Star Trek: An Introduction/Starfleet: Difference between revisions

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The primary missions of Starfleet remain exploration and defense. But there are many other secondary missions of Starfleet that help direct time and resources of the ships and crew that compose the fleet.  

Not all StarFleet’s missions involve sentient life forms. Most StarFleet vessels have a large number of science labs – Constitution-class vessels such as the original USS Enterprise NCC-1701 had 14 – and a major part of the starship’s duties involves collecting data on stellar phenomena such as nebulae and comets. The crew of StarFleet vessels also include a number of academic specialists such as botanists and historians.

StarFleet maintains a massive network of starbases to support its ships. Some of these are based on planets, while others such as StarBase 74 are effectively spaceborne cities. These stations provide a number of important facilities. Most starbases have large populations and are home to offices of StarFleet Command and the Judge Advocate General, which conducts StarFleet’s legal affairs. Almost all starbases have facilities and resources that allow tired crews to recuperate.

StarFleet ships perform important medical functions and are often required to transport medical supplies to Federation worlds, especially supplies that may only be produced in small quantities or in specific places in the Federation, like vaccinations, antibiotics, and antivirals.  

StarFleet doctors have one of the most demanding jobs in the Federation. They have to be able to treat hundreds of different races, some of which are not even humanoid. All StarFleet doctors contribute to databases on the different races and conditions that have been encountered. This information is available to all Federation vessels and on some advanced ships have been incorporated into an Emergency Medical Hologram – a holographic physician that can support the ship’s normal medical staff when necessary.

All Starfleet ships make regular calls at starbases for routine maintenance and upgrades. This can be as simple as taking on new supplies of deuterium, which is an essential component of the warp and impulse drives, or as complex as repairing major damage sustained in battle. It is extremely difficult for a starship to function without making these regular stops. But starbases also benefit as ships ferry supplies to Starfleet’s bases, especially the ones in more remote locations.

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For more information about Starfleet, read the [[ma:Starfleet|Starfleet article on Memory-Alpha]].