Star Trek United Earth NX Class

Name: NX
Craft: United Earth / United Earth Starfleet / Terran Empire NX-Class Explorer
Type: exploratory cruiser
Scale: capital
Length: 225 x 135.8 x 33.3 meters
Starship Size: 5
Skill: capital ship pilot
Crew: 80; Skeleton: 8/+10
Passengers: 10
Cargo Capacity: 8,000 metric tons
Consumables: 1 year
Warp Drive: 2 / 4.5 / 5 (12 Hours)
Nav Computer: yes
Maneuverability: 1D
Space: 5.8
Hull: 2D+2
Sensors

• Passive: 30 / 0D+1
• Scan: 70 / 0D+2
• Search: 100 / 1D
• Focus: 4 / 1D+1

Weapons

• 4 Type II Plasma Cannons

Fire Arc: forward
Crew: 1
Scale: starfighter
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 0D
Space Range: 1-2/5/15
Firing Modes: Standard
Rate of fire: 1
Damage: 3D

• 8 Type IV Phased Plasma Cannons

Fire Arc: forward
Crew: 1
Scale: capital
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 0D
Space Range: 1-2/5/15
Firing Modes: Standard
Rate of fire: 1
Damage: 2D

• 3 Torpedo Launchers

Fire Arc: 2 forward, 1 aft
Crew: 1
Scale: capital
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 0D
Space Range: 1-8/25/88
Ammunition: 40 Torpedoes total
Spread: 2
Damage: 2D+2

• 2 Grapplers

Fire Arc: 360 degrees ventral
Location: forward ventral
Crew: 1
Scale: starfighter
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 0D
Space Range: 1-3/5/10
Rate of fire: 1
Strength: 2D

Miscellaneous:

• Decks: 7
• Year Commissioned: 2151 (Earth Reckoning)

Transporters

• Personnel: 1

• Range: 5,000 km
• Capacity: 250 kg

Complement

• Shuttle Pods: 2

Description: The NX-class was a type of explorer starship in the United Earth Starfleet in service during the mid-22nd century. The NX-class was commissioned as an exploratory vessel as a medium for the new warp 5 engine that would form the basis of Humans first reach into the galaxy. (ENT episode & novelization: Broken Bow)

The first six ships of the class were named after the NASA space shuttle orbiters of the late 20th century. (ENT - The Romulan War novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

History

The NX-class was to be medium of the revolutionary warp 5 engine. The Warp Five Complex was dedicated by Doctors Zefram Cochrane and Henry Archer in 2119 on Earth. (ENT episode & novelization: Broken Bow)

On June 1, 2140, Commodore Maxwell Forrest approved the design of the NX-class. (ST reference: Federation: The First 150 Years)

By 2143, the NX Program was underway. Prior to the NX Project, Human ships were incapable of exceeding warp factor 2. A series of NX prototypes, their design mirroring the Phoenix warp ship prototype, were launched. NX-Delta, commanded by Duvall, successfully broke the warp 3 barrier in 2144. (ENT episode: "First Flight")

Enterprise NX-01 was the first NX-class starship built, registry NX-01. The ship was launched ahead of schedule in 2151, under the command of Captain Jonathan Archer, to transport the Klingon courier Klaang back to Qo'noS. Due to the early launch of the Enterprise, several systems—most notably the starship weapon systems—had not yet been completed. These weapon systems were completed in the field at a later date. (ENT episodes: "Broken Bow", "Fight or Flight", "Silent Enemy")

With a series of successful early missions, Starfleet decided to proceed with building further NX class ships. By 2151, three more NX class ships were in the early design stages. Construction of the unnamed NX-02 had begun by the time the Xindi attacked Earth in 2153. The ship, later named Columbia, was completed in November of 2154 and launched under the command of Captain Erika Hernandez. (ENT episodes: "Fortunate Son", "The Expanse", "Home", "Affliction")

In August 2155, the Challenger and Discovery were completed and commissioned. Several months later, the Atlantis and Endeavor entered service. Between mid-2155 and mid-2156, the Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, and Atlantis were destroyed or lost as a result of Romulan attacks. The Endeavor, equipped with countermeasures to the Romulan arrenhe'hwiua telecapture technology, battled with the Romulans at Altair VI. (ENT - The Romulan War novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

In 2156, Enterprise underwent a 180-day refit. The ship was fitted with a secondary hull, essentially becoming a new ship class. The newly-refitted Enterprise saw more combat against the Romulan Star Empire during the Earth-Romulan War. (ST references: Ships of the Line 2011, Ships of the Line 2014, Ships of the Line)

NX-class production would later be restarted by 2159. Captain Picard remembered 15 or 16 ships of this class having been built. Some of them would be Intrepid (NX-07), Avenger (NX-09), and Currie (NX-16). (ST video game: Legacy; TNG novel: Indistinguishable from Magic)

Following the end of the Earth-Romulan War, Enterprise was decommissioned in 2161. With Endeavor refitted to what Admiral Jonathan Archer had designated Columbia-class standard, no NX-class starship remained in service. (ENT - Rise of the Federation novel: A Choice of Futures)

Source:

• Memory Alpha: NX-class
• Memory Beta: NX class
• Enterprise Series Sourcebook (pages 6-7)
• thedemonapostle