Akira class starship (Star Trek)
Encyclopedia
The Akira-class starship is a class of Starfleet
starship
in the Star Trek
fictional universe
, appearing first in Star Trek: First Contact
and subsequently in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
and Star Trek: Voyager
. Akira-class starships are seen in several Federation battle fleets across the series.
Ships of the Akira class are large vessels composed of a circular
, saucer-shaped primary hull with a low-slung navigational deflector and two beams rising from the top heading aft; the beams attach to an arch that supports two warp nacelles
at its ends and a weapons pod that fires photon torpedoes at its zenith. The main bridge, primary dorsal phaser strip and lifeboats
are embedded into the saucer. The ventral saucer is occupied with the navigational deflector, a photon torpedo tube and additional lifeboats.
designed the Akira class, which is named for the anime
film Akira
. Jaeger commented on the design in an interview with Star Trek Magazine
: "This was my gunship/battlecruiser/aircraft carrier. It has 15 torpedo launchers and two shuttlebays - one in front, with three doors, and one in the back. I really got into it with this one, with the whole idea that the front bay would be the launching bay, and then to return they'd come into the back, because they'd be protected by the rest of the ship."
depicted in Deep Space Nine, including Operation Return in "Sacrifice of Angels" and the First Battle of Chin'toka in "Tears of the Prophets". A ship of this class is also seen during the USS Voyager
's return to the Alpha Quadrant in the Voyager episode "Endgame
".
. The ship is named for the fictional HMS Thunder Child
in H. G. Wells
' novel The War of the Worlds.
USS Spector: The Spector is involved in the recovery of the USS Prometheus in the Voyager episode "Message in a Bottle
".
USS Rabin (NCC-62392): Not on screen, but referenced in official decal sheets.
USS Geronimo : Appears in Star Trek: Bridge Commander
.
USS Devore : Appears in Star Trek: Bridge Commander
USS Jupiter : Appears in Star Trek: Armada
. It was also a promotional card in the Decipher Collectible Card game. The Card came with the game and was also packaged with the card game's final expansion 'All Good Things'.
Starfleet
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet or the Federation Starfleet is the deep-space exploratory, peacekeeping and military service maintained by the United Federation of Planets . It is the principal means by which the Federation conducts its exploration, defense, diplomacy and research...
starship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
in the Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
fictional universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
, appearing first in Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact is the eighth feature film in the Star Trek science fiction franchise, released in November 1996, by Paramount Pictures. First Contact is the first film in the franchise to feature no cast members from the original Star Trek television series of the 1960s...
and subsequently in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
and Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
. Akira-class starships are seen in several Federation battle fleets across the series.
Ships of the Akira class are large vessels composed of a circular
Circle
A circle is a simple shape of Euclidean geometry consisting of those points in a plane that are a given distance from a given point, the centre. The distance between any of the points and the centre is called the radius....
, saucer-shaped primary hull with a low-slung navigational deflector and two beams rising from the top heading aft; the beams attach to an arch that supports two warp nacelles
Warp drive (Star Trek)
Warp drive is a faster-than-light propulsion system in the setting of many science fiction works, most notably Star Trek. A spacecraft equipped with a warp drive may travel at velocities greater than that of light by many orders of magnitude, while circumventing the relativistic problem of time...
at its ends and a weapons pod that fires photon torpedoes at its zenith. The main bridge, primary dorsal phaser strip and lifeboats
Lifeboat (shipboard)
A lifeboat is a small, rigid or inflatable watercraft carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard ship. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of cruise ships often double as lifeboats. Recreational sailors sometimes...
are embedded into the saucer. The ventral saucer is occupied with the navigational deflector, a photon torpedo tube and additional lifeboats.
Design
Alex Jaeger of Industrial Light and MagicIndustrial Light and Magic
Industrial Light & Magic is an Academy Award-winning motion picture visual effects company that was founded in May 1975 by George Lucas and is owned by Lucasfilm. Lucas created the company when he discovered that the special effects department at 20th Century Fox was shut down after he was given...
designed the Akira class, which is named for the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
film Akira
Akira (film)
is a 1988 Japanese animated cyberpunk science fiction film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, written by Otomo and Izo Hashimoto, and starring the voices of Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama and Taro Ishida. The screenplay is based on Otomo's manga Akira....
. Jaeger commented on the design in an interview with Star Trek Magazine
Star Trek Magazine
Star Trek Magazine is an authorized periodical published bi-monthly by Titan UK in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, devoted to the Star Trek franchise. The magazine has limited distribution in Europe...
: "This was my gunship/battlecruiser/aircraft carrier. It has 15 torpedo launchers and two shuttlebays - one in front, with three doors, and one in the back. I really got into it with this one, with the whole idea that the front bay would be the launching bay, and then to return they'd come into the back, because they'd be protected by the rest of the ship."
Appearances
Akira-class ships are seen participating in several battles of the Dominion WarDominion War
The Dominion War is an extended plot concept developed in a number of story arcs of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, an American science-fiction television series produced by Paramount Pictures...
depicted in Deep Space Nine, including Operation Return in "Sacrifice of Angels" and the First Battle of Chin'toka in "Tears of the Prophets". A ship of this class is also seen during the USS Voyager
USS Voyager (Star Trek)
The fictional Intrepid-class starship USS Voyager is the primary setting of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. It is commanded by Captain Kathryn Janeway....
's return to the Alpha Quadrant in the Voyager episode "Endgame
Endgame (Voyager episode)
"Endgame" is the title of the series finale of the Star Trek spinoff series, Star Trek: Voyager. Originally shown as a double-length episode and presented as such in DVD collections, it is shown in repeat broadcasts as two linked episodes.-Plot:...
".
Known Akira-class starships
USS Thunderchild (NCC-63549) : The Thunderchild fights at the Battle of Sector 001 in Star Trek: First ContactStar Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact is the eighth feature film in the Star Trek science fiction franchise, released in November 1996, by Paramount Pictures. First Contact is the first film in the franchise to feature no cast members from the original Star Trek television series of the 1960s...
. The ship is named for the fictional HMS Thunder Child
HMS Thunder Child
HMS Thunder Child is the name of the fictional ironclad torpedo ram of the Royal Navy that is destroyed by Martian fighting-machines in H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds...
in H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
' novel The War of the Worlds.
USS Spector: The Spector is involved in the recovery of the USS Prometheus in the Voyager episode "Message in a Bottle
Message in a Bottle (Voyager episode)
"Message in a Bottle" is a popular episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the fourteenth episode of the fourth season, which premiered January 21, 1998...
".
USS Rabin (NCC-62392): Not on screen, but referenced in official decal sheets.
USS Geronimo : Appears in Star Trek: Bridge Commander
Star Trek: Bridge Commander
Star Trek: Bridge Commander is a space combat simulation game for the PC, published by Activision and Totally Games in 2002, based in the Star Trek universe....
.
USS Devore : Appears in Star Trek: Bridge Commander
Star Trek: Bridge Commander
Star Trek: Bridge Commander is a space combat simulation game for the PC, published by Activision and Totally Games in 2002, based in the Star Trek universe....
USS Jupiter : Appears in Star Trek: Armada
Star Trek: Armada
Star Trek: Armada is a real-time strategy game published in 2000 by Activision. The game's look and feel is based primarily on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and features a few of its main characters and ships. Playable factions include the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, the...
. It was also a promotional card in the Decipher Collectible Card game. The Card came with the game and was also packaged with the card game's final expansion 'All Good Things'.