Challenger class

The Challenger-class starships were Starfleet vessels in service in the later 24th century. They shared many design aspects with and  starships.

Ships of the class

 * Named:
 * USS Buran (NCC-57580)
 * Uncertain:
 * USS Armstrong (24th century)
 * USS Kearsarge

Background
Starfleet ship classes usually share their name with the class prototype ship. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual) Assuming that only one ship of a given name is in service at any time, the USS Challenger prototype for the Challenger-class was retired some time prior to 2377, when the USS Challenger (NCC-71099) was seen in.

Studio model
The Challenger-class USS Buran was a "kitbashed" design study and filming model built by Ed Miarecki and Michael Okuda, that was barely glimpsed among the wreckage of the "graveyard" scene in. It was made from parts of AMT/Ertl USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) model kits, no. 6619, specifically the saucer section and warp nacelles, as well as from parts of a submarine model kit. Okuda recalled on the model, "I don't recall what Ed's original version of the Buran was, but I added the submarine parts and glued on the engines, although it looks like Ed assembled the engines. I thought it was a clever idea, but it ended up looking like a lollipop. Maybe Ed's version was a single nacelle, and I added the second. I don't remember.(...)I think one of the engine mounts was a submarine tower, but I wouldn't swear that both were. I'm pretty sure both engines were fairly stock Ertl large Galaxy nacelles that Ed had made. The actual amount of modelmaking time that Rick S. and I had was minimal, so we would tend to have stuck with stuff that Ed did for us."

Apocrypha
In the Star Trek: The Next Generation Annual story "Thin Ice" published by DC Comics, the USS Marco Polo was stated to be a Challenger-class starship. This design appeared as a variant of the design, with the lower nacelles replaced by a secondary hull. 

External link


Buran-Typ Clase Challenger