(covers information from several alternate timelines)
The Cardenas-class was a type of 23rd century Federation starship in use during the 2250s.
History[]
The USS Yeager participated in Battle of the Binary Stars with the Klingons in 2256. (DIS: "Battle at the Binary Stars")
At least two ships of the class orbited Hunhau in 3189 amid ships destroyed by the Burn. (DIS: "Scavengers")
Design[]
This type was noted for being one of the small number of Federation classes that had more than two nacelles.
Its bridge was located along the forward edge of the saucer and had two shuttlebays facing aft. (DIS: "Battle at the Binary Stars")
Ships commisisoned[]
|
Appendices[]
Appearances[]
- DIS:
- "Battle at the Binary Stars"
- "Context Is for Kings" (display)
- "Despite Yourself"
- "Scavengers"
Background information[]
The Cardenas-class was identified via the Yeager by designer John Eaves. [1] Eaves also named the class, which was later confirmed [2] after being revealed on StarTrek.com. [3]
The class name came from a list of test pilots and space pioneers compiled by the art department. Eaves found that US Air Force brigadier general Robert Cardenas had piloted the B-29 plane that launched Chuck Yeager's first manned supersonic flight aboard a Bell X-1. (Star Trek: Discovery The Official Starships Collection, issue 7, p. 14)
Studio model[]
| |
|
|
The design that would become the Cardenas-class started as one of John Eaves' concepts for the USS Shenzhou in mid-July 2016. Early drawings were labeled "USS Stewart, Hitchcock-class", "USS Haise (NCC-8077), Fullerton-class", and later "USS Stewart (NCC-1597), Liberator-class, launched stardate 242.141", before finally being approved as the USS Yeager. Stewart was a reference to Jimmy Stewart's experience as a bomber pilot in World War II. (Star Trek: Discovery The Official Starships Collection, issue 7, pp. 8-13)
From early in the design process, placing the bridge at the front-end of the ship rather than the top-center of the saucer was meant to convey designs built prior to the era of Star Trek: The Original Series. (Star Trek: Discovery The Official Starships Collection, issue 7, pp. 10-11)
Eaglemoss Collections released the USS Buran display model as part of their Star Trek: Discovery The Official Starships Collection model/magazine combo partwork publication on 11 October 2018, featuring input from designer John Eaves, and listing the ship as 441 meters in length. The article was republished as part of Star Trek: Discovery Designing Starships in September 2019.
The Cardenas-class appears in the 25th century set game Star Trek Online, as a cosmetic "skin" for the playable Buran-class (β) starship and has as such likewise been released by Eaglemoss in their non-canon Star Trek Online Starships Collection sister partwork publication in July 2020.
In both instances it was Fabio Passaro's Meshweaver Productions that provided the CGI model conversions from the original production software packages (Autodesk Maya in Discovery's case), into LightWave 3D, Eaglemoss' software package of choice, to make the models suitable for both print publications, as well as for turning them into the CAD files needed as templates for the display model manufacturing. [4] [5] [6]
Apocrypha[]
Star Trek Online has given an in-universe explanation why the 23rd century Cardenas-class and 25th century Buran-classes resembled each other so much. See: here
Further Reading[]
- Star Trek: Discovery The Official Starships Collection, issue 7, November 2019
- Star Trek Online Starships Collection, issue 5, July 2020