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Quark's Treasure

A Ferengi shuttle

"What's your next trick, Harry. Pull a shuttlecraft out of a hat?"
Chakotay, 2373 ("Favorite Son")

In starship classification, a shuttlecraft or shuttle or glider, was a type of auxiliary space vessel typically attached to a starship or a starbase. Most shuttles were short-range transports, possessing only impulse drive or a limited warp capability. Utilization of shuttlecraft was common for most spacefaring civilizations, and along with the transporter, were two of the more common conventional modes of transportation to and from one place to another. (VOY: "Heroes and Demons") Shuttles were generally used for landings when transporters were inoperable, or not yet within the technological capabilities of a species. (TNG: "Darmok", "The Next Phase"; VOY: "The 37's", "Tuvix")

Apergosian shuttle

An Apergosian shuttle

Shuttlecraft ranged in size from the larger, longer-range, and more versatile types, such as runabouts, to the small, short-range types commonly known as shuttlepods. Most Starfleet shuttlecraft from the 23rd century onward had warp nacelles, indicating warp capability. (DS9: "Emissary", "Paradise", "The Jem'Hadar"; TNG: "Parallels", "All Good Things..."; VOY: "Drone", "Resolutions"; TOS: "The Galileo Seven", "The Doomsday Machine"; ENT: "Broken Bow", "Shuttlepod One"; Star Trek Into Darkness)

In commenting on the musculature of the Pendari Champion, Neelix exclaimed that "he looks like he could pick up a shuttlecraft." (VOY: "Tsunkatse")

After interacting with The Doctor's holonovel, Photons Be Free, B'Elanna Torres wondered what the point of the oversized backpack holoemitter was about, saying that "it was like carrying around a small shuttlecraft." The Doctor explained that it was "a metaphor" representing "a symbol of the burdens that I live with every day. Imagine having to take this everywhere you go. It would be a constant reminder that you're different from everyone else. I wanted the player to feel the weight of it. Literally." (VOY: "Author, Author")

While attending Starfleet Academy, Ensign Nog had heard of instances of cadets commanding a runabout or a shuttle as a training ship, but never a starship, after discovering, in 2374, that the USS Valiant served as a training ship for Red Squad cadets. (DS9: "Valiant")

According to the Star Trek Encyclopedia, 4th ed., vol. 2, p. 146, a Star Trek tradition has it that Federation shuttlecraft are named after famous explorers and scientists.

Shuttle classifications[]

Shuttles by species[]

External links[]

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