Argo Shuttle

The Argo Shuttle is the latest and most advanced design of shuttlecraft thus far.It is 20 meters in length and appears to be warp capable. It is used on Sovereign Class starships

The Argo was designed with recessed warp nacelles and fold-down wings. The retractable wings allow the craft to easily land on a variety of planet surfaces, the also assist in atmospheric maneuverability. In addition to these features the vessel is equipped with a large aft cargo door.

The Argo allows away teams to achieve quick and easy ship-to-shore missions, where it would be too dangerous to beam down an away team. This shuttle's primary role seems to be the transport of a Starfleet rover. Presumably, this shuttle and vehicle are intended for use in environments which do not allow transporter function, or which may be subject to other interference effects (as judged by the Argo shuttle's kicking up of dust upon lowering to ten meters above the surface, suggesting the use of thrusters instead of antigrav units). When in flight, the Argo puts out a significant amount of heat (possibly part of the thrust of the vessel in atmosphere), as judged by the atmospheric distortions observed in the scene of the vehicle below and the shuttle flying above.

The shuttle was equipped with an all-terrain buggy that could transport up to five passengers over rugged terrain. The buggy was secured aboard the shuttles cargo hold via wheel clamps. The shuttlecraft may be piloted by remote, as Data demonstrated using a small hand-held device obtained from the dash of the dune buggy.

The Argo Rover

The Argo Rover, is a standard feature of the Argo. Both the shuttle and the ATV were tested in the field circa Stardate 56844. In its first mission, conducted by Captain Picard, Worf and Data, the Argo was used for transport down to, and around, Kolarus III. (Star Trek Nemesis)

The vehicle itself is a peculiar design, lacking the usual design aesthetic of a Starfleet vehicle. It's an open-cockpit vehicle which demonstrated speeds on the order of 100 km/h (60mph).

The Argo buggy was designed with special off-road tires and soft suspension that let it grip and turn with ease on rocky or sandy terrains. It had a tubular framework that is very flexible, yet strong. Although not recommended, the buggy could be driven at very high velocities, and could withstand most bumps and impacts with little damage.

The buggy was armed with a rear-mounted, high power Phaser cannon that was operated by one of the rear passengers. It had a dashboard-mounted display console, comprising a scanner and a remote control device for sending commands to the Argo shuttle. In fact, the Argo could be launched and totally controlled from the buggy if the situation was required.

The buggy had storage spaces for equipment – one between the two front passenger seats, and a large space at the back of the buggy. (Star Trek Nemesis)

Background

The Argo was designed by FX artist John Eaves.

In Greek mythology, Argo was the ship on which Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcus to retrieve the Golden Fleece.

Captain Picard evidently enjoyed driving the buggy, and, in fact, after filming, Patrick Stewart asked if he could take the buggy home, but was not allowed.