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In the ''. ''Galaxy'' class ships are designated as explorers, the largest type of Federation starship. HISTORY Early years The first ''Galaxy'' class starships were commissioned in the early 2360s at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards. Designers on the project included Orfil Quinteros and Leah Brahms. The first wave of ''Galaxy'' class of starships were launched in the early 2360s, including the fifth USS ''Enterprise''. Originally, Starfleet ordered 12 such starships. It was later decided to finish six of these starships, including the ''Enterprise''. For the other six ships, Starfleet only had the metal skeltons of these ships completed initally. Then the metal framework was disassembled and shipped to remote sites throughout the Federation as a security measure. This way the vessels could be held in a reserve status until conditions warranted their completion. By the end of the decade, at least six ships had been launched; at least three more were awaiting launch in 2371; over twelve had been constructed by 2375. They are prestigious and sought-after postings; only the best and the brightest officers are assigned to them. The first few were the most advanced ships in Starfleet , after which point they were complemented by the '' Intrepid '' and ''Sovereign'' Class Starship . The first few were also the most powerful ships in the fleet, but that honor was also subsequently bestowed on the newer Sovereign Class Starship s. However, they remained the largest ships in the Federation Starfleet for decades, with 42 decks and measuring 641 meters in length. Additionally, they were still considered one of the most impressive ships in the fleet, and were often used as a baseline comparison when sizing up other vessels. Exploration, diplomacy, and combat While the ''Galaxy'' class was designed foremost for long-range deep space exploration missions, heightened tensions within the Alpha Quadrant beginning in the 2360s saw the ships kept close to Federation territory. They were often dispached to handle domestic situations and face threat forces. Several "''Galaxy'' Wings" composed of Galaxy class starships were instrumental in defeating Dominion forces in the battle to retake Deep Space Nine (also known as the Battle Of Bajor ) in 2374 during the Dominion War . ''Galaxy'' class ships also performed admirably during the other battles of the war. The ''Enterprise''-D became one of the most important and noted ships of the 2360s while under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard . The ship made many First Contact s with a multitude of new species, including the Borg and the Q Continuum . Its diplomatic efforts helped cool tensions amongst minor races and prevent dramatic upheavals to the security of the Federation, such as the Romulan aid of the Duras during the Klingon Civil War and a Cardassian strike near the McAllister C5 Nebula. It fought off some of the Federation's toughest foes, preventing the assimilation of Earth during the Borg invasion of 2367. The ship was lost in 2371 after a surprise attack by renegade Klingons who had gained access to the ship's shield frequency. Heavy damage was inflicted on its warp core, forcing a saucer separation. The entire crew survived in the saucer section, which crash landed on Veridian III. Unfortunately, two other ''Galaxy'' class ships were lost by that time; the USS ''Yamato'' was destroyed after an Iconian computer virus caused a massive systemwide failure, and the USS ''Odyssey'' was destroyed as a show of resolve during first contact with the Dominion; a Jem'Hadar attack ship made a direct Kamikaze run which sent a piece of the ship's secondary hull into its starboard warp nacelle. Dominion War During the Dominion War , the ''Galaxy'' class performed well during heavy combat, forming the central core of several task forces. The USS ''Galaxy'' performed heroically at the First Battle Of Chin'toka , as the ship took appreciable damage yet continued to fight. Many of the ''Galaxy'' class ships in operation during the Dominion War were produced just before and during the war, with the specific goal of filling the fleets out with heavy combatants. They only contained the facilities needed for minimal crew support and heavy combat and left spacedock mostly empty because the need for ships was dire at times. It is not known how the ships were fitted following the war. Current status By the end of the 2370s, ''Galaxy'' class ships were still in wide use. Several ships intercepted the Borg Sphere which carried the USS ''Voyager'' back to the Alpha Quadrant , and later escorted it home. In 2379, the starship ''Galaxy'' was assigned to Starfleet Battle Group Omega near the Romulan Neutral Zone, still on patrol nearly twenty years after its launch. TECHNICAL DETAILS Command As on most Federation ships, the main bridge is located on Deck 1, and is the central control center. Three variants have been seen, one was a minor modification which contained extra consoles on the port and starboard sides. Another variant was seen on the episode "The Jem'ha'dar" on board the Federation starship ''Odyssey''. Science and research The Galaxy class supports a wide array of scientific disciplines. There are many different laboratories and departments, including Stellar Cartography , Exobiology , Astrophysics , Cybernetics , Archaeology , Cultural Anthropology , Botany , Hydroponics , and planetary Geoscience s, amongst others. Tactical Weapons systems as launched included twelve Type X phaser arrays and three photon torpedo launchers (of which one of each are hidden and inoperative while in the docked configuration), along with a high capacity Shield grid. By the 2370s, some ships had been equipped with two extra phasers, one on each of their Nacelle s. VARIANTS There exist multiple variants of the ''Galaxy'' class starship. With its massive internal volume, the Galaxy class is capable of being modified for different mission profiles, although not as easily as the ''Nebula'' Class . During the post-Wolf 359 renewal and expansion of Starfleet, the ''Galaxy'' class underwent numerous upgrades, namely to augment its tactical systems. The Dominion War prompted Starfleet to commission newer ships with additional weaponry and with most (up to 65%) of their habitable volumes initially empty. The USS ''Venture'' has an additional two phaser arrays located on the dorsal surfaces of its warp nacelles. As well, several ''Galaxy'' class ships have been spotted with darkened spines. Transportation Galaxy class ships have at least six transporter rooms and twenty transporter systems. The shuttle and cargo systems are some of the most extensive in the fleet. There is one large main shuttlebay in the saucer section, supported by two smaller bays in the stardrive section. The ships carry at least three varieties of shuttlecraft along with a captain's yacht. The main shuttlebay is large enough to hold three ''Danube'' Class Runabouts without compromising overall shuttle capacity. Medical and life support systems There are three Sickbay s aboard the ''Galaxy'' class, necessary to care for the large number of crew members, as well as distributing the medical facilities through both the saucer and stardrive sections of the ship. There are also a number of labs and other medical facilities. In addition, the medical staff are more than capable of responding to large-scale disasters. Not only can regular facilities be used, but all three shuttlebays are capable of being converted into triage wards if there is an especially large number of wounded people. There are also a number of emergency shelters spread throughout ''Galaxy'' class starships. These shelters contain emergency life support systems in the event that shipwide systems are not functioning. Examples of emergency shelters include the main bridge, Ten-forward , and sickbay. Crew support Due to their extreme size, the ''Galaxy'' class has plenty of room for amenities such as Holodeck s, School s, Gymnasium s, Amphitheater s, and a Bar in addition to standard mission equipment. Crewmembers do not have to wait several months to bring aboard family; since the ship has specialized centers for civilians, they can bring them aboard immediately. Civilians routinely staff scientific departments and other service areas aboard the ship. The inclusion of large amounts of families among the crew also proved to be a somewhat questionable policy to some (the ''Enterprise''’s captain once noted that while one's life is at risk whether on a starship or on Earth, Earth is not likely to be ordered into hostile territory to repel an enemy attack). At least one ship — the ''Yamato'' — was lost with its full complement, including families. The use of saucer separation was influenced by the presence of families; the saucer was designed to hold non-essential personnel and be left at a safe location while the stardrive section, containing the majority of weaponry and power, confronts the foe. In real life, the ''Galaxy'' class was designed by during the first season. Richard James designed and rebuilt the sets for the remaining six years, while Zimmerman returned for ''Star Trek: Generations''. KNOWN GALAXY CLASS STARSHIPS Canon
Although the Yamato's registry number was established in the Star Trek: TNG episode "Contagion" to be NCC-71807, an earlier, incorrect number was given in "Where Silence Has Lease," when an illusory version of that ship was seen. An earlier draft for that episode gave the number as NCC-1305E, which didn't fit into the numbering scheme developed for starships in The Next Generation. Mike Okuda wrote a note to the producers, requesting the number be changed, but didn't send the memo because a later draft of that script dropped the reference to the Yamato's registry number. Mike wasn't aware that an even-later draft of the script restored the scene and the incorrect number. By the time he found out (when he saw the completed episode on the air), he had already prepared the markings for the U.S.S. Yamato saucer, for the scene when that ship blew up in the episode "Contagion" (TNG), as well as the ship's log computer screens for that episode. (Reference: "The Star Trek Encyclopedia: A Reference Guide to the Future" by Michael Okuda and Denise Okuda). According to technical illustrator and modeller Rick Sternbach , the name is not a deliberate reference to the Japanese anime series '' Space Battleship Yamato '' (or ''Star Blazers'' in North America), even though he and several other members of the production staff are fans of Japanese animation. Sternbach stated at AnimeCon 1991 that the writers independently coined the ship's name without his input. Apocryphal and non-canon
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