NX Class

The NX Class was the first class of starship built with the warp five engine, thereby enabling Humanity's first steps of exploration beyond its neighboring star systems. Serving in the Earth Starfleet, the first ship of the NX Class was Enterprise, commissioned in 2151. The second ship, Columbia, was commissioned in 2154.

History

The NX Class was the first Earth Starfleet starship equipped with a Human-built propulsion system able to achieve warp 5. Before finally being commissioned, the ship was conceived of over thirty years at the Warp Five Complex: a research and development site on Earth, where Henry Archer and Zefram Cochrane, among others, worked on the creation of the Warp Five engine. (ENT: "Broken Bow")

The first starship of the class built was the Enterprise (NX-01), with three more on the drawing board. (ENT: "Fortunate Son")

NX-01 Enterprise

Dorsal view of the NX Class vessel Enterprise

Enterprise was launched from drydock on April 12, 2151 under the command of Captain Jonathan Archer. The launch occurred three weeks ahead of schedule because of the need of Earth to return the Klingon Klaang to his homeworld. The early launch was strongly protested by the Vulcans, who believed Humanity was not ready to explore space. Ambassador Soval managed to wrangle a concession from Starfleet, forcing the placement of Subcommander T'Pol on Enterprise in exchange for Vulcan star charts. (ENT: "Broken Bow")

The early launch of Enterprise meant that it left spacedock somewhat unprepared: its spatial torpedoes were uncalibrated and its phase cannons weren't even installed. The spatial torpedoes were calibrated in the heat of battle in May of 2151; (ENT: "Fight or Flight") the ship only survived because of the intervention of the Axanar. The phase cannons were not installed until September 2151 while Enterprise battled an unknown enemy. (ENT: "Silent Enemy")

After the Xindi attack on Earth in March of 2153, Enterprise was recalled home. Arriving on April 24th, she was refitted and upgraded with the new photonic torpedoes, a universal translator update, and a new command center. She was relaunched on a new mission to the Delphic Expanse to search for the Xindi superweapon. (ENT: "The Expanse")

The search for the Xindi was long and perilous, taking almost a year. In February 2154, Enterprise determined the location of the Xindi weapon and arrived in the Azati Prime system. (ENT: "Azati Prime") There the ship suffered severe damage due to multiple attacking Xindi ships. The primary warp coil was destroyed, damage that required drastic actions on the part of Captain Archer to repair. (ENT: "Damage")

Enterprise accomplished its mission to destroy the Xindi weapon and was returned to Earth by a Xindi-Aquatic cruiser following the end of the mission, though it made a slight detour to an alternate timeline's 1944 with the help of Daniels, where the vessel's crew managed to stop Vosk and bring an end to the Temporal Cold War. (ENT: "Zero Hour", "Storm Front", "Storm Front, Part II")

For another seven years, Enterprise continued to serve Earth Starfleet before its decommissioning in 2161. (ENT: "These Are the Voyages...")

NX-02 Columbia

The NX-02 Columbia in 2154

At the time of the Xindi attack on Earth in 2153, the second NX Class starship, the Columbia, was still under construction. In November 2154, the Columbia was launched under the command of Captain Erika Hernandez. (ENT: "Affliction")

Compared to the class prototype, Enterprise, Columbia's hull polarization was improved by 12%. Furthermore, she possessed ventral and dorsal photonic torpedo launchers as well as pulsed phase cannons. Another improvement was that the bridge stations were directly tied into the primary EPS junction. (ENT: "Home")

In November of 2154, the Columbia was stuck in dry dock with engine trouble, delaying her launch, and rendering her unable to assist the Enterprise during the hunt for the Romulan drone-ship. (ENT: "United")

In late 2154, the vessel's engine troubles were fixed upon the transfer of Enterprise engineer Charles Tucker to the Columbia, allowing the vessel to be launched in November of that year. (ENT: "Affliction")

Technical Data

Physical arrangement

The NX Class consisted of a habitable saucer module that contained seven decks (lettered A through G) and a symmetrical warp field governor located just aft of the saucer section, that regulated the warp field shape that would otherwise break apart at higher warp factors. Two half-decks were inserted between D and E deck, as well as between E and F deck. These contained plasma conduits and access tunnels.

Propulsion systems

NX Class ships achieved warp flight through two warp nacelles, which housed multiple pairs of warp coils. Maximum speed was warp 5.06, the NX Class being the first Earth vessel to achieve that speed. Standard cruising speed was warp 4.5. (ENT: "Broken Bow", "Babel One") There were two fairing impulse engines, mounted on the aft of the pylons leading to the warp nacelles.

Tactical systems

Initially, the NX Class was fitted with pulse plasma cannons, spatial torpedoes and phase cannons. Later, the NX Class weapons were upgraded with photonic torpedoes and pulsed phase cannons.

The defensive systems of the NX Class were not as advanced as other races. Instead of deflector shields and tractor beams the NX Class was equipped with polarized hull plating and grapplers.

The NX Class had a navigational deflector mounted on the front of the saucer module. The deflector is essential for space flight, as it deflects space debris, asteroids, microscopic particles and other objects that might collide with the ship.

Shuttlecraft systems

Located mainly on E Deck was the launch bay. The pressurized sector of the bay - limited to E deck - contained the launch bay control room, while the launch bay itself on F deck was where the two shuttlepods were docked. A magnetic docking arm extended from the launch bay's ceiling to lower or raise a shuttlepod upon arrival or departure of the craft. (ENT: "Broken Bow", "Fight or Flight")

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  NX Class Impluse Drive

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  NX Class Deflector Array

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  NX Class Launch bay

Interior Design

Deck Plans

Schematic of the NX Class Interior

Deck A

• • Bridge
  • Captain's ready room
  • Situation room

Deck B

• • Crew quarters
  • Energy distribution systems
  • Sensors
  • Warp nacelle access tunnels

Deck C

• • Crew quarters
  • Upper observation deck
  • Deuterium tanks
  • Gymnasium

Deck D

• • Brig
  • Crew and guest quarters
  • Engineering
  • Transporter
  • Decon chamber

Deck E

• • Captain's quarters
  • Chef's kitchen
  • Officers' and Captain's mess movie theater
  • Sickbay
  • Launch bays
  • Science labs
  • Navigational deflector
  • Port and starboard docking ports

Deck F

• • Access tunnels
  • Armory
  • Cargo Bay
  • Lower observation deck
  • Phase cannons

Deck G

• • Sensor array

Command bridge

The bridge is the nerve-center of every starship. The commanding officer of an NX Class starship sat in the center of the circular-shaped room, surrounded by the duty stations of their science and communications officers to the left, the helmsman in front, and the security chief and chief engineer (or another engineering officer) to the right. All officers faced the main viewscreen, which was mounted against the forward bulkhead of the bridge. To the aft of the bridge was the situation room, which served as an informal briefing room to the senior staff. (ENT: "Broken Bow")

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  NX-01 Command Bridge

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  NX-02 Command Bridge

Upgrades

The bridge of the second NX Class starship launched, Columbia, featured additional columns near the helm and behind the captain's chair. (ENT: "Affliction") These were later added to Enterprise and had been installed by 2161. (ENT: "These Are the Voyages...")

There was also a command center upgrade added to the bridge during the Xindi incident. (ENT: "The Xindi")

Crew quarters

The 87 crew quarters aboard the NX Class starships were located on decks B through E. Very few quarters had a view of space (usually those of the higher-ranked officers). The structure and materials of the ship did not allow large transparent surfaces exposed to space; therefore, there were only a few small windows throughout the entire ship.

On D and G Deck, there were special quarters for guests visiting an NX Class starship. (ENT: "Cold Front", "Babel One")

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  Captain's Quarters

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  Officer's Quarters

Corridors

NX Class corridors were made of a metallic material. They were characterized by circular section separations, for evident mechanical equilibrium reasons. Throughout the corridors, communication panels were mounted on the walls. (ENT: "Broken Bow")

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  Typical NX Class Corridor

Engineering

Located on D Deck was the engine room of the NX Class starship. The NX was the first Human starship to carry a warp reactor capable of speeds up to warp 5.

After exiting the core, and before being injected into the nacelles, warp plasma was accelerated in the two plasma injectors.

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  Main Engineering

Transporter room

In the time of the NX Class, the transporter was usually used for cargo transportation only, although it was capable of transporting people. Most people, however, were afraid of the device, limiting its use to emergency situations only. (ENT: "Broken Bow")

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  Transporter Room

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  Upgraded Transporter Room

Mess hall and theater

Located on E Deck was the ship's mess hall, which was occasionally used as a movie theater. The mess could seat approximately forty people at a time at ten rectangular metallic tables. Beverages and simple dishes were available from protein re-sequencers on the walls, while elaborate dishes were prepared in the ship's galley.

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  Mess hall

Sickbay

Sickbay was located on deck E of the NX Class. In the center of the room was an operating table, while additional beds were located alongside the walls. The sickbay facility also included a medical laboratory. (ENT: "A Night in Sickbay")

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  Sickbay

Armory

Although weapons were primarily kept in the armory of the NX Class, the ship possessed a total of fourteen weapons lockers. (ENT: "Acquisition")

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  Armory

Hydroponics

NX Class starships had a hydroponics facility where fresh fruits and vegetables were grown to supplement the ship's food supply. (ENT: "Breaking the Ice")

Ships commissioned

• Enterprise (NX-01)
• Columbia (NX-02)
• At least two more were planned (ENT: "Fortunate Son")

Mirror universe NX Class ships:

• ISS Enterprise (NX-01)
• ISS Avenger (NX-09)