Ancient or Mysterious Ships

Note Some ships that seem to be missing here may be listed as Space-Dwelling Lifeforms.

 

Comm Network


Comm network relay

General description

The ancient communication network was built by an unknown alien race, using an only partially comprehensible technology including a quantum singularity as the power source.

Known stations

No name given
 

Annotations

See Hirogen Ships

Class specifications

Age: approx. 100,000 years

 

D'Arsay


Archive

General description

The archive of the D'Arsay culture was embedded into an asteroid. It is equipped with an unknown power source and a highly advanced computer system.

Known probes

No name given
 

Annotations

  1. The archive appeared in TNG: "Masks". It has the distinction of being the first CG model of a starship to appear in Star Trek.
  2. The model was faithfully reconstructed for the remastered episode.

Class specifications

Age: approx. 87 million years

 

Dyson Sphere


Dyson sphere

General description

The Dyson sphere is a gigantic artificial sphere built around a star in order to take advantage of its complete energy emissions. The exterior shell is composed of carbon neutronium. The central star is of the G type. There also appears to be a Class-M atmosphere clinging to the interior surface.
Gallery: Alpha and Beta Quadrant Ships, Part 2

Known Dyson spheres

No name given
 

Annotations

  1. The Dyson sphere is named after Freeman Dyson, physicist who devised its concept in the 20th century. The sphere featured in TNG: "Relics" is the most advanced type and completely envelops the star. Its radius is 100 million km so as to provide moderate irradiation density on its inner surface, maintaining Class-M living conditions throughout the whole 125*10^15 km^2 area, 250*10^6 times the Earth's surface. In an optimistic estimation the sphere is only 1km thick (in the episode it looks more like 3km) and any element except for hydrogen and helium can be employed for its construction. Still, tens of thousands of Earth-like planets would be required in this case. As a result, there should be a large space region without planets. Only a vastly advanced and superior Q-like race would have the power to collect planets and put them together to such a huge construction. However, a serious objection is that a race able to build a Dyson biosphere would actually not need one and a less advanced civilization with the necessary knowledge would not give up their planets, everything that makes up their history.
  2. The Dyson sphere is many times larger than all other artificial structures in the known universe combined. The Federation has obviously taken custody of it, and fleets of research ships must have been examining the Dyson sphere. It is also likely that there would have been an intergalactic conflict about it. But why was it never mentioned again?

Class specifications

Diameter: 200 million kilometers

 

Iconian


Probe

General description

The spherical probe is unarmed, but it may infect any computer system with an advanced virus.

Known probes

No name given
 

Annotations

The Iconian probe was encountered in TNG: "Contagion". Essentially only a semi-transparent light effect, it didn't look like it had any substance. Maybe the blue sphere was just a shield around the actual probe.

Class specifications

Age: approx. 200,000 years

 

Kataanian


Probe

General description

This probe was launched from the planet Kataan 1000 years ago. It contains a program that reconstructs life on the planet through a synaptic link with a person.

Known probes

No name given
 

Annotations

It is already woefully implausible that the probe (TNG: "The Inner Light") would still function and have power after 1000 years. And it would be far beyond the Kataanian technology (comparable to 20th century Earth) to create a wireless link with an alien brain (or any brain). Moreover, it is inexcusable that the probe could do that even through the Enterprise's shields. It would have been much more credible if the crew had examined and powered up the probe in the cargo bay and Picard had imprudently touched something in it.

Class specifications

Age: approx. 1000 years

 

Planet Killer


Planet Killer



Planet Killer (TOS-R)

General description

The Planet Killer's origin was outside our galaxy. The weapon's irregular cone-shaped hull consisted of neutronium. Its antiproton beam was powerful enough to destroy whole planets whose rubble it could use as fuel.

Known probes

No name given
 

Annotations

  1. The Planet Killer appeared in TOS: "The Doomsday Machine". If the hull really consisted of neutronium (a hypothetical form of matter consisting only of neutrons and without "empty spaces" between the cores, similar to the matter of neutron stars), it would be impervious to anything, just as shown in the episode. However, it would also be incredibly heavy at the given volume and almost impossible to move or only to hold its shape.
  2. All visual effects involving the Planet Killer were redone with a new CGI model in the remastered episode. Its irregular hull shape and structure is close to the original. If it is not quite the same, it will be hardly recognizable anyway because we are shown the Planet Killer from somewhat different angles now. At startrek.com, Dave Rossi, producer of Star Trek Remastered, says about the hull structure: "We wanted to honor the original concept, and in fact, we researched some original story notes in which [writer] Norman Spinrad described the planet killer as bristling with weapons. At the same time, we wanted to retain as much of the original model design as possible. We gave the new planet killer a texture reminiscent of hammered titanium and solid lava, trying to indicate that the surface of the machine had been pounded by untold arsenals over the aeons." All light effects like the reactor inside, the weapon beams and the exhaust of the dying machine were even more noticeably upgraded.
  3. It also seems that the Planet Killer has grown in size in TOS-R, as can be seen quite well when the Constellation enters the maw. The planet killer now appears to be more than twice as long as in TOS.

Class specifications

Length: approx. 2700m

 

Presumed "Intergalactic Synthetic Civilization"


Unknown machine

General description

Summoned by the Synths on Coppelius, this thing emerges from a wormhole and gets crushed as Soji collapses the wormhole.

Known machines

No name given
 

Annotations

We can see this machine in PIC: "Et in Arcadia Ego II", seemingly fulfilling the Zhat Vash prophecy of the Ch'khalagu. According to their myth, when Seb-Natan (Soji) blows into the horn (activates the beacon), it will release the Ch'khalagu. Thousand days of pain will follow, the streets will be "slick with entrails of half-devoured corpses. The worlds will burn. Ch'khalagu will feast and nurse their brats on blood and pick their teeth with bones." The latter part didn't happen. The actual origin and purpose of the thing remains a total mystery.

Class specifications

None available

 

Promellian


Battlecruiser

General description

The Promellian battlecruiser was used during the war between the Promellians and the Mentharans, in the course of which the two civilizations destroyed one another.

Known ships

Cleponji
 

Annotations

The Promellian battlecruiser appeared in TNG: "Booby Trap". The familiar depiction of the ship in the Fact Files without the neck is flawed. We actually don't see the forward end in the episode, but the rear view from a distance shows us that there must be a smaller pod behind the clearly discernible large one at the aft end (so the latter would be in front in flight direction). This is exactly the pod that can be found on the Klingon ship in DS9: "Sons of Mogh", an obvious re-use of the Promellian battlecruiser. We may safely conclude that the pod was present already on the Promellian version. The artist who drew the ship for the Fact Files apparently had the screen caps as the only reference and while the details at the aft end are quite correct, he did not make out the neck or the forward pod. The miniature had previously appeared in the horror flick "Night of the Creeps" (1986) before it found its way to Star Trek.

Class specifications

Length: approx. 600m
Age: approx. 1000 years

 

Repair Station


Repair station

General description

The repair station is composed of two joined cylindrical docking facilities. In order to accommodate ships of different sizes, the cylinders may be radially extended. The station is fully automated and self-sustaining and employs unknown replication techniques. But it requires organic brains to augment its computer system.

Known stations

No name given
 

Annotations

It is unknown who built the repair station that appeared in ENT: "Dead Stop".

Class specifications

None available

 

Sublight Freighter


Sublight freighter

General description

This vessel was used to carry radioactive waste and was abandoned 300 years ago. The origin of the sublight freighter is unknown.
Article: Redresses of the Batris
Article: The Antares Class(es)

Known ships

No name given
 

Annotations

The sublight freighter is a modification of the Batris from TNG: "Heart of Glory". The age and even rather the technology and size of this ship forbids that it could be a member of the Antares class. We need to ignore the similarity.

Class specifications

Length: approx. 1400m
Age: approx. 300 years

 

Whale Probe


Whale Probe

General description

The Whale Probe was sent by an unknown civilization to contact the supposedly intelligent humpback whales living in the oceans of the planet Earth. Essentially just a black cylinder with irregular, organic-looking surface, the probe's hull opened seamlessly to release a rotating transceiver ball when establishing the contact.

Known probes

No name given
 

Annotations

When the probe passes by the Spacedock in "Star Trek IV", the Spacedock is roughly the same height as from the bottom of the probe's hull to about the middle of the rotating sphere. Considering the studio model was 4 times as long as high, it would make the Whale Probe some 12.5km in diameter and 50km in length.

Class specifications

No specs available

 


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