Nebula-class Explorer

Nebula-class Explorer (Battlecruiser)

The Nebula-class was developed along-side the Galaxy-class in the 2340s and ‘50s. While Starfleet believed in the feasibility of the Galaxy-class, they wanted a more cost-effective ship that would be able to perform much of the same missions as the larger, more expensive capital ships under construction.

Part of the design that was approved by Starfleet included a multi-mission module that could easily be exchanged within days at a certified facility. The first of which consisted of a sensor dome attached to the rear of the ship. Designed to aid in long-range reconnaissance and search-and-rescue operations, the sensor pod quickly proved its usefulness, so much so that several Nebula-class vessels were allocated to border patrols.

With the flexibility given to it by the replaceable pod-module, the Nebula-class has quickly become one of the most produced and utilized starships of the 24th century.

## Mission Pods

The Nebula-class is unique in that it has an interchangeable equipment module located at the rear of the ship. The ‘pod’ as it is sometimes called, can be replaced with another - sometimes within a few days - when performed at a starbase. Changing pods is a very involved process, and as such, requires use of Starbase shipyard facilities.

### Sensor pod

The majority of the first Nebula-class ships were outfitted with this pod, which greatly extended the ship’s sensor range. With this pod the Nebula-class ship is virtually unmatched in regards to sensor capability. Ships with this pod module were routinely assigned to deep-space exploration, hostile border patrols or long-range reconnaissance.

### Weapons pod

With the recent Borg invasions and Dominion War, Starfleet quickly mobilized to deploy the weapons pod, which contains 8 forward-facing torpedo launchers, and 3 Type X point-defence phaser emitters. The launchers are fed by an additional 200 photon torpedoes stored in the pod itself. While equipped with eight launchers, each launcher is a smaller type similar to that used by Intrepid-class ships, and as such can only fire up to 3 torpedoes at once, with a reload time of 6 seconds. Later versions of the pod are also equipped with a limited number of quantum torpedoes. The weapons pod is also equipped with two shield generators (one main, one backup) since it was realized that the pod would be an easy target. The shield generators are the same type used throughout the rest of the ship and draw power directly from the auxiliary energy reserves during Red Alert situations.

### Tactical pod

This is a recent addition to the Nebula-class fleet, and is quickly becoming the default module for all new Nebulas being built. The design combines the scanning capabilities of the sensor pod and the offensive capabilities of the weapons pod into one module. There are disadvantages to this design. The tactical pod contains 75 fewer torpedoes (125), in order to make room for the sensor pallets. Also, the scanners are primarily designed to aid in targeting for the torpedoes and phasers, and as such are not optimized for long-range usage.

### Hospital pod

This speciality pod, while not found in wide-spread use, includes the same medical facilities found in large starbases and is equipped to handle several hundred casualties at once.

### Habitation/Colony pod

This pod contains a large number of residential quarters, and is sometimes used on long-term missions, or on missions focusing on populating a colony. Depending on the configuration, up to 6,000 people can be ferried in the habitation module. With slight modifications, this module can be configured to act as a troop transport, enabling the ship to carry several thousand troops. During the offensive on Cardassia Prime at the end of the Dominion War, several habitation pod-equipped ships were used with great efficacy to transport troops to the front lines. This module also contains a dozen dedicated transporters, allowing the roughly 5,000 troops to be beamed out within a relatively short amount of time.

### Shuttlebay/Hangar pod

This experimental pod includes a large shuttle hangar with the space to hold over two dozen runabouts and fighters. Further information regarding maximum capacity and capabilities is classified pending review by Starfleet Command.