voyager warp core

Star Trek: 10 Secrets Of USS Voyager You Need To Know

4. two-ish warp cores.

Two episodes of Star Trek: Voyager, "Day of Honor" and "Renaissance Man", specifically dealt with aliens trying to capture Voyager's warp core. In both episodes the core was ejected and the crew forced to recover the valuable tech lest they be stranded in the Delta Quadrant even more than they already were.

However, according the cutaway graphic of Voyager prominently displayed at the back of the bridge, the ship was actually designed with two warp cores. While the primary warp core was quite obviously located in engineering, according to the graphic, a secondary warp core was located directly behind Voyager's navigational deflector dish. On top of this, the filming miniature of Voyager also featured two warp core ejection hatches on the belly of the ship.

So why didn't the Voyager crew just let the aliens have their core and install the spare?

The ship's designer, Rick Sternbach, has speculated that the secondary core may not have been operational, but was a spare assembly used for parts that otherwise couldn't be replicated. In reality, the answer is simply that if Janeway had just ordered B'Elanna to install the spare warp core and get under way, both "Day of Honor" and "Renaissance Man" would've been short episodes.

I played Shipyard Bar Patron (Uncredited) in Star Trek (2009).

Designing Voyager’s Main Engineering

Once the design of Voyager ’s bridge had been finalized, Production Designer Richard James had a fairly good idea of what he wanted to achieve with the rest of the ship’s interiors.

As with the bridge, the challenge for engineering was to produce something fresh without making it unrecognizable to Star Trek fans.

That challenge was made a little easier by the fact that the set would be a redress of The Next Generation ’s.

The Enterprise -D’s engine room had been mostly on one level with a small walkway around the top of the warp core. James wanted to make Voyager ’s more spacious. There was no room to make the set longer, so he concentrated on its height. James conceived the notion of a warp core around which the actors could walk with the camera following them. That would give the set greater depth and motion, and permit new camera angles and perspectives.

Illustrator Jim Martin produced several drawings which gave the set an upper level. That conceptual approach was approved. The second floor would be centered around the warp core: a catwalk permitted actors to be filmed climbing up to this level and moving while there. Adding ladders and a small vertical lift would add more new potential camera shots.

In the final version, James pushed the design further by taking engineering up to a third level.

This emphasis on verticalness also applied to the warp core itself. It had been established on The Next Generation that the core ran almost the entire height of the ship, but on the Enterprise this was not immediately apparent from a visit to engineering. Voyager ’s warp core disappears into a well in the floor and rises far above the actors’ heads, so when visual effects produced footage of the warp core being ejected, the effect was completely believable — viewers knew the core to be real, as they had seen a large part of it for themselves in engineering.

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Which Colour of Warp Core?

Discussion in ' Star Trek: Voyager ' started by Bry_Sinclair , Mar 18, 2021 .

Which core do you prefer?

Bry_Sinclair Vice Admiral Admiral

I'm just curious what people thought about the changing colour of the warp core. If anyone had a preference or any head canon for the change or is it something that should be retconned? So who likes the original purple core from "Caretaker" to "Parturition" and who likes the blue core from "Persistence of Vision" to "Endgame"?  

F. King Daniel Fleet Admiral Admiral

I never noticed the colour change I did like the crazy Disco warp core from "Q2", and the green one from ... some episode where Seven was hallucinating?  

Timelord Victorious Vice Admiral Admiral

Well, the inside is filled with plasma of deuterium and anti deuterium. I have no idea what it‘s spectral wavelength is supposed to be. But if the light comes from the gas being excited to a highe renergy state and re-emitting photons according to it‘s spectrum color, that should be it. deuterium is a version of hydrogen, right? Hydrogen is usually red. So, going by that it should glow red (they got it right for the Bussard collectors picking up the gas from space).  

I looked it up. Deuterium has an emission spike in the red, but it‘s main spectrum is in the ultraviolet. So, for the two options in the poll, purple would fit better? min any case, with UV light as the main emission, hopefully Geordie and B‘Elanna run a clean main engineering. No dirty secrets in this part of the ship.  

Tachyon Flux said: ↑ DISCLAIMER: Not a physicist. Not even playing one on TV. So I may be completely wrong. Doesn't the annihilation of a matter-antimatter reaction just release all the energy of the atoms and anti-atoms involved? Wouldn't it be across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, therefore (at least in the human visible range) white light? Click to expand...

Gepard Vice Admiral Admiral

The purple with spikes of pink and yellow was much more visually interesting than the blue with lighter blue. I preferred the purple.  

Oddish Vice Admiral Admiral

Why can't they make a hot pink warp core? Or chartreuse?  

at Quark's Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

Seems all species have their own warp core colors (Color Coded for your Convenience). Imagine the Borg assimilating a species that has a 150% more efficient warp core /AM technology - only drawback being that it generates all kinds of pretty, iridiscent rainbow-y colours. Perhaps they wouldn't incorporate it in their cubes, as it would ruin their entire forboding dark grey- green lighting theme.  

DGCatAniSiri Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

Gepard said: ↑ The purple with spikes of pink and yellow was much more visually interesting than the blue with lighter blue. I preferred the purple. Click to expand...

DGCatAniSiri said: ↑ Agreed, the purple was more eye catching. Admittedly, that’s probably the reason it got changed by the production side, so that it wasn’t pulling the audience’s attention away, but still, it had a neater look to it that I liked better. Click to expand...

Imagine if Geneviève Bujold had lasted longer before her departure, and Chakotay had wound up as captain because Janeway's actress was already established. Really though, Beltran's a good enough actor when allowed to be.  

Richard S. Ta Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

I thought it was always purple... huh. So, looking at the blue I prefer the purple. I wonder why they changed it?  

Richard S. Ta said: ↑ I thought it was always purple... huh. So, looking at the blue I prefer the purple. I wonder why they changed it? Click to expand...

Challenger2090 Lieutenant Junior Grade Red Shirt

I liked the purple...it was something different, made Voyager stand out a little more from TNG and DS9 I think,  

STEPhon IT Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

Oddish said: ↑ Imagine if Geneviève Bujold had lasted longer before her departure, and Chakotay had wound up as captain because Janeway's actress was already established. Really though, Beltran's a good enough actor when allowed to be. Click to expand...

I do agree with you to an extent about Janeway's apparent infallibility; I've even written a joke topic about it. https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/who-needs-chuck-norris-when-youve-got-kathryn-janeway.307281/ She would have been a better character had they not tried to make her a Mary Sue-esque combination of Kirk, Picard, Albert Einstein, John Rambo, and your favorite cool aunt's best aspects. But Bujold seemed like she was sleepwalking. She might have grown into the role over time, but overall I think Mulgrew was way better. The problem with Janeway was not as she was played, it was as she was written.  

Saul Vice Admiral Admiral

Always looked blue to me.... https://www.indy100.com/offbeat/retro-caravan-colour-debate-tiktok-b1826843  

nedski Commander Red Shirt

It would have been interesting to add some bubbles to the warp core.... It can remain purple, just adding some bubbles..... even if it had no scientific explanation  

Qonundrum Vice Admiral Admiral

All of them!  

In seriousness, the early days with the purple hue stood out better than the blue they retooled it to. And then came Q2, since U2 was unavailable...  

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Screen Rant

Star trek's new fastest ship changes the franchise's lore.

Star Trek: Prodigy's USS Protostar boasts two warp engines and a mysterious device that could mean it's the fastest starship in the late 24th century.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Prodigy episode 3 - "Starstruck".

The USS Protostar introduced in Star Trek: Prodigy may be the new fastest ship in Star Trek , thanks to innovations that are new in the franchise's lore. The Protostar-class starship, Starfleet registry NX-76884, was found abandoned on the mining planet of Tars Lamora by Dal R'El (Brett Gray) and Rok-Tahk (Rylee Alazraqui). After Dal and several new allies launched the Protostar and became its new crew, they discovered the starship is equipped with a training hologram of Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) . However, the Protostar obviously contains many secrets, including the fact that it may be the new fastest ship in Star Trek's 24th century.

Ever since the original NX-01 Enterprise commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) launched as the first Starfleet ship that could achieve speeds up to warp 5, Star Trek's ships have only gotten faster and more powerful. In the 23rd century, the USS Excelsior was deemed "the Great Experiment" because it had a transwarp drive, which could far exceed a standard warp drive's velocities. However, the Excelsior's transwarp drive wasn't widely implemented throughout Starfleet. Traditional warp drives using dilithium-powered antimatter cores remained the norm in Starfleet, even into the 32nd-century of  Star Trek: Discovery season 3 . But Star Trek: Prodigy 's USS Protostar appears to be a breakthrough in warp technology.

Related: Star Trek Fixes A Problem With Picard's Nemesis Origin

In Star Trek: Prodigy episode 3, "Starstruck," Jankom Pog (Jason Mantzoukas) and Zero explored the USS Protostar's Engineering section and they were shocked to discover their stolen starship has two warp cores and, in between, was a mysterious device they couldn't identify. Star Trek fans online who have taken screenshots of the Protostar's display panels speculate that the unknown tech is actually a third warp core, dubbed the Proto Engine, which, in turn, is powered by a Proto Core. While this hasn't been referenced on the show as of yet, if the Trekkers are correct, it could mean the Protostar may indeed be the fastest starship ever built within Star Trek: Prodigy 's canonical timeframe of 2383 . The Protostar potentially boasting three engines is also unheard of in Star Trek.

The Protostar's possible triple warp cores could explain how the starship ended up in the Delta Quadrant, to begin with. In Star Trek: Voyager , Captain Janeway's Intrepid-class USS Voyager was also a remarkably fast starship but it got transported across the galaxy because of the Caretaker. Voyager was able to return to Earth after 7 years but Janeway had significant help, including upgrades to her starship and using Borg technology. Meanwhile, Gwyn (Ella Purnell) learned that all of the Protostar's escape pods were launched, which means the crew abandoned the starship at some point before it landed in Tars Lamora. Zero (Angus Imrie) also speculated that the Protostar had been derelict for "years" so Starfleet may have been developing the multi-engined starship during  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Dominion War .

Star Trek: Picard season 1, which takes place in 2399, introduced the USS Zheng-He, which Captain William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) claimed was the fastest and most powerful ship Starfleet had ever built. By Star Trek: Picard 's era, the USS Protostar will be roughly 20 years old so Riker's boast is likely true. Of course, Star Trek: Discovery 's eponymous USS Discovery still outclasses every Starfleet ship in terms of speed. Thanks to its spore displacement hub drive, the Discovery can travel the mycelial network and instantly arrive at any destination. But the Discovery and its spore drive were wiped from Starfleet records prior to Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) leading her starship to the 32nd century.

In Star Trek: Prodigy 's late 24th century, warp drive is still the optimum means of intergalactic travel. As the USS Protostar's mysteries are unlocked, the rationale for why it has two warp cores and possibly a Proto Engine will be fascinating to learn, along with the truth of how the sleek Starfleet vessel crashed in the Delta Quadrant and why the evil Diviner (John Noble) desperately wants to possess it. If Star Trek: Prodigy 's USS Protostar does have three powerful warp cores, it may just be Starfleet's new standard for warp speed in 2383.

Next: Star Trek Proves Its Most Important Technology Isn't Starships

Star Trek: Prodigy streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

Intrepid class

• View history

The Intrepid -class starship was a Federation design that entered service in the latter half of the 24th century . The Intrepid -class was designed for long-term exploration missions. At less than half the size of a Galaxy -class starship, it was considered "quick and smart." ( VOY : " Someone to Watch Over Me ", " Scientific Method ", " Relativity ")

• 1 General overview
• 3.1.1 Decks
• 3.2 Command and control systems
• 3.3.1 Warp core ejection
• 3.4.1 Phaser systems
• 3.4.2 Torpedo systems
• 3.4.3 Deflector shields
• 3.4.4 Tractor beam
• 3.5.1 Medical facilities
• 3.5.2 Recreational facilities
• 3.5.3 Crew accommodations
• 3.6 Scientific capabilities
• 3.7.1 Transporter rooms
• 3.7.2 Cargo bays
• 3.7.3 Auxiliary spacecraft systems
• 4 Ships commissioned
• 5.1 Appearances
• 5.2.1 Development
• 5.2.2 Warp drive capabilities
• 5.2.3 Studio models
• 5.2.4 Designing the bridge
• 5.3 Apocrypha
• 5.4 Sources
• 5.5 External links

General overview [ ]

When it was first commissioned, the Intrepid class featured many innovations that were then available, including the warp core's tricyclic input manifold and variable geometry pylons . The class was also the first to use bio-neural gel packs and had the Mark I Emergency Medical Hologram (or EMH) system.

Capabilities upon introduction were equally impressive. The class boasted the best navigational sensors , and the highest top speed of any Starfleet vessel until the development of the Prometheus -class . Its multi-mission design was backed up by a main computer processor capable of simultaneously accessing 47 million data channels and sustaining 575 trillion calculations per nanosecond in operational temperatures from 10 to 1,790 Kelvin . ( VOY : " Relativity ", " Concerning Flight ")

The Intrepid -class USS Voyager had a stable crew complement of 141 when departing Deep Space 9 in 2371 . ( VOY : " Caretaker ") Throughout its journey in the Delta Quadrant , the ship operated with a crew of approximately 150. ( Star Trek: Voyager ) It is also noted that the ship can be operated with as few as 100 if needed. ( VOY : " The 37's ")

Class history [ ]

Voyager in drydock at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards

Development and construction of the Intrepid -class occurred at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards with the class entering service by 2370 . The second ship, USS Voyager , was commissioned in 2371 . It was the first ship to test the class 9 warp drive in deep space. At the time of its introduction, the Intrepid -class was considered to be the most technologically advanced out of all Starfleet's starship classes, though it would be superseded in that regard the following year by the Sovereign -class . ( VOY : " Caretaker ", " Relativity "; Star Trek: First Contact )

The performance of the Intrepid -class was well reflected by the starship Voyager . That ship was notable for independently, and successfully, completing an unscheduled seven-year journey across the previously unexplored Delta Quadrant , seventy thousand light years from Federation space, from 2371 to 2378 . The vessel was completely cut off from communication with Starfleet until 2374 and had no access to any Starfleet supplies or facilities for the entire length of its journey. ( VOY Season 1 through VOY Season 7 )

A newer version of the Intrepid -class was being used by Starfleet in the 31st and 32nd centuries . ( DIS : " Die Trying ", " Scavengers ")

Technical data [ ]

Physical arrangement [ ].

Close-up view of the Intrepid -class' primary hull

The hull configuration of the Intrepid -class adopted the saucer-type shape of previous starship classes, which of primary hull , secondary hull , and nacelles driven by the physics of warp generation and control. One of the Intrepid -class' most notable characteristics were its warp nacelles, which angled when going to warp, a quality which has not been observed in any other starship. The Intrepid -class used a duranium hull structure, a plasma -based power distribution system, and tricyclic life support systems. ( VOY : " Drone ")

Following the Starfleet standard, Deck 1 was reserved for the main bridge , with the briefing room and captain's ready room located to port and starboard sides of the bridge. Located in the front section of Deck 2 was the crew's mess hall and the captain's private dining hall, served by three windows that offered a spectacular view of space in front of the vessel. One deck below, located in the front section of Deck 3, were the quarters of the starship's commanding officer , served by five windows.

The dorsal saucer section was covered by four phaser arrays , two of which extended from the aft curvature along the length of the saucer. The aft firing arc was covered by two smaller arrays, angled on the rear of the saucer section. The relative bottom of the ship was protected by two similar arrays as on the dorsal saucer section, extending to the rear of the saucer and following the curve towards the bow. ( VOY : " Caretaker ", " Basics, Part I ", " Unimatrix Zero ") Docked to the underside of the Intrepid -class' primary hull was the vessel's aeroshuttle .

The landing mechanism

An Intrepid -class deflector emitting a graviton beam

Further aft, the main navigational deflector dish was found at the foreside of the Intrepid -class' secondary hull. Located right above the deflector were the forward photon torpedo launchers . On the underside of the secondary hull were located three sets of plates that supported the warp propulsion system. The forward plate covered the reserve intermix chamber ; the middle plate contained the antimatter loading port, a large magnetic valve that kept the antimatter from coming in contact with matter during the transfer to the storage pods; ( VOY : " Caretaker ", " Projections ") and the aft cover plate contained the operational intermix chamber hatch, for ejecting the warp core in case of emergency. ( VOY : " Day of Honor ")

One of the few Starfleet starship classes capable of atmospheric entry and planetary landing, the Intrepid -class starship was equipped with antigravity generators as well as impulse and lifters strategically placed at the mass and stress points on the bottom portion of the secondary hull. Prior to and during landing or takeoff procedures, the vessel typically went to blue alert , indicating to the crew they were to assume their code-blue stations. ( VOY : " The 37's ")

With fifteen decks and a mass of 700,000 metric tons, there were 257 rooms on an Intrepid -class vessel. ( VOY : " Relativity ", " Scientific Method ") Entire deck sections could be jettisoned in case of emergency. ( VOY : " Warhead ")

Command and control systems [ ]

Intrepid -class main bridge

The main bridge of the Intrepid -class starship was ovoid and served as the nerve center of the vessel.

At the bridge's rear was a large bank of consoles and data readout screens. Center of that area was the master systems display; control consoles flanked it on both sides. ( Star Trek: Voyager )

Starboard of the information center, past the starboard side turbolift , was the station of the chief tactical officer . This area was maintained mostly for internal security and combat situations. Other systems that could be commanded by tactical included long- and short-range sensor arrays , sensor probes , message buoys , and tractor beams . An identical station was found on the other side of the bridge, where the operations station was found. This panel presented the operations officer with a continually updated list of current major shipboard activities. This list permitted Ops to set priorities and allocate resources among current operations. This was especially critical when two or more requests required the use of the same equipment, entailed mutually exclusive mission profiles, or involved some unusual safety or tactical considerations. ( VOY : " Parallax ", " The Cloud ", " Emanations ", " Elogium ", " Worst Case Scenario ")

Section of the Intrepid -class captain's ready room

Forward of the upper ship operations areas were doorways to the briefing room at one side and the captain's ready room at the other. There, the commanding officer could engage in administrative work with all relevant office equipment at hand without interfering with bridge operations, while still being close to the bridge in case of emergency. Also, this room was usually the preferred place where the captain could hold private discussions or receive classified communications. Aboard the Intrepid -class starship, the work desk was the focal point of the ready room, located ahead of the main entrance door. A raised level in the forward section of the room featured a small table, a curved couch, and a replicator . The wall behind the couch featured three windows looking toward the bow of the vessel. Compared with the much larger Galaxy -class starship, the Intrepid -class had a more spacious, luxurious ready room. ( VOY : " Caretaker ", " Eye of the Needle ", " Year of Hell ", " The Omega Directive "; Star Trek: The Next Generation )

The Intrepid -class could not execute an auto-destruct sequence if the secondary command processors were damaged. ( VOY : " Basics, Part I ")

The chairs of the captain and first officer on the Intrepid -class bridge

In the center of the Intrepid -class' bridge was the command area. Here, seating was provided for the vessel's commanding officer and his or her first officer , seated to the captain's left. Between these chairs was a miniaturized status display. Using keyboard or vocal commands, the commanding officer could use these controls to override the basic operation of the starship. Directly aft of this area, integrated in the handrail encircling the aft section of the central command area, was another command console that could be operated to perform more bridge duties. ( VOY : " Parturition ", " Maneuvers ", " Collective ", " Unimatrix Zero, Part II ", " Endgame ")

Directly forward of and two steps lower than the central command area was the conn station. From here, the flight control officer served as helmsman and navigator for the starship. Despite many of these functions being heavily automated, their critical nature demanded a humanoid officer to oversee these operations at all times. During spaceflight at impulse , conn monitored relativistic effects as well as inertial damping system status. When the ship was traveling at warp speed , conn monitored the subspace field geometry in parallel with the engineering department. During warp flight, the conn console continually updated long-range sensor data and made automatic course corrections to adjust for minor variations in the density of the interstellar medium. ( VOY : " Parallax ", " The Cloud ", " Tattoo ", " Vis à Vis ", " Cathexis ")

To the right of conn sat the chief engineer . Though the position was far better served in main engineering , situations arose where the engineer's presence was needed on the bridge. The console allowed complete control over all engineering systems. Directly opposite sat the chief science officer at a similar console. From this console, LN2 exhaust conduits were vented to expel exhaust from the Intrepid -class. ( VOY : " Caretaker ", " Ex Post Facto ")

Propulsion systems [ ]

Main engineering

Main engineering aboard an Intrepid -class starship was located on Deck 11. The room was constructed around the matter-antimatter reaction assembly warp core , a class 9 warp drive with a tricyclic input manifold. ( VOY : " Relativity ") The core provided a maximum output of four thousand teradynes per second. ( VOY : " Drone ") The warp drive was designed to operate for up to three years before refueling. The reaction chamber was equipped with a compositor , which allowed recrystallization of dilithium . ( VOY : " Innocence ") The warp drive allowed the ship a top sustainable cruise velocity of warp factor 9.975. ( VOY : " Caretaker ", " Relativity ") It also allowed the ship to travel at warp 9.75 for 12 hours . ( VOY : , " The Swarm ") The Intrepid -class also featured a secondary warp assembly. ( VOY : " Alice ")

The main engineering room featured two levels. In front of the warp core was a large monitoring area on the lower engineering level. Also located on this level was the chief engineer's office and an open work area for special projects or situational analysis. A second tier ringed the upper level of main engineering. A small, single-person elevator, as well as a ladder on the opposite side, provided access to this catwalk . ( VOY : " Caretaker ")

The class 9 warp core of an Intrepid -class starship

The main impulse engines on an Intrepid -class starship were located on the aft end of the pylons leading to the warp nacelles . Intrepid -class starships were also equipped with auxiliary impulse reactors. ( VOY : " Phage ")

Warp core ejection [ ]

In the event of a warp core breach , the Intrepid -class starship could eject the warp core . This procedure required the authorization code of the chief engineer or a member of the senior staff . The core was ejected through the ejection port on the underside of the secondary hull. Magnetic rails inside the channel accelerated the core once disengaged from the vessel and fired it away from the ship. Under normal circumstances, the vessel then moved away from the core as fast as possible under impulse power. ( VOY : " Cathexis ", " Day of Honor ", " Renaissance Man ")

Should the core not go critical, the vessel could recover it with tractor beams and careful manipulation. ( VOY : " Day of Honor ", " Renaissance Man ")

Tactical systems [ ]

Phaser systems [ ].

An Intrepid -class starship firing its phasers

The Intrepid -class utilized a ship-mounted phaser array system. The dorsal saucer section was covered by four phaser arrays, two of which extended from the aft curvature, along the length of the saucer and stop short of the auxiliary deflector incision. One smaller phaser array extended behind the bridge. ( VOY : " Resolutions ") The aft firing arc was covered by two smaller arrays, angled on the rear of the saucer section. The relative bottom of the ship was protected by two similar arrays as on the dorsal saucer section, extending to the rear of the saucer and following the curve to the auxiliary deflector incision. More protection was provided by an array that extended across the ventral engineering hull just fore of the warp core ejection port. Far-aft strips were provided on the underside of the variable-geometry nacelle pylons and under the shuttlebay landing deck on the underside of the ship for a total ship's complement of fourteen phaser arrays. ( Star Trek: Voyager )

Additional phaser banks included at least four separate phaser emitters , two in the aft torpedo launcher , ( VOY : " Dragon's Teeth ", " Prophecy ") one aft phaser bank located behind the second tractor beam emitter, in the aft section of Deck 14, ( VOY : " Think Tank ") and an embedded emitter on the ventral surface of the ship's right nacelle. ( VOY : " Unimatrix Zero ")

Torpedo systems [ ]

The Intrepid -class housed five standard torpedo launchers (two fore and two aft, and one on the ventral side of the ship). The USS Voyager was loaded with Type 6 photon torpedoes in 2371 . The ship also had class-9 and at least four class-10 photon torpedoes and two tricobalt devices in her torpedo arsenal. ( VOY : " Caretaker ", " Resolutions ", " Scorpion, Part II ", " In the Flesh ", " Bliss ")

In addition, the ship also carried spatial charges , which could also be used as subspatial charges to cause subspace disturbance . There were also photon charges and photon bursts . The ship also had gravimetric charges , which could be installed into photon torpedoes, turning them into extremely destructive gravimetric torpedoes . Cardassian quantum torpedoes were also compatible with Intrepid -class launchers, with some modification. ( VOY : " Relativity ", " Think Tank ", " Elogium ", " The Omega Directive ", et al .)

Deflector shields [ ]

The Intrepid -class' deflector shields react under incoming fire

There were a total of fourteen external shield grids on an Intrepid -class starship. ( VOY : " Equinox, Part II ")

The shields of Intrepid -class vessels were superior to earlier designs. They included multiphasic and multi-spectrum shielding . ( VOY : " Flashback ", " The Omega Directive ", " Live Fast and Prosper ") The shields allowed the ship to survive near a binary pulsar for a few minutes and even a planetary explosion at short range. ( VOY : " Scientific Method ", " Think Tank ")

Tractor beam [ ]

Each Intrepid -class tractor beam emitter was directly mounted to the primary members of the vessel's framework. The forward emitter was located on the underside of the secondary hull under the main deflector dish . The second emitter was located at the aft end of the secondary hull in the aft section of Deck 14. ( VOY : " Parallax ", " Message in a Bottle ")

Crew support systems [ ]

Medical facilities [ ].

The main ward

There was one large sickbay facility located on deck 5, equipped with an intensive-care unit (ICU), bio-hazard support, critical care, a morgue , the chief medical officer 's office, a load-out of three standard biobeds and one surgical bed in the main ward, and a small medical laboratory. It is the same design as seen in Sovereign -class starships. ( Star Trek: First Contact ) The standard medical staff consisted of a doctor and a nurse , supplemented by the Emergency Medical Hologram , the Intrepid -class being one of the first to be equipped with this medical technology. ( VOY : " Tuvix ")

The intensive-care unit

Three biobeds lined the walls of sickbay's ICU; these were for patients receiving medical care and were equipped with biofunction monitors . Located in the corner of the main ward was a surgical bed, where major surgeries were performed and critical patients were treated. A large, sophisticated sensor cluster was installed in the ceiling directly above this bed. Working with a medical tricorder , the sensor suite could give detailed information about a patient's condition. The bed was also designed to use a surgical support frame. The small area that the surgical bed was located in could be isolated by a force field . If necessary, surgery could be conducted in the intensive care ward if there was an overflow of patients or if another patient was present to donate blood . ( VOY : " Phage ", " Latent Image ")

Located in the center of the sickbay facility was the chief medical officer's office. Here, the CMO was provided with an area to work in privacy or conduct meetings with patients, staff, and others. Its proximity allowed the CMO to be present in sickbay almost immediately. Located behind this office was a small medical laboratory facility. The medical staff or other associated personnel could monitor experiments or run tests here during their duty shifts. Just off the medical lab was located a tiny area for storage of the deceased. ( VOY : " Macrocosm ", " Basics, Part II ")

Recreational facilities [ ]

A holodeck on an Intrepid -class vessel

Crew mess hall on board an Intrepid -class vessel

There were two holodecks aboard the ship. Located on Deck 6, these holodecks were proprietary Federation technology, being able to impersonate matter even at the molecular level. ( VOY : " Phage ", " Flesh and Blood ") They operated on separate holodeck reactors whose energy matrix were incompatible with the ship's primary power systems; even when a ship was low on power, the holodecks could function on a separate power source. ( VOY : " Parallax ", " Night ") Though by 2376 , Voyager was able to draw power from holodecks in an emergency along with other secondary power sources. ( VOY : " Fair Haven ")

On the Intrepid -class vessels, the mess hall was on Deck 2, Section 13. Some ships were equipped with four food replicators , with a private captain's dining room just behind the mess hall. This dining room could be reconfigured to serve as a kitchen , as done by Neelix aboard Voyager . The USS Bellerophon 's mess hall was also fitted in this manner. ( VOY : " Phage "; DS9 : " Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges ")

The mess hall was typically host to many social gatherings, including diplomatic affairs, birthday parties, memorial services, weddings, and holiday celebrations. The mess hall could also serve as a makeshift sickbay whenever that facility was disabled or otherwise overwhelmed. ( VOY : " Coda ", " Someone to Watch Over Me ", " Latent Image ", " Macrocosm ", " Homestead ", " Before and After ", " Year of Hell ", " Course: Oblivion ", " Memorial ")

A crew's lounge was located in the far aft section of the vessel's secondary hull, providing a view of space aft of the Intrepid -class starship. ( VOY : " Endgame ", etc.)

The Intrepid -class also had a gymnasium . ( VOY : " Eye of the Needle ")

Crew accommodations [ ]

Officers' quarters on board an Intrepid -class starship

The captain's bathroom

All crew and officers' quarters (except the captain's quarters on Deck 3) were located on Decks 2, 4, 8, 9, and 13, with special variable environment quarters on Deck 11 for crew with special comforts. Although the Intrepid -class was highly advanced, the quarters in general were smaller than those of other vessel classes because of its smaller dimensions. ( VOY : " The Q and the Grey ", " Q2 ")

There were several types of crew quarters aboard:

• Standard crew quarters: These small quarters units were located within the primary hull and lack windows. They included a living area, a bedroom, and a bathroom. Primarily intended as shared accommodations for crewmen , the standard quarters were also assigned as private quarters to junior officers ( lieutenant junior grade and below); for example, Ensign Kim had his own quarters. The living area contained a replicator terminal and was customizable with a variety of furniture and decorations. ( VOY : " Good Shepherd ")
• Officers' quarters: These quarters lined the edge of the saucer section and contained a living area, a bedroom, and a bathroom area. They were generally reserved for those of ranking lieutenant or higher. Members of the senior staff were typically assigned quarters featuring a pair of larger, wider windows. ( VOY : " Meld ", " Juggernaut ", " Live Fast and Prosper ")
• Captain's quarters: The captain's quarters, located on Deck 3, were similar to the officers' quarters but were slightly larger. The captain had a large desk area and work terminal. His or her quarters featured five windows (below the navigation lamp), which offered an excellent view of space in front of the vessel; the captain's quarters were positioned below the mess hall . ( Star Trek: Voyager )

Scientific capabilities [ ]

A science lab aboard the USS Voyager

The Intrepid -class starship housed multiple scientific research labs , which included biology , medical , stellar cartography , and holographic research . ( VOY : " Day of Honor ", " Parallax ", " Revulsion ", " Fair Haven ")

Transport and cargo [ ]

Transporter rooms [ ].

Intrepid -class transporter room

The Intrepid -class featured three transporter facilities that were located on Deck 4. In case of emergencies, injured personnel could be directly transported to sickbay from anywhere in transporter range, including inside the ship. ( VOY : " Shattered ")

Like many Federation starships, the Intrepid -class' transporters had six standard pads located in front of a control console. Here the transporter controls were located in an elevated booth, and two officers could operate them in conjunction with a wall panel for more complicated transports. Like most systems aboard the Intrepid -class, the transporters utilized bio-neural gel packs in their processor systems. ( VOY : " Shattered ", " Counterpoint ")

Cargo bays [ ]

A cargo bay on the Intrepid -class

Cargo Bay 2 was designed for organic storage, with adjustable environmental controls . ( VOY : " Parallax ")

Auxiliary spacecraft systems [ ]

Located on Deck 10, in the aft dorsal portion of the secondary hull, Shuttlebay 1 was the primary port for entrance and egress for auxiliary craft and shuttles . Shuttlebay 1 was a large L-shaped room. ( VOY : " Alice ", " Q2 ") It had an arresting field to assist in slowing down incoming craft. ( VOY : " Barge of the Dead ")

Behind the main shuttlebay was an even larger hangar , known as Shuttlebay 2, where the construction, repair and maintenance of auxiliary craft was performed. Shuttlebay 2 could also be depressurized, and spacecraft could be launched from there. ( VOY : " Threshold ", " Extreme Risk ", " In the Flesh ")

The Intrepid -class starship was typically equipped with the following types of shuttlecraft: the Class 2 shuttle , the Type 6 shuttlecraft , and the Type 8 shuttlecraft . As well, it was also equipped with a runabout -size aeroshuttle , which was integrated into the underside of the ship when it was docked to the hull. ( VOY : " Extreme Risk ", et al. ; ENT : " Future Tense ")

Ships commissioned [ ]

• USS Bellerophon ( NCC -74705)
• USS Voyager (NCC-74656)
• Unnamed Intrepid class starships
• USS Intrepid (NCC-74600)
• USS Valiant (NCC-75418)

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " Favor the Bold " ( LCARS graphic )
• " Sacrifice of Angels " (LCARS graphic)
• " Tears of the Prophets " (LCARS graphic)
• " Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges "
• Star Trek: Voyager (all 176 episodes; first appearance)
• ENT : " Future Tense " ( database graphic )
• " The Star Gazer " (commemorative plaque)
• " The Next Generation " (display graphic)
• " The Bounty "
• " We'll Always Have Tom Paris " (image on plate )
• " An Embarrassment Of Dooplers " (photograph)
• " Parth Ferengi's Heart Place " (model)
• " Starstruck " (digital image)
• " Masquerade " (model)

Background information [ ]

Some of the information in this article is adapted from Rick Sternbach 's guide to the development of the class from Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 1 , under the Starfleet Technical Database banner.

When Rick Berman was faced with the task of deciding the name of this ship class, Michael Okuda sent Berman a memo featuring a list of approximately a dozen suggestions. Berman initially chose the name " Mercury ", but subsequently changed his mind, selecting " Intrepid " instead. ( A Vision of the Future - Star Trek: Voyager , p. 256)

Ronald D. Moore stated that he believed Voyager had a detachable saucer section . ( AOL chat , 1997 )

The Star Trek Encyclopedia  (4th ed., vol. 2, pp. 374 & 449) identified the USS Intrepid and USS Valiant as Intrepid -class, though they were never seen on screen.

Development [ ]

The process of developing the Intrepid -class began in mid- 1993 , during secretive development meetings that served as the starting point for Star Trek: Voyager . With the meetings having begun in July of that year, Executive Producer Jeri Taylor , on 3 August 1993 , noted in a summary of the discussions thus far, " The ship is a sleek, nifty, new-generation vessel, with some improvements, though smaller than the Enterprise ." ( A Vision of the Future - Star Trek: Voyager , p. 175)

Rick Sternbach and Michael Okuda were brought into the development proceedings in early September 1993 and, in late September, Sternbach started sending memos to Executive Producer Rick Berman , concerning the ship class. ( A Vision of the Future - Star Trek: Voyager , pp. 198 & 208) One of these memos, dated 25 September , was a four-page document in which Sternbach commented on the class' size, saying that a ship half the size of the Enterprise -D would still be "an impressive vessel" and that – if it was instead about three quarters of the Enterprise 's size – it would still be in good company, being roughly the same size as the Vor'cha -class or Ambassador -class ships. Sternbach also updated Berman by saying he was about to begin sketching "some rough doodles" for the class' physical configuration. Somewhat concerned about how to differentiate the class from past vessels while simultaneously keeping a sense of lineage, Okuda wrote a memo to Berman, two days later , expressing this concern. ( A Vision of the Future - Star Trek: Voyager , p. 207)

In the first draft script of VOY : " Caretaker " (dated 8 June 1994 ), the Intrepid -class was referred to as " a sleek bullet of a ship, built for action, capable of holding a crew complement of one hundred and twenty-five. " This was different in the final draft of the teleplay (dated 1 September 1994 ), which had a scene description that still referred to the Intrepid -class as " a sleek bullet of a ship, built for action. " The crew complement, however, was now said, in dialogue, to be 141.

Warp drive capabilities [ ]

According to Star Trek: Starship Spotter and the Star Trek: Voyager Technical Manual , warp factor 6 is the actual cruising speed for the Intrepid -class. " Dragon's Teeth " would support this, as the episode begins with Voyager cruising at warp 6, as does " Pathfinder ", in which the average speed of warp 6.2 was estimated as the speed Voyager was traveling towards the Alpha Quadrant . According to the text of the Technical Manual , warp 9.2 is supposed to be the maximum sustainable speed, while warp 9.6 is the rated top speed and warp 9.9 is a speed that can be sustained for only a few minutes. In a speed chart, the Manual contradicts itself by giving instead warp 9.975 as the top-rated speed, which could be maintained for 12 hours. According to the chart, the 9.975 speed corresponds to a velocity of 3,056 times the speed of light . This would be much slower than what warp 9.9 was canonically established to be in " The 37's ", well over twenty-one thousand times the speed of light.

Canonically, in " Caretaker ", " Relativity ", and " Barge of the Dead ", Voyager is specifically stated having the maximum cruising speed of warp 9.975. In the episode " Threshold ", when accelerating to and attempting to match warp 9.97, the computer warned of imminent structural collapse. In the episode " The Swarm ", it is only possible to maintain warp 9.75 for twelve hours. It is also stated in the episode by Chakotay that Voyager is not able to sustain its maximum warp at that time. The maximum warp is however used in several episodes before and after "The Swarm" for extended periods. Finally, the maximum warp is given a canonical speed estimate in two episodes. In " Friendship One ", the ship is capable of crossing 132 light years in one month at maximum warp. This turns out to be only about 1,554 - 1,721 times the speed of light. In " Scorpion, Part II ", the ship is capable of crossing 40 light years in 5 days at maximum warp. This in turn is 2,922 times the speed of light. The later estimate is closer to the 3,056 times the speed of light mentioned in the Manual .

The reasons for Voyager 's lack of ability to maintain optimal warp speeds are given in the Star Trek: Voyager Technical Manual . There were very limited refueling and overhaul assets available during the journey, and the crew had to allow the engines down time for cooling. Furthermore, according to the Manual , the 75-year travel time figure established in "Caretaker" was never meant to be a realistic estimate. It was based on the assumption that Voyager would maintain warp 9.6 or warp 9.99 and travel uninterruptedly directly to Earth . A more realistic figure of two to four hundred years to cross the Delta Quadrant and into the Beta Quadrant was the more realistic predicament at the beginning of the series.

Studio models [ ]

Designing the bridge [ ].

A Jim Martin concept art for the Intrepid -class' bridge

After six years as production designer on The Next Generation , Richard James was no stranger to the legacy of Star Trek and the production requirements of episodic television. When given the assignment to create a new starship from the inside out, he had to start up from scratch. Nothing had yet been established, and thus for his first meeting with Star Trek: Voyager ' s creators and producers, James decided to push the boundaries of everything that had gone before. ( The Art of Star Trek )

The script for VOY : " Caretaker " described the Intrepid -class bridge as " the most advanced, impressive Bridge facility in the history of Star Trek."

Early concept sketches show bridge designs without the large viewscreen in the front of the bridge and command functions decentralized, obviously breaking the traditional bridge mold. However, by exhaustively re-examining the dramatic requirements and technological underpinnings of the Star Trek bridge without preconceptions, Richard James rediscovered the strengths of the basic template laid out by Matt Jefferies almost thirty years earlier. With the broad strokes of the bridge's layout firmly embedded in Star Trek 's past, James and his team went on to bring a new interpretation to the bridge. ( The Art of Star Trek )

The Intrepid -class bridge included eleven monitors, all of which were fed composite video from the bridge's video control unit. This consisted of a wheeled cart with five 3/4-inch video decks and a couple of computers. Usage of the computers was only occasional and varied between either a single computer or both of them. ( Star Trek: Communicator issue 144, pp. 29 & 30)

Apocrypha [ ]

The Intrepid -class in Star Trek Legacy

The Intrepid -class starship was featured in Activision 's Star Trek: Armada II and Star Trek: Starfleet Command III , while the USS Voyager appeared in Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force and Star Trek: Elite Force II .

In Bethesda Softworks ' Star Trek: Legacy , the Intrepid -class is a playable ship, with the USS Voyager as one of the possible names of this class of ship. Star Trek Online also features it as a playable ship for players ranked Captain or above, wherein it is referred to as a long-range science vessel. Star Trek Online also features, in addition to the standard Intrepid -class, three additional variants are available: The Bellerohon -class ( β ), with a photonic shockwave torpedo, for players ranked Captain and above; an Intrepid retrofit with ablative generators , for players ranked Vice Admiral and above; and the Pathfinder -class ( β ), a modernized successor to the Intrepid with a launchable aeroshuttle , also for players ranked Vice Admiral and above.

Sources [ ]

• The Art of Star Trek , Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens , Pocket Books, 1997.
• "Designing the U.S.S. Voyager ", Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 19 (November 2000) and Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 3 (July 2001).

External links [ ]

• Intrepid class at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Discovery class at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Pathfinder class at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Intrepid class starship at Wikipedia
• 1 Nick Locarno
• 2 Sito Jaxa
• 3 Sabrerunner class

• Ars Lykaion

Voyager Special Effects: Warp Core, how?

• Thread starter Maxer
• Start date Mar 29, 2003

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Ars legatus legionis.

• Mar 29, 2003
• Add bookmark

How did they do the special effect for the swirly "gas" in the warp core?<BR><BR>Especially when it would be "turned off" and it would just stop swirling.<BR><BR>Was it some sort of light with holes poked in it or something and a blue shade over it?  

Teh Moremon

Ars scholae palatinae.

Magic  

A very large lava lamp. What, you couldn't tell B'Elanna was a hippie?  

Ars Tribunus Militum

Special effects? You mean they weren't using a real one?<BR><BR>Aylutar  

Ars Praefectus

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Aylutar:<BR>Special effects? You mean they weren't using a real one?<BR><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Of course not. OSHA and trade unions would probably have a major fit.  

nondescriptusername

Ars tribunus angusticlavius.

Yeah. OSHA always gets after us at work when the find us using an unauthorized warp core without proper lockout/tagout procedures. -- View image here: http://arstechnica.infopop.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif --  

I just tell them that its really a cappucino machine. As long as it keeps swirling they buy it. "Divert all emergency power to structural integrity field for the cappucino machine!"  

nice thread craps guys...<BR><BR>as I understand it... its just a big light, surrounded by a bunch of rotating filters of different densities and color...<BR><BR>thats my educated guess.  

It's just a miniature cycloramic tube with lights flashing, composited onto the action in post-pro. I could do that in my basement.  

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by cromicus:<BR>It's just a miniature cycloramic tube with lights flashing, composited onto the action in post-pro. I could do that in my basement.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>So you think it was a special effect that was added later and it was just a big green tube they used for the core?<BR><BR>Normally I'd agree, but I don't think it was.<BR><BR>It seemed to blend too well, I was really thinking it was some sort of rotating light with a fancy screen over it, light gels, etc...<BR><BR>Does anyone know for sure though what it was?  

I don't think it actually operates when they're shooting in Engineering, as it would likely create lens flare and relflection problems with all of those glass computer console surfaces. It's probably much safer to do it with a composite.  

Well I stand corrected then I guess... I just figured the "core" was a thick plastic and then the lights "danced" around on the inside of it, so glare wouldn't be an issue.  

Maybe it really is charged, florescent gas?  

<blockquote class="ip-ubbcode-quote"> <font size="-1">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Crispy:<br>Maybe it really is charged, florescent gas?<hr> </blockquote> <br><br>No, no somehow I doubt that -- View image here: http://arstechnica.infopop.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif --  

Well I know if I had to create a warp core like thing, I'd do a miniature instead of errecting a 20ft tall set piece. It's easier on the engineering, set construction, shit like that.  

They explain how they do it on the Commentary track on the Director's Cut of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. I don't remember off hand how they do it though.  

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Well I know if I had to create a warp core like thing, I'd do a miniature instead of errecting a 20ft tall set piece. It's easier on the engineering, set construction, shit like that. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>View image: http://www.houstonracing.com/voyager/warpcore.jpg  

MooseAreFun

But what about the warp-core sound effect...  

See I still think they use moving lights in the core to make it do it's "plasma" effect, as at times they have stopped it, and well...  

• Mar 30, 2003

Of course, when you actually have to put the warp core in the set so that people can walk around it, it becomes necessary. I'd just beat the set designers into submission if they wanted that, though.  

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>See I still think they use moving lights in the core to make it do it's "plasma" effect, as at times they have stopped it, and well...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> When Voyager first came on the air (and I still watched Star Trek), there was a 'behind the scenes' feature hosted by Robert Picardo. I seem to recall there being an explanation of the warp core effect and that explanation involving lights and moving filters.<BR><BR>Edit: Google, yo.<BR><I>The heart of Dick Brownfield's design was a series of four motors, each driving the rotation of an aluminium-encased hull, and each ball set at a different axis angle to the others. Interior lights were reflected off the balls, onto the surface (the skin) of the warp core. The motors determined the speed of the swirling effect, and dimmer switches controlled the intensity of the lights. The result looked as if the warp core was filled with a swirling, multi-coloured gaseous material.</I> - Designing <I>Voyager</I>'s Engineering Section  

Cool, thanks.<br><br>Like I said I figured it must have been revolving lights with a filter or something.<br><br>Now I know -- View image here: http://arstechnica.infopop.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif --  

<blockquote class="ip-ubbcode-quote"> <font size="-1">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Maxer:<br>Now I know -- View image here: http://arstechnica.infopop.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif --<hr> </blockquote> <br><br>And knowing is half the battle!  

Voyager Inconsistencies

Limited Supply Problems Other Problems The Nonsense of "Threshold" Star Trek Voyager Gothic

Limited Supply Problems

Voyager used to be the only Federation ship in the Delta Quadrant. This original premise was maintained through seven years. Alas, the authors were not consequential in taking into account the resulting limitations. New shuttles kept popping up as if the next starbase was around the corner, not to mention that the ship, despite all the power outages and the frequent skirmishes, was always in perfect shape (the real-world reason being that this allowed to use stock footage any time).

The development of the crew complement is investigated on a separate page.

Number of shuttlecraft

It may be due to a lack of better ideas why Voyager writers frequently had shuttles get into electromagnetic turbulences and crash on planets. Such an accident is no problem for starships that can simply be resupplied in a nearby starbase, but it is for Voyager. The official Star Trek Voyager Technical Guide V1.0 , intended as guidelines for writers (sub-title: "Yes, but which button do I push to fire the phasers?" ), curiously states that "Voyager normally carries two[!] standard shuttlecraft, four of the smaller shuttlepods, and four EVA workpods" . We have never seen any shuttlepods or workpods. The two lonely shuttlecraft were obviously both supposed to be of Type 6, since this one is depicted in the booklet. In any case a complement of two shuttlecraft was extremely short-sighted.

In strong contrast to what the booklet told the authors, lots of standard shuttles of no less than three different types, namely Type 6, Type 8 and Type 9 (the latter is designated as Type 12 in the Star Trek Fact Files and as Class 2 since the 5th season) were actually seen, and Voyager has probably lost as many as seventeen of them in the course of seven years:

Note that apparently minor damages with a few sparks and a bit of a fire inside the cabin are not included. It is evident that such a shuttle consumption is only possible if plenty of spare parts for repairing and assembling shuttles are available. We could imagine that most of the components of a shuttle are relatively simple, and can therefore be replicated. Still, very complex parts like the computer system, which employs quantum level computation, and the warp core would have to be stored. If the crew can build the highly advanced Delta Flyer from scratch, building new standard shuttles from existing plans and materials shouldn't be such a big issue anyway.

How many shuttles did Voyager really have at the beginning and how many were built afterwards? The aft section of an Intrepid-class vessel does not seem to be large enough to hold more than eight Starfleet shuttlecraft, and Neelix's ship, which seems to be somewhat larger, has to be stored somewhere as well. Fitting the Delta Flyer into the shuttlebay is still another problem (see also below ). In an optimistic estimation, we can assume that there were eight shuttles aboard when Voyager left for the Badlands. Since Voyager's complement consists of as many as three different shuttlecraft types, it is a good guess is that there were two shuttles of Type 6, three of Type 8 and three of Type 9. This means that at least seven new shuttles of different types must have been built from stored spare parts. Given Chakotay's incredibly funny statement of a "full complement of shuttles" in "Alice", all fifteen shuttles that were destroyed at the time must have been replaced, unless he counts the Delta Flyer as an equivalent of four or more shuttles.

Number of photon torpedoes

The original complement must have been 40, two of which were used to destroy the Caretaker Array, armed with tricobalt warheads. This leaves the 38 torpedoes that Tuvok counts in "The Cloud". He states that they can't be replaced. Nevertheless, the number of torpedoes used in the following exceeds 38 by far, even if we take into account only those which were seen or explicitly mentioned as being fired. The resulting lower limit is 93 torpedoes. Here is the complete list:

A possible explanation is that the crew has found a way to replicate the at least 53 extra torpedoes, which must have happened at least twice, some time prior to "Scorpion I/II" and some time prior to "Dark Frontier". Considering that a torpedo should be much less complex than a shuttle, let alone the Delta Flyer, this is a reasonable assumption if we accept the shuttle statistics. The only problem is Tuvok's premature pessimism about not being able to replace them.

Holodeck vs. replicator energy

During the first two seasons of the series, Voyager suffers from a permanent shortage of energy, which requires to ration replicator meals and obviously serves to justify the necessity of Neelix's kitchen. However, the holodeck seems to be in use the whole time, although this amusement arguably consumes much more energy than a small replicated meal, irrespective of the fact that most of the holomatter is usually recycled to energy. Moreover, the outside views show that almost all windows of Voyager are lighted, whereas most of the windows of the Enterprise-D were dark. Furthermore, all 15 decks have full life support. If I were a crew member, I would rather forgo additional luxury than my favorite food. The replicator rations are not mentioned any more in the third and forth seasons, while the crew are still enduring (or meanwhile enjoying) Neelix's cooking.

The usual explanation for the permanent operation of the holodecks is that they have an independent power source, as it was established in a few episodes and explicitly shown in "Night" were the hologrid was "frozen" when the computer failed. Seven said: "Independent subsystems are operational: environmental controls, holodecks." Anyway, what else should the allegedly independent holodeck power source be than a fusion or even a matter/antimatter reactor? What could be so special about them that they wouldn't be able to supply other systems too? Is there nothing like a simple "transformer" that could convert the plasma energy levels (i.e. the voltages) if they are different on the holodeck? Even if they are incompatible, the basic fuel (anti-)deuterium would be the same for all systems on the ship. So here is no reason to believe that if all other energy is gone, the holodeck can't serve as a spare power source. Much less is there a reason that fuel would be available for the holodecks, but not for the replicators.

Other Problems

The delta flyer.

The construction of the Delta Flyer within a few days, as seen in "Extreme Risk" , is a similar miracle as the transwarp shuttle in "Threshold" (see below ). Moreover, we need to wonder why it has taken four years until Janeway realizes that a larger auxiliary craft could serve Voyager much better than the small, slow and fragile standard shuttles that are frequently shot down or lost in magnetic storms. So if they could build the Delta Flyer in no time, why didn't they do it much earlier? Another problem is how the Delta Flyer is supposed to fit into the shuttlebay. Read about the Size of the Delta Flyer .

The aeroshuttle

"The bottom of the Primary Hull or saucer holds a single aerodynamic shuttle capable of atmospheric travel as well as interplanetary flight at speeds up to Warp 3. The AeroWing can carry various combinations of crew and cargo; the usual flight complement numbers four crewmembers." This is what the Star Trek Voyager Technical Guide V1.0 says about Voyager's version of the captain's yacht. The AeroWing, now called "aeroshuttle" was never mentioned, let alone shown on screen, though. Star Trek: The Magazine depicts details of Voyager's saucer bottom, showing the aeroshuttle. It is obviously intended to be a runabout-sized shuttle with its own maneuvering thrusters. So why was the aeroshuttle never used in six years, although it would have been an option so many times, considering situations in which a standard shuttle would have been too small or too weak? There are four theories:

1. The aeroshuttle was badly damaged at the very beginning of the show. I think this statement is hard to maintain, since everything was always repairable on Voyager, and building the completely new Delta Flyer seems more difficult. Even if the aeroshuttle were actually damaged beyond repair, it should have been mentioned at least at the time when it happened and several more times, something like "too bad we don't have the aeroshuttle". 2. They actually didn't need the aeroshuttle, or they wanted to preserve it. I don't think there is any reason to believe that, since Janeway didn't do anything to avoid dangerous situations in six years, so why should she be concerned about this auxiliary vessel? It is especially valuable? If so, why didn't they use this supershuttle at least for safe missions, or is it merely for decorational purposes? I think we may safely discard this idea. 3. The aeroshuttle actually doesn't exist. The shape on the bottom of the saucer is something else that accidentally resembles something like an independent shuttle or captain's yacht. This is actually the best excuse for not using or only mentioning the aeroshuttle. On the other hand, the Enterprise-D captain's yacht was not mentioned in seven years of TNG either although it definitely exists. Yet, the latter was only an unarmed oversized sublight shuttle supposed to ferry important diplomats. 4. The aeroshuttle does exist, but it wasn't aboard when Voyager left for the Badlands. The structure on the saucer underside is a hatch or some sort of cover that will be removed once the actual craft will be installed. But why would this cover have something that definitely looks like maneuvering thrusters?

Now that the aeroshuttle hasn't been resurrected even in season 7 (although there were plans), we can either say that it never existed, or it was just not installed when Voyager went on the short trip to the Badlands. Since we can't simply deny the shuttle-like structure on the saucer bottom, I like the suggestion that there was just a placeholder for the aeroshuttle or that the craft was not yet finished at the time of "Caretaker".

The escape pods

In VOY: "Workforce" the crew leaves the ship using the escape pods and are captured and turned into workers, save Kim, Chakotay, the Doctor, and eventually Torres is returned. During an attempt to save the rest of the crew, Kim asks Torres: "How many escape pods do we have left?" She replies "5" , and Kim says "eject 3 of them." The pods are captured by alien vessels, leaving Voyager with just 2 of originally 36 pods. The crew is rescued via transporters and it is safe to say the escape pods are not recovered. Considering that the crew assembled spare photon torpedoes and shuttles all the time and constructed two Delta Flyers, building 34 new escape pods does not seem to be a big deal. Still it is a stretch. Well, unless the pods are actually never replaced. We can't tell whether there are pods underneath the hatches or not.

The Maquis ship

The most important specifications of Chakotay's Maquis ship are uncertain, including its class, size and even its name. When Chakotay, Torres or other Maquis crew members talk about their time on this ship, we would normally expect them to call it by its name, but that never happens. The name "Zola" stated in the Fact Files never made it to the screen. The latest information on the class name comes from Star Trek: The Magazine . An article tells us of a desktop model of Chakotay's Maquis ship, as well as several displays of the ship where it is a Ju'day-class ship named "Val Jean". This can also be seen on a screen in "Repression". On websites the Maquis ship is sometimes classified as Peregrine courier. However, the Peregrine courier or fighter is more likely a considerably smaller vessel shown e.g. in DS9: "The Maquis" and also employed to distract the Cardassian fleet in DS9: "Sacrifice of Angels". Chakotay's ship (here named "Liberty") is classified as Antares class in the novel Pathways . There is a lot of confusion about this class name, which the authors are obviously too fond of. In any case this is only one of several theories.

A diagram of the ship is depicted in the Star Trek Fact Files . The windows in the bridge section cannot be used as a reference, since they were not visible in "The Caretaker". The size of the bridge set, which seems to be only 5m wide, points to a very small ship of only 30m length. This complies with the size of the preliminary raider built for TNG: "Preemptive Strike" where there was a cockpit window instead of the bridge.

If on Voyager, as mentioned in "Repression", "almost a quarter of the crew is Maquis" , the minimum number of original crew members on Chakotay's ship would be 37, assuming that no one died during the transition to the Delta Quadrant. Three decks may be distinguished, but there are no windows or other details to confirm this. For a crew of 37, an overall length of 60m (for 3 decks with a height of 3m each) appears to be the minimum possible value, but only if there are no real quarters.

A half-way reasonable explanation for the big crew, considering that the small size of the ship is well established, is that the normal crew complement is significantly lower, at most around a dozen. The raider may have been manned with 37 or more Maquis because they were going to hijack a Cardassian ship, possibly a freighter, when the Galor-class cruiser foiled their plan and the Maquis had to seek refuge in the Badlands.

The warp nacelles

Voyager is the first ship to have foldable nacelles and pylons, at least the first one we know of. "Because Voyager employs a new folding wing-and-nacelle configuration, warp fields may no longer have a negative impact on habitable worlds, as established in TNG." This sentence from the Star Trek Voyager Technical Guide V1.0 is actually the only hint that the folding pylons may prevent the subspace damage of TNG: "Force of Nature". It was never mentioned on screen.

Another theory is that the efficiency of the warp field can be increased if it is continually tilted as the speed rises, in a similar fashion as on the F-111 and other aircraft with variable wing positions. However, the existing shots of Voyager in space don't make any sense, since only two angles of the nacelle pylons can be observed: 0° (horizontal) for impulse flight, and about 35° as soon as the ship goes to warp, remaining constant irrespective of the speed. While it makes sense for an aircraft to have just two wing positions for slow and for fast hypersonic flight, Voyager's warp drive is offline at impulse anyway, hence not requiring any specific nacelle position. It is not evident why the nacelles are folded up at all every time the ship goes to warp, and why they are not just fixed in the warp position.

Two warp cores?

Voyager's MSD clearly shows two warp cores (more precisely, two complete matter/antimatter reaction assemblies), one just behind the deflector dish, and one close to the kink of the hull undercut. Obviously one of them, the one we see in main engineering, is active all the time, while the other one must be a backup. Actually, the aft core is the main core, as we could clearly see in VOY: "Day of Honor" where it had to be ejected. The problem is that it was made a big deal in this episode (and again in "Renaissance Man") that this seemingly only warp core was essential and that the ship could not go to warp without it. But why didn't they just use the second warp core? After all, that is exactly what it was intended for. It is obvious that the second core may not be activated where it is stored but needs to be transferred to main engineering and connected again. But why would this be so much harder to accomplish with the backup core than with the main core that, in both episodes, Janeway doesn't even try it but rather sends shuttles against heavily armed ships to retrieve it?

Rick Sternbach, the ship's designer, once suggested that the second core was not supposed to act as a backup on stand-by, but that it would merely serve as a set of spare parts. Anyway, why would the ship carry only partial builds where it could have a complete core, and where the MSD shows something that looks like a complete core? It even makes less sense if we consider that usually Voyager would have been under way in the Alpha Quadrant. If the installation of the backup core were really that difficult and time-consuming, a repair ship or tug may have arrived to assist much sooner, so why have a spare core at all? Maybe the second core was irreparably damaged and even abandoned some time before "Day of Honor". Another possible explanation is that parts from the spare core that could not be replicated were already in use in the main core. Or, although this would be a stretch, perhaps the second warp core is designed to supply just the holodecks (see Holodeck vs. replicator energy above)?

Transwarp coils

In VOY: "Dark Frontier" the crew trains to raid an active Borg cube to steal a transwarp coil, an extremely dangerous mission for a chance to get home much sooner. However, in "Unity" and "Collective" the crew has access to functional yet unoccupied cubes and yet don't bother to take a transwarp coil from either? In both episodes, although damaged, the cubes are still largely intact and no mention is made about the coils, functional or otherwise. We may explain the missed opportunity in "Unity", assuming that the crew may not yet have sufficient knowledge of Borg technology or of how to integrate it. At latest in "Collective", however, it is just stupid not to salvage the component.

The Beta Quadrant taboo

Following the flight path of Voyager, it is easy to notice that the Delta Quadrant is not directly adjacent to the beloved Alpha Quadrant, but that there is still the Beta Quadrant in between. After a journey of more than six years and some fast leaps (like 10,000ly with slipstream in "Timeless" and 20,000ly with the transwarp coil in "Dark Frontier"), Voyager should have crossed the border to the Beta Quadrant at latest by the sixth season - which is easy to reckon if we just subtract all the long and short leaps from the initial distance of 75,000ly. Nevertheless, the authors still kept the ship in the Delta Quadrant. The real-world reason was as obvious as it is silly: The people in charge thought they would confuse occasional viewers with too much galactic geography. Anyway, for a certain time it was still credible that Voyager was still in the Delta Quadrant, considering that some detours were necessary to avoid the Borg or large anomalies.

Still, it is unacceptable that the Beta Quadrant was mentioned only three times(!) in seven years, and only once as being on the route to the Alpha Quadrant. This is even worse considering that the Beta Quadrant as the home of Klingons and Romulans and a part of the Federation ought to play an important role. Even in VOY: "Message in a Bottle", where the Prometheus was hijacked by Romulans and was about to enter their territory, the dialogues all said "Alpha Quadrant" instead of "Beta Quadrant". The quadrant wasn't treated much better in DS9 either, for the galactic powers only struggled for the control of the "Alpha Quadrant" as if the Klingons and Romulans forgot where they came from. I wonder why the wonderful concept of four quadrants was first systematically introduced, only to be effectively discarded later.

The Nonsense of "Threshold"

Simulate the impossible?

The episode begins with Tom, B'Elanna and Harry simulating the Warp 10 flight. How is this possible? You can't simulate something that you deem impossible, and for which you have no equations and models that could describe a physical reality.

Transwarp hobbyists

Millions of engineers in the Federation have been working in vain on the development of transwarp technology for at least a century. Yet, a small team of three, on a starship with limited resources that has gone astray in the Delta Quadrant and is frequently attacked, succeeds in doing exactly this in their spare time. They work out a theory, design and build a prototype in a matter of one month. Yes, and I am sure in the 21st century the first nuclear fusion reactor will be built by the crew of a submarine while on an extended underwater mission. Well, Tom mentions something that serves to justify why the transwarp drive is being built right here and now: "We discovered a new form of dilithium in the asteroid field we surveyed last month. It remains stable at a much higher warp frequency." However, it is nothing more than a myth (unfortunately a recurring one on Voyager) that it only needs enough power to achieve previously impossible speeds with the same basic hardware, like you could break the sound barrier with a VW Beetle if only you had the right fuel.

Infinite speed - awfully fast

All official publications and even the episode itself unmistakably state that Warp 10 equals infinite speed and that, in one interpretation, "it means that you would occupy every point in the universe simultaneously" . Any infinite figure is merely hypothetical and may be dealt with in a mathematical equation, but never as a measurable physical quantity. Infinite speed is definitely impossible to achieve - even for Q. The dialogues in "Threshold" confirm it's impossible, still Tom achieves the impossible. One could object that Tom does not go to infinite speed, but just beyond the measuring limit. Yet, Tom states he has reached Warp 10, which we can expect to be backed by a measurement. Starfleet must be very accurate here, because there is a considerable (infinite!) difference between Warp 9.99999999 and Warp 10. Tom's "speedometer" may exceed its range of, let's say Warp 9.9999, but it would never say "Warp 10" or "infinite speed". It is also paradoxical how Tom, B'Elanna and Harry first explain to Neelix that Warp 10 is impossible, only to say they try it nonetheless, only to announce that Tom actually did reach Warp 10, only to wonder why he is gone from the sensors. This all doesn't fit together at all.

Fasten your seatbelts

If we nevertheless examine what would be necessary to reach Warp 10 in finite time, the acceleration would have to be infinite as well (with warp drive just as with any real technology). Infinite acceleration requires an infinite engine power output and, moreover, an infinitely strong IDF to keep the shuttle and passengers in one piece.

The barrier - even more than infinite

The "barrier" or "threshold" is mentioned in the episode title as well as in several dialogues. If Warp 10 means infinite speed, there is no such thing as a barrier or threshold to be broken. What could be more than infinite? A possible explanation: Since infinite speed is supposed to be achieved in finite time, there could be some kind of barrier indeed - namely the barrier where transwarp instead of normal warp becomes active. Beyond this barrier the acceleration could be much higher, yet not infinite. Anyway, from the dialogues we get the impression that the barrier is supposed to be exactly at Warp 10, and that "transwarp" in this case does not refer to the propulsion system but equals the velocity of Warp 10.

Where do you want to go today?

It is a nice thought experiment but a useless assumption put forward in reference works that a vessel moving at infinite speed would occupy all points in the universe simultaneously. Actually, it would just occupy all points along its trajectory at the time of reaching infinite speed, which has to be a straight line, for an infinitely short time. The trouble is that a straight line may get the shuttle back from where it started but probably not across the universe in all directions. The author, Michael DeLuca, or the script writer, Brannon Braga, obviously thought that the pilot of the Warp 10 shuttle would be able to travel to any desired point or return exactly to his starting point. But if the speed is actually infinite or at least high enough to overload the navigational sensors (dramatic blue shift), Tom can reach a certain region of space only by pure chance - a chance that is virtually zero. Tom, however, returns to a region of spece close to Voyager even twice after a Warp 10 flight. And aside from that, if he's everywhere at once, isn't that absolutely equivalent to being nowhere at all?

Don't forget your camera

Tom also brings lots of sensor data with him. The faster he goes, however, the more will the incoming light and any other form of waves be shifted to smaller wavelengths and also its intensity will increase, until harsh x-rays will finally burn the sensors as well as the rest of the shuttle along with Tom. We have to forgive Trek in general because, using real physics, this would already happen when approaching the speed of light. But warp physics are different, and somehow all inbound light is transformed to something visible and harmless during a warp flight. Unless this flight is infinitely fast. At infinite speed, the radiation intensity would be infinite and require an infinitely strong shielding. Here we go again. Even if he and his equipment survived at a still finite speed, the shuttle sensors wouldn't have been able to record anything but extremely intense x-rays. Or actually an absolutely homogenous omnidirectional finite radiation, owing to his being everywhere at once? It is mind-boggling but what is safe to say is that there is no chance that he could take any pictures of his flight. Tom, however, claims that he could even see what's happening on Voyager while he was at Warp 10. If this were true, his eyes and brain would have been able to isolate either a specific tiny portion from an infinitely big amount of visual impressions during the flight, or an infinitely small portion of a huge amount of impressions...

We're evolving to newts

Tom and later Janeway are said to have "evolved" to newt-like creatures crawling on the floor. Apart from the fact that such a creature can hardly be a species more advanced than a human being, evolution is a process that takes place over thousands, if not millions of generations, through mutation and selection. There can be no evolution within the same generation. It is much rather a random process under certain constraints than a program in our genes. Moreover, the result is always an adaptation to current environmental conditions. So even if Tom somehow evolved all alone, that would tell us that a newt is the optimum lifeform for a Warp 10 traveler. ;-)

Breathe or die

Why is Tom temporarily not able to breathe normal air during his metamorphosis, but only the strange poisonous gas? Why does he become allergic to water? This can hardly be a phase of his alleged evolution, since in nature there wouldn't be a well-equipped sickbay to support this.

Genetic magic

Agreed, we know similar procedures from TNG: "Identity Crisis", TNG: "Rascals", TNG: "Genesis" and VOY: "Faces". However, while the Doctor already had a hard time to restore Tom when he was only slightly mutated just after his Warp 10 flight, it is even more incredible that he succeeded to restore Tom and Janeway after virtually nothing of their DNA is left.

Anti-matter-dote

In order to restore Paris, the Doctor has a fabulous idea - how about feeding antiprotons from the warp nacelles into his damaged cells? Antimatter has been used for all sorts of barely credible purposes in Star Trek before. But dear Doctor, please keep it off your patients, unless you want them to act as a spare warp core or a photon torpedo!

Star Trek Voyager Gothic by quasi-normalcy @Tumblr

• You've been on this tiny ship in the Delta Quadrant beyond any hope of recrew or resupply for over a year, but you keep seeing ensigns you don't recognise. Everyone tells you that they've always been here.
• You go down to Engineering looking for Lt. Carey. B'Elanna tells you that he's just stepped out. He's been "just stepped out" for days.
• A shuttle crashes on a desert planet. You speak with Chakotay about the possibility of trading for some new shuttles, but he looks at you funny and says "but we already have a full complement of shuttles" .
• You run to the shuttlebay and inspect them personally. There is a full complement of shuttles. And none of them even have a scratch.
• The next week, a shuttle is torn to pieces in a plasma storm. You're not even surprised when you find intact it in the shuttlebay an hour later.
• You stop mentioning shuttles.
• The ship has an encounter with some Kazon, but manages to get away. Their ships are primitive and slow and you shouldn't run into them again.
• Two weeks later, you meet the same Kazon, now somehow in front of you. You begin to suspect that you're driving in circles.
• You go to Engineering looking for Lt. Carey. You haven't seen him in two years. He's "not there right now, but should be back in a minute" .
• Janeway and Paris travel at Warp 10 and turn into salamanders. You're *sure* that it happened. You *remember* it happening! But no one brings it up. When you ask Tom about it, he doesn't even register the question.
• You scream "BUT YOU WERE A SALAMANDER!" into his ear. He doesn't even hear you.
• You see another Ensign you don't recognise. You finally just ask the computer for the crew complement of Voyager. You are told that the answer is: 121.
• A month later, the Hirogen conquer the ship, spend weeks brainwashing and surgically altering the crew into believing that they are actually characters in holographic simulations, and then hunt them for sport. This culminates in a pitched battle between the crew and the Hirogen in which the ship is utterly wrecked and dozens of people are killed.
• Afterwards, you ask the computer for the ship's crew complement. You are told that the answer is: 147.
• The next day, you wake up and find Voyager restored to its original state.
• You make a discreet inquiry about Lt. Carey. Now everyone acts like he's dead but can't tell you precisely when or how.
• The Captain takes you aside one day and specifically instructs you not to mention Ensign Jetal to the Doctor. She says that she knows that this will be difficult, given how close we all were to her (and you in particular), but that for the greater good of the crew, you need to act like Ensign Jetal never existed. You solemnly nod your head and consent, and she gives you a comradely pat on the shoulder and leaves the room.
• You have absolutely no idea who Ensign Jetal is.
• Voyager absorbs the remaining crew of the USS Equinox. Well at least you'll finally have an explanation for the new crew you see around the ship! You never see any of them ever again.
• You've now travelled almost 40,000 light years towards home. You check the star charts; somehow, you're still in the Delta Quadrant. You begin to wonder if the Beta Quadrant even exists.
• The Delta Flyer is destroyed by Borg torpedoes. You don't even bother to check the shuttlebay for it, you just instinctively know that it will be back.
• A few months later, the Captain gives you the sad news: Lt. Carey is dead.
• You finally make it back to the Alpha Quadrant, say your tearful farewells, and receive a handshake and a promotion from Admiral Paris. As one last thought before leaving Voyager forever, you pay a visit to the shuttlebay. You find it utterly empty, except for one lowly crewman with a mop and pail, swabbing the deck. "I...guess that Starfleet must have already cleared out the remaining shuttles?" You say uncertainly, your voice echoing in the cavernous, empty room. The crewman breaks off his mopping and looks at you like you've lost your mind and says: "Voyager never had any shuttles."

Source: quasi-normalcy @Tumblr

Voyager's Crew Complement - casualties, crew count over time, crew appearances and names, other issues

Voyager Episodes index

Federation Shuttlecraft - and other small auxiliary vehicles

Size of the Delta Flyer - or: how to fit a 21m shuttle into a 14m shuttlebay

Warp Propulsion - 6 Warp Speed Measurement

Thanks to Christian for the facts about the "Beta Curse", to Andrew Jackson for the quote from "Night", to Timwi for suggesting that the second warp core feeds the holodecks, to Ter Loki for suggestions about variable warp geometry, to Stefan for annotations about the aeroshuttle, to Tim for a suggestion about the Maquis crew, to nixonshead for a remark about Doppler shift, to Dominic for a correction about evolution, to Ambassador for a quote from "Threshold", to Claudio Puviani for a note about "infinite speed" and to Waid for bringing up the transwarp coil and the lifeboat issues.

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Last modified: 20 Sep 2023

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