Ship/station combo

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Sure, I guess it just depends on how mobile you want the base to be. If it's a situation of being "mobile" but more of a long-term solution, sure. But if you want the base to be a truly mobile starbase that can essentially move on command as needed it would be better for it to be able to move on its own. I was going to suggest that perhaps rather than built-in warp drive, it could just have dedicated warp tugs but... at that point it's the same difference of just having its own drive.

Given that the New Earth Space Dock was tied to Earth's Planetary Grid for a unified Defense, it stands to reason that they don't want it to be "mobile".

The advantage of Fortifications / Emplacements is that you know they aren't generally going anywhere and are there to protect you.

When designing Fortifications, the Venn Diagram of Offense/Defense/Mobility of where you put your Points/Tech in, since you don't have FTL, you only have STL maneuverability, then all your points goes into Offense/Defense and your Fortification can become "Beast Like" when we see the New Earth Space Dock hold out against a Hi-Jacked StarFleet Armada for hours on end.

I'm envisioning something that is more of a truly mobile starbase that tends to not spend very long in any given location... otherwise just build a starbase.

Or a Universe Class like the Enterprise-J is effectively a Mobile StarBase, in StarShip form.

Or perhaps even this mobile starbase is a Kurlan Naxos of starbases where it's primary function is moving in and... building a starbase. It's like, a starbase carrier.

Isn't that what a giant Dry Dock is for and then having tugs move it into position.

Imagine how much easier it would be for "Re-Positioning" if they had Spore Drives and a Biological Navigator.

You build the StarBases at a giant Factory Yard in space, than "Spore Jump" your StarBase to it's intended location and align it with the appropriate Lagrange Point.

 

[evilchumlee]

Given that the New Earth Space Dock was tied to Earth's Planetary Grid for a unified Defense, it stands to reason that they don't want it to be "mobile".

Right, but we are specifically talking about a mobile starbase...

The advantage of Fortifications / Emplacements is that you know they aren't generally going anywhere and are there to protect you.

The advantage of mobile fortifications is that they can move to where you are to protect you...

Or a Universe Class like the Enterprise-J is effectively a Mobile StarBase, in StarShip form.

Yeah. That works.

Isn't that what a giant Dry Dock is for and then having tugs move it into position.

Yeah, sure. The point being it all just depends on mobile they would want it to be. If it just needs to kind get to point a and stay there... a tug is fine. If it's expected/desired to move around to be where needed, then having it's own drive would be better.

 

[Ithekro]

The Federation might have a central location that builds starbases and major planetary defense hubs, then warps them out to where they need to be and then removed the warp nacelles for the next project. The massive warp core inside the starbase remains to power the defense systems and all that. Unless the warp core is with the nacelle attachment, then it is just the station's fusion core that powers the station (no dilithium to explode in the Burn). However, what happened to all of Starfleet's starbases in the 31st century?

 

[evilchumlee]

However, what happened to all of Starfleet's starbases in the 31st century?

There's no real reason they aren't... still there?

Or perhaps with the ships getting absolutely massive, there was less of a need for fixed starbases. This might be somewhat evident with the fact that Starfleet HQ... which functions as a starbase... is a ship.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

The Federation might have a central location that builds starbases and major planetary defense hubs, then warps them out to where they need to be and then removed the warp nacelles for the next project. The massive warp core inside the starbase remains to power the defense systems and all that. Unless the warp core is with the nacelle attachment, then it is just the station's fusion core that powers the station (no dilithium to explode in the Burn)

And in the event of an emergency, a crack engineer and his team could detach functioning nacelles from a ship in dock and stick them on a station to get the heck out of Dodge in the event of a catastrophe.

Or perhaps with the ships getting absolutely massive, there was less of a need for fixed starbases.

Less vulnerable that way.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

And in the event of an emergency, a crack engineer and his team could detach functioning nacelles from a ship in dock and stick them on a station to get the heck out of Dodge in the event of a catastrophe.

That makes a great argument for "Floating Warp Nacelles".
No need to need a "Crack Engineer" team to McGyver the Warp Nacelles onto the station =D

 

[evilchumlee]

Less vulnerable that way.

That's what i'm thinking. There doesn't seem to be an inherent benefit for them being entirely fixed locations. They can be... semi-permanent, tied into planetary defense grids, etc. but there's really no compelling reason why they would need to be just completely stationary.

 

[valkyrie013]

With the size of other species ships in trek, having a federation ship big enough to be a "Base" isn't that far a stretch. Even other ships being held internally for the voyage.
"Story Idea"
Would the Federation take say a base and a few ships, and then take that base, and say, travel 5 years further into the Alpha quadrant, the base going warp 8 for 5 years, most of the crew in suspended animation. and when they get there, they set up the base, and go exploring for say, another 5 years until relief arrives?

 

[evilchumlee]

With the size of other species ships in trek, having a federation ship big enough to be a "Base" isn't that far a stretch. Even other ships being held internally for the voyage.
"Story Idea"
Would the Federation take say a base and a few ships, and then take that base, and say, travel 5 years further into the Alpha quadrant, the base going warp 8 for 5 years, most of the crew in suspended animation. and when they get there, they set up the base, and go exploring for say, another 5 years until relief arrives?

Yes, no, maybe?

We've never seen Starfleet do a suspended animation mission. We know they, at least theoretically, do long-term exploration.

I would say though probably no on this. It's a huge commitment for the unknown. A ship is more mobile, so if they end up in a situation where they're smack in the middle of someone's claimed territory they can leave. Setting up shop with a big starbase, even if it's mobile, could be a very bad look for local powers.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

We've never seen Starfleet do a suspended animation mission. We know they, at least theoretically, do long-term exploration.

In the "modern era", that isn't necessary, there are plenty of Star Systems nearby that any "Long Term" exploration should be done via probes and then go there later on if there is anything of interest.

 

[evilchumlee]

In the "modern era", that isn't necessary, there are plenty of Star Systems nearby that any "Long Term" exploration should be done via probes and then go there later on if there is anything of interest.

Yeah but Starfleet is more idealistic than that. They don't want to send probes. They want to send people.

They'll build a Galaxy-Class to go on a decade-long mission, because they can.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Well, why not both? At the beginning of DS9 we hear of the "Quadros 1" probe which got far enough into the Gamma Quadrant to chart some stars that Dax and Sisko could find when they first took the wormhole. Then some time later, we hear of Voyager potentially running into some Federation deep space starships within a few years. Presumably BOTH of these missions predate the start of the TNG era, but who knows when either was formally launched.

I can also fully see Starfleet having waves of manned and unmanned missions depending on politics, resources, and recent history. These can inform policies that go on for years, if not decades. Starfleet has always been about exploration, but the methodology can ebb and flow depending on the context.

Mark

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Yeah but Starfleet is more idealistic than that. They don't want to send probes. They want to send people.

They'll build a Galaxy-Class to go on a decade-long mission, because they can.

Only to get recalled a year in to do busy work nearby UFP territory or tour the UFP doing local stuff.

 

[JoseNoodles]

They somehow moved the late 23rd century Earth Spacedock before the end of the 24th century to another Star system to become the Fleet Museum.

Maybe they took it apart and rebuilt it in the new system.

I recall the carrirer ship from Starfleet Command II seems to fit the bill for a mobile base. A modder/artist by the name WickZombie45 even made a 3d model that emphasized this fact.

 

[publiusr]

The Klingon Academy look....

 

[Ithekro]

Well the Klingons did have mobile starbases in that game.

 

[publiusr]

The first couple of DC Trek comics had a jump-base of sorts.

 

[evilchumlee]

I always partial to the Typhon-Class as a potential "mobile starbase"

 

[Lakenheath 72]

We do have a starbase/ship combo with the Pax-class USS Federation. We see in the last episode of Discovery that there are two other ships of the class.

As for the starbases, some did survive into the 32nd century, including Deep Space 9.

Starships can drop anchor like the USS Voyager in "Fair Haven". They erected an inverse warp field which kept them in place for days.

 

[fireproof78]

Maybe they took it apart and rebuilt it in the new system.

I recall the carrirer ship from Starfleet Command II seems to fit the bill for a mobile base. A modder/artist by the name WickZombie45 even made a 3d model that emphasized this fact.

World War 2 references much?

Good looking ship.