| STARSHIP CLASS | |
|---|---|
| Freedom class | |
 The USS Franklin in 2263 | |
| Affiliation: | United Earth, United Earth Starfleet; Federation, Starfleet (UESPA) |
| Type: | exploration frigate |
| Service period: | 22nd-23rd and 25th centuries |
| Decks: | 3 |
| Speed: | warp 4 (22nd century) transwarp and quantum slipstream velocities (25th century) |
| Armaments: | pulsed phase cannons, spatial torpedoes |
| Defences: | deflector shields, polarized hull plating (22nd century) |
| Systems: | VHF disruption frequency |
| Auxiliary craft: | OTV type K42 shuttlepod (22nd century), Type 8 shuttlecraft (25th century) |
The Freedom-class was a United Earth starship class, an exploration frigate in Earth Starfleet service in the 22nd century. After the formation of the United Federation of Planets in 2161, the Freedom-class was in the Starship-class. It was the first Earth ship type capable of breaking the warp four barrier.
The class was presumably superseded by the NX-class, the first class capable of warp five, launched in 2151. At least one Freedom-class vessel, the USS Franklin, was still in Starfleet service in 2164.
Service history[]
In the year 2144, the NX-Delta, part of the NX Project to develop a warp-5 engine, was the first Human ship to attain warp 3. (ENT episode: "First Flight")
The Franklin was launched from the San Francisco Fleet Yards, and the first Earth warp-4 ship. (TOS movie: Star Trek Beyond)
Earth's first warp-five vessel, Enterprise NX-01, was laid down in 2150, and launched in 2151. (ST - Section 31 novel: Control)
Following the formation of the United Federation of Planets in 2161, the Freedom-class exploration frigate remained in service under Federation Starfleet. (TOS movie: Star Trek Beyond)
Earth Starfleet formed the UESPA branch of Federation Starfleet, and included the newly-minted USS Franklin NX-326. (ENT - Rise of the Federation novels: A Choice of Futures, Live by the Code, ST - Section 31 novel: Control)
In 2164, the Franklin was lost in the Gagarin Radiation Belt. At the time, this Freedom-class exploration frigate was equipped with pre-Federation UESPA technology, including transporters cautiously rated for organic transport, spatial torpedoes, and a MACO PX70 motorcycle. The vessel was serviced by a pair of OTV type K42 shuttlepods.
In the Kelvin timeline, the Franklin was recovered by Starfleet from Altamid in 2163. The Franklin travelled to Starbase Yorktown under its own power, where it crashed in the habitat. (TOS movie: Star Trek Beyond)
The vessel was repaired, and returned to service to participate in conflicts of the Neutral Zone. Both Starfleet and other players in the area could gain access to Freedom-class starships. (ST video game: Fleet Command)
In the 24th century, Starfleet commissioned a new class of frigates, also named Freedom-class. (ST reference: The Star Trek Encyclopedia)
In 2410, the Franklin from the Kelvin timeline arrived in the prime universe. Starfleet, adept at refitting centuries-old starship classes, upgraded the Franklin, and the Freedom class returned to service as a tier 6-rated vessel, equipped with the latest technology. (STO website: Command the U.S.S. Franklin from Star Trek Beyond!)
Specifications[]
This class was fitted with pulsed phase cannons and spatial torpedo launchers. (TOS movie: Star Trek Beyond)
Livery[]
In the 25th century, the hull design of the Freedom-class exploration frigate allowed its commanding officer to choose from different livery hulls. These could be modified at shipyards. The material options included numbered Types and named hull materials. Owning other Kelvin timeline ships unlocked additional materials. (STO - Season 18: Awakening mission: "Welcome to Earth Spacedock")
Freedom hull materials:
- Freedom
- NX
- NX Refit
- Type 0
- Type 1
- Type 2
- Type 3
- Type 4
- Type 5
- Type 6
- Type 7
- Type 8
- Type 8b
- Veteran
- unlockable from other Kelvin timeline ships:
- Constitution
- Einstein
- Vengeance
Furthermore, the installation of deflector shields from specific factions modified the hull appearance, including shields from the Reman Resistance, the Breen Confederacy and the Dominion. (STO missions: "Coliseum", "Cold Storage", "Boldly They Rode")
Ship design[]
Freedom class deck arrangement
At the forefront of the design that would come to be emblematic of Starfleet ships, the Freedom class featured a saucer shaped living and command section that contained all necessary control for ships functions, along with living quarters. The two impulse drives were positioned at the aft of the ship, facing aft, on either side of a large indent in the saucer.
Positioned on two pylons stretching back and a little outwards from the ship were the two nacelles housing the warp engines. Although it is unknown what warp factor the first Freedom class ship was capable of, the USS Franklin, launched in the late 2140s, was the first human ship capable of warp 4, making it incredibly advanced for its time.
Unlike later classes of ship, the Freedom class was built in space and never intended to land on or take off from a planet's surface. The only known way for one of these ships to launch from a planet is for it to be dropped off a cliff, causing it to reach terminal velocity at which point the stabilizers can be initiated for liftoff.
The Freedom class contained transporters, but they were intended for cargo use, not for living matter. However, they could be modified to work on living beings. The Freedom class was also armed with pulsed phase cannons and spatial torpedos.
Interior design[]
Command deck[]
The crew of the USS Enterprise aboard the bridge of the Franklin
The bridge was at the top center of the saucer dish, containing all essential command and control functions. The commanding officer of the ship sat in a chair at the center of the bridge, with the helmsman in front of them and communications, science, and engineering stations at consoles spread around the room. Directly in front of the helmsman was the main viewscreen, a transparent window onto which technical information could be displayed.
Transporter room
Directly aft of the bridge was the transporter room, which consisted of an open semicircular chamber - where transported objects materialized - facing the entrance door, which was next to the control panel for the transporter. Controversy over transporter use at the time meant that the transporter aboard the Freedom-class was only intended to be used with cargo, however, modifying the transporter aboard one Freedom class ship, the Franklin, in order to transport humans, was not a significantly difficult venture.
Lower decks[]
Although the exact layout or number of the decks beneath the command deck is unknown, it is known that the ship had a combination mess/recreational hall, a warp core directly next to the claustrophobic main engineering chamber, and a set of officer's quarters.
Ships commissioned[]
- USS Franklin (NX-326)