Galactica (TRS)

This article discusses the Re-imagined Series battlestar. For other meanings of Galactica, see Galactica (disambiguation).

Galactica (BS 75)
[show/hide spoilers] Spoilers hidden in infobox by default only.
Race:	Colonial
Type:	Military
FTL:	Yes
Propulsion:
Crew:	Approximately 2,650
Capacity:
CO:	William Adama
XO:	Saul Tigh (resumed position as of "The Passage")
Role:	Carrier / battleship hybrid
Weapons:	As many as 506 point-defense dual Kinetic Energy Weapons, 24 primary dual Kinetic Energy Weapons, at least 12 missile tubes capable of firing conventional and nuclear missiles, Vipers, Raptors
Armaments:	{{{arm}}}
Defenses:	{{{def}}}
Aircraft:	{{{aircraft}}}
Aviation facilities:	{{{facilities}}}
Fate:	Active
Emblem:	[[File:{{{patch}}}|175px|Ship's patch]]
Other Images:	Gallery
Dimensions
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Wingspan:	{{{wingspan}}}
Other:	{{{otherdi}}}
Game Information
Cost:	{{{construction}}}
Construction Time:	{{{construction}}}
Hull Size:	{{{hull size}}}
Hull:	{{{hull}}}
Mobility
FTL Cooldown:	{{{ftl cooldown}}} turns
Speed:	{{{speed}}} m/s
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Armor Sum
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Armor Right:	{{{armor right}}}
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Armor Bottom:	{{{armor bottom}}}
Armament
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Processing Power:	{{{processing power}}}
Munition Slots:	{{{munitions}}}
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Additional Information

Galactica (BS 75) is a veteran battlestar and the last of her kind still in service with the Colonial Fleet at the time of the destruction of the Twelve Colonies. Built during the early days of the Cylon War, she remains the only military vessel without integrated computer networks. Without networked computers, Galactica never upgrades to the new integrated defense system software developed by Dr. Gaius Baltar and his team. Because of this and other factors, she becomes one of only two known battlestars (the other being Pegasus) to survive the renewed Cylon attack on the Twelve Colonies. At the time of this attack, she was part of the 75th Battlestar Group (BSG-75).

History

Galactica was one of the first twelve battlestars to be constructed by the Colonials, each representing one of the twelve colonies; Galactica represented with Caprica. As such, she is some 50 years old. Following the outbreak of Cylon hostilities several more battlestars were built. Galactica's first commander was named Nash.

A dorsal view of Galactica. The starboard flight pod is covered by a window to form the museum area.

The original battlestars were all designed with non-integrated computer systems to avoid the Cylons' demonstrated ability to override or subvert networked command and control systems early in the war (Miniseries). Rather than technological sophistication, the battlestar depended on its sheer bulk and defensive / offensive capabilities to ward off any threats to itself or the Colonies.

Subsequent to the armistice with the Cylons, and their withdrawal from Colonial space, Galactica and her sister ships served the Twelve Colonies in a variety of roles. While her surviving sister ships were scrapped or upgraded to match the systems capabilities of newer Colonial vessels, Galactica continued in service without her systems being fully networked or integrated, making her unique among Colonial military vessels. Galactica was relegated to intra-system duties for at least 20 years prior to her decommissioning.

With her active career drawing to a close, a decision was taken to retire Galactica and decommission her from service. Colonial Fleet chose not to scrap her, but to turn her into a combination of living museum to the original Cylon War and an educational center, with her conversion being overseen by her final commander, William Adama.

At the time of her formal decommissioning ceremony, Galactica is stripped of all but one of her operational Viper Mark VII squadrons, her munitions are destroyed, and her starboard landing pod is converted into a pressurized museum which houses (among other things) a full squadron of Mk. II Vipers as well as a Viper model that appears older than the Mark II (Miniseries, also in Deleted Scenes).

With the renewed and unexpected Cylon hostilities, Galactica quickly proves her worthiness as a warship is far from over as she sorties several Mark IIs retrieved from her museum to challenge her first Cylon attack in over 40 years (her last Mark VII squadron was sent to Caprica for reassignment). The old battlestar withstands a direct hit from a tactical nuclear missile while unsuccessfully performing evasive maneuvers, and later jumps successfully to Ragnar Anchorage to retrieve much-needed ammunition stores at this hidden depot.

Galactica finally bares her teeth in this new Cylon war as she single-handedly engages three basestars with her gun batteries, providing covering fire for an assortment of 75 civilian ships containing the last survivors of the Twelve Colonies. All ships, with Galactica last to leave the engagement zone, escape to a destination past the Red Line, never to return to Colonial space (Miniseries).

Since the exodus of the Colonials from their overrun homeworlds, Galactica becomes both protector and provider for the Fleet. She provides covering fire for the Fleet during Cylon attacks no fewer than 240 times ("33", "Act of Contrition"). The battlestar provides much of the Fleet with recycled water (Water) and she is the primary source of medical care, where groups of civilians are periodically brought aboard for check-ups and treatment (Litmus). Galactica also undertakes internal policing duties within the Fleet (Water, Bastille Day).

Galactica successfully goes on the offensive against the Cylons, capturing a tylium fuel mining and processing plant in the process (The Hand of God).

The advanced battlestar Pegasus, commanded by Admiral Helena Cain, joins Galactica approximately 6 months into their exile (See the series timeline for special information about this milestone). The two battlestars destroy two basestars as well as a critical Cylon support ship known as the Resurrection Ship. After Admiral Cain's death, President Laura Roslin promotes William Adama to Admiral, restoring him to overall Fleet command, but now with two battlestars at his disposal (Resurrection Ship, Part II).

New Caprica

Following the founding of New Caprica, Galactica is assigned to the Orbital Defense Force that protects the planet. During this time the majority of its crew are allowed to the surface in an effort to populate the planet and restore the human race – including most of its senior officers — seemingly convinced that the Cylons will never find New Caprica. The diminished staff inevitably results in standard maintenance becoming overlooked or ignored; basic military responses, such as the launching of alert fighters and routine training exercises become difficult to execute. One year following the founding of New Caprica, a fleet of Cylon ships jump into orbit of the planet. Severely limited in their abilities, Admiral Adama orders the defense fleet to jump away from New Caprica along with a handful of civilian ships still in orbit of the colony. They vow to eventually return to New Caprica and liberate it from the Cylon invaders (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II).

Battle of New Caprica

Four months after their escape, Galactica's staff is still in the process of developing a rescue strategy with 16 training exercises having been completed and a 17th underway when an accident causes its early cessation (Occupation). This forces both a change in strategy and the reformulation of a rescue plan to deal with personnel who have not seen conflict in 16 months. While Galactica fights to liberate the Colonials on-planet, Pegasus is assigned to protect the remaining civilian fleet and continue its search for Earth (Precipice, Exodus, Part I).

After coordinating with the New Caprica Resistance, Galactica leaves Pegasus to guard the space-bound members of humanity while it uses a series of drones to misdirect the bulk of the Cylon Raiders and avoid immediate detection by baseships, thus allowing the civilians on the planet to escape to their ships and flee New Caprica.

Galactica then jumps into low orbit, plummeting from a hight of 100,000 feet. As the ship falls, Admiral Adama orders the launch of all remaining Vipers. Galactica then jumps back into orbit. In the resulting battle, Galactica is overtaxed, out-gunned, and facing destruction when Pegasus unexpectedly arrives to initiate a barrage of her own, turning the attention of four baseships away from Galactica. The old battlestar repairs her FTL drives and escapes, but Pegasus is sacrificed during the battle (Exodus, Part II).

Galactica bears the scars of the battle with significant scorching and dents to the hull. Nonetheless, the battlestar remains combat ready, holding off a superior Cylon force for a short duration in the Battle of NCD2539 (A Measure of Salvation), and threatening to use its nuclear arsenal twice after New Caprica (The Eye of Jupiter, Crossroads, Part II). Given the loss of Pegasus, Galactica now boasts a larger crew, Viper and Raptor compliment - even to the point where there are more pilots than there are ships fly (Torn).

In "A Day in the Life", Colonel Tigh comments that Galactica took so much damage in this battle that it would "take six weeks in dry dock just to bang out the dents". This indicates that the damage is extensive enough to require a significant amount time (probably months) for full repair, and would be unlikely to survive a massive battle again.

Resuming the search for Earth

Galactica takes aboard a significant quantity of civilians following the exodus from New Caprica, as several civilian ships are lost during the escape from the failed colony. Cramped conditions increase as crew and civilians struggle to adapt to life back aboard a ship. The civilians reside on the refurbished starboard hangar deck as a refugee camp nicknamed "Camp Oil Slick" and later "Dogsville" (Torn, The Woman King).

During a food shortage crisis caused by contamination of the Fleet's food processing systems, Galactica (along with her Raptors acting as pilot ships) guides the civilian Fleet through an area of intense heat, light and radiation caused by a dense star cluster to reach edible resources on the algae planet. Galactica's heavy armor and radiation shielding protect her from the intense effects of the cluster, but the ship still suffers hull damage and decompressions.

The ship barely escapes the threat of a Cylon fleet and a supernova during the events over the algae planet, jumping out at the last moment after recovering its ground teams and additional data on a way-point to Earth - the Ionian nebula (Eye of Jupiter, Rapture).

Repairs continue on the journey to the Ionian nebula. Damage to one particular airlock nearly causes the deaths of Galen and Cally Tyrol when they enter for what they are expecting to be a quick repair of a hull micro-fracture (A Day in the Life). When the Fleet reaches the nebula, a Cylon attack force consisting of four baseships is detected after an unexplained power outage. Unable to flee given this crippling immobilization of the civilian fleet, Galactica scrambles her Vipers and prepares again to fight outnumbered and outgunned (Crossroads, Part II).

Equipment

Barring any technological upgrades that may have been made to other ships of her class, Galactica shares the same overall technical specifications as other original Colonial battlestars.

Nuclear Warheads

Galactica's nuclear arsenal.

Galactica has five nuclear warheads as of "Bastille Day". Commander Adama uses one warhead to destroy the Cylon basestar orbiting Kobol (Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II), and Dr. Baltar cannibalizes one to use in his Cylon detector. He later gives the warhead to Gina Inviere, who detonates it aboard Cloud Nine.

It is unknown how many nuclear warheads Pegasus has when it encounters Galactica, but the two ships pool their nuclear ordnance stockpiles after that. As of "The Eye of Jupiter", Galactica possesses at least seven warheads (missile tubes 4 through 10).

The yield of these weapons is unknown. It is likely they are of a "dial a yield" design which is common in real-life nuclear weapons. Because the physics of nuclear weapon design is a measurable science, and based on the size of the weapons seen on screen, the yield of Galactica's weapons may lie between 5 and 150 kilotons.

Vipers

Viper in launch tube.

For information on the fighter squadrons stationed on Galactica see: Squadrons of Galactica

Prior to the arrival of Pegasus, Galactica carries a maximum thirty-four Vipers - of which at least six are Mark VIIs (c.f. Viper tally). Following the advent of Pegasus, Galactica receives supplies that aid in the repair and refurbishment of her initial fighter complement (Pegasus). Some time later, new Mark VII Vipers are constructed at Pegasuss' Viper construction facilities utilizing the raw ore mined in an asteroid belt (Scar), and several of those are assigned to Galactica.

When Pegasus is destroyed at the Battle of New Caprica, Galactica takes the battlestar's Viper squadrons and pilots aboard. It is uncertain how many Vipers in total Galactica has from there on, given that Pegasus's Viper complement was never accurately specified.

Raptors

The number of Raptors available to Galactica is portrayed inconsistently. The assumption prior to joining up with Pegasus is that the battlestar has at least five Raptors, having left Ragnar Anchorage with at least eight (c.f. Raptor tally). After the Battle of New Caprica, Galactica takes on Pegasus's Raptors. The subsequent number of available craft is unknown, but is at least 20, considering how many Raptors are deployed to rescue to the resistance fighters on Caprica (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II).

Other Craft

• Galactica currently possesses two Heavy Raiders. One is hit by Galactica's defensive fire and crashes into the starboard flight pod with unknown damage (Scattered). The other returns in operational status from Caprica (Home, Part I). One of these Heavy Raiders is relieved of its FTL navigation system for use on the rescue mission to Caprica (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I).
• A Raider from the first Cylon War may be on board Galactica after one follows Starbuck into one of Pegasus's landing bays and is shot down (Razor).
• A second Raider comes into Galactica's possession after Daniel Novacek's "escape" from a basestar, replacing the one retrieved by Kara Thrace and lost during the quest for the Arrow of Apollo (Hero).
• An experimental stealth fighter, the Blackbird, is constructed using spare parts (Flight of the Phoenix) and used in a critically successful reconnaissance mission to explore the nature of what comes to be known as the Resurrection Ship. The Blackbird is destroyed after completing its first combat mission (Resurrection Ship, Part II).
• Galactica possesses fuel tankers used to supply fuel to Vipers and Raptors in flight without the need to dock with the ship. These may be dedicated craft or specially fitted shuttles or Raptors (Occupation).

Crew

For information on Senior Staff, see : Senior Staff of Galactica

For a list of pilots, see: List of Pilots

For a list of deckhands, see: List of deckhands

For a list of marines, see: Colonial Marine Corps

Before the attack, Galactica has approximately 2,800 crewmen. By the time of the arrival of Pegasus, attrition has reduced this number to about 2,660. (c.f. Crew tally)

• Between "Act of Contrition" and "Resurrection Ship, Part II" Galactica's offensive capability is also greatly hampered by the number of qualified pilots available, and their lack of flight simulators with which to train more. Since Galactica's reunion with Pegasus, this has ceased to be an issue (Scar).

Related Imagery

• 
  Galactica - Zoic rendering    
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  Galactica - Zoic rendering    
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  Galactica with flight pods retracted.
• 
  Galactica landing alcove.
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  Galactica's point defense batteries.
• 
  Galactica's batteries in action    
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  Galactica establishes a defense perimeter.
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  Galactica's CIC.
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  Weapon's control.
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  Tactical station.
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  Communications.
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  The "A-shaped" corridors.

See also

• Galactica crew facilities
• Galactica Areas