Introduction to Flight Operations

Operations aboard the USS Solstice are divided into three general categories:

* Flight operations
* Primary mission operations
* Secondary mission operations

Flight operations are those that relate directly to the function of the starship itself. These include power generation, propulsion, environmental support, utilities, and other systems that are required to maintain the spaceworthiness of the vehicle.

Mission operations are those tasks that have been assigned to the ship and its crew. Mission operations are divided into two categories, primary and secondary missions.

Primary missions are those whose execution is under current direct supervision of the Main Bridge. Primary missions often require flight control of the spacecraft, or use of significant fractions of the ship's sensors or other resources.

Secondary missions are those that are not under direct supervision of the Main Bridge. These operations are usually run in parallel with and are designed not to impact upon primary mission operations. Secondary missions are typically long-term scientific or cultural studies that are run semiautonomously by specialized mission teams.

It is not uncommon for a dozen secondary missions to be running concurrently. It is also not uncommon for a secondary mission to be designated as a primary mission for a specified period of time. For example, the launch of a specialized instrument probe is a primary mission when controlled by the Main Bridge, but the subsequent data collection phase, supervised by a specialized mission team, might be treated as a secondary mission.

MISSION TYPES

The multimission starship is by definition capable of performing a wide range of mission scenarios, offering autonomous capability of executing nearly any of Starfleet's objective. This capability is extremely valuable for vehicles operating near the frontier of Federation influence where additional Starfleet support may be unavailable.

Missions for the Nova class USS Solstice generally fall into one of the following categories, utilizing the following spacecraft capabilities:

* Deep-space exploration. The Solstice is equipped for long-range stellar survey and mapping missions, as well as a wide range of planetary exploration.
* Ongoing scientific investigations. The Solstice has support capability for a number of ongoing scientific research projects. Many such projects are classified as secondary missions.
* Contact with alien lifeforms. Pursuant to the Starfleet Life Contact Policy Directive, facilities to support such missions include a full exobiology and cultural sociology staff, as well as a highly sophisticated complement of universal translation software.
* Tactical and defense. Typical tactical and defensive missions might include defense of the Federation installations, or protection of Federation interests in planetary or interstellar conflicts.
* Emergency and rescue. Typical rescue scenarios include rescue of Starfleet and non-Starfleet spacecraft in distress. Planetary rescue scenarios include medium-scale evacuation from planetary surfaces of humanoid and non-humanoid populations. Large-scale evacuation of planetary populations is not feasible.