There's also the fact that the Kelvin, being older and less advanced, could be less automated, thus requiring more people to operate.
The Enterprise, on the other hand, represents 25 years of advanced research and devellopment, so it could have been made so easy and redundently automated (not to mention a lot more reliable) that it requires a lot less people to operate...
Star Trek 2009 and Federation Industrial Capacity
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Mike DiCenso
- Security Officer
- Posts: 5839
- Joined: Fri Aug 18, 2006 8:49 pm
That's another good point, Praeothmin. The automation of older starships certainly could be a factor, but I don't think that it necessarily is. Consider the following facts:
* The much older (80 years or so) NX class starships had crews of 83 on them, and had nearly as much volume as a Connie of the 2240's.
* While the TOS episode "The Ultimate Computer" establishes that a CCS cannot be run on a crew of 20, ST:ENT's "In a Mirror, Darkly, Parts I and II" suggest that 47 or so is just enough to run and maintain the vessel, at least for a short while.
* The sheer number of shuttles in the Kelvin's hanger bay, at least 21, along with the "stacked" storage method, suggests that the ship is purpose-built to house a much larger shuttle compliment than the later CCS, which likely had no more than 4 type F shuttles as per dialog in "The Omega Glory" [TOS, season 2]
All of this points to the Kelvin as being a special design for the sole purpose of carrying a large number of shuttles and by extension a larger number of crew to pilot those shuttles on whatever mission is required. Based on backstage interviews, the Kelvin-type starship is purpose-built for very extensive planetary surveys and emergency evac ops.
-Mike
* The much older (80 years or so) NX class starships had crews of 83 on them, and had nearly as much volume as a Connie of the 2240's.
* While the TOS episode "The Ultimate Computer" establishes that a CCS cannot be run on a crew of 20, ST:ENT's "In a Mirror, Darkly, Parts I and II" suggest that 47 or so is just enough to run and maintain the vessel, at least for a short while.
* The sheer number of shuttles in the Kelvin's hanger bay, at least 21, along with the "stacked" storage method, suggests that the ship is purpose-built to house a much larger shuttle compliment than the later CCS, which likely had no more than 4 type F shuttles as per dialog in "The Omega Glory" [TOS, season 2]
All of this points to the Kelvin as being a special design for the sole purpose of carrying a large number of shuttles and by extension a larger number of crew to pilot those shuttles on whatever mission is required. Based on backstage interviews, the Kelvin-type starship is purpose-built for very extensive planetary surveys and emergency evac ops.
-Mike
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Praeothmin
- Jedi Master
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There's nothing to say it can't be both:Mike D wrote:All of this points to the Kelvin as being a special design for the sole purpose of carrying a large number of shuttles and by extension a larger number of crew to pilot those shuttles on whatever mission is required. Based on backstage interviews, the Kelvin-type starship is purpose-built for very extensive planetary surveys and emergency evac ops.
Being made for special surveys that need a lot of people, and being less automated and requiring more people to operate... :)