Tour - Main Bridge

Summary

Primary operational control of a Vesta-class starship is provided by the main bridge, located on deck five of the primary hull (sometimes referred to as the “saucer” section). The main bridge directly supervises all primary mission operations (except for the shuttlebays and assorted craft) and coordinates all department activities.

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Additional Information

Location		Deck 5
Description		The Vesta-class bridge is circular in shape with several outward-facing consoles and workstations surrounding a command area in the center of the room. This configuration is like that found on many starships of the late twenty-fourth century, and is most similar to that of the Sovereign- and Luna-class design. At the very front of the bridge is a large window which serves as the Vesta’s primary forward viewscreen. Information such as status reports, tactical analyses, sensor readings, and communications can all be displayed anywhere across the window’s surface. It is also capable of showing live or recorded images taken from the area around or in front of the ship. The window has digital blinds that can be polarized to compensate for increased lighting or radiation levels. Directly forward of the command area are two stand-alone workstations - Flight Control (often referred to as the “helm”) and operations. From the starboard station, members of the flight operations department are able to access the wide array of ship’s systems necessary for facilitating the piloting of the ship including relevant data from Engineering and Operations. The port station provides members of the operations department with access to the Vesta’s internal systems including power flow, sensor data, communications, and transporter control. The captain’s chair sits within the command area at the center of the bridge. This is the location where the commanding officer (or officer-of-the-watch) supervises all activity and can see most of the bridge station displays. The controls on either arm of the chair grant the occupant access to a variety of vital systems including flight, navigation, tactical, and communication by keyboard or vocal command. Immediately to either side of the captain’s chair are seats for two additional officers. Each is equipped with a fully programmable console that can be configured for a variety of uses. The starboard chair is reserved for the ship’s first officer while the opposite chair is often made available for mission advisors, diplomatic liaisons, and other guests. Located directly behind the command chairs, the Tactical station consists of a single, forward-facing console that can be reconfigured for a variety of tasks ranging from support of tactical operations to monitoring of internal security. This workstation has an unobstructed line-of-sight on the forward viewscreen due to its raised position which allows the tactical officer to maintain greater situational awareness. Along the starboard side of the bridge are several Science consoles and a stand-alone Science station. These work areas are typically unmanned unless the presence of a science officer is required to better facilitate mission operations. They provide users access to all ship’s sensors and can coordinate the activities of various science laboratories as well as those of other departments. These stations are usually configured to interface with all science, navigational, sensor, and communications systems. When needed, they can also be reconfigured to operate in tandem with any other bridge workstation. The aft wall of the bridge is taken up by a large master systems display monitor. All relevant ship information such as damage, power distribution, etc. can be displayed on the cutaway image of the vessel. This monitor can also be used to direct ship operations. Along the port side of the bridge are several Engineering consoles and a stand-alone Engineering station. Although not always occupied, these work areas allow the Chief Engineering Officer or their representative to work more closely with bridge personnel when needed. They provide users access to nearly all ship’s systems and work in tandem with the master systems display. Like the Science stations opposite, they can also be reconfigured to operate in tandem with any other bridge workstation. By necessity, the bridge has easy access to and from all other important areas of the ship. There are four doors leading from the room. Moving clockwise from the forward viewscreen, the first door leads to the primary turbolift. At the rear of the bridge are two doorways (one to either side of the master systems display) which lead to corridors on deck five. Continuing around, the final door on the port side leads to the captain’s ready room.
Image Credit(s)		"Emmett Till bridge cutaway" obtained from Tadeo D'oria. "Emmett Till bridge" obtained from Tadeo D'oria. "Emmett Till bridge" obtained from Tadeo D'oria. "Emmett Till bridge" obtained from Tadeo D'oria. "Emmett Till bridge" obtained from Tadeo D'oria.