Pathfinder class

## SPACECRAFT CLASS

Dorsal view.

Dorsal aft view.

Class development project patch (Thomas Morrone).

The ***Pathfinder*-class** was a type of spacecraft developed by Starfleet in the early 25th century. It was derived from the *Intrepid*-class and was classified as a scale 4 frigate. Designed around a state-of-the-art quantum slipstream drive, the class also served as a culmination of technologies implemented in past Starfleet vessels.

## Technical specifications

### Deck plan

The following was the standard internal layout of *Pathfinder*-class vessels.

### Command systems

The bridge was located on Deck 1, along with the commanding officer's ready room and the executive conference room.

### Propulsion systems

The class employed a D'Shalla Industries *taFar*-8 Matter/Anti-Matter Reaction Assembly. This core powered two Yoyodyne VGN-5 Linear Warp Drive Nacelles with Multi-Phasic Bussard Ramscoop Collectors and two HeliosCorp Mod32b Hyper Subatomic Unified Energy Impulse Engines. Though no longer required to prevent subspace damage, the *Pathfinder*-class still employed variable-geometry pylons like its parent design as they provided added stability and efficiency to the class's warp field.

Equipped with a Rigel Labs X06 Quantum Slipstream Propulsion System, this drive allowed the vessels to travel at slipstream speeds exceeding 300 light years per hour. Due to power limitations at the time, the drive could only be operated for 15 seconds before needing a 2 hour recovery downtime. The slipstream tunneling projector was integrated into the design's deflector dish, a concept borrowed from the *Chimera*-class, and two waveform attenuators, located at the aft of the primary hull, helped to maintain the slipstream corridor.

An Ithra IT-4 Transwarp Coil was equipped on *Pathfinder*-class starships, allowing each to connect to the Federation Transwarp Network and jump to gateways within the network at speeds of 360,000 light years per hour. The system had massive power needs, even more than the quantum slipstream drive. To power the coil, starships had to divert energy from weapon and shield systems. Due to strains on the IT-5 coil, it could only be used once every 20 hours.

### Science and remote sensing systems

To accomplish Starfleet's primary mission of exploration, *Pathfinder* frigates carried ultra high-fidelity DYN-90 Multi-Band Linear Sensor Suites and Omniwave Passive Sensor Matrices.

### Tactical systems

The hulls of *Pathfinder*-class starships were a neutronium alloy with a duranium nanomesh coating reinforced with micro-ablative generators. Based upon technology brought back from the Delta Quadrant by the USS *Voyager*, these generators helped to dissipate energy across the hull and to regenerate damaged portions of the ablative hull coating.

Also incorporated into the design were sophisticated electromagnetic and emissions-dampening technologies that greatly improved the class' passive stealth capabilities over previous Starfleet designs.

The *Pathfinder*-class was initially equipped with 3 Yoyodyne 960-A unified field emitter deflector shield arrays. These projected unimatrix shields with regenerative, multi-spectrum, covariant, and metaphasic properties around the vessels. Nexus Defense Screens, that protected the crew from the effects of the Nexus and similar phenomena, were also integrated into the shield systems.

The primary armaments of the *Pathfinder*-class were its thirteen Annular Confinement Beam-jacketed Type-X phasers and its four variable-payload Mk 115 launch tubes. The two rear-facing launch tubes were located aft of the bridge module, while the forward-facing launchers flanked the navigational deflector. Quantum torpedoes were carried as standard ordnance, but the *Pathfinder* also carried a complement of tricobalt devices for the bombardment of heavy targets.

An additional two Type-VII phasers were included as part of the starship's close-in weapons system. One was located slightly forward from the bridge and the second was at the aft of the secondary hull.

### Auxiliary systems

Keeping with its design heritage, the *Pathfinder*-class was also designed with the ability to enter a planet's atmosphere and land on the surface. As such, vessels were equipped with antigravity generators and impulse lifters on the underside of both the primary and secondary hulls and landing pads on the lower section of the star drive hull. Vessels of the class would go to blue alert when engaging in a planetary landing.

The outer hull mounted twelve emitter arrays for the frigate's transporter system. These were connected to three personnel transporters, two cargo transporters, and a dozen emergency transporters.

Another key component of the subclass' versatility was its modularity. Two large, modular mission bays were housed in the secondary hull. A variety of modules could be quickly installed to allow for *Pathfinder* starships to be easily adapted to their specific missions. Modules included: advanced research facilities, advanced sickbay, dedicated personnel billets, advanced security complex, diplomatic suites, and an expanded shuttlebay.

### Auxiliary craft systems

The initial standard complement of the *Pathfinder*-class was 5 shuttlecraft and 2 workpods. As with the *Intrepid*-class, *Pathfinder* vessels were also equipped with a ventrally docked integrated craft: a VAR-8/B *Aero*-class shuttlecraft, commonly referred to as an "aeroshuttle." The craft was designed for atmospheric operations and short-term missions as a support vessel, rather than as an independently operating small craft like the *Danube*-class on which it was loosely based.

The class carried fifty-four Type A Mark IX Autonomous Survival and Recovery Vehicles (ASRV). Each evacuation pod was housed in its own ejection berth strategically located throughout the frigate.

#### Shuttlebay

The main shuttlebay of the *Pathfinder*-class was situated at the stern of the secondary hull with the flight deck on Deck 6. A specialized berth for an embarked *Aero*-class shuttle was integrated into the ventral side of the primary hull and accessible from Deck 8.

### Crew support systems

Holographic projectors were equipped throughout *Pathfinder*-class vessels. These allowed for emergency holograms to be quickly activated at any location at the time of need. As such, the photonic core of the class stored the programs for an Emergency Medical Holograms, two Emergency Engineering Holograms, and six Emergency Security Holograms.

#### Medical facilities

The *Pathfinder*-class was equipped with a Class D sickbay, located on Deck 4, with 16 biobeds. Connected to the ward was a medical laboratory and a specialist suite, which could be adapted for dental and optical procedures.

## Gallery

Launching an *Aero*-class support vessel.
## Appendices

### Connections

**Project groups:** **Union Station** (*Geneva* • *Concorde* • *Presidio*) • **Century Cruiser** (*Springfield* • *New Orleans* • *Challenger* • *Niagara* • *Freedom II* • *Galaxy* • *Nebula* • *Cheyenne*) • **Multi-Mission explorers** (*Brigid* • *Esquiline* • *Palatine*) • **Deep Shadow** (*Eclipse* • *Phantom* • *Scryer*) • **Miracle Worker** (*Scott* • *Daystrom* • *Tucker* • *Gagarin*) • **Aeronaut** (*Mercury* • *Ajax* • *Icarus* • *Shran*)

**Other named classes:** *Aegian* • *Aerie* • *Akula* • *Atlas* • *California* • *Centaur* • *Challenger* • *Cheyenne* • *Constellation* • *Constitution III* • *Crossfield* • *Curry* • *Daedalus* • *Dauntless* • *Excelsior II* • *Freedom II* • *Gemini* • *Glenn* • *Guardian* • *Inquiry* • *Iwo Jima* • *Jupiter* • *Lexington* • *Niagara* • *Obena* • *Okinawa* • *Parliament* • *Perseus* • *Pioneer* • *Ranger* • *Sagan* • *Solanae* • *Springfield* • *Turing* • *Ulysses*

**Auxiliary craft:** *Aero* • Class C • Class F • *Danube* • *Flyer* • *Gondola* • *Kodai* • *Mollard* • *Peregrine* • *Selenic* • Type 4 • Type 5 • Type 6 (Type 6A • Type 6S) • Type 7 • Type 8 • Type 9 (Type 9A) • Type 10 • Type 11 • Type 14 • Type 17 • Type 19 • *Valkyrie* • *Venture* • *Waverider* • *Yellowstone*

**Leadership:** Commander-in-chief • Joint Chiefs • Chief of Starfleet External Affairs • Chief of Starfleet Operations • Chief of Starfleet Research and Exploration • Chief of Starfleet Tactical

**Agencies:** Operations (Engineering • Judicial • Materiel Supply • Mission Operations • Personnel Management • Records Service • Shipyards Operations • Starbase Operations) • Research & Exploration (Science • Medical) • External Affairs • Tactical (Intelligence • Security • MACO)

**Notable units:** Ktarn Fleet • Task Force 77

**Facilities:** Deep Space K-7 • Deep Space K-13 • Deep Space 9 • Masamichi Array • Starbase 45-Keepsake • Starbase 82-Maat • Starbase 234-Beskerm • Starbase 247-Vershina

**Agencies:** Starfleet • Diplomatic Corps • Department of Temporal Investigations • Federation Security Agency

**Facilities:** 40 Eridani A Starfleet Construction Yards • Antares Ship Yards • Beta Antares Ship Yards • Copernicus Ship Yards • Laikan Starfleet Shipyards • McKinley Station • Memory Project • New Aberdeen Shipyards • Proxima Maintenance Yards • Salazaar Shipyards • San Francisco Fleet Yards • TL-9139 Starfleet Maintenance Yards • Tranquility Base • Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards

### Sources consulted

* Pathfinder class article at *Memory Alpha*.
* Pathfinder class article at *Memory Beta*.
* Pathfinder Long Range Science Vessel article at the *Star Trek Online Wiki*.
* "Starfleet's Four-Quadrant Strategy," *TTC Jayce's Navy Interstellar* 244, no. 1 (Stardate 87086.07): 58-61.
* *Star Trek Online Starships Collection* issue 07: "U.S.S. Pathfinder NCC-97600."
* Pathfinder Class Long-Range Science Vessel artwork by Thomas Morrone posted at ArtStation.
* "Star Trek Online: Pathfinder Class Science Vessel - Official Breakdown" video by the Spacedock channel.

### Footnotes

1. ↑ Derived from the MSD created by Dodye.
2. ↑ Trekyards episode: "198: Pathfinder Class (STO) (Part 2)," 10:57.
3. ↑ *Star Trek Online Starships Collection* issue 07: "U.S.S. Pathfinder NCC-97600."
4. ↑ "U.S.S. Pathfinder," *TTC Jayce's Navy Interstellar* 244, no. 1 (Stardate 87086.07): 58; *STA - Utopia Planitia Starfleet Sourcebook*, 204.