Galactica (TOS)

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This article discusses battlestar Galactica from in the Original Series. For information on battlestar Galactica as seen in the Re-imagined Series, see Galactica (RDM).

Galactica
Race:	Colonial
Type:	Military
FTL:	Yes
Propulsion:
Crew:	(approx) 700
Capacity:
CO:	Commander Adama
XO:	{{{xo}}}
Role:	Carrier / battleship hybrid
Weapons:	32 known turbo-lasers and fusion missiles
Armaments:	{{{arm}}}
Defenses:	{{{def}}}
Aircraft:	{{{aircraft}}}
Aviation facilities:	{{{facilities}}}
Fate:	Presumed destroyed
Emblem:	[[Image:{{{patch}}}|175px|Ship's patch]]
Other Images:	Gallery
Dimensions
Length:	2,000 feet (610m) long.
Width:	{{{width}}}
Height:	{{{height}}}
Weight:	{{{weight}}}
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
Turn Rate:	{{{turn rate}}}°/turn
Armor Sum
Armor Total:	{{{armor total}}}
Armor Left:	{{{armor left}}}
Armor Right:	{{{armor right}}}
Armor Front:	{{{armor front}}}
Armor Rear:	{{{armor rear}}}
Armor Top:	{{{armor top}}}
Armor Bottom:	{{{armor bottom}}}
Armament
DRADIS Range:	{{{dradis range}}} m
Processing Power:	{{{processing power}}}
Munition Slots:	{{{munitions}}}
Munition Cooldown Period:	{{{munition cooldown}}} turns
Squadron Slots:	{{{squadrons}}}
Squadron Size:	{{{squadron size}}}
Special Abilities:	{{{special abilities}}}
Additional Information

Galactica is one of a handful of combination warship/fighter carriers, known as battlestars, of the Twelve Colonies of Man. It's task is to defend the Colonies' citizens from the Cylon Empire. Galactica represented the Colonial planet of Caprica.

History

Galactica was first brought into service approximately mid-way during the Thousand Yahren War with the Cylons. Galactica served with distinction throughout the conflict.

Galactica and her sister ships combined the roles of battle cruiser and fighter carrier, having a massive offensive capability in terms of on-board weapons and Starhound Viper space superiority fighters.

As of "Saga of a Star World," Galactica is one of only five battlestars believed to have survived the long war, and was under the leadership of Commader Adama, a distinguished member of the Council of Twelve.

Galactica and sister battlestars before the abortive Peace Conference.

The remaining battlestars amass at Cimtar for what is believed by President Adar to be a historic peace treaty signing with the Cylons. However, with the villainous aid of one of the Council's members, Baltar, Adar ignores several apparent threats to the battlestars, leaving all of them open to a massive Cylon Raider attack. Galactica Viper pilots Apollo and Zac encounter the Raider fleet, and is able to warn Galactica of the ruse.

Unfortunately, Commander Adama is unable to convince Adar to launch their Viper squadrons or place the other battlestars on alert. Adama chooses to launch his squadrons against Adar's orders, feigning a battle drill, to meet any attacks.

Realizing that the Raider fleet is far away from any locatable basestars to support them, and after seeing press reports of other Raider attacks on Caprica, Adama realizes that the Twelve Colonies themselves are in mortal danger from basestar attacks, and orders Galactica to speed away to Caprica. The battlestar arrives too late; a handful of humans survive the genocidal onslaught.

The battlestar fleet, including Adar's flagship, Atlantia, is destroyed, save Galactica, the sole surviving battlestar from the attack. Adama sends out word to all the survivors to take whatever space going vessel they can find and rendezvous with Galactica. Together, Galactica and 220 other Colonial ships leave Colonial space in search of Earth, the mythic home of the Thirteenth Tribe.

While initially believed to be the only battlestar to survive the Destruction of the Twelve Colonies, the battlestar Pegasus is found, but soon disappears in a pyrrhic mission (The Living Legend, Part II).

Specifications

• Galactica serves three main military functions provided by battlestars, operating as fighter carrier, a battleship and a mobile base of operations all in one massive platform

• Following the destruction of the Twelve Colonies, Galactica is forced to dramatically increase the number of crew she carries. Galactica is originally equipped with two Viper squadrons, Red and Blue. She acquires an additional two, Silver Spar and Bronze Spar from the battlestar Pegasus following that ship's disappearance in "The Living Legend, Part II".

• The additional Viper squadrons join Galactica following the apparent destruction of Pegasus in "The Living Legend, Part II", boosting Galactica's fighter strength to one hundred-fifty Vipers (as mentioned in "Fire in Space").

• Galactica has her own heavy offensive batteries, consisting of 32 known turbo-lasers and fusion missiles.

• The primary power aboard Colonial battlestars are provided by a combination of tylium energizers and advanced fusion reactors.

• Galactica is able to travel at the lightspeed, but rarely does so with her civilian Fleet in tow, as no other ships in the Fleet have lightspeed ability.

• Viewers learn from "Saga of a Star World" that the standard battlestar type vessel has a crew of 496 personnel with 200 Warriors. From "The Living Legend" we know that battlestars carry 75 Vipers, 12 Landram land based troop transports and 12 shuttlecraft.

Interior

An internal schematic of Galactica (Fire in Space).

During the course of the series, many parts of Galactica are shown.

• Core command - Most frequently seen is Galactica's command center, or bridge, which features a huge viewing screen with a large shield that can be put in place, and a rotating command console from where the commander can observe operations.

• Launch Bays

• Life Center

• Ceremonial Chamber

• Warrior quarters - Crew quarters for Colonial Warriors based on Galactica.

• Officers' Lounge

• Adama's Office

Galactica 1980

Galactica was still in operation, in the same configuration, 30 years after the Original Series in the sequel series "Galactica 1980." The extensive use of stock footage reinforces this impression.

Two areas of the vessel not seen in the Original Series is a hangar, where Doctor Zee's antigravity spaceship is assembled, and a conference room where the various leaders of the Fleet meet.

Cinematic Notes

Within fan circles, it has generally been assumed there were twelve original battlestars, given the number of Colonies. However, Glen A. Larson has stated that there was never any decision to have a specific number of battlestars, nor did the Original series state that there were only twelve battlestars built. Indeed, only eight battlestars were specifically mentioned the the course the series. Given the length of the Thousand Yahren War, it seems likely that far more than twelve of these warships were constructed.

Re-imagined Series definition: Commanding Officer; e.g. William Adama

Re-imagined Series definition: Executive Officer, e.g. Saul Tigh

Original Series definition: Warrior slang for their Viper's high-velocity booster engines, e.g. "hit your turbos"

Re-imagined Series definition: technology enabling travel across distances faster than the speed of light would permit, see: FTL

Original Series definition: an all-purpose term for Colonial soldier and Viper pilot (see: Warrior)