

However, Picard was able to successfully separate the saucer in order to protect the families of the Enterprise from the immense power of Q. It was also required to clear the saucer section from the stardrive section to ensure safety, because as soon as separation was over, the saucer section would start to lose speed, posing a danger to the stardrive section. The slightest mishap would have made this attempt deadly. According to Data, it was highly impractical but possible, with no margin for error. Used by Jean-Luc Picard during the first encounter with Q, the saucer was separated at a warp speed of 9.6. Though highly inadvisable, it was possible to separate the saucer from the stardrive section at high-warp velocities. Once confirmed, an airlock door automatically closed at the ship's separation point, and the saucer would automatically separate from the secondary hull. Once the release system was extracted from its wall panel, each lever was folded outward and rotated clockwise to an open position, after which final confirmation was required via associated control panel. In the alternate reality, separation aboard Constitution-class starships could only be executed manually, via activation of a three-pronged control system.
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Connection was generally the reverse process of separation, again with automated and manual options.
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The drive section, which contained the ship's warp drive and the majority of weapons systems, was then free to confront danger without endangering the lives of nonessential crew.įollowing the crisis, the two sections could rendezvous and rejoin. ( TNG: " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II") ( TNG: " Encounter at Farpoint", " The Arsenal of Freedom") Staff in engineering could also provide support during a separation. ( TNG: " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II", " Encounter at Farpoint") The separation was monitored from the main bridge and battle bridge by the conn officer and operations officer. An auto-separation was generally used to separate the two components of the ship, although a manual option was also available. ( Star Trek Generations)ĭuring the actual separation event, the docking latches, on the stardrive side of the ship, collapsed and retracted into the hull of the stardrive section. ( TNG: " Encounter at Farpoint") Audio warnings were given to the crew to alert them of the pending event and how much time was remaining to vehicle separation. ( TNG: " Hollow Pursuits") Evacuation of nonessential personnel from the stardrive section was conducted by security staff. The docking clamps connecting the ship were prepared for release, power was re-routed to primary hull sources. ( TNG: " Encounter at Farpoint", " The Arsenal of Freedom") The saucer was almost always given the directive to seek safety by retreating to a starbase or other allied territory. The commanding officer, along with most of the senior staff, then transferred to the battle bridge on the stardrive section via a dedicated emergency turbolift, while a junior officer was typically left in command of the saucer module. When a starship was required to separate, due to these circumstances, the separation command was issued by the commanding officer from the main bridge. On the Galaxy-class, saucer separation was primarily designed as a way for the civilian and nonessential crew complement to escape in the saucer section, while the senior staff and essential personnel engaged a threat or entered a potentially dangerous situation in the stardrive section. ( DIS: " Scavengers") Cleveland Booker's courier ship was capable of swiftly disassembling into numerous components during high-speed maneuvering and reassembling in various configurations, for tactical and collision avoidance purposes. Techniques had been invented to allow ships to function at higher effeciency through the separation of their warp nacelles from the hull, and the 23rd century USS Discovery was retrofitted to take advantage of this. ( TNG: " Encounter at Farpoint" VOY: " Message in a Bottle")īy the 32nd century, starship separation was even more routine. ( TNG: " Encounter at Farpoint") The Galaxy-class and Prometheus-class starships were designed to routinely separate into two or more components.

Both components contained essential systems, allowing each to be independently operable for extended periods.

( TOS: " The Apple")īy the 24th century, separations were designed to be more routine, with some classes being designed with reconnection abilities. USS Prometheus entering multi-vector assault modeĭuring the 23rd century, hull segment separations were dangerous, last-resort maneuvers, used in the event of a catastrophic emergency. 2.4 Emergency landing of saucer section.
