Can a Galaxy-class's saucer section join onto a Nebula-class vessel?
I can’t find the answer anywhere but they both seem identical.
-
2Due to customizations in the energy and computer systems I doubt you could even interchange galaxy class saucers – PlasmaHH Apr 2 '18 at 11:11
-
Galaxy class can interchange saucers. In the novel Rogue Saucer, the Enterprise tests out a new experimental saucer whilst its own is under repair. – Bob Apr 2 '18 at 14:17
-
1If the saucer of one ship...is attached to the propulsion section of another ship...which ship is which? Hmmmm? – Bob Jarvis - Reinstate Monica Apr 2 '18 at 17:06
-
@BobJarvis-ReinstateMonica - It's the Stardrive section that gives the ship its identity. In Rogue Saucer, they don't change the name of the ship when they swap out the saucer. – Valorum May 13 '20 at 8:02
In theory, one could probably be made to fit the other. The saucers are of a very similar shape and size. In practice, however, the way that they're joined is very different. The link between the saucer on the Nebula class is almost 50 metres longer.
Image Courtesy of John Eaves
As noted by Rick Sternbach, the similarity didn't go unnoticed by the producers.
The Nebula is sometimes thought to be smaller than the Galaxy class. At least this was the original intention by the designers. Rick Sternbach writes at TrekBBS: "The Nebula class was supposed to be smaller than the Galaxy class, IIRC; the saucer shape is similar, but the bridge module is larger in proportion to the saucer size, as are the windows. The fact that the Nebula saucer looks like a Galaxy saucer (shape, colors, various design elements) doesn't exactly help the situation, but there it is."
-
3Nice answer! Regarding the similarity in appearance as far as saucer, deflector, and nacelles go, my understanding was that they were both made at the same shipyard - Utopia Planitia, Mars. This suggests a lot of common design, possibly by the same engineering team, but not necessarily cross-compatibility on that scale. – Vanguard3000 Apr 1 '18 at 23:00
-
4@Vanguard3000 - Indeed. And out-of-universe, the Nebula-class was made by kitbashing several Enterprise-D models. – Valorum Apr 1 '18 at 23:07
