Space: The Final Frontier.

"I esteem myself happy to have as great an ally as you in my search for truth." - Galileo Galilei

The year is 2392 and USS Galileo-A is the latest Federation starship tasked to explore the secrets of the cosmos. A dedicated research vessel through and through, she measures only 180 meters in length and is dwarfed by larger ships of the line. She bears limited weapons, operational range, and crew amenities, yet is Starfleet's premier short-range survey vessel. She is not a ship of war nor a traditional multi-role heavy cruiser -- instead, her specialty is to perform in-depth exploration and analysis of nebulae, solar systems, and planetary bodies. She is an extension of the United Federation of Planets' core values which embody exploration, scientific knowledge, and peaceful first contact. Her small, standard operational crew is supplemented by civilian scientists and researchers who are the very best and brightest minds in the quadrant.

Galileo-A is affectionately known by her crew as 'The Gal' and is the first Nova-class Mark II starship to be commissioned by Starfleet. She replaces both the ageing Oberth-class and legacy Nova-class as the fleet's go-to instrument of mobile research and scientific investigation. What she lacks in sheer size and crew compliment is made up for by her versatility -- she is one of only two Federation starship classes capable of sustained atmospheric operations and planetary landing, and her small size and specialized Waverider-class atmospheric shuttle allow her to explore locations that larger starships are incapable of. Boasting the most advanced sensor arrays of any starship class, Galileo is a pure instrument of science dedicated to the discovery of new stellar phenomena, exoplanets and life forms.

Our Mission

"Measure what is measurable, and make measurable what is not so." - Galileo Galilei

Named after the legendary astronomer, philosopher, physicist and mathematician Galileo Galilei, USS Galileo sets out into the Milky Way galaxy almost 800 years after his passing while following his ideals and philosophies which have since become the core foundation of mankind. As a dedicated research vessel assigned to Starfleet's Planetary Sciences Division, Galileo's deployments often take her into the fringe of charted space and thrust her into the forefront of the scientific exploratory community. First contact possibilities are always assumed and never taken for granted which requires the crew to remain vigilant at all times and adhere to the principles of the Prime Directive.

With exploration sometimes comes peril, as the unknown can often be as dangerous as even the most merciless of enemies. Those who choose to serve aboard Galileo must do so willingly and with full understanding of the risks. Fleet officers, NCOs, and civilian specialists are not assigned to the starship; only those who request such an assignment are considered for transfer. And for the most qualified and fortunate individuals accepted for the posting, they are rewarded with the opportunity of a lifetime.

Our Legacy

"Names and attributes must be accommodated to the essence of things, and not the essence to the names, since things come first and names afterwards." - Galileo Galilei

USS Galileo-A is the seventh Starfleet craft to bear the famed astronomer's name. The first three vessels were shuttlecraft assigned to the original USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) with the fourth one assigned to Enterprise-A and the fifth assigned to Enterprise-D. Following the Enterprise-D's destruction in 2371, the name was retired for 18 years before it was re-introduced for operational consideration in 2389. With the Dominion War concluded and Starfleet's ability to re-focus on exploration and scientific investigation, it was deemed prudent to assign the Galileo title to a more worthwhile craft -- in this case, a ship of exploration and science. It was from this decision that the Nova-class USS Galileo was commissioned in 2389 under the command of Commander Saalm, an Orion linguist and communications expert with an aptitude for languages and cultural studies. USS Galileo explored the cosmos within both the Alpha and Beta quadrants for two years before the vessel was destroyed while investigating a distress call within the Paulson Nebula.

Continuing the tradition of Starfleet nomenclature, further consideration for the Galileo title was given to the first Nova II-class to be deployed later that year. Approval from the Starfleet Spacecraft Design Advisory Committee with consultation from Starfleet's Advanced Starship Design Bureau led to the latest and most current iteration of the famed name, USS Galileo NCC-80010-A.

Now, in 2392, the 124-year legacy continues with a new starship and a new crew.