Auxiliary Craft

Carrying Capacity

Challenger carries a variety of auxiliary craft. They are stored in a hangar beneath the main shuttlebay. The default number carried at ready status is:

• Shuttles: 6
• Workbees and Pods: 8

The exact types of vehicles are largely left up to the discretion of the captain and flight control officer, so that the loadout can fit current mission needs. The ship has an onboard industrial fabrication facility that can easily accommodate a Type-F shuttle, meaning replacements can be constructed without visiting a starbase if necessary, although for efficiency reasons it is preferred to get them delivered from dedication factories. Below is information on the different craft currently aboard.

Shuttles

A shuttle is defined as a mid-range craft meant for carrying crew and cargo within local space. Modern shuttles can easily travel between systems at reasonable speeds, and some are quite fast, albeit usually at the expense of usable space. In addition to allowing access to locations where transporters won't work, the key function of a shuttle is to deploy crew to many places at once. A ship can only be in one place at a time, but with a shuttles it is much easier to do extensive surveys in a short time. They are also very useful as temporary accommodations, being easier to set up than even prefab structures but more secure than tents.

Class-F

The sleek Class-F is Starfleet's latest shuttle. It boasts improved maneuverability and speed compared to its predecessor. Its interior is also more open and better suited for scientific missions. There are forward pilot and copilot stations, plus two additional stations on each side. This does limit standard capacity to six people, but additional seats or fold-down cots can be added. There is a separate rear compartment holding engineering access and the combination shower/commode, making the Class-F better suited than previous shuttles for long-duration missions.

Class-C

The boxy Type-C is a general utility warp shuttle, first deployed in the early 23rd century. It is little more than a box with a pair of warp drives and impulse engines. It has two crew seats at the front, plus additional benches in the rear for twelve passengers. The benches can be fold out as (uncomfortable) beds, and one lifts up to reveal a commode. The shape makes it good at hauling light cargo as well.

Pods

Worker Bee

A work bee is a classic one- or two-person utility craft. They can haul a small amount of cargo, particularly trains of containers, and have waldo arms that are easily equipped with many tools. They are often used for field repairs or for examining objects in space such as meteoroids or derelicts.

Landing Pods

A landing pod is a short-range, extreme-maneuverability vehicle introduced during the Klingon War. They are designed to pass through dense debris fields or highly turbulent atmospheric conditions. The main body rotates independently of the spherical cockpit to reduce pilot disorientation.

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