I'm working on an idea that involves Starfleet-designed & sort-of run specific-purpose research vessels. Figure they'd be crewed more by civilians or scientists than the standard Starfleet types. The idea is like Knorr, NR-1, & the Military Sealift Command ships all rolled into one. They'd have NAR hull prefixes because they're not officially Starfleet ships. Then I though about name prefixes & got stumped. The US Navy uses the USNS prefix for non-commissioned ships in its auxiliary fleet. The Royal Navy uses the RFA prefix. I'd like something similar for these Starfleet research gigs, but everything I come up with is pretty lame. Ideas?
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
Give up?
Had we a meaning for USS it would help to be able to create many acronyms. Foregoing knowing what it is supposed to me USAS or USRS, Aux or Reserve Ship could work. RSS is a bit, Reserve Starfleet Ship.
??United Federation of Planets Starfleet Ship, because UFPSS takes too much paint.??
Posted by Reverend (Member # 335) on :
Well there's always the good old S.S. prefix that dose for most occasions. But if you want to make something up then it'd be somecombination of the following; Starfleet/Federation Science/Research Vessel/Ship - F.R.V / F.R.S / F.S.V / F.S.S / S.R.V / S.R.S / S.S.V / S.S.S. Or perhaps a U for United instead of F for Federation - U.R.V / U.R.S / U.S.V / U.S.S. Of course that last one is taken already. I think F.S.V , S.R.V or U.S.V would sound best.
As far as names go, best to avoid the obvious stuff like Einstein, Hawking etc and find someone a little more obscure but still important (wikipedia is your friend in this instance.) Or perhaps something in-universe like Daystrome, Cochrane or Gideon. Actually, if it's a civilian run ship but with ties to Starfleet then perhaps it's operated by the Daystrome Institute, since they seam to have a hand in everything involving advanced research in the Federation.
As for the NAR prefix, I personally think that shows a vessel as being registered to Earth (and NSP is Vulcan etc), regardless of function. I'm not sure if they view is 100% consistent with on screen stuff, or indeed if it's a view shared by others, but I think it works ok.
Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
My thoughts are...much like the AGOR, AGS, & & T-whatever of the US Navy & the MSC. They serve, but are non-commissioned. Even RV Knorr, the ship that found Titanic & is on almost permaloan to Woods Hole, is technically a navy ship; she's on the Naval Register.
As for names...well, fret you not on that aspect. I'm king of naming, &I'll be taking my cues from those forces mentioned.
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
I'd have USNS for United Starfleet Noncommissioned Ship and agree with Rev regarding NAR, NSP, etc for individual planet registration.
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
Perhaps you should just use "S.S." as that's been used for the Vico and Tsiolkovsky and in TNG and the Huron in TAS, both apparently auxiliary SF ships. (Though the latter two did in fact have "U.S.S." and an NCC registries painted on their hulls, despite the dialogue.)