Topic: Constitution class might be older than assumed
Alpha Centauri
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Member # 338
posted
It is generally assumed that the Constitution class entered service in the 2240s, with the E-nil being launched in 2245. The E-A was in service only a few years prior to its decommissioning in 2293 (ST6). This indicates a life-time of only 48 years. Since the Constitution was an tough ship, I wonder why it has such a short life-time. I don't believe that ship technology between TOS and TNG has become so incredibly advanced that a ship's life-time has grown from 48 years to 100 years (Galaxy).
Well, I today read a line from The Making Of Star Trek, which says that Gene Roddenberry implied the age of the E-nil at the beginning of TOS as being 40 years. This would place the commissioning of the E-nil in (2265-40) 2225, and the life-time is hereby increased from 48 to 68 years, a more believable figure.
Thoughts?
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posted
Actually, the Making of Star Trek said that the class of ships to which the USS Enterprise was a member was 40 years old by the time of the series, approximately 2225. However, this contradicts another fact mentioned in the same book-the USS Valiant was of the Constition Class. The USS Valiant was lost in the late 2210's.
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posted
Well, I don't think the Valiant was a Constitution, anyway. But I do believe that the class is older, considering that its registries go all the way back into the 900s...
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AS for the Const., it is probably older than 2245. The USS Eagle is NCC-9**, but that is probably not a number normally assigned to a Const, but a number with some ridiculous story behind it to explain it. Then we have some 10**'s, 13**'s and a whole buch of 16**'s.
The USS Const. NCC-1700 is possible the same story as the USS Defiant: original ship lost, other ship (NCC-1700) renamed in honour of older one (NCC-13**?).
posted
IMHO the ships with 9**, 10** and 13** are upgrades from other classes. There's no evidence that the 16**-ships belong to the Constitution-Class.
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[This message has been edited by Fitz (edited July 06, 2000).]
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