Battlestar (TOS)

This article discusses the battlestars found in the Original Series. For information on the battlestars of the New Series, see Original Battlestar (RDM) and Mercury-class Battlestar (RDM).

Overview

In the original series, battlestars were the direct response to the on-going war with the Cylons. The first battlestars were introduced into Colonial forces around 500 yahren into the war, and proved formidable when placed against the technically-superior Cylon basestars, although at least two battlestars were totally destroyed during significant battles, and a third, the Pegasus, was believed to have been destroyed at the Battle of Molecay.

Technical Specifications

Hull:

• Length (approx): 4,143-4,166ft
• Beam (approx): 1,672ft (flight pod to flight pod)

Flight Pods:

• Length (approx): 1,977ft
• Beam (approx): 351ft

Propulsion & Power

• 2 x FTL engines
• 2 x sublight engines
• 2 x Solium main energizers (Fire in Space)

Aramaments - Defensive

• 15 x laser batteries (series)
• 12 x Solonite air-to-air missiles
• 1 x Heavy Mega Pulsar Cannons

Note - laser armament from a weapons panel showing the top row with nine "ACTIVATE LASER TURRETS" and the bottom row with six "LATERAL LASERS" switches.

Armaments - Offensive

• 75 Viper (Starhound class) fighters
• 12 Landram (Scarab class) armoured ground vehicles
• plus six unarmed shuttlecraft

Crew

• 496 - 1,012

Notes on Dimensions

Calculating a Battlestar's size (credit: Todd Boyce / Universal ABC)

The length and beam figures given here are based on research carried out by Todd Boyce, a computer animator. There are many differing claims to the actual size of the original battlestars, ranging from some 2,000 (accepted length in a number of gaming systems) through to 2-3 miles in overall length.

Interviews with Glen A. Larson and John Dykstra, the Visual Effects supervisor for the original series stated that the original Galactica was around a mile long. If the scale of the master model used for filming was set at 1/960, then the overall length of the Galactica and her sister ships would be some 6,080ft - or one nautical mile. However, there is no confirmation available that 1/960 (1 inch = 80ft) was in fact the scale of the model, and the figures have thus been "back engineered" to fit the case.

In undertaking his work, Boyce utilised an established baseline for his calculations: the full-size mock-up of a Viper built for filming purposes. This mock-up measured some 28.5ft in length and a wingspan of some 12.5ft, and formed a means by which Boyce could take key shots from various episodes, combine them with a scale model of the Galactica and extrapolate a reasonably-consistent set of measurements. Thus: using film footage alone, Boyce was able to determine the length of the Galactica to be some 4,143ft, while use of a scale model produced a figure of some 4,166ft: an acceptable difference of some 23ft. What is more, these measurements appear consistent with the overall size of the Viper launch tubes (calculated at some 16ft in diameter, based on the wingspan of the full-size mock-up and images of Vipers being launched).

Given this degree of similarity in final calculations, these figures have been adopted here as the probable dimensions of the original series battlestars. However, in using these figures, it should be noted that:

• Boyce also used a Cylon Raider as a benchmark for his calculations, and produced an overall length for the Galactica at between 12,818ft and 21,210ft (2.4 and 4 miles). However, these measurements can be discounted on the grounds that:
  • They are initially based on assumed data: a shot of a Cylon Raider apparently "overflying" a Colonial Viper. However, no vertical separation distance between the two can be calculated, leading to a completely arbitrary figure (39ft) for the wingspan of the Raider
  • These figures would yield launch tubes between some 50ft and 82ft in diameter - which is clearly not supported by film of Viper launches.
• Boyce also used close-up shots of Viper launches to try and calculate the size of the Galactica, and arrived at a figure of 2,712ft, with the flight pods measuring 1,294ft. However, these figures cannot be taken at face value, as they would render the Viper launch tubes with a 10.4ft diameter, making them too small to contain Vipers.

Myth of the Twelve Battlestars

Within fan circles, it has always been assumed there were twelve battlestars. Given there are Twelve Colonies, and a Quorum of Twelve, twelve battlestars was perhaps seen as a logical extension of the motif of twelve. However, Glen A. Larson has stated that there was never any decision to have a specific number of battlestars, nor did the original series ever mention there only being twelve battlestars; indeed, only eight battlestars were specifically mentioned within the series. Given the length of the human / Cylon war, it seems only logical that overall, far more than twelve of these warships were constructed.

Pegasus

Battlestar Pegasus was the second battlestar known to have survived the Cylon Attack. It was commanded by Commander Cain, whom Viper pilots Bojay and Sheba served under. It was the only surviving ship from the Battle of Molecay, meeting up with the Galactica in The Living Legend.

The military genius Cain lead the ship against two Cylon Basestars to permit the Galactica and the Fleet to escape. The question of the survival of Cain and his battlestar was always in doubt, though it is generally assumed by the fandom that the ship survived.

Greek Parallels

Pegasus is derived from the Greek mythos. Pegasus was a winged horse-god who was the foal of Poseidon; this image of a winged horse is emblematic on the Helmet of Pegasus's Viper pilots in The Living Legend.

List of Known Battlestars

The eight battlestars specifically mentioned in the original series are:

• Atlantia - destroyed by the Cylons at Cimtar (Saga of a Star World)
• Acropolis - mentioned in connection with the attack at Cimtar, and so assumed to be one of the battlestars seen near the moon
• Columbia - destroyed prior to the events at Cimtar (The gun on ice planet zero)
• Galactica
• Pacifica - mentioned in connection with the attack at Cimtar, and so assumed to be one of the battlestars seen near the moon
• Pegasus - presumed destroyed at the Battle of Molecay (The Living Legend)
• Rycon - destroyed at the Battle of the Cosmara Archipelago (Take the Celestra)
• Triton - mentioned in connection with the attack at Cimtar, and so assumed to be one of the battlestars seen near the moon

The Costume Department at New West has indicated that three further battlestars may have been referenced had the show been renewed: the Solaria, Cerberus and Prometheus.