Purpose
The primary mission of all Explorer ships is research and exploration, thus they only possess moderate defenses consisting of four turreted 52mm Pulse Cannons, four twin particle beam arrays, and two squadrons of Starfuries. This makes Explorer ships large, ill-defended targets. Their massive Jump engines and powerful fusion reactors however, enable Explorer class vessels to escape dangerous situations quickly.
Explorer ships spend a great deal of their time exploring The Rim, the uncharted and unexplored areas of space that have not been claimed by any known race. As this is the case, Explorer ships are often the first class of Earth Alliance vessel an alien race might come into contact with. This privilege and burden of first contact is not taken lightly and, as the slightest misinterpreted action can result in tragedy, the crews and commanding officers of Explorer ships are extremely well versed in first-contact procedures.
Due to Explorer-class ships dominating the exploration field, they are equipped with the latest in sensor and communications technology, allowing greater ease in contacting and communicating with different alien species. Also, several large planetary drop ships allow Explorer ships to chart and explore entire planets within a few short weeks, laying the foundation for a more detailed expedition.
Though Explorer class ships have more than enough power to jump into Hyperspace and go where they will, the bulk of an Explorer class ship's mass consist of spare parts with which to build Jump Gates. The continual construction and distribution of Jump Gates makes it easier for other Earth Alliance vessels and commercial ship to jump into new areas of space. This provides the Earth Alliance with a quick and effective way to quickly expand humanity's sphere of influence, as well as to gain valuable resources and revenue, as Earth Alliance can charge vessels transit fees for use of Jump Gates.
Read more about this topic: Explorer Class Starship
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