the being an at the time recent US post-war carrier]. In addition, I think a name ought to be made up that would be of Vulcan origin [note: though not adopted, some of Justman's notion was carried over to having the Intrepid a crew that was almost entirely composed of Vulcans]." proposal 9 August 1967
* Enterprise
* EssexRemarkably, the vessel nearly made the final cut as it was already referenced to in first script draft dialogue treatment, dated 30 September 1967, page 64, for the second season episode , which contained a line having Lieutenant Uhura state, "Starfleet Command confirms alien attack on the other starships, sir. The enemy was defeated. Starships Essex and Eagle suffered heavy damage, but will make base." The reference to the Essex and the Eagle though, was dropped from the episode as aired, indicating that it was not until after September 1967 that the final list was composed. however, resurfaced as a vessel a quarter of a century later in , referenced on the "Operation Retrieve" briefing charts, courtesy of Michael Okuda.
* Excalibur
* Lexington
* Yorktown
* Endeavor
* Eagle
* Constellation
* Hornet
* Wasp
* Lafayette	
Definitive list as utilized at the start of Season 2
* Enterprise
* Exeter
* Excalibur
* Lexington
* Yorktown
* Potemkin
* Republic
* Hood
* ConstitutionThe Constitution and Kongo were the only vessels on the final list that have not been referenced to in any form or format in the Original/Animated Series beyond their inclusion on the list and, obviously, besides the class designation itself. However, a "NCC-1700" registry, presumed to be Constitutions as the class vessel by fanon ever since (most conspicuously by Gregory Jein in his influential "The Case of Jonathan Doe Starship" article), had been referenced in the prior episode , but the name/registry combination has never been established in canon.
* Kongo
* Constellation
* FarragutIt was until 2022 generally assumed by both production staff and reference book authors alike (Michael Okuda among them in all editions of his ) that Farragut was a class member. That notion became ultimately dispelled in canon in 2022 when the was shown as belonging to an altogether different starship class in the first season episode . Incidentally, after having been featured in later Star Trek live-action productions, the Cayuga, Defiant and New Jersey became subsequent confirmed class additions in canon, as was NCC-1700 for that matter – albeit without a corresponding name in the latter case.
* Valiant
* Intrepid
==== 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 as no Original Series script has ever actually called for one. 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, (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." 
==== Retconned design ====
There have been three different renditions of the original design:
The first model, used in the original pilot "The Cage", featured a larger bridge dome and sensor/deflector dish, and spikes on the Bussard collectors, among other minor differences. The second configuration, used in the second pilot, and throughout the rest of the series due to footage being reused, was similar to the first version, with the addition of running lights, additional markings, and a grille pattern on the rear of each engine nacelle.
The version used for the production of the regular series had a smaller bridge dome, a smaller sensor/deflector dish, and lighting effects in the Bussard collectors, which had their antenna spikes removed. The remastered edition of TOS replaced the anomalous stock shots in later episodes with the proper configuration.
A new, more radically redesigned model for the Constitution-class USS Enterprise was introduced in "Will You Take My Hand?". After briefly considering a radical departure from previous depictions, the designers of this new model instead aimed "to get as close as possible to the original", yet add "the sleek, unique Discovery look to it." While Discovery used this new model for all "current" depictions of the class, the "previously on" opening sequence of the Discovery episode "If Memory Serves" however, utilized an original shot of the Original Series version (instead of the actual pilot version) for the events of "The Cage" and not the newly redesigned one. A holographic image of the Discovery version of the Enterprise was later featured in the episode as well.
The Enterprise was redesigned for to look more up to date for a modern television audience. The designers first increased the size of the ship to better match with the Discovery so it wouldn't look too small. The team then began redesigning by drawing ten sketches of the ship to show how the ship could be altered. The final product was an Enterprise that fitted with the new aesthetic of Discovery, but kept close to the original.
The two Star Trek veteran re-designers of the new Enterprise, John Eaves and Scott Schneider, theorized that their new Enterprise could be refitted to become the original, as they had designed the new ship to look less advanced than the TOS series production version from the 1960s. 
While the Discovery series itself has shied away from explaining in canon the in-universe visual configuration differences of Enterprise between "The Cage" and the Original Series, an attempt was made to do so in the 2019 officially licensed in-universe reference book Star Trek: The USS Enterprise NCC-1701 & 1701-A Illustrated Handbook, where it followed the reasoning of the two co-redesigners by implying that the upgrades were a temporary measure to meet the crisis situation if the ship was called upon to perform as a "last resort" in the Federation-Klingon War. Page 34 had it stated that "[m]any of the Enterprises systems had been augmented and enhanced for the mission, to ensure the ship was capable of withstanding any exceptional and extreme conditions in the extreme regions it was exploring," continuing to explain the alterations. Page 54 further implied – rather implausibly, as Kirk's mission was every bit as "exceptional" and "extreme" as Pike's had been – that these alterations were no longer deemed necessary for the subsequent five-year mission under Kirk, and that the ship was therefore returned to the "The Cage"-era configuration, though some upgrades under Pike were "retained", which included the dispensing with of the "spikes" on the Bussard collector caps and the smaller deflector dish.
Shortly before its introduction in the season one closing episode though, Executive Producer Alex Kurtzman implied that, despite the canon appearances of the classic design in both (albeit as a mirror universe adapted wireframe graphic only in the former case), the redesigned Constitution-class was henceforth the canonnical one and therefore intended as the definitive replacement of Matt Jefferies' classic design
Obviously [Discovery] looks more modern than The Original Series, because we are in a modern world now and if we made the show look that way people would not feel that it was worth the money. That being said, every prop and costume design is filtered through what existed at the time. And do we create the new version of it or do we augment the original design in very subtle ways or do we just leave it alone? And when I say every prop and design choice I mean every [note: "every" emphasized] prop and design choice. So, I think you will see a lot of tips of the hat to devices to The Original Series and the timeline. But, obviously we wanted to create a more modern experience and that necessitated certain adjustments. 
Pursuant the introduction Production Designer Tamara Deverell has added more specifically, "For the Enterprise, we based it initially off of The Original Series. We were really drawing a lot of our materials from that. And then we particularly went to more of the Star Trek movies, which is a little bit fatter, a little bit bigger. Overall, I think we expanded the length of it to be within the world of our Discovery, which is bigger, so we did cheat it as a larger ship." The showrunner's implied intent had already accrued credence when the redesign appeared as Kirk's Original Series ship in the episode shortly before its holographic reappearance, for all intent and purposes the first actual retconning of the ship in canon – which, incidentally, was all the more remarkable as the interiors shown in that episode adhered more closely to the ones as seen in The Original Series.
When redesigning the Enterprise for Strange New Worlds, the designers overhauled the windows on the saucer section because at the end of Star Trek: Discovery the front of the saucer section had been destroyed during the battle against Control. The overall majority of the model was kept the same, though the bridge window was reduced in size to not be so big and exposed. 
Yet, it were the season three showrunners of , staunch Original Series fans to a man, who rendered moot whatever intentions there might have been, if any, for the classic Original Series Jefferies design, by visually inserting it into the episodes in the guise of . By doing so, they effectively validated the theory retcon designers Eaves (who had worked in a similar capacity on Picard as well) and Schneider had put forward four years earlier.
==== Studio models ====
For further information on both original, and retcon redesign Constitution-class studio models, please see respectively,
* Constitution-class model (TOS)
* Constitution-class model (Discovery)
=== Apocrypha ===
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.
Constitution-class vessels are prominently featured in fan film productions like Star Trek: Phase II, Starship Exeter (where the USS Kongo has actually performed a saucer separation in its second episode), Starship Farragut, and Of Gods and Men.
=== External links ===
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* – article on Matt Jefferies' design of the Enterprise for The Original Series
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Category:Federation starship classes
Category:Starship classes (mirror)