Aero class

## SPACECRAFT CLASS

The ***Aero*-class** was a type of spacecraft designed as an integrated craft for Starfleet's *Intrepid*-class, where it berthed in a special docking port on the ventral side of the primary hull. The craft entered service in 2370, a year before the *Intrepid* design.

## History

Following design principles of the *Nova*-class, the *Intrepid*-class was also developed with a ventral berth for a subordinate craft. While the *Nova's* *Waverider*-class was built for atmospheric operations and short-term missions as an integrated craft, the new *Aero*-class, commonly referred to a the "aeroshuttle," was slated for more independence. For this reason, the project was assigned to the team that developed the *Danube*-class runabout.

Two prototypes were constructed in 2369 with fifteen additional shuttles completed the next year. Seven of those were assigned to the initial run of *Intrepid*-class starships, while the remaining eight were put into service at starbases throughout Federation space.

## Technical information

### Deck plan

The internal layout of the *Aero*-class comprised a single deck. A large, forward compartment included the cockpit, which was divided from the rest of work area by a two person transporter pad. A basic, retractable biobed sat port of a head in the rear of the compartment. Additional consoles lined the bulkheads and were broken up by an entryway at the immediate aft. This led to a small hallway with the two external hatches and another entryway to the craft's small living area.

The living compartment contained eight bunks, each with privacy screens, and a door to the washroom. The rear entryway led into the aft compartment, which served as a combined lounge and cargo hold. The area contained a table with chairs, a sofa, basic consumables replicator, entrance into the secure storage area, and a ramp for egress.

### Command systems

Located in the forward section of the main compartment, the cockpit of *Aero*-class vessels contained four stations for the control and operation of the craft. The forward starboard console was the flight control station. To its left was the dedicated operations station. The two consoles sitting to port and starboard were reconfigurable, but standard settings were a combination of tactical and mission operations to starboard and science and auxiliary to port.

### Tactical systems

The class made use of the FSQ-2 Primary Force Field and Deflector Control System software.

## Variants

Each subclass of the *Intrepid* called for variations in the *Aero*-class design. Small changes were also made to some of the variants developed to operate independently of a larger starship.

By 2409, the class was on its second model of its 8th variant, which was designed as a integrated craft for the new *Pathfinder*-class.

## Gallery

A VAR-1 docked in an *Intrepid*-class.A VAR-1 *Aero* shuttle disembarking from an *Intrepid*-class.A VAR-8/B departing from a *Pathfinder*-class.A VAR-8/B approaching a *Pathfinder*-class.
## 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

* Aeroshuttle article at *Memory Alpha*.
* Aeroshuttle article at *Memory Beta*.
* *Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection* issue 78: "USS *Voyager's* Aeroshuttle."
* *Star Trek: Starship Spotter*.

### Footnotes

1. ↑ *Star Trek: The Magazine* - vol. 3; issue 12: "DS9 10th anniversary collectors issue."
2. ↑ Derived from Aeroshuttle Carpathia - Interior cutaway by Falke.
3. ↑ "U.S.S. Pathfinder," TTC *Jayce's Navy Interstellar* 244, no. 1 (Stardate 87086.07): 58.