Rhode Island class

## SPACECRAFT CLASS

Starboard dorsal view

Master Systems Display of the class (Alikahn)

The ***Rhode Island*-class**, named for an area of Earth, was a type of spacecraft developed by Starfleet in the late 24th century as a refit of the *Nova*-class.

## History

The spaceframe that would become the USS *Rhode Island* was the first *Nova*-class vessel to begin construction after the disastrous Dominion War. Before the hull passed midway completion, efforts were halted to allow time for a review of the *Nova's* performance during the war. Several areas of improvement were noted and a Mark II refit was developed. Construction soon resumed on the USS *Rhode Island*, now lead ship of a new class, and the frigate began active trials in early 2376.

The updates showed promise and two other *Nova* spaceframes awaiting completion, the USS *Ithmel Zhek* and USS *Jhamel*, were instead built to Mark II standards. In a unique turn of events, the USS *Nova* was in need of repairs and was pulled for refit as a test. All three followed the USS *Rhode Island* into active service in 2377, the *Nova* being recommissioned with a new registry.

The new design saw resounding success and evaluations showed that most of the new systems could be adapted to the original design, reducing costs on refitting remaining *Nova*-class frigates. The USS *Nova* remained the only vessel refit to *Rhode Island*-class.

## Technical specifications

Like its parent class, the *Rhode Island*-class was one of the few Starfleet vessels designed with the ability to enter a planet's atmosphere and land on the surface. Vessels were equipped with antigravity generators and impulse lifters on the underside of both the primary and secondary hulls and landing pads and a boarding ramp on the lower section of the star drive hull.

### Deck plan

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

### Command systems

The primary difference between the Mark II command module employed in the *Rhode Island*-class was the adjustment of key consoles to face the viewscreen. The flight control station or conn remained forward of the central command area, which retained its seats for the commanding and executive officers. The dedicated consoles for operations and sciences were adjusted to face the viewscreen, operations remaining to port with the primary science console to starboard. On the railing above and behind the command area was a small console for tactical or mission operations. The master systems display, which covered the aft bulkhead, was flanked by three consoles to either side between the entryways. The engineering station and two multi-use consoles sat starboard of the MSD, with the secondary science console and two additional multi-use consoles were located portside. Both the starboard and port entryways led to the Deck 1 corridor.

Located to starboard and slightly forward of the bridge module was the briefing room. Accessed via two entryways from the Deck 1 corridor, a long viewscreen covered the port bulkhead, opposite two large viewports. An elongated table, surrounded by ten chairs took up the bulk of the compartment. A basic consumables replicator was embedded in the aft bulkhead.

### Auxiliary craft systems

The *Rhode Island*-class retained its ventral berth for a *Waverider*-class support craft. Like its parent vessel, the Waverider also received a significant overhaul of its design and its capabilities expanded with the inclusion of a warp propulsion system. The new VAR-2 was capable of speeds up to Warp 5.

The shuttlebay was updated, but remained relatively the same from the *Nova* design.

## Gallery

View down a corridor (Falke2009).View into a turbolift (Falke2009).View of the sickbay surgical suite (Falke2009).View of the chief medical officer's office and partial view of the med lab (Falke2009).
## 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

* Rhode Island class article at *Memory Beta*.
* *Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection* issue 98: "USS *Rhode Island* NCC-72701."
* Rhode Island Science Vessel Refit article at the *Star Trek Online Wiki*.
* Rhode Island Class article at the Bravo Fleet Wiki.

### Footnotes

1. ↑ Derived from MSD created by Alikahn.
2. ↑ Derived from Nova Class Refit - Bridge ver.2 by Falke.