The Oberth-class was a type of Federation starship in service in the 23rd and 24th centuries. It was used by both Starfleet and civilian institutions, mainly in the role of a Surveyor or science vessel.

The class was named after 20th century German rocket pioneer Hermann Oberth^WP. (SA video game: Starfleet Academy Starship Bridge Simulator)

History and specifications[]

The Oberth-class was introduced as early as the year 2250^[1] and became one of the primary instruments of Starfleet's exploration program^[8].

Star Trek: Starship Spotter gives a commission date of 2290.

The design was successful enough to spawn at least three sub-classes: the Clarke-class and the slightly larger Gagarin-class in the 23rd century ^[9]; and the larger still Sagan-class in the 24th century ^[10].

Notable missions of the class and its sub-classes include the USS Chaffee's first contact with the Bzzit Khaht in 2274^[11]; USS Grissom's assignment to the Genesis Planet in 2285^[12]; deep-space exploration by the USS Oberth in 2293^[13]; the first exploration of the interior of the Badlands by the USS Yosemite in 2336 ^[14]; and the USS Armstrong's Gamma Quadrant survey mission in 2369^[15].

As well as ongoing scientific research and exploration, the Oberth-class served other mission profiles. One ship, the USS Trosper, found service with the Starfleet Corps of Engineers ^[16], and another, the USS Pegasus, was used as a testbed vessel for various technologies including an illegal Federation cloaking device ^[17]. The class also served in tactical support roles such as the USS Bonestell recording tactical data during the Battle of Wolf 359 in 2367^[18], and then in 2373 three Oberth-class starships fought the Borg during the Battle of Sector 001^[19]. Other ships were utilised as couriers or transports^[20].

The Oberth-class's status as an explorer came to an end with the introduction of the Galaxy-class starship in the 2360s^[8], and the class itself was succeeded by the Nova-class later in the same decade^[21].

Specifications[]

The Oberth-class had 13 decks, which included six levels within the pylons. The secondary hull housed the warp core, and a small shuttlebay was located in the aft section. (TNG episode: "Hero Worship")

The crew compliment ranged from five to 80. (TNG episodes: "Realm of Fear", "The Naked Now")

For defensive and tactical situations, the class was equipped with deflector shields, phaser arrays and a probe/photon torpedo launcher. (TOS movie: The Search for Spock; TNG movie: Star Trek: First Contact; WizKids module: Tactics)

By the year 2409, a refit had mounted at least four phaser arrays and nine escape pods on the primary hull. (STO mission: "Welcome to Earth Spacedock")

Images[]

Known vessels[]

Oberth-class starships
various configurations	Aamot* • Achilles • Alacrity • Alcubierre • Aldrin • Andromede • Armstrong • Banting • Barracuda • Biko • Bonestell • Broadsword • Carter • Carver • Cavalier • Cochrane • Copernicus • Cortes • Drake • Faraday • Freedom • Fu Po • Garneau • Gato • Hawking • Intrepid II • Jacequai • Jonathan Levy • Khartoum • Khyber • Lagrange • Lake • Manatee • Martynov • Montgomery • Moray • Narwhal • Oberth • Osiris • Pegasus (2285) • Pegasus (2358) • Pegasus (Late 24th century) • Raman • Rio Branco • Sandhusky • Seadragon • Shepherd • Smallwood* • Stingray • Sun Yat Sen • Surak • Sybil • Tinian • Tobias • Trosper • Trump • Tudor • Vico • Yosemite • Yung Sheng (*simulated and/or fictional)
2340s configuration	Al-Batani • Alexandria • Angelou • Billings • Burton • Challenger • Chicago • Curie • Dauntless • Eliel • Ervolina • Gallico • Hanley • Kahlo • Le Guin • Legionnaire • Lionheart • Mikita • Nimble • Nova • Oyama • Resolute • Riegel • Rue • Sentinel • Silversides • Strother • Valorous • Walters
Clarke-subclass	Benjamin Franklin • Clarke • Salutaris (civilian medical vessel)	Gagarin-subclass	Chaffee • Gagarin • Grissom
Sagan-class	Carson • Cochrane • Corby • Crater • Daystrom • Einstein • Fermi • Lowell • Meade • Mendeleyev • Sagan • Shoonedev • Skoatar • Surishian • T'mirea • Tsiolkovsky • V'Ryugenn

Appendices[]

Connections[]

Starship classes of the Federation Starfleet
subclass groups	Akira (Alita • Armitage • Thunderchild) • Ambassador (Alaska • Narendra • Yamaguchi) • Apollo (Akula frigate / light cruiser) • Cardenas (Buran) • Chesapeake (Mongrel) • Cheyenne (Dakota • Stargazer) • Concorde (Geneva battlecruiser • Presidio) • Constellation (Challenger deep space explorer) • Chimera heavy destroyer (Manticore) • Constitution (Achernar • Bonhomme Richard • Tikopai • Enterprise • Exeter • Excalibur • Vesper • Kirk • Crossfield (Glenn • 32nd century refit) • Danube (Yellowstone) • Decatur (Dreadnought) • Defiant (Gallant • Incursion • Nachthexen • Sao Paulo • Valiant • Vigilant escort) • Dervish (Gryphon • Hermes escort • Maelstrom • Tempest) • Destiny (Nimbus • Oracle • Trident) • Engle (Earhart) • Excelsior (Bismarck • Curry • Kirov • New Jersey • Resolute) • Galaxy (Andromeda (25th century) • Celestial • Envoy • Galaxy X • Monarch cruiser • Ross • Venture cruiser • Yamato dreadnought) • Hermes scout (Cygnus • Monoceros) • Inquiry (Avenger battlecruiser • Arbiter) • Hoover (Edison) • Intrepid (Bellerophon • Cochrane science vessel • Discovery (25th century) • Janeway • Pathfinder • Trailblazer • Yeager) • Kumari (Charal • Khyzon) • Luna (Comet • Polaris • Sol • Titan) • Magee (Shran (escort)) • Malachowski (Helios (tug)) • Miranda (Anton • Reliant • Soyuz) • Merian (Merian (dreadnought)) • Nebula (Magellan) • New Orleans (Lafayette) • Nimitz (Europa) • Norway (Oslo) • Nova (Aurora • Quasar • Rhode Island) • NX (Columbia • Poseidon) • Oberth (Clarke • Gagarin (23rd century) • Grissom • Sagan) • Odyssey (Verity • Yorktown (cruiser)) • Olympic (Hope • Horizon science vessel) • Prometheus (Cerberus • Hephaestus • Hestia • Phoenix) • Ptolemy (Dollond • Doppler • Keppler) • Remora (Charger) • Saladin (Cochise • Siva) • Santa Fe (Newport) • Saber (Gladius • Rapier • Ushaan) • Sentinel (Emissary • Nomad cruiser • Vanguard) • Shepard (Gagarin (25th century)) • Solanae (Helios • Montgomery • Omega) • Sovereign (Archon • Imperial • Majestic • Noble cruiser • Regent) • Steamrunner (Appalachia • Zephyr) • Vesta (Aventine • Rademaker) • Walker (Georgiou • Shenzhou ) • Wells (Eternal • Ouroboros • Verne)
other named classes	AA class • Aakenn • Achilles • Advance • Aegian • Aeolus • Aerie • Akula destroyer / escort • Ambassador Hardin • Andes • Andor • Andromeda (24th century) • Angelou • Antares • Apache • Aquarius • Archer • Archimedes • Ark Royal • Ariel • Ascendant • Atrox • Avenger (scout) • Babcock • Bader • Baker • Baton Rouge • Berena • Bode • Bolarus • Bonaventure • Bradbury • Brenton • California • Canada • Canopus • Capella • Castor • Centaur • Centaurus • Ceres • Cestus • Challenger • Chandley • Chariot • Chimer • Chimera fast frigate • Christopher • Clarke (25th century) • Cle Dan • Cochrane transport • Columbia • Condor (raider) • Continent • Contortrix • Copernicus • Courage • Daedalus • Dauntless • Decker • Defender • Delta • D'Kyr • Deneva • Derf • Drexler • Durrett • Eagle • Eclipse • Edward • Einstein • Eisenberg • El Dorado • future Enterprise • Epoch • Epsilon • Erewon • Eternal • Federation • Fenlon • Fermi • Fiji • Freedom • Friendship • Frontier • Gagarin (24th century) • Galen • Gallant • Ganges • Geneva • Genser • Graceful • Gral • Grayson • Griffon • Guardian • Gemini • Hale • Hermes fast cruiser • Heston • Hogan • Hokule'a • Horizon cruiser • Icarus • Ilthirin • Indomitable • Intrepid (22nd century) • Iowa • Istanbul • Iwo Jima • Class J • Jupiter • Karekh • Keith • Kethkin • Kiev • K'Kmarak • Kolm-An • Korolev • Larson • Lauro • Laweya • Legacy • Lenthal • Lexington • Liberty • Loki • Loknar • London • Madison • Makin • Mann • Marklin • Mars • Marshall • M'Benga • Mediterranean • Merced • Mercury (courier) • Mercury (escort) • Mercury (scout) • Merian • Merian (dreadnought) • Messier • Meteor • Midway • Mission • Missouri • Mobulai • MoKal • Moscow • Mulciber• Narcine • Nautilus • Nelson • Niagara • Noble laboratory vessel • Nomad escort • Northampton • Obena • Oberon • Odin • Odysseus • Okinawa • Oppenheimer • Orion • Osaka • Overfield • Paladin battlecruiser • Paladin destroyer • Parliament • Paladin (24th century) • Perseus • Pioneer • Phalanx • Phantom • Philadelphia • Pinnacle • Piper • Pollux • Portsmith • Pralim • Premonition • Protostar • Proxima • Pyotr Velikiy • Pyrenees • Rakota • Ranger battlecruiser • Ranger explorer • Ranger scout • Renaissance • Rickenbacker • Rigel • Rochester • Royal Sovereign • Rubin • Sagittarius • Samson • Saturn • Sawyer • Scorpio • Scryer • Scylla • Sequoia • Sevaijen • ShiKahr • Sierra • Solar • Springfield • Sulek • Surak • Sydney • Tangent • Theophrastus • Thomas Paine • Thucydides • Thufir • Tiberius • Ticonderoga • Universe •Theseus II • Tripper • Tritium • Typhon • Typhoon • Ukora • Ulysses • Ural • Utah • Venture scout • Vigilant scout • Voyager • Wallenberg • Wambundu • Wei-Fa • Wellington • Wilkerson • Wizard • Yamato • Yorkshire • Yorktown • Zodiac • unnamed
general type	Defiant pathfinder • Raging Queen • Sun Tzu • Valley Forge • Federation assault ship • Federation battleship • Federation cargo ship • Federation colony ship • Federation construction ship • Federation cruiser • deep galaxy ship • Federation dreadnought • Federation freighter • Federation frigate • Federation galaxy ship • Federation holoship • Federation heavy cruiser (2380s heavy cruiser) • Federation light cruiser (Constitution-variant light cruiser • Intrepid-variant light cruiser) • Federation medium cruiser (Excelsior-variant medium cruiser) • Federation mining freighter • Federation repair ship • Starfleet tanker

Background[]

Apocrypha[]

• The Ship Recognition Manual, Volume 4: Starships of The Original Series Era book published by Last Unicorn Games after they had lost their Star Trek licence listed two other Oberth-class starships: USS Lowell (NCC-664) and USS Ve'hal (NCC-681).

References[]

External link[]

• Oberth class article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.