Colonial One
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Type: Passenger Starliner
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.
The Colonial Government chartered an Intersun starliner, designated Colonial Heavy 798, for ferrying Secretary of Education Laura Roslin, her staff and members of the Colonial press to and from the decommissioning ceremonies for the battlestar Galactica.
Once the Cylon attack began and many civilian transports, including Colonial Heavy 798, were stranded with nowhere to go, the starliner engages in rescue missions under the direct orders of Secretary Roslin, locating and gathering other civilian vessels marooned in space around the vicinity of Caprica.
With confirmation that President Adar and the rest of his cabinet are either dead or missing from the attacks, Laura Roslin is sworn-in as the new President, and Colonial Heavy 798 is re-named Colonial One, in recognition of its status in transporting the President. While this ordinary starliner probably 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.
After the election to determine President Adar's legitimate successor (Roslin having served out the remainder of Adar's term) results in the victory of Gaius Baltar, Colonial One becomes his office and residence. When New Caprica is settled Colonial One is one of the few ships to land permanently on the planet, touching down on a hilltop overlooking the settlement on the planet. A year after his election, Baltar has all but done away with the modesty of Roslin's office on the ship. He remakes it resemble his old house on Caprica, replacing Roslin's simple desk with an extravagant wood desk, her office chair with a decorated leather seat, her back office with a heram and the population-count white board with a picture of himself.
Design Characteristics
Colonial One is a standard Caprican-designed starliner converted for the new government's use as a long-range transport. Its normal passenger capacity has been reduced to accommodate the offices and cabins required by government personnel. Civilian passengers on Colonial One reside in converted sections of the liner.
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 retains 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 (Miniseries).
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 ship is always seen flying next to the Galactica perhaps because the ship would be well protected from this place.
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 the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
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. The reuse of stock footage from early in season one and the Miniseries, however causes the seal to continually appear and disappear at random intervals.
Colonial One's cargo bay, as seen in the Miniseries, was actually the car deck of a BC Ferries V Class car and passenger ferry.