Colonial One
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Type: Government Transport
Length: 277 feet
Width: 49 feet
Height: 72 feet
Capacity: Approx 100-150 standard; up to 500 under emergency conditions
Propulsion: 2 x sublight engines; 4 x commercial-rated FTL drive pods; manouvering thrusters.
At the time of the Cylon attack on the Twelve Colonies, Colonial Heavy 798 was being used to ferry Secretary of Education Laura Roslin, her entourage, and members of the Colonial media to/from the decommissioning ceremonies for the Battlestar Galactica. Following the attack, under the direct orders of Secretary Roslin, the ship engaged in rescue missions, locating and gathering civilian vessels stuck in space.
Following the confirmation that President Adar and the rest of his cabinet were either dead or missing, Laura Roslin was sworn-in as the new President, and Colonial Heavy 798 was re-named Colonial One, in recognition of its status in transporting the President. While the vessel doubtless lacks many of the facilities and systems the original Colonial One would have boasted, Roslin has nevertheless made it her base of operations, thus helping to keep her civilian administration physically distinct from William Adama's military leadership.
Design Characteristics
Colonial One is a standard Caprican-designed liner converted for government use as a long-range transport. As such, its normal passenger capacity has been greatly reduced to make way for the offices and cabins required by government personnel when undertaking official visits.
A large main cabin aboard the ship provides seating accommodation for dignitaries and press alike, while forward of this are small, more personal quarters reserved for ministers and their guests. Despite its conversion for government use, Colonial One retained its own docking bay, large enough to take a Colonial shuttle, and also boasts a cargo hold big enough to house a Viper-sized craft. The large capacity hold probably indicates that ships of this type may have been used by the Colonial government in times of emergency or disaster to render aid and supplies. (Mini-Series)
Cinematic Trivia
The cockpit of Colonial One is a redressed original Space Shuttle Orbiter cockpit simulator. The current Orbiter fleet have since been refurbished with newer cockpits.
The passenger area of the ship is modeled after the interior of the Pan Am Clipper Orion space shuttle seen ferrying Dr. Floyd into orbit in 2001: A Space Odyseey.
The ship was intentionally painted in the color scheme of the real world Air Force One to evoke more of that "real world" feel from the series.
Half way through Season One, the Colonial One CG model was updated and the seal of the President of the Twelve Colonies was added to the dorsal "hump" at the bow of the ship.
Colonial One's cargo bay, as seen in the Mini Series was actually the car deck of a BC Ferries car and passenger ferry.