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Last Updated June 24, 2007
Majestic Explorer

Owner

United Federation of Planets
Class Capital Ship
Availability Limited Availability (33%)
In Service 2380
Out of Service n/a
Source none
Author Malcolm Lu
Last Updated December 14, 2003
Majestic Explorer
Description:
During the Dominion War, the Advanced Starship Design Bureau, Starfleet Tactical, and design and construction teams at shipyards throughout the Federation concentrated on designing and constructing new starships for the war effort. Consequently, the construction of new explorers was significantly curtailed, or suspended, in favor of producing large numbers of Defiant, Akira, and other starship classes that could be used as warships. Also during this period, starships assigned to Exploration Command were re-assigned and used as front-line battleships or were pressed into service as scouts to provide battlefield intelligence and reconnaissance. When the war was over, Starfleet began to inventory and assess its total fleet strength. Statistics showed that the number of explorers and science ships lost during the war was double that other starship types.

In February of 2375, Galaxy Exploration Command transmitted a request for proposal to all design bureaus and fleet yards throughout the Federation for a new medium class explorer that could support upcoming exploration projects and missions. Exploration Command made this decision after it extensively inventoried and reviewed the suitability of the remaining Excelsior- and Ambassador-class explorers still operating in the fleet and the age andcondition of their spaceframes. After reviewing the proposals transmitted back from the Advanced Starship Design Bureau and others, Exploration Command selected a proposal submitted by Antares Fleet Yards for a medium-sized explorer based onthe experimental U.S.S. Hyperion NX-86997 project.

The U.S.S. Hyperion was constructed at Antares Fleet Yards to serve as an experimental systems evaluation prototype for a new class of heavy quantum torpedo cruisers or "battlecruisers." The goals of the Hyperion-class were to create a starship with the offensive firepower of the Achilles-class combined with the speed, agility, and maneuverability of the Intrepid-class derived Yeager-class, in a medium-sized explorer platform. Like the Achilles-class, the Hyperion class was intended to attack and destroy heavily defended shipyards, Ketracel White factories, and Jem'Hadar hatcheries, but with greater range, greater time between fleet replenishment, and longer deployment schedules than the Achilles-class. With the end of the war in 2375, development of the Hyperion-class was cancelled and the prototype mothballed with the intention of using it as a future technologies test platform.

Antares Fleet Yards proposed to Exploration Command that the Hyperion-class prototype would be an excellent choice as the starting point for a new class of medium-sized explorers, and the U.S.S. Hyperion spaceframe was used to test and evaluate the Borg-derived technology that was ultimately deployed in the Majestic-class. The lead ship of this class, U.S.S. Majestic NCC-87001, is named in memory of the Miranda-class U.S.S. Majestic NCC-31060, which was lost with all hands during the battle to retake Deep Space Nine (Operation Return) in 2374. Use of the name Majestic also has along history and tradition in Starfleet and in the British Royal Navy, with many famous vessels bearing this name.

Ship Control Sheet(s):
Majestic Explorer - SCS
 Limited Availability (33%)
 
This ship is included in the:
Ships of the Fleet: United Federation of Planets
Ship Archive
   
Related Entries:
No Related Entries
 
Design Notes:
The Majestic design, background, and ship control sheet are all the creation of Malcolm Lu.


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