Shenzhou class

## SPACECRAFT CLASS

Ventral view

Dorsal view

The ***Shenzhou*-class** was a type of spacecraft developed by Starfleet in the early 25th century as part of the Yard 39 Project. It was inspired by the *Georgiou*-class, itself derived from the *Walker*-class, and incorporated many elements from the C3 Development Project and the *Gagarin*-class.

## History

In October 2410, the Klingon Defense Force turned over the damaged hulk of the USS *Georgiou* to the Advanced Starship Design Bureau. Presumed lost for over 100 years, the starship inspired the Bureau's designers to create a 25th century iteration of the vessel. Development was assigned to the team led by Herbigrabe Loxol under the Yard 39 Project. Many elements from the C3 Development Project were incorporated into the new design and it shared many similarities to the *Gagarin*-class.

Named after the USS *Shenzhou*, a *Walker*-class vessel lost at the Battle of the Binary Stars, the lead ship of the *Shenzhou*-class entered service in early 2411.

## Technical information

The *Shenzhou* was designed as a command, control, and communication (C3) cruiser, like the *Buran* and *Presidio*-classes before it. Though significantly smaller than its predecessors, the class still carried C3 systems on par with its larger cousins. It also sacrificed some defensive capabilities for more maneuverability. Making use of two multiphasic communications antennae, the *Shenzhou* was capable of relaying battle-critical information instantaneously and its dedicated computer core allowed for real-time processing of high amounts of tactical information. This was all interconnected with a fleet operations center, where unit leadership could use the full capabilities of a *Shenzhou*-class cruiser when coordinating with other Starfleet vessels.

### Deck plan

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

 9
 10

### Command systems

#### Bridge

Like the *Walker*-class before it, the *Shenzhou*-class bridge was located on Deck 9 on the ventral side of the primary hull.

#### Unit command center

Immediately abaft of the bridge was the unit command center, which served as the command, control, and communications hub aboard the starship to coordinate with other unit elements.

### Propulsion systems

The propulsion systems of the *Shenzhou*-class were taken from the *Gagarin*-class. The design's powerplant was the D’Shalla Industries *taFar*-8/3 Matter/Anti-Matter Reaction Assembly (M/ARA), which was connected to 2 Yoyodyne "Shortbow" Linear Warp Drive Units with Multi-Phasic Bussard Ramscoop Collectors, and 2 Vervyn HK-7 Combat Subatomic Unified Energy Impulse Units.

The class also carried a single Rigel Labs X06-C quantum slipstream drive, which allowed a vessel to travel at slipstream speeds exceeding 300 light years per hour. Two waveform attenuators, attached to the lower pylons beneath the cannon mounts, helped to maintain the slipstream field. Due to power limitations at the time, the drive could only be operated for 15 seconds before needing a 2 hour recovery downtime.

An Ithra IT-5 Transwarp Coil allowed *Shenzhou*-class starships 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 remot sensing systems

To improve the tactical capabilities of designs in the Yard 39 Project, Starfleet engineers included 2 SENTINEL Omni-Directional Targeting Arrays originally developed for the *Endeavour*-class. To complete the *Shenzhou*'s advanced and varied sensor package, engineers also included a Class-G long range sensor array, four DYN-90 Multi-band linear sensor suites, and 6 Multidifferential-multispectral (MDMS) Passive Sensor Vanes.

### Tactical systems

The hull of *Shenzhou*-class starships was made of 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.

Two Yoyodyne 960-B unified field emitter deflector shield arrays 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.

Unlike the other C3 cruisers, the *Shenzhou*-class was designed to serve in less of a support role and was intended to be on the front lines coordinating with other vessels. The class mounted 10 type-X Annular Confinement Beam-jacketed phaser arrays, 4 type-XII pulse phaser cannons, 5 type-VII phaser turrets, and 6 variable-payload Mk 112 direct-fire launch tubes. Quantum torpedoes were carried as standard ordnance, but the *Shenzhou* also carried a complement of tricobalt devices for the bombardment of heavy targets.

### Auxiliary systems

Immediately above the shuttlebay were eight compartments for the starship's Modular Rapid Deployment System, which designers borrowed from the *Gagarin*-class. This system was designed to allow the *Shenzhou* to fulfill its multi-role functions without extensive refit.

Twelve emitter pads on the starship's exterior were connected to its transporter system, which consisted of 6 personnel transporter platforms, 2 cargo transporters, and 20 emergency transporters. Like the *Gagarin*-class, the *Shenzhou* carried 12 Portable Transporter Platform - Orbital units that greatly expanded the cruiser's mission range.

### Auxiliary craft systems

The class had a single, aft-facing shuttlebay that could accommodate up to 12 auxiliary craft. The standard complement was 8 craft, including 2 workpods, 2 shuttlepods, and 4 shuttlecraft.

### Crew support systems

Holographic projectors were equipped throughout *Shenzhou*-class vessels. These allowed for emergency holograms to be quickly activated at any location at the time of need. The ship's photonic core stored the programs for three Emergency Medical Holograms, three Emergency Engineering Holograms, and six Emergency Security Holograms.

## 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

* Shenzhou class article at *Memory Beta*.
* Walker Legendary Light Battlecruiser article at the *Star Trek Online Wiki*.
* Shenzhou Class Light Battlecruiser artwork by Thomas Morrone posted at ArtStation.

### Footnotes

1. ↑ *Star Trek Online -  Mirror of Discovery* short story: "Jayce's Interstellar: Around the Galaxy."
2. ↑ Derived from MSD created by Lee Arundel.
3. ↑ Inferred from *Star Trek Online Starships Collection* issue 01: "USS Gagarin NCC-97930."