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Battlestar Galactica (ship)
Encyclopedia
The Battlestar Galactica is a space battleship
in the original
and re-imagined science fiction
television series Battlestar Galactica
.
The Twelve Colonies of Man in the original television series built a number of Battlestars during their thousand-year war with the Cylons
, whose battleships are known as Basestars
.
, Galactica represents the Colonial planet Caprica, and is crewed mostly by Capricans. Galactica was launched more than 500 yahren before the close of the Thousand Yahren War
(and the start of the pilot film). It is believed to be the only Battlestar to survive the destruction of the Twelve Colonies, until Battlestar Pegasus
is found. Galactica is commanded by Commander Adama
.
In the pre-Holocaust Colonial Service, battlestars like the Galactica operated as the flagships of numbered naval fleets (e.g. the Fourth Fleet), with each fleet assigned one battlestar and led by that battlestar's commander. A typical fleet comprised 600 fighting ships, and operated independently from other fleets. Since the Holocaust, the Galactica is the military's sole capital ship of any kind (except, briefly, for the Pegasus).
: 25 surviving fighters from its own pre-Holocaust squadrons, 42 from the other battlestars at the Peace Conference, and the remainder being transfers from the Pegasus. The Galactica also has a complement of shuttles. Unlike similar civilian models, these transport craft include military gear for detecting electronic emissions from other spacecraft, and drop chutes for paratroop assaults. In addition, the Galactica has armored, tracked ground vehicles known as "landrams" and "snowrams." These are armed with a single heavy laser cannon in an open turret on the roof, and are landed by shuttles. The Galactica carries a large number of manually-aimed laser batteries, both for anti-aircraft defense against fighters and for engaging other capital ships. As to purely defensive measures, the Galactica is protected by both "electronic shields" and a heavy metal double-pocket hatch shield that covers its panoramic bridge viewport; the latter is closed in "positive shield" state and open in "negative shield" state. However, while these might provide limited protection, they are insufficient to guard against suicide ramming runs by Cylon raiders or pulsar-cannon fire from Cylon base ships. The Galactica also has the ability to project a broad cone of energy, wide enough to cover much of one hemisphere of an Earth-sized planet, that is powerful enough to destroy ballistic missiles and their nuclear warheads.
The Bridge. The Bridge of the Galactica is located near the front of the ship, in a projection above the hull. The Bridge is the location from which the ship is directed. It houses Core Command, which coordinates Viper operations and resource allocation for the Fleet; sensor, weapons and communications controls; and the ship's helm. The Commander and his executive officer occupy a rotating platform at the center-rear of the bridge, along with a Bridge Officer who controls the helm. The bridge's rear is dominated by a large star chart, featuring glowing schematic representations of celestial bodies and their orbits on a clear substrate. The chart has the ability to display a red dot highlighting any given point, which a briefing officer can move simply by pointing his finger. A battlestar's bridge is unlike those of other starships in science fiction in that it has no one "command chair" where its Commander would sit.
The Landing Bay is a deck incorporating landing, hangar, repair and launching facilities for Vipers and shuttles. There are two of these, located amidships on both the port and starboard sides of the Galactica. One is known as the Alpha Landing Bay (the other presumedly would be the Beta Landing Bay).
After landing on the broad middle portion of the deck, Vipers are moved into launching tubes located on the outboard side of the bay. These are in a walled-off area, accessible from the main deck through garage-type doors opening onto each tube, which normally are kept closed. The landing bays can accommodate visiting small craft from non-Colonial civilizations, as well. The large portals on the aft end of each bay are equipped with devices that keep the bay's atmosphere contained, providing a shirt-sleeve environment in the bays. These devices appear to be designed in such a way that their operation is mandatory. Each bay contains decontamination booths; it is standard operating procedure for pilots who have visited an unexplored world on their mission to undergo a stint in these booths immediately after exiting their cockpits.
The Life Station or Life Center features a surgery ward, bone-fusing equipment and cold-hibernation chambers to suspend critically ill patients until they can be treated. It also includes a laboratory capable of analyzing pathogens and synthesizing antidotes, and of performing DNA screening.
The Cybernetics Laboratory. A research and fabrication facility for robotics. It was used to construct the android Muffit II, analyze captured Cylons for weaknesses, and reverse-engineer the technologies of newly encountered civilizations. It also contains forensic equipment for analyzing weapons and cleaning up garbled audio and video transmissions.
The Computer Center. This holds a mainframe computer containing, among other data, fleet personnel records. The computer is able to interface via vocal conversation, as well as via CRT displays and paper printouts. The computer is networked with the bridge.
Bachelor Warriors's Quarters. Unmarried warriors live in gender-segregated quarters, regardless of rank. These are standardized rooms equipped with bunk beds, individual lockers for personal possessions, a table and chairs. Each room sleeps twelve, with no personal privacy. The sole exception depicted in the show is Commander Adama, who lives in a private suite comprising an office, dining room, bedroom and ready room with a star chart like the one on the bridge. To minimize the amount of time required to scramble Vipers in an emergency, the bachelor quarters are served by open-topped trams running in dedicated tunnels, which lead to the ordinary elevators that connect multiple Galactica decks to the landing bays. In the post-Holocaust fleet, married warriors are able to live with their families in joint quarters on ships other than the Galactica. After a decade without contact with the Cylons, conditions relax sufficiently to permit bachelor warriors to lodge on civilian ships.
The Pilot Training Center includes a large classroom in which cadets's desks double as basic Viper simulators, and at least one gimballed Viper simulator with a full-scale cockpit.
The Council Chamber is a meeting room for the Council of the Twelve, with an adjacent overflow area for observers. One wall is reserved for a star chart identical to the one on the bridge.
The Courtroom. A hearing room for courts-martial, this compartment has provision for a small number of spectators. It is provided with telecommunications equipment.
The Brig consists of cells holding warriors who are confined for discipline, or awaiting trial on serious charges. Warriors convicted of major offenses serve their prison sentences off the battlestar—meaning the prison barge in the post-Holocaust fleet.
The Chapel is a semicircular room with risers in the front, topped by large portholes providing a panoramic view of the stars. The risers bear many small candles.
The Auditorium is a large assembly room used for ceremonies. The floor consists of many small squares which can be raised or lowered on individual posts to reconfigure the room at will. For example, one arrangement featured a stage in front with risers along the sides for spectators, plus a flat area in the center for ranks of warriors.
The Rejuvenation Center is a game arcade for off-duty warriors and their families.
The Officers's Club is a bar and lounge for off-duty warrior officers.
Airlocks and Other EVA Provisions. When necessary, technicians can perform repairs on the Galactica's hull. They can gain access to the general area of the problem via one of a system of airlocks. The airlock portals are the size of a residential garage door, making them large enough to accommodate repair materials and tools. Handholds are provided for locomotion during the EVA; the space-suited technicians normally are tethered for their own safety.
The Children's Classroom. Some Colonists's children are taught in a classroom on the Galactica. Their curriculum combines lectures, question-and-answer sessions and computerized lessons. The classroom is equipped with a computer terminal at each student's desk. To gain attention or permission to answer a question, a student flips a switch at his desk, which activates an adjacent light and sounds an electronic tone. Classes are taught by active-duty warriors, both here and on other ships.
The Celestial Chambers. The Celestial Chambers are clear domes housing manual navigation equipment, used in earlier centuries to double-check the ship's navigation computer. Obsolete for at least a century, all but one of the domes have been dismantled.
s built, Galactica represents the Colonial planet Caprica. In the re-imagined series, there were about 120 Battlestars in service prior to the second Cylon attack.
Galactica entered service in the early years of the first Cylon War
, under the command of Commander Nash. During her service, Galactica formed a part of Battlestar Group 75 (BSG 75), a Colonial force described by series creator Ronald D. Moore
as a mixed force of vessels somewhat similar to a US Navy
carrier strike group
.
Like any of her sister ships, which may have survived the original Cylon War, Galactica underwent refits and upgrades (for example, at the end of her career, she was equipped with the latest Mark VII Viper
space superiority fighter). However, the computer systems were neither networked nor integrated during these refits due to the fears of its commander William Adama
.
Due to this lack of network integration at the time of the Cylon attack, Galactica was unaffected by the infiltration program used by the Cylons to disable Colonial vessels and defense systems, using the Command Navigation Program (CNP), developed by Dr. Gaius Baltar
and subverted by Cylon operative Number Six
as a back door into such systems.
At the time of the Cylon Attack, Galactica was fifty years old and was undergoing formal decommissioning from the Colonial Fleet following her retirement as an operational vessel. The ship had been due to become a museum commemorating the (first) Cylon War and an educational center. Due to its age and operating conditions, the ship is unofficially known as "The Bucket" by the crews of both Pegasus and Galactica. Another nickname used by the crew is "The Big G" (a possible reference to the U.S. Navy
sailors' nickname for USS Enterprise
, "The Big E"). Galactica's starboard launch pod was outfitted as a Cylon war museum; this exhibit remained intact until the final mission against the Cylon colony.
Since the Cylon attack, in keeping with the concept of the original 1978 series, Galactica became both protector and provider to a small fleet of civilian vessels searching for the legendary planet Earth.
Galactica took heavy damage during its raid on New Caprica, and her hull was now clearly darker with burn marks and missile hits, the most notable marks are the three large holes in the top of the ship where its armor was weakest.
The starboard hangar pod (and possible also the deck) had been converted into a museum prior to Galacticas intended decommissioning. The starboard hangar deck was used to house civilian refugees from New Caprica after the evacuation, and earned the nickname "Camp Oilslick". In "A Measure of Salvation
", which followed "Torn
", Major Lee Adama
informs Galactica that their Raptor
was on approach to the starboard landing deck, which indicated that the starboard flight pod had started flight operations again. However, this is likely a dialogue error because in the finale it was still shown to be a museum and Oilslick was never moved.
In the episode "The Woman King
", 300 additional passengers were shown being moved to the starboard hangar deck, and the area was given the name "Dogsville" by the Galactica crew. Upon arriving, each passenger was checked for medical issues by civilian doctors and medical staff. Also now housed in the starboard hangar deck was a makeshift bar called "Joe's". Which located behind a storage area, and was equipped with a bumper pool table, Pyramid arcade area, and a heavily damaged Mark II Viper hung above the bar. It was first seen in the episode "Taking a Break from All Your Worries
". The bar seemed to have distilling equipment, similar to the one Chief Tyrol built in the port hangar deck, in the center of it. Later a piano also came out of nowhere as intended continuity.
In the episode "The Passage
" Galactica was used to house fleet passengers during the trip through the intense gas cloud, leaving the fleet vessels to be flown by skeleton crews with radiation medication. It is unclear as to whether the passengers were returned to their vessels between "The Passage" and "The Eye of Jupiter
".
Galactica was seen taking multiple hits from Cylon nuclear weapons and though the ship suffered damage, she was still operational. It is unclear exactly how well rated the Cylon nuclear weapons were versus Galacticas armor. Also, as the nukes detonated outside of the vessel, most of the energy would have been directed and attenuated out into the area of least resistance: space. However, the punishment has apparently begun to accumulate. In "Blood on the Scales
", after disabling the FTL drive
Chief Tyrol noticed a large crack in an interior wall; in the subsequent episode, "No Exit
", a more detailed inspection reveals hairline fractures and more obvious structual damage throughout the ship. The damage is aggravated by the fact that the original builders of the ship 'cut corners' during her construction. Tyrol suggests applying a Cylon organic resin that will insinuate itself into the hull, both repairing and strengthening the metal as it matures. Adama initially refuses the idea, but after finding cracks in the bulkheads of his own quarters, the Admiral gives Tyrol permission to do whatever it takes to repair Galactica. The repairs were not proceeding well, with numerous electrical faults occurring throughout the ship. When Boomer made her escape, she jumped her Raptor close alongside the port forward section of the bow, causing a spacial distortion which causes massive damage both externally (a large, visible crater in the ship's outer hull) and internally aggravating the already heavy structural damage.
At the onset of the series, Galacticas last operational squadron of Mark VII Vipers participated in the decommissioning ceremony before departing the ship for reassignment. The squadron was redirected to intercept a group of Cylon fighters and was subsequently disabled by the Cylon computer virus
and destroyed. The museum display Mark II Vipers were pressed into service to defend the ship, and these and a small number of Mark VIIs (presumably refugees from other battlestars or spares broken out from storage) comprised the ship's fighter complement until the arrival of the Battlestar Pegasus midway through the second season. Pegasus possessed construction facilities and flight simulators that allowed it to build and train new Mark VII vipers and pilots to strengthen the squadrons of both ships. When Pegasus was destroyed during the liberation of New Caprica, her nearly intact squadrons were transferred to Galactica, giving the latter a full complement of Vipers. By the time of the episode He That Believeth in Me
, there were more Vipers available than qualified pilots, and trainees (known as 'nuggets') were pressed into service to defend the fleet. A significant number of pilots participated in the mutiny led by Tom Zarek
and Felix Gaeta
. Those pilots who refused to assist William Adama
in retaking the ship were court-martialed and incarcerated aboard the fleet prison vessel. The further reduction in manpower forces Adama to allow Cylon heavy raiders from the renegade basestar to assist in CAP duties alongside Galacticas regular pilots.
Due to the ship's age, battle damage and cheaper materials used in her construction, Galactica eventually begins to show signs of severe metal fatigue. Attempts to seal the ship's multiple stress fractures with Cylon resins fail, and Adama orders the ship to be abandoned and stripped of weapons and supplies. The discovery of the Cylon colony gives Galactica a brief reprieve, and a skeleton crew embarks on a mission to rescue the Cylon/human child Hera.,
The crew of volunteers is supplemented by Cylon centurions from the rebel base ship as well as a small number of civilians including Laura Roslin
, Gaius Baltar
, and Tory Foster
. Samuel Anders
, a Cylon left in a vegetative state due to brain damage, is connected to the ship's systems, effectively becoming the battlestar's version of a Cylon hybrid.
Galactica jumps to within point blank firing range of the colony, making it impossible for missiles or nukes to be utilized, and sustains more damage in the exchange of gunfire. Anders successfully disrupts the colony's systems and shuts down their weapons. A flight of Raptors jumps from Galacticas starboard landing bay, destroying it in the process, and the battlestar is rammed into the colony. Marine and centurion assault teams from the raptors and from Galactica are successful in rescuing Hera, but a counter-assault by the remaining Cylon forces in the colony results in a standoff. A truce is negotiated, but hostilities resume when the Final Five fail to transmit the plans for Cylon resurrection to the colony. The colony is hit by several nukes accidentally fired from a disabled raptor, and begins plunging into a nearby black hole. Kara Thrace
jumps the Galactica without retracting the landing pods, resulting in severe structure fractures along its length, effectively breaking the ship's back and rendering Galactica incapable of jumping again.
Thrace uses co-ordinates derived from the musical notes of a song that has haunted both her and the Final Five Cylons, resulting in the ship arriving at the planet that will eventually become modern-day Earth. A raptor is sent to rendezvous with the fleet, and the survivors of the Twelve Colonies settle on the planet along with the remaining Cylon rebels. Galactica and the other ships in the fleet are abandoned. Admiral Adama flies the last viper off the ship, and the battlestar and its fleet are scuttled by Samuel Anders, who pilots them directly into the Sun
.
Space battleship
Fictional capital military spacecraft are spacefaring warships most often found in science fiction, which play similar roles to contemporary warships, though real spacecraft are used for military purposes...
in the original
Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction television series, created by Glen A. Larson. It starred Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict and ran for one season in 1978–79. After cancellation, its story was continued in 1980 as Galactica 1980 with Adama, Lieutenant Boomer and...
and re-imagined science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica TV series in 1978, and was followed by a brief sequel TV series in 1980, a line of book adaptations, original novels, comic books, a board game, and video games...
.
The Twelve Colonies of Man in the original television series built a number of Battlestars during their thousand-year war with the Cylons
Cylon (Battlestar Galactica)
The Cylons are a cybernetic civilization at war with the Twelve Colonies of humanity in the Battlestar Galactica science fiction franchise, in the original 1978 and 1980 series, the 2004 reimagining, as well as the spin-off prequel series, Caprica...
, whose battleships are known as Basestars
Cylon Basestar
The Basestar is the capital ship of the Cylons in the 1978 science fiction television series and movie Battlestar Galactica along with its re-imagining in the 2003 miniseries and 2004 television series.- Battlestar Galactica :...
.
Battlestar Galactica (1978, 1980)
Introduction
One of an undisclosed total number of Battlestars constructed by the Twelve Colonies of ManTwelve Colonies
The Twelve Colonies of Man are fictional locations that constitute the principal human civilization in the original Battlestar Galactica television series, the "reimagined" series of the same name in 2004, and in the prequel series, Caprica...
, Galactica represents the Colonial planet Caprica, and is crewed mostly by Capricans. Galactica was launched more than 500 yahren before the close of the Thousand Yahren War
Cylon War
The Cylon War is a fictional interstellar war that occurred in the Battlestar Galactica universe. Both the original 1978 Battlestar Galactica movie and the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries are set shortly after that conflict....
(and the start of the pilot film). It is believed to be the only Battlestar to survive the destruction of the Twelve Colonies, until Battlestar Pegasus
Battlestar Pegasus
Battlestar Pegasus is a fictional spacecraft that appears in the both the original and the reimagined television series Battlestar Galactica.- Battlestar Galactica :...
is found. Galactica is commanded by Commander Adama
Commander Adama
Commander Adama is a fictional character in the 1978 movie and subsequent ABC television series Battlestar Galactica and its continuation series, Galactica 1980. Adama is the commander of the great military vessel Battlestar Galactica, commander of the refugee fleet and military commander of the...
.
In the pre-Holocaust Colonial Service, battlestars like the Galactica operated as the flagships of numbered naval fleets (e.g. the Fourth Fleet), with each fleet assigned one battlestar and led by that battlestar's commander. A typical fleet comprised 600 fighting ships, and operated independently from other fleets. Since the Holocaust, the Galactica is the military's sole capital ship of any kind (except, briefly, for the Pegasus).
Speed and armament
The Galactica is capable of light-speed travel, although while escorting its refugee fleet it must limit her speed to that of the slowest ship. It has a complement of about 150 VipersColonial Viper
The Colonial Viper is the primary fighter spacecraft type used by the human protagonists in the Battlestar Galactica fictional universe. Appearing in both the 1978 original series and the 2003 reimagined series, as well as various derivative works, the single-pilot spacecraft are carried aboard...
: 25 surviving fighters from its own pre-Holocaust squadrons, 42 from the other battlestars at the Peace Conference, and the remainder being transfers from the Pegasus. The Galactica also has a complement of shuttles. Unlike similar civilian models, these transport craft include military gear for detecting electronic emissions from other spacecraft, and drop chutes for paratroop assaults. In addition, the Galactica has armored, tracked ground vehicles known as "landrams" and "snowrams." These are armed with a single heavy laser cannon in an open turret on the roof, and are landed by shuttles. The Galactica carries a large number of manually-aimed laser batteries, both for anti-aircraft defense against fighters and for engaging other capital ships. As to purely defensive measures, the Galactica is protected by both "electronic shields" and a heavy metal double-pocket hatch shield that covers its panoramic bridge viewport; the latter is closed in "positive shield" state and open in "negative shield" state. However, while these might provide limited protection, they are insufficient to guard against suicide ramming runs by Cylon raiders or pulsar-cannon fire from Cylon base ships. The Galactica also has the ability to project a broad cone of energy, wide enough to cover much of one hemisphere of an Earth-sized planet, that is powerful enough to destroy ballistic missiles and their nuclear warheads.
Energy
A battlestar such as the Galactica has two sources of energy. Its engines are powered by Tylium, a highly volatile liquid fuel derived from minerals mined on a limited number of planets. The Tylium is stored in two tanks located as far inboard as possible, since the detonation of either tank is sufficient to destroy the battlestar. Other energy needs are met by energizers, which are self-contained generators roughly the size of a human adult. These are distributed in decentralized fashion across the Galactica. Networked to each other, they are able to supply sufficient power to meet the Galactica's needs even if some of them should fail.Facilities
The Galactica contains a wide range of facilities that contribute to her mission. These include:The Bridge. The Bridge of the Galactica is located near the front of the ship, in a projection above the hull. The Bridge is the location from which the ship is directed. It houses Core Command, which coordinates Viper operations and resource allocation for the Fleet; sensor, weapons and communications controls; and the ship's helm. The Commander and his executive officer occupy a rotating platform at the center-rear of the bridge, along with a Bridge Officer who controls the helm. The bridge's rear is dominated by a large star chart, featuring glowing schematic representations of celestial bodies and their orbits on a clear substrate. The chart has the ability to display a red dot highlighting any given point, which a briefing officer can move simply by pointing his finger. A battlestar's bridge is unlike those of other starships in science fiction in that it has no one "command chair" where its Commander would sit.
The Landing Bay is a deck incorporating landing, hangar, repair and launching facilities for Vipers and shuttles. There are two of these, located amidships on both the port and starboard sides of the Galactica. One is known as the Alpha Landing Bay (the other presumedly would be the Beta Landing Bay).
After landing on the broad middle portion of the deck, Vipers are moved into launching tubes located on the outboard side of the bay. These are in a walled-off area, accessible from the main deck through garage-type doors opening onto each tube, which normally are kept closed. The landing bays can accommodate visiting small craft from non-Colonial civilizations, as well. The large portals on the aft end of each bay are equipped with devices that keep the bay's atmosphere contained, providing a shirt-sleeve environment in the bays. These devices appear to be designed in such a way that their operation is mandatory. Each bay contains decontamination booths; it is standard operating procedure for pilots who have visited an unexplored world on their mission to undergo a stint in these booths immediately after exiting their cockpits.
The Life Station or Life Center features a surgery ward, bone-fusing equipment and cold-hibernation chambers to suspend critically ill patients until they can be treated. It also includes a laboratory capable of analyzing pathogens and synthesizing antidotes, and of performing DNA screening.
The Cybernetics Laboratory. A research and fabrication facility for robotics. It was used to construct the android Muffit II, analyze captured Cylons for weaknesses, and reverse-engineer the technologies of newly encountered civilizations. It also contains forensic equipment for analyzing weapons and cleaning up garbled audio and video transmissions.
The Computer Center. This holds a mainframe computer containing, among other data, fleet personnel records. The computer is able to interface via vocal conversation, as well as via CRT displays and paper printouts. The computer is networked with the bridge.
Bachelor Warriors's Quarters. Unmarried warriors live in gender-segregated quarters, regardless of rank. These are standardized rooms equipped with bunk beds, individual lockers for personal possessions, a table and chairs. Each room sleeps twelve, with no personal privacy. The sole exception depicted in the show is Commander Adama, who lives in a private suite comprising an office, dining room, bedroom and ready room with a star chart like the one on the bridge. To minimize the amount of time required to scramble Vipers in an emergency, the bachelor quarters are served by open-topped trams running in dedicated tunnels, which lead to the ordinary elevators that connect multiple Galactica decks to the landing bays. In the post-Holocaust fleet, married warriors are able to live with their families in joint quarters on ships other than the Galactica. After a decade without contact with the Cylons, conditions relax sufficiently to permit bachelor warriors to lodge on civilian ships.
The Pilot Training Center includes a large classroom in which cadets's desks double as basic Viper simulators, and at least one gimballed Viper simulator with a full-scale cockpit.
The Council Chamber is a meeting room for the Council of the Twelve, with an adjacent overflow area for observers. One wall is reserved for a star chart identical to the one on the bridge.
The Courtroom. A hearing room for courts-martial, this compartment has provision for a small number of spectators. It is provided with telecommunications equipment.
The Brig consists of cells holding warriors who are confined for discipline, or awaiting trial on serious charges. Warriors convicted of major offenses serve their prison sentences off the battlestar—meaning the prison barge in the post-Holocaust fleet.
The Chapel is a semicircular room with risers in the front, topped by large portholes providing a panoramic view of the stars. The risers bear many small candles.
The Auditorium is a large assembly room used for ceremonies. The floor consists of many small squares which can be raised or lowered on individual posts to reconfigure the room at will. For example, one arrangement featured a stage in front with risers along the sides for spectators, plus a flat area in the center for ranks of warriors.
The Rejuvenation Center is a game arcade for off-duty warriors and their families.
The Officers's Club is a bar and lounge for off-duty warrior officers.
Airlocks and Other EVA Provisions. When necessary, technicians can perform repairs on the Galactica's hull. They can gain access to the general area of the problem via one of a system of airlocks. The airlock portals are the size of a residential garage door, making them large enough to accommodate repair materials and tools. Handholds are provided for locomotion during the EVA; the space-suited technicians normally are tethered for their own safety.
The Children's Classroom. Some Colonists's children are taught in a classroom on the Galactica. Their curriculum combines lectures, question-and-answer sessions and computerized lessons. The classroom is equipped with a computer terminal at each student's desk. To gain attention or permission to answer a question, a student flips a switch at his desk, which activates an adjacent light and sounds an electronic tone. Classes are taught by active-duty warriors, both here and on other ships.
The Celestial Chambers. The Celestial Chambers are clear domes housing manual navigation equipment, used in earlier centuries to double-check the ship's navigation computer. Obsolete for at least a century, all but one of the domes have been dismantled.
Other Battlestars
Eight other Battlestars are specifically named in the series. They are the Acropolis, the Atlantia, the Columbia, the Pacifica, the Pegasus, the Rycon, the Solaria, and the Triton. Of the other ships it is known that the Atlantia, the Acropolis, the Pacifica, and the Triton are destroyed at the Battle of Cimtar in "Saga of a Star World." The Columbia is mentioned in the episode "Gun on Ice Planet Zero," but it is said to also have been destroyed at Cimtar by a Centurion. The Rycon is mentioned in passing in the episode "Take The 'Celestra'" as the ship of Commander Kronus. The Pegasus is encountered in "The Living Legend." Novelizations based on the original series, various comic books, and other sources have named several other Battlestars, including the Bellerophon, the Cerberus, the Olympia, and the Prometheus.Battlestar Galactica (2003)
One of the first twelve BattlestarBattlestar (reimagining)
A battlestar is a space battleship in the reimagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica. The reimagined series' battlestars, as well as the series' other visual effects were designed and created by Zoic Studios for Battlestar Galactica.The battlestars Galactica, Atlantia,...
s built, Galactica represents the Colonial planet Caprica. In the re-imagined series, there were about 120 Battlestars in service prior to the second Cylon attack.
Galactica entered service in the early years of the first Cylon War
Cylon War
The Cylon War is a fictional interstellar war that occurred in the Battlestar Galactica universe. Both the original 1978 Battlestar Galactica movie and the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries are set shortly after that conflict....
, under the command of Commander Nash. During her service, Galactica formed a part of Battlestar Group 75 (BSG 75), a Colonial force described by series creator Ronald D. Moore
Ronald D. Moore
Ronald Dowl Moore is an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his work on Star Trek and the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, for which he won a Peabody Award for creative excellence in 2005 and an Emmy Award in 2008.-Early life and...
as a mixed force of vessels somewhat similar to a US Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
carrier strike group
Carrier Strike Group
A carrier strike group is an operational formation of the United States Navy. It is composed of roughly 7,500 personnel, an aircraft carrier, at least one cruiser, a destroyer squadron of at least two destroyers and/or frigates, and a carrier air wing of 65 to 70 aircraft...
.
Like any of her sister ships, which may have survived the original Cylon War, Galactica underwent refits and upgrades (for example, at the end of her career, she was equipped with the latest Mark VII Viper
Colonial Viper
The Colonial Viper is the primary fighter spacecraft type used by the human protagonists in the Battlestar Galactica fictional universe. Appearing in both the 1978 original series and the 2003 reimagined series, as well as various derivative works, the single-pilot spacecraft are carried aboard...
space superiority fighter). However, the computer systems were neither networked nor integrated during these refits due to the fears of its commander William Adama
William Adama
William "Bill" Adama is a fictional character portrayed by Edward James Olmos in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series...
.
Due to this lack of network integration at the time of the Cylon attack, Galactica was unaffected by the infiltration program used by the Cylons to disable Colonial vessels and defense systems, using the Command Navigation Program (CNP), developed by Dr. Gaius Baltar
Gaius Baltar
Gaius Baltar is a fictional character in the TV series Battlestar Galactica played by James Callis, a reimagining of Count Baltar from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series...
and subverted by Cylon operative Number Six
Number Six (Battlestar Galactica)
Number Six is a family of fictional characters from the reimagined science fiction television series, Battlestar Galactica. She is portrayed by Canadian actress and model Tricia Helfer. Of the twelve known Cylon models, she is the sixth of the "Significant Seven"...
as a back door into such systems.
At the time of the Cylon Attack, Galactica was fifty years old and was undergoing formal decommissioning from the Colonial Fleet following her retirement as an operational vessel. The ship had been due to become a museum commemorating the (first) Cylon War and an educational center. Due to its age and operating conditions, the ship is unofficially known as "The Bucket" by the crews of both Pegasus and Galactica. Another nickname used by the crew is "The Big G" (a possible reference to the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
sailors' nickname for USS Enterprise
USS Enterprise (CV-6)
USS Enterprise , colloquially referred to as the "Big E," was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. Launched in 1936, she was a ship of the Yorktown class, and one of only three American carriers commissioned prior to World War II to...
, "The Big E"). Galactica's starboard launch pod was outfitted as a Cylon war museum; this exhibit remained intact until the final mission against the Cylon colony.
Since the Cylon attack, in keeping with the concept of the original 1978 series, Galactica became both protector and provider to a small fleet of civilian vessels searching for the legendary planet Earth.
Galactica took heavy damage during its raid on New Caprica, and her hull was now clearly darker with burn marks and missile hits, the most notable marks are the three large holes in the top of the ship where its armor was weakest.
The starboard hangar pod (and possible also the deck) had been converted into a museum prior to Galacticas intended decommissioning. The starboard hangar deck was used to house civilian refugees from New Caprica after the evacuation, and earned the nickname "Camp Oilslick". In "A Measure of Salvation
A Measure of Salvation
"A Measure of Salvation" is the seventh episode of the third season from the science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica.-Plot:Survivor Count: 41,420....
", which followed "Torn
Torn (Battlestar Galactica)
"Torn" is the sixth episode of the third season from the science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica. This episode introduces the concept of a "hybrid", a semi-organic computer which operates the Basestar and is believed by some Cylon models to "be" the Basestar.-Galactica:After...
", Major Lee Adama
Lee Adama
Leland Joseph "Lee" Adama is a fictional character in the television series Battlestar Galactica. He is portrayed by actor Jamie Bamber. He is one of the main characters in the series.-Early life:...
informs Galactica that their Raptor
Colonial Raptor
The Raptor is a multipurpose military spacecraft featured in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica. According to producer Ronald D. Moore, the Raptor is analogous to the U.S. Navy's EA-6B Prowler.-Description:...
was on approach to the starboard landing deck, which indicated that the starboard flight pod had started flight operations again. However, this is likely a dialogue error because in the finale it was still shown to be a museum and Oilslick was never moved.
In the episode "The Woman King
The Woman King
"The Woman King" is the fourteenth episode of the third season from the science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica.- Plot :...
", 300 additional passengers were shown being moved to the starboard hangar deck, and the area was given the name "Dogsville" by the Galactica crew. Upon arriving, each passenger was checked for medical issues by civilian doctors and medical staff. Also now housed in the starboard hangar deck was a makeshift bar called "Joe's". Which located behind a storage area, and was equipped with a bumper pool table, Pyramid arcade area, and a heavily damaged Mark II Viper hung above the bar. It was first seen in the episode "Taking a Break from All Your Worries
Taking a Break from All Your Worries
"Taking a Break From All Your Worries" is the thirteenth episode of the third season from the science fiction television series, Battlestar Galactica. The title is a line from the Cheers theme song, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" "Taking a Break From All Your Worries" is the thirteenth episode...
". The bar seemed to have distilling equipment, similar to the one Chief Tyrol built in the port hangar deck, in the center of it. Later a piano also came out of nowhere as intended continuity.
In the episode "The Passage
The Passage (Battlestar Galactica)
"The Passage" is the tenth episode of the third season from the science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica. It aired on December 8, 2006.- Plot :...
" Galactica was used to house fleet passengers during the trip through the intense gas cloud, leaving the fleet vessels to be flown by skeleton crews with radiation medication. It is unclear as to whether the passengers were returned to their vessels between "The Passage" and "The Eye of Jupiter
The Eye of Jupiter (Battlestar Galactica)
"The Eye of Jupiter" is the eleventh episode of the third season from the science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica. It aired on December 15, 2006 and was filmed in Kamloops, B.C.- Plot :Survivor Count: 41,402...
".
Galactica was seen taking multiple hits from Cylon nuclear weapons and though the ship suffered damage, she was still operational. It is unclear exactly how well rated the Cylon nuclear weapons were versus Galacticas armor. Also, as the nukes detonated outside of the vessel, most of the energy would have been directed and attenuated out into the area of least resistance: space. However, the punishment has apparently begun to accumulate. In "Blood on the Scales
Blood on the Scales
"Blood on the Scales" is the sixteenth episode in the fourth season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. It aired on television in the United States and Canada on February 6, 2009. The survivor count shown in the title sequence is 39,603.-Plot:...
", after disabling the FTL drive
Jump drive
A jump drive is one of the speculative inventions in science fiction, a method of traveling faster than light .Related concepts are hyperdrive, warp drive and interstellar teleporter. The key characteristic of a jump drive is that it allows a starship to be instantaneously teleported between two...
Chief Tyrol noticed a large crack in an interior wall; in the subsequent episode, "No Exit
No Exit (Battlestar Galactica)
"No Exit" is the seventeenth episode in the fourth season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. It aired on television in the United States and Canada on February 13, 2009...
", a more detailed inspection reveals hairline fractures and more obvious structual damage throughout the ship. The damage is aggravated by the fact that the original builders of the ship 'cut corners' during her construction. Tyrol suggests applying a Cylon organic resin that will insinuate itself into the hull, both repairing and strengthening the metal as it matures. Adama initially refuses the idea, but after finding cracks in the bulkheads of his own quarters, the Admiral gives Tyrol permission to do whatever it takes to repair Galactica. The repairs were not proceeding well, with numerous electrical faults occurring throughout the ship. When Boomer made her escape, she jumped her Raptor close alongside the port forward section of the bow, causing a spacial distortion which causes massive damage both externally (a large, visible crater in the ship's outer hull) and internally aggravating the already heavy structural damage.
At the onset of the series, Galacticas last operational squadron of Mark VII Vipers participated in the decommissioning ceremony before departing the ship for reassignment. The squadron was redirected to intercept a group of Cylon fighters and was subsequently disabled by the Cylon computer virus
Computer virus
A computer virus is a computer program that can replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, including but not limited to adware and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability...
and destroyed. The museum display Mark II Vipers were pressed into service to defend the ship, and these and a small number of Mark VIIs (presumably refugees from other battlestars or spares broken out from storage) comprised the ship's fighter complement until the arrival of the Battlestar Pegasus midway through the second season. Pegasus possessed construction facilities and flight simulators that allowed it to build and train new Mark VII vipers and pilots to strengthen the squadrons of both ships. When Pegasus was destroyed during the liberation of New Caprica, her nearly intact squadrons were transferred to Galactica, giving the latter a full complement of Vipers. By the time of the episode He That Believeth in Me
He That Believeth in Me
"He That Believeth in Me" is the third episode in the fourth season of the reimagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica...
, there were more Vipers available than qualified pilots, and trainees (known as 'nuggets') were pressed into service to defend the fleet. A significant number of pilots participated in the mutiny led by Tom Zarek
Tom Zarek
Thomas "Tom" Zarek is the name of a fictional character on the Syfy series Battlestar Galactica. He is played by Richard Hatch, who had previously portrayed Captain Apollo, a character on the original Battlestar Galactica series of the late 1970s....
and Felix Gaeta
Felix Gaeta
Lieutenant Junior Grade Felix Gaeta is a fictional character on Battlestar Galactica played by Alessandro Juliani.- Character overview in his early career :...
. Those pilots who refused to assist William Adama
William Adama
William "Bill" Adama is a fictional character portrayed by Edward James Olmos in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series...
in retaking the ship were court-martialed and incarcerated aboard the fleet prison vessel. The further reduction in manpower forces Adama to allow Cylon heavy raiders from the renegade basestar to assist in CAP duties alongside Galacticas regular pilots.
Due to the ship's age, battle damage and cheaper materials used in her construction, Galactica eventually begins to show signs of severe metal fatigue. Attempts to seal the ship's multiple stress fractures with Cylon resins fail, and Adama orders the ship to be abandoned and stripped of weapons and supplies. The discovery of the Cylon colony gives Galactica a brief reprieve, and a skeleton crew embarks on a mission to rescue the Cylon/human child Hera.,
The crew of volunteers is supplemented by Cylon centurions from the rebel base ship as well as a small number of civilians including Laura Roslin
Laura Roslin
Her first actions include organizing all FTL-capable ships together and convincing Commander William Adama to abandon a retaliatory attack on the Cylons. President Roslin and Billy Keikeya, her aide/press secretary/chief of staff, establish a working office space aboard her transport, renamed...
, Gaius Baltar
Gaius Baltar
Gaius Baltar is a fictional character in the TV series Battlestar Galactica played by James Callis, a reimagining of Count Baltar from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series...
, and Tory Foster
Tory Foster
Tory Foster is a fictional character from the 2004 TV series Battlestar Galactica, portrayed by Rekha Sharma.-Character biography:Tory, like the other members of the Final Five, was originally from a planet called Earth...
. Samuel Anders
Samuel Anders
Samuel T. Anders is a fictional character from the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series, played by Michael Trucco...
, a Cylon left in a vegetative state due to brain damage, is connected to the ship's systems, effectively becoming the battlestar's version of a Cylon hybrid.
Galactica jumps to within point blank firing range of the colony, making it impossible for missiles or nukes to be utilized, and sustains more damage in the exchange of gunfire. Anders successfully disrupts the colony's systems and shuts down their weapons. A flight of Raptors jumps from Galacticas starboard landing bay, destroying it in the process, and the battlestar is rammed into the colony. Marine and centurion assault teams from the raptors and from Galactica are successful in rescuing Hera, but a counter-assault by the remaining Cylon forces in the colony results in a standoff. A truce is negotiated, but hostilities resume when the Final Five fail to transmit the plans for Cylon resurrection to the colony. The colony is hit by several nukes accidentally fired from a disabled raptor, and begins plunging into a nearby black hole. Kara Thrace
Kara Thrace
Kara Thrace is a fictional character in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica franchise. Played by Katee Sackhoff, she is a revised version of Lieutenant Starbuck from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series...
jumps the Galactica without retracting the landing pods, resulting in severe structure fractures along its length, effectively breaking the ship's back and rendering Galactica incapable of jumping again.
Thrace uses co-ordinates derived from the musical notes of a song that has haunted both her and the Final Five Cylons, resulting in the ship arriving at the planet that will eventually become modern-day Earth. A raptor is sent to rendezvous with the fleet, and the survivors of the Twelve Colonies settle on the planet along with the remaining Cylon rebels. Galactica and the other ships in the fleet are abandoned. Admiral Adama flies the last viper off the ship, and the battlestar and its fleet are scuttled by Samuel Anders, who pilots them directly into the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
.
External links
- 1978 Galactica (Battlestar Wiki)
- Re-imagined Galactica (Battlestar Wiki)