Hello and welcome to another episode of Truth OR Myth Beta Canon, a Star Trek web series that dives into the history of any given topic using Beta Canon sources and my own imagination to fill in the gaps. In today’s episode we’re taking a look at the K Class Space Station Design, as first seen in Star Trek: The Original Series, to better understand its place in Star Trek History.
As always, Because this IS a Beta Canon video, all information relaid should pretty much be taken with a grain of stardust, and only considered a little bit of Star Trek Fun! And so, with all that out of the way, let’s begin.
Through out Starfleet’s history, the organization had no shortage of Space Station and Starbase Designs. But in the 23rd Century, the K Class Space Stations would make their mark on that century for the Federation. But what do we know about this unusual design? Well today, we’ll find out…
In the early 23rd Century, the Federation was growing at a phenomenal rate, seemingly every day a new species, colony or star system would become a member of the still-young organization, and with its borders ever-growing, the Federation needed to expand its repair and defence facilities to incorporate these new systems.
Starfleet for its part was continually building its own facilities further and further out into the recesses of unknown space, ensuring their own fleet had a place for respite and repair should the need arise, but these starbases were vast, and specifically designed for Starfleet, incorporating many of the strict protocols currently used about Starfleet Vessels.
The Federation Council wanted something different though, a type of Space Station that not only catered to Starfleet Vessels, but to all vessels and civilians through out the Federation, and so the task to develop and construct these new Space Stations would be turned over to Starfleet who in turn would be supervised by a specially appointed Civilian Federation Team.
The entire process was an exhausting one for both sides. Starfleet was adamant about maintaining control over any facilities they built, while the Federation Council was adamant that any such facility that was constructed, be run by specialized civilian forces.
In the end, the Federation Council would be victorious and in 2233, the K Class Space Station would be born.
Sitting at a diameter of 815 meters and a height of 200 meters, the K Class Space Station would contain 30 decks and be designed to be operated by a crew of 250 Civilian Officers and crew members and could hold an additional 800 guests at its capacity.
Three outboard modules labelled K-A, K-B, and K-C would be a defining feature of this design. These modules mainly consisted of storage areas and industrial fabrication facilities to assist with starship repairs.
The station also had 2 small shuttlebays, where smaller shuttlecraft style vessels could dock for repair or unload their cargo, these bays also held various auxiliary spacecraft, designated for starship repair duties.
Considered a Federation Trading post, the K Class Space Station would offer its guest a wide variety of recreational facilities. This included a large bar area, where weary travellers could relax, have a meal or a drink, and chat with fellow space go-ers. A gymnasium, A pool and even a bowling alley was included in this design.
Quarters aboard the K Class Space Station were hardly classified as luxurious. In fact, most travellers preferred to rest aboard their own vessels rather than partake in the stations guest accommodations. Most quarters were quite cramped with barrack style bunks, forcing multiple visitors to shack up willy-nilly, while crew quarters were slightly more spacious, the same sort of mentally would prevail in those accommodations.
The K Class Space Station was armed with 4 specially designed Phaser Emitter Banks and 3 Torpedoes Launchers, though covering a 360-degree arc, the K Class Space Stations weaponry Systems were already considered antiquated at the time the first station finished its construction.
Though wanting to protect the station, the federation Council felt that arming such a facility to its teeth, would ultimately send the wrong message about this base to the public. And as a result, Starfleet Command would often time be forced to rush to the aid of a K Class Space Station during any emergency, potential or otherwise, that it faced.
Conversely, Shielding for this type of base was state of the art and always maintained as such. receiving frequent upgrades to keep this technology at the forefront of Federation Tech. This meant that the Space Station could hold out in a firefight far longer than most other Bases through out the Federation.
During the First Federation/ Klingon war, many of these bases would become occupied by the Klingon Empire. And at the end of that war, when the Klingon Empire withdrew from federation Space, a complete analysis by a specially appointed committee found the K Class facilities to woefully inadequate to ensure the protection and survival of its crew and visiting guests.
This became one of the biggest embarrassments for the Federation Council after the war.
Forced to admit that their own naivety had cost many many lives aboard these stations during the war and that Starfleet Command had warned them repeatedly about these design shortfalls, the Federation Council would have no choice but to turn over all K Class Space Stations to Starfleet for upgrading and refit, of course, this causes a new problem for Starfleet itself.
The War had left the Federation in quite a mess. With one-third of the fleet destroyed and another third of the fleet badly damaged, having received only emergency patch up jobs to keep them going, add to that, that several Federation Colonies and member Worlds had been ravaged during the war, and many Starfleet Facilities destroyed or badly damaged, and you can see why the K Class Space Station occupied the bottom of the important list for Starfleet.
In fact, Starfleet Command would not get around the K Class Question until late 2265, when designers finally began the daunting task of redesigning the facility. What Starfleet’s best and brightest soon discovered, was that upgrading the K Class Space Station would be a resource-intensive job, one which its benefits hardly out-weight its cost.
So, by 2270, Starfleet Command would make the decision to begin to decommission and replace the bulk of these Space Stations, with newly constructed, more effective designs.
But that didn’t mean the end for the K Class Space Station altogether, in fact, a handful would survive, In unimportant sectors, where the defence would hardly be an issue. These bases would receive the refit and upgrade, and continue to contribute to the Federation.
And even 1 base, K7, would be kept on the front line, near Klingon Space. As the Organian Species, who had stopped the Second Federation/ Klingon war, had deemed it adequate for its purpose. Allowing Starfleet to upgrade the Facility, but not replace it.
Through out K7’s own history, it would be involved in several important events with the Klingon Empire, that the Station itself would garner a degree of fame. After Peaceful relations began between these 2 galactic powers, Space Station K7, which would become somewhat of a symbol of peace for both sides.
Both sides would agree to protect, upgrade and preserve K7 for generations to come. Even today, one can visit the station, where parts of it have been preserved as a museum dedicated to the 23rd century and life aboard K7.
Built as a type of olive branch by the federation, ultimately ending up as an embarrassment to that organization, the K Class Space Station would never the less end up a symbol of a bygone era of strife and growth.
Earning the K Class Space Station it’s place in both Federation and Starfleet History…
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