USS Pythagoras
Research into damage to the fabric of subspace by warp drives is an ongoing concern for Starfleet, several years after the damage to subspace caused by warp drives was discovered and confirmed (and then hotly debated by the scientific and political community for several more years after that), construction was ordered on a testbed vessel to research the phenomenon. Further expansion of it's role has made the ships of the Pythagoras Class into technological testbeds of the Federation.
The Pythagoras Class, named after the ancient scientist and mathematician of Earth, was designed to explore and test new warp configurations to make warp travel more efficient and less damaging to subspace. The Pythagoras has it's nacelles mounted on variable-geometry pylons, allowing for a possibility of a number of different warp configurations.
These explorations into variable geometry was to be later incorporated into the Intrepid class of vessel and others.
Although the newest Starfleet designs, such as the Sovereign, have redesigned systems that minimize or negate the damage to subspace, the Pythagoras Class vessels are still in service, exploring new warp configurations and technologies as well as being ready, like all Starfleet vessels, to serve the Federation when necessary.
The Pythagoras is surprisingly well-armed for a research ship, with torpedo launchers located at the roots of its half-saucer section and phaser emplacements, in total it has four torpedo launchers and six phasers. Since the class was and is a technological testbed vessel, it also incorporates some of the newest weapon systems - and while not an especially powerful vessel in combat, the Pythagoras is not to be underestimated if pressed into battle.
Of the four Pythagoras Class vessels initially constructed, only three survive, the USS Apollonius was destroyed in a subspace accident when it's warp drive created an unstable field that catastrophically collapsed upon warp engagement, ripping the Apollonius apart with all hands lost.
(don't often post here, so a caveat: i do these at work on my down time, on scratch paper, freehanded, so apologies in advance for any roughness.)
Research into damage to the fabric of subspace by warp drives is an ongoing concern for Starfleet, several years after the damage to subspace caused by warp drives was discovered and confirmed (and then hotly debated by the scientific and political community for several more years after that), construction was ordered on a testbed vessel to research the phenomenon. Further expansion of it's role has made the ships of the Pythagoras Class into technological testbeds of the Federation.
The Pythagoras Class, named after the ancient scientist and mathematician of Earth, was designed to explore and test new warp configurations to make warp travel more efficient and less damaging to subspace. The Pythagoras has it's nacelles mounted on variable-geometry pylons, allowing for a possibility of a number of different warp configurations.
These explorations into variable geometry was to be later incorporated into the Intrepid class of vessel and others.
Although the newest Starfleet designs, such as the Sovereign, have redesigned systems that minimize or negate the damage to subspace, the Pythagoras Class vessels are still in service, exploring new warp configurations and technologies as well as being ready, like all Starfleet vessels, to serve the Federation when necessary.
The Pythagoras is surprisingly well-armed for a research ship, with torpedo launchers located at the roots of its half-saucer section and phaser emplacements, in total it has four torpedo launchers and six phasers. Since the class was and is a technological testbed vessel, it also incorporates some of the newest weapon systems - and while not an especially powerful vessel in combat, the Pythagoras is not to be underestimated if pressed into battle.
Of the four Pythagoras Class vessels initially constructed, only three survive, the USS Apollonius was destroyed in a subspace accident when it's warp drive created an unstable field that catastrophically collapsed upon warp engagement, ripping the Apollonius apart with all hands lost.
(don't often post here, so a caveat: i do these at work on my down time, on scratch paper, freehanded, so apologies in advance for any roughness.)
