Posted by Captain Nicholas Villarreal (Engineering Director) in Specification Review: Moscow-class Medium Surveyor, Draft I - Review Open Until January 9, 2021

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STRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION

The Moscow class is built on a singular hull structure spanning 25 decks. Decks 2-25 encompass the entire ship, while deck 1 only the middle top portions. The forward half of the ship is shaped as a half oval, which then tapers back to an angular U shape. Projecting from the lower corner tips of the U shape piece of hull are the ship’s two embedded warp nacelles.

Just so I’m sure I understand it… this “embedded warp nacelle” thing, is that the same sort of warp nacelle configuration as the Defiant?

Overall, is it fair to think of this as a Giant Defiant, structurally? But more like a big blob with smaller nacelles relative to its size? Actually, I guess I’m assuming from the description that the nacelles must be short. It’s a little confusing because they’re simultaneously described as “embedded” in the non-oval part of the ship that seems smaller than the rest of it, but they are also also described as “projecting.”

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The Moscow class is capable of atmospheric entry, flight, and landing, on up to 2 times Earth standard gravity. Atmospheric flight is handled through a combination of one of the ship’s impulse reactors fed through atmospheric RCS thruster packets along the ship’s frame. Landing gear is made up of four landing struts which emerge from the hull on deck 25, with two forward and two aft. Further, a boarding ramp is also deployable from the aft ends of deck 25 for large scale evac to or from the ship.

I don’t know that it matters, but the ship described in the structural part doesn’t sound very aerodynamic (but I also have trouble seeing it). The designed-for-flight starships that readily come to mind usually are streamlined in some way (even though I’m sure no Star Trek vessel would ever produce lift in a wind tunnel if produced as a study model at any scale with any material).

SCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS

Sensor Systems

The Moscow class is equipped with the Type-VIII sensor system. The system has a high resolution scan of 3.72 light years and a low resolution scan of 13.0 light years. The sensor pallets are arranged in oval clusters along the lines of the entire ship’s frame. The deflector itself is located at the forward edge of the ship on decks 10 through 13. It is located there within an elongated oval shaped inset.

I’m trying to square this with the shape of the ship. Does this mean that the front of the ship has a big tube thing here for the deflector, kind of like the torpedo tube on a Klingon D7 (but at the same time not, because it’s cut into some sort of oval surface instead of a sphere)? Or is this more like a split saucer thing that one of those retro STO ships has where the deflector is just right there on the very front?

Arranged around the outer edges of the deflector dish are high emission particle diodes for assorted beams and other particle emissions for scientific experiments or anomaly containment.

A “diode” is a real electronic component, that serves a series of real purposes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diode
I would be hesitant to toss it around to as something that can emit random particles (though laser diodes can: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_diode), or “high emission” particles. Actually, “high emission particle” is a term that doesn’t make real sense.

So, it probably makes sense for there to be diodes here, but you might want to refine what they are for a bit… or just not mention them specifically.

Computer and Network Systems

The Moscow class is equipped with two computer cores. The primary and secondary cores were then enhanced with bio-neural processing circuitry to speed up response times. The primary core is located on decks 8 through 11. The secondary core is located on decks 19 through 22.

Shouldn’t this be present tense? “The primary and secondary cores are enhanced with bio-neural processing…”? This is a new class, right?

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The Moscow class uses bio-neural circuitry for all primary systems and a back up isolinear network for secondary systems during normal operations. To further improve its redundancy and survival capabilities, the backup isolinear network is able to operate critical primary systems if the bio-neural circuitry is compromised or damaged. The combination cores use the LCARS OS using the MAJEL interface.

This description seems to implictly contract the previous one, which makes it sound like bio-neural processing was added at the last minute. If it’s a primary system you’d think it would be part of the design from day one.

Holographic Crew Systems

The Moscow class has holo-emitters situated at key points across the ship: in this case the bridge, 10-forward and 10-backward, the ship’s assorted science labs, the cargo bays and main engineering. This allows the ship’s two EMH Mark IV programs to appear in these areas besides the sickbays, holodecks and holosuites. The EMH Mark IV programs are located in both the primary and secondary computer cores. This allows both programs to be active at any given time.

Why two? Are they two different people?

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IMPULSE PROPULSION SYSTEMS

The Moscow houses three impulse engines. However, only two of the three engines are used for sublight propulsion at any given time. The third engine is kept in reserve in case of damage to one of the others, or in cases where extra power supply is needed for other matters. The two engines used can propel the ship to a maximum thrust of .25c in 50 seconds and from full impulse to a complete stop in that same time. Two of the engines are mounted to port and starboard on decks 2 through 4 facing aft, with the third engine mounted on the aft middle portions of decks 19 through 22.

It’s kind of weird that this ship has (other than the embedded nacelles already discussed) a totally mundane warp engine configuration, but a third impulse engine that’s never supposed to do anything unless there’s an emergency.

TACTICAL SYSTEMS

Defensive Shields

The Moscow class mounts the Type-8 shield system. Emitters are placed in key positions along the whole width and breadth of the ship’s frame. The maximum graviton load that can be sustained is 1,612 megawatts and a maximum dissipation rate of 4.38 x 10^5 kW. The shield system is also equipped with metaphasic programming for close solar body entry and radiation anomalies.

Is the metaphasic shielding OK? This is raised as a problem against the Discovery class frequently. (I don’t think it’s a problem, personally, but I have had people complain about it as a kind of “super” ability).

Phaser Systems

The Moscow class mounts nine strips of the Type-7 phaser arrays. They are positioned as follows:

One horseshoe strip ventral and dorsal along the oval shaped hull with 150 emitters each.
One strip along the middle underbelly of the rearward hull with 75 emitters each.
One strip dorsal and ventral along the aft section of the hull, with 75 emitters each.
One strip port and starboard along the aft section of the hull with 75 emitters each.
*One strip port and starboard on the nacelles with 50 emitters each.

This is a list of 5 strips, or a list 8 strips (if items 1 and 2 are 1 strip each, and items 3 through 5 describe two strips each), yet the heading says there are nine strips.

The ship carries 100 casings: 40 of these are for photon torpedoes, 10 are Tricobalt devices, and a further 50 are for specialized Class 1-9 probes. They have a maximum effective range of 3,500,000 km.

Aren’t tri-cobalt devices non-standard equipment and super-high yield warheads? Kinda weird that it gets these giant mega-bombs that were only used in one episode, but not quantum torpedoes, and it’s weirder still to have mega-bombs be 20% of the warhead load.

COMMAND AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS

Bridge

The Moscow class bridge is located on Deck 1; it is arranged in a circular shape. The bridge is equipped with an easy modular setup for refits, repairs and replacement as time and natural wear and tear takes its toll on the ship. The aft section of the bridge contains four banks of consoles, default setup from port to starboard is:

Support Science
Engineering Support
Miscellaneous / Auxiliary 1
Miscellaneous / Auxiliary 2

“Miscellaneous / Auxiliary” is kind of vague. We can’t fake something up to add it more flavor or something, like a Master Systems Display or “Environmental Something Something”?

I apologize in advance for the excessive nitpicking, but I’m trying to make sure I can actually see it:

A single rectangular console for the tactical and security needs is located just forward of the wall stations.

Like, it’s a big box on the floor sticking up? Or is this more like the kind of thing where Worf would stand?

Directly starboard are the Operations and Mission Ops stations.

Directly starboard of what? The back stations or the Tactical station?

Just forward from here from port to starboard are the Executive Officer, Captain, Counselor and a single mission specialist chair.

Is that forward from Ops / Mission Ops, Tactical, or somewhere else?
What’s a mission specialist? Is that like the guest of this week who had to sit in the little stool next to Troi? Is their chair stool like or do they get a classy seat like the other three?

Flip up consoles give critical data access to each officer and guest. Forward from the Captain’s chair are the Helm, Chief Science Officer and Chief Engineer’s bridge stations.

Does this mean there are stations for three distinct people here up front? Alternatively, are one of these people doing double duty? Are these laid out as independent consoles (e.g. like the Galaxy class) or as one big central one (e.g. like the Constitution class and most other federation bridge designs)?

If Chief Science Officer has a station, and Chief Engineer has a station, what is the Operations station for? (The actual reason for the Ops station in TNG is that Data’s makeup screen tested very poorly with a blue shirt, so they needed an excuse to give him gold shirt).

At the front of the bridge is the rectangular view screen. On either side of this are two scientific and holo communication related holo projection units allowing 3-D views of interesting objects to be shown, as well as communicating via holographic comm systems. The bridge has two turbo lifts: both are to port and starboard of the view screen.

Why not have a viewscreen that does 3D display? The Galaxy class one does, so it’s already expected technology (it’s very subtle, but the camera angle of whatever is on screen changes to match the relative position of the camera on the bridge; this is most noticable I think in an episode where Tomalak and Picard have one of their face-offs and you actually see Tomalak in profile even though he’s on the viewscreen: https://www.theviewscreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/thedefector2-600x458.jpg ).

Security Office / Armoury

This complex is located in the aft sections of decks 14 and 15. From the office located in this section, the Chief of Security has the ability to control all holding cell functions, most security related matters to the ship, and track all security personnel. The ship’s limited armoury is also along the middle portion of these decks to port and starboard, housing enough Type 2 phasers to arm the whole ship’s crew if needed. The armory does not contain Type-3 phaser rifles or heavier armaments. The two deck complex also houses a single training room, and phaser certification firing range using holo-targets.

Pretty weird that they don’t have Type-3 phasers, but they have tri-cobalt devices.

Science Labs

All along decks 12 through 15 are located the assorted science labs of the Moscow class. Each of these labs house small holo-projectors to allow full careful 3-D study of various topics. The Chief Science Officer’s office is located on deck 12 attached to the larger general science lab complex. This office allows the CSO to maintain full control and observation at any given time of what their staff is studying and testing.

I feel like this is a pretty vague considering that this is supposed to be a science ship, e.g. the primary purpose of the vessel are these systems.

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Transporter Systems

The Moscow class has eight transporter rooms, which are each capable of transporting six personnel at a time. Two transporter rooms are on deck 8, two are on deck 9, two are on deck 23, and two are on deck 24. Each transporter system has a range of 40,000 km.

This seems like an excessive number of transporter rooms for a ship that only has 128 people on it.

Four emergency 12-person transporters are located to port and starboard on deck 20 along the central axis and another two are located on deck 25 in the forward area of the hull near the main deflector dish, each with a range of 15,000 km.

This is on top of the other ones too? This ship can transport 120 people at a time, if all of these things work at the same time!

Also, 15,000 km is not very far when you consider orbital distances; the boundry between space and earth’s atmosphere is considered to be around 10,000 km. 15,000 km might not be far enough to transport people onto some planet surfaces.

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Machine Shop

The Moscow’s machine shop is located on decks 24 and 25 in between the ship’s second and third cargo bays. Given enough time, manpower and raw materials, the machine shop can produce almost any parts needed by the ship when called for.

http://www.star-fleet.com/library/bookshelf/tm/machineshop.html

I know this is an approved thing, but I also just don’t see what the point of this is. You could just program a replicator, right?

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Counselling Suite

The Moscow class’s counselling suite is located on deck 12 to port. A total of three offices are present to serve visitors and Starfleet crew’s counselling needs.

Spelling: “Counselling” should be “Counseling”.

Does this imply the crew might have three counselors? There’s no department breakdown in the crew section.

Recreation Hall

The Moscow class’s Recreation Hall is located on decks 15 and 16. The Recreation hall contains many non-holographic forms of entertainment. These include both board and card games, two tennis tables, two pool tables, and a small beverage bar. This room is able to contain up to 20 people at any given time.

This sounds nice, but it is it redundant with Ten Forward/Backward?

10-Forward / 10-Backward

10-Forward and 10-Backward are both named for being located on the forward and aft portions of deck 10.

Nitpick: Wouldn’t it be more proper for “10-Backward” be called “10-Aftward”? Or is that the joke?

A full-service kitchen and galley are on the port side of the rooms providing freshly prepared fare for visitors and crew alike. The room has two replicators, one on area port and starboard. A small holographic display can show forms of entertainment as well. About 10 to 20 people can be accommodated comfortably in these areas.

Large open observation windows provide scenic viewing in general operations. During yellow or red alert statuses however, plating of duranium slides down to aid in preventing decompression in case of hull damage. During large scale injuries these two rooms can contain up to 30 triage patients and medical staff.

I don’t really see the point of both a 10-Forward and a 10-Backward. I think you should pick one. If the gag is that there’s a place called “10-Backward” somewhere, you should commit to it fully by not having a 10-Forward.

Arboretum

The Moscow class contains a single large arboretum on deck 11 directly below 10-Backward. It contains various plants, herbs and flowers from across Federation space.

General Purpose Area / Refugee Support Shelters

Located on decks 23-25 are four general purpose areas. These areas are left open and only sparsely finished to allow the ship’s crew the ability to adjust the area’s layout to suit needs while in flight. This can include anything from spare parts storage to special personnel needs or visiting VIP offices. The areas can be set up to accommodate any known environment type and have the ability to produce gravity effects up to five times Earth standard gravity.

Is this generally true throughout the ship? E.g. could the hallway also produce 5Gs and any atmosphere?

In an emergency these rooms can easily be converted into large scale housing and transport of refugees to another location. These rooms are set up to house 25 people each, and contain their own life support and fusion power generators to avoid undue draws on the ship’s normal power supplies.

I think it’s kind of weird to say it’s general purpose area, and then call out only one specific purpose. It’s better to leave it vague, or to double down on a purpose if you think it’s interesting and useful (e.g. turn the whole ship into a refugee rescue boat, because… well… who has ever seen that?).

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CO’s Quarters

The Commanding Officer’s Quarters are located on deck 1 directly aft of the Captain’s ready room. A small connecting hall allows the CO to easily step from his quarters into his ready room as desired. The entire room is spacious and open. The room is divided into three areas: a living and work area and a sleeping area with private storage. The living and work area has two couches, a table, desk and workstation with a table. The bedroom has a large king-sized bed and bathroom. Connecting to this is the CO’s storage room, allowing personal effects to be easily on hand when wanted. This storage room is a 3x2 meter rectangular shaped room.

The Ready Room section earlier makes no mention of the connecting hall to the quarters.

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Department Head Quarters

The Department Head Quarters are located in a 3/4th ring around deck 3. These are smaller than the XO’s quarters and are divided into two areas; a living and work area and a sleeping area. The living and work area holds a medium-sized couch, a desk and workstation with a table. The bedroom holds a single queen-sized bed, bathroom.

I can’t tell if a 3/4th ring around deck 3 is a lot of space or not enough, because I have no sense of how big deck 3 is. I would just say they’re located on Deck 3 unless you had some very specific idea of what else is on this deck that needed to take up this specific amount of space.

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VIP Quarters

The VIP Quarters are the same size and set-up as the Commanding Officer’s quarters minus the personal storage room. There are five of these rooms arrayed along the outer edges of deck 4. These quarters can be configured for any environment as required for the visiting VIPs.

General Guest Quarters

The general guest quarters are the same size and set-up as the JO quarters. There are ten of these quarters arrayed along the inner sections of deck 4. These quarters can be configured for any environment as required for visiting people.

What’s the difference between being a VIP and being a general guest? Do I need to pay more for the ticket or something?

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions and Structure

Length: 155 meters
Beam (Width): 45 meters
Height: 113 meters
Decks: 25

This is a very small ship to have 25 decks. It is shorter in length and width than the Defiant, (at least according to some estimates, as the Defiant’s scale is poorly defined), even though many of the rooms are described as being large and spacious.

I guess this makes my aerodyamic concerns more pronounced also, because looking at this now I see it as a flying brick.

Crew Complement

*Officers and Crew: 180 * Visiting Personnel: 15 * Maximum Evacuation Limit: 2,000

I’m not sure about this 2k number, but it always was the “packed like sardines” number, so maybe that still works.

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Chief Science Officer’s Office
General Science Lab
Zoology Lab
Genetics Lab
Anatomy Lab

Deck 13

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Arboretum
Hydroponics Lab
Botany Lab
Chemistry Lab
Geology Lab
Hydrology Lab
Meteorology Lab

There’s more description of labs here than there is earlier in the spec, which I feel is a weakness. Also, some of these might be redundant; do we really need an Arboretum, an Hydroponics Lab, and a Botany Lab? (OOC Answer: the real purpose of the arboretum is to give certain types of characters a quiet place to have a nice date, so that is separate from the need for the other two labs that study plants, which probably are redundant). Are we studying Zoology and Anatomy in labs (OOC Answer: No jokes please about studying anatomy)? Do we need a hydrology and a meterology lab?

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Astrophysics Lab
Astronomy Lab
Upper Stellar Cartography Lab and Entrance

These three fields are all the same thing in practical terms.

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Cybernetics Lab
Computer Science Research Lab
Robotics Lab

These three fields are mostly the same thing in practical terms.

Temporal Mechanics Lab

This room sounds exceedingly dangerous in a potentially good way. I feel like this would need a description and would be potentially a fun place to have as a place to cause very extreme forms of trouble.

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SHIPS OF THE CLASS

Moscow class ships are named for large cities within the country of Russia on Earth.

I feel like this is a very bizarre naming scheme. I don’t think Starfleet, which is an interstellar organization, would name ships after cities in a single country on a single planet (the exception being in Lower Decks, which I don’t really take seriously because it’s obviously a joke).

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CONCLUSION

The Moscow class, while large for a surveyor, is built with a core focus of scientific advancement in mind. But should the need arise it carries the support infrastructure to aid in emergency crisis response and containment. With such multi-role capability it is envisioned the Moscow class will see many years of service into the years ahead.

Submitted December 8, 2020
Robert Archer

I think this is an interesting start but it needs some flavor, especially some science-y flavor if it’s going to be a surveyor. It’s also really small, physically, despite the deck plan, in ways that I think might be implasuible, but I’m also having trouble visuallizing it. I kinda want to see where this goes.

Joe