The Challenger-class starships were Starfleet vessels in service in the later 24th century. They shared many design aspects with Galaxy-class and Nebula-class starships.
History[]
The Challenger-class was in service by the mid 2360s.
At least one ship of the class, the USS Buran, was present at the Battle of Wolf 359 in late 2366/ early 2367. The Buran was lost in action during the battle. (TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds")
Technical data[]
The class had a primary saucer connected to a small secondary hull at its aft end. A large pylon connected a nacelle to the dorsal surface of the secondary hull, while a smaller pylon connected a nacelle to the ventral surface of the same hull. The larger pylon housed a shuttlebay.
Ships of the class[]
- Named
| Name | Registry | Notes | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USS Buran | NCC-57580 | Destroyed by the Borg at the Battle of Wolf 359 | Destroyed | 2367 |
- Uncertain
| Name | Registry | Notes | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USS Armstrong | NCC- | Active | 2373 | |
| Kearsarge | Active | 2370 |
Appendices[]
Appearances[]
Background information[]
The Challenger-class USS Buran was a "kitbashed" design study and filming model built by Ed Miarecki and Michael Okuda that was barely glimpsed among the wreckage of the "graveyard" scene in TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II". [1] It was made from parts of AMT/Ertl USS Enterprise-D model kits, no. 6619, specifically the saucer section and warp nacelles, as well as from parts of a submarine model kit. Okuda recalled on the model, "I don't recall what Ed's original version of the Buran was, but I added the submarine parts and glued on the engines, although it looks like Ed assembled the engines. I thought it was a clever idea, but it ended up looking like a lollipop. Maybe Ed's version was a single nacelle, and I added the second. I don't remember. (...) I think one of the engine mounts was a submarine tower, but I wouldn't swear that both were. I'm pretty sure both engines were fairly stock Ertl large Galaxy nacelles that Ed had made. The actual amount of modelmaking time that Rick S. and I had was minimal, so we would tend to have stuck with stuff that Ed did for us." [2]
The Star Trek Encyclopedia, 3rd ed., p. 235, 470, 473 lists the USS Armstrong from DS9: "Apocalypse Rising" and the Kearsarge from TNG: "Firstborn" as being Challenger-class starships.
Apocrypha[]
In the Star Trek: The Next Generation Annual story "Thin Ice" published by DC Comics, the USS Marco Polo (β) was stated to be a Challenger-class starship. This design appeared as a variant of the Constellation-class design, with the lower nacelles replaced by a secondary hull. [3]
Issue #114
According to issue #114 of the Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection, the Challenger-class had an approximate length of 390 meters, an approximate crew of 300, and a top speed of warp 9.6. This class was equipped with phasers and photon torpedos.
In 2024, Star Trek Online introduced the Atlantis class, an unlockable cosmetic skin as a 25th century successor to the Challenger class. [4]
External links[]
- Challenger class at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- Challenger-class reconstruction at Ex Astris Scientia