Equinox class

## SPACECRAFT CLASS

Lead ship of the class in orbit of Earth

The ***Equinox*-class** was a type of spacecraft developed by Starfleet in the early 25th century. It was derived from the *Nova*-class and was classified as a scale 3 exploration frigate.

## History

After the end of the Iconian War, Starfleet pushed to reemphasize its mandate to explore the unknown in an attempt to help its personnel, and Federation citizens, heal. While the service continued to develop multi-purpose cruisers, Starfleet Command asked for purpose-built designs that could focus on specific aspects of Starfleet's mission. In consultation with Starfleet Science Command, the Advanced Starship Design Bureau presented two designs to the admiralty: the *Equinox* and the *Grissom*. The *Equinox*-class brought the *Nova* design into the 25th century, while the *Grissom* was a major update to the time-tested *Oberth*-class.

While the *Nova* had been developed to replace the aging *Oberth*-class, the two new designs were created concurrently, each with a unique focus. The *Equinox* was to fulfill surveys and mapping of astronomical objects, while the *Grissom* was developed for the same role for stellar bodies.

A minor scandal accompanied the development of the *Equinox*-class when concerns were raised regarding the choice of name for the design. The *Nova*-class USS *Equinox* had been destroyed in 2376 under troubling circumstances. Starfleet Command, through its Public Affairs Office, released a statement that "Equinox" had been chosen in an attempt to rehabilitate the name and pointed to two other vessels that carried the name with notable service records. This statement and further conversations with the main objectors within the Federation Council resolved the issue and the design went into production as the *Equinox*-class.

## Technical information

### Command systems

Located on Deck 1, the bridge of the *Equinox*-class served as the hub of all ship functions. The initial module had a wide viewscreen along the forward bulkhead. Immediately aft of the screen was the flight control console. To port was the dedicated operations station, with the primary science station mirroring it on the starboard side. At the center of the bridge were two command chairs, one for the vessel's commanding officer and one for the executive officer. Between the seats was a console where most ship systems could be monitored.

Behind the command area was the tactical and mission operations console. Due to the *Equinox*-class being designed first as a research vessel, the need for a station dedicated solely to tactical functions was deemed unnecessary. Along the rear bulkhead were the Master Systems Display to starboard, flanked by a dedicated engineering station and a multi-use console. Opposite these were two additional science stations and a second multi-use console.

### Science and remote sensing systems

The class also carried two Peripheral Sensor Drones. Housed in berths behind the navigational deflector, the PSDs could be dispatched to provide sensor triangulation or cover larger areas than the frigate could alone. The devices could be controlled remotely from the Equinox-class vessel, or could be pre-programmed to follow a designated flightpath.

### Tactical systems

The hull of *Gagarin*-class starships was a neutronium alloy armor 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.

The *Equinox* mounted eight Annular Confinement Beam-jacketed Type-X phasers and three variable-payload launch tubes. The single forward-facing launchers was part of an assembly underneath the primary hull, while the aft-facing tubes extended from beneath the primary cargo bay. Photon torpedoes were carried as standard ordnance.

### Auxiliary systems

The secondary hull housed two compartments for the starship's Modular Rapid Deployment System, one facing starboard and the other port. These were versatile holds that allowed for the quick egress of supplies, equipment, and other materiel. Each compartment was reinforced with tritanium plating and redundant containment fields, and the external hatch could open within 1.2 seconds to allow the rapid deployment of payloads.

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

The transporter systems connected to two emitter arrays on the dorsal hull.

### Auxiliary craft systems

The sole shuttlebay of the *Equinox*-class was located at the aft of the secondary hull. Primary docking control and an office for the aerospace officer and shuttlebay manager were located above the facility.

The design carried sixteen Type A Mark IX Autonomous Survival and Recovery Vehicles (ASRV), each with their own berth. The evacuation pods were designed to carry up to six personnel each.

## 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

* Equinox class article at *Memory Beta*.
* Equinox Pilot Scout Ship article at the *Star Trek Online Wiki*.