A CLOSE LOOK AT ENTERPRISE NX-01 WITH FIRST-HAND INFORMATION BY DOUG DREXLER
~ Reprinted here with permission from Ex Astris Scientia
Interview: Page 3 of 4design of NX-01 may have been inspired by the P-38 aircraft which had superchargers in the twin hulls too. The first stage is just above main engineering, and is visible from outside as a detail on the top of the twin hulls, the warp core output transfer junction. After three stages, the plasma is fed into the nacelles through the warp pylons, like on conventional starships too. The nacelle housings contain hatches to critical warp engine components which require constant work and tuning. The ship should have to hold in space regularly to retune and clean the engines.
Note The cross-section shown here is somewhat more precise than the similar version published on the official Star Trek site in that it includes the (conjectural) matter and antimatter tanks and revised plasma conduits.
The pod between the twin hulls is not supposed to hold weapons, but a symmetrical warp field governor that regulates the warp field shape that would otherwise break apart at higher warp factors.
Note In “Fight or Flight” it looks like a torpedo is fired from the pod, but the aft torpedo launcher is actually on F-deck in the saucer, like the forward tubes too. Being on the same deck, the launchers may share resources.
Hard Connect Points The port (red) and starboard (green) formation lights are located on raised black panels. First of all, this is a homage to the first version of the Enterprise NCC-1701 that had the same details. The black panels are actually hard contacts where the ship is “clamped” to the drydock facility. They are important because tractor moorings are not practical yet. We may assume that the details on the original Enterprise served the same purpose.
Cargo Doors The two large rectangular hatches that can be seen in the top view (port and starboard of the bridge) are facing exact counterparts on the ventral surface. There is a shaft between them through which one could fly right through the ship when the doors are open. Because of a zero gravity environment inside the shaft, cargo containers may be easily handled and transferred to the single decks where they are stored in large balconies along
