For other uses, see Tritium.

The Tritium-class was an experimental type of Federation starship serving in the first decade of the 23rd century. (TOS reference: Spaceflight Chronology)

The Tritium-class has the dubious distinction of being the worst major ship ever built by the Federation. Its tri-nacelle design in theory should have given it added power and performance, but unavoidable imperfections accentuated warp field flaws and fluctuations and actually lowered efficiency and performance. During the Tritium's shakedown (which, given its flaws, actually did involve quite a bit of shaking), chief engineer Rex Opperman called it a "real Lemarian lemon" and revived an old term for a design fiasco: an Edsel.

A total of seven Tritium-class vessels were built, none of which managed to complete a standard tour of duty as they were too often taken out of service for repairs or attempts to compensate for their basic flaws. As a costly reminder to future generations, the USS Tritium itself may be viewed at the Spaceflight Museum on Memory Alpha. (TOS reference: Spaceflight Chronology)

Service Life[]

The Tritium was commissioned in 2148 SFC and all seven of the class were decommissioned by 2155 SFC, shortly after the introduction of the more conventional (but much more successful) Mann-class. A type of shuttlecraft developed for the Tritium was somewhat more useful, remaining in service until 2173 SFC.

There are very few solidly-dated events in this period which can be used to help adapt dates from the SFC timeline to the standard timeline. By prorating the dates for the period of time between the end of the Romulan War (reference stardate 2109/2160) and the commissioning of the Constitution-class (2188 SFC/2245), we can arrive at approximate dates for the Tritium: commission circa 2201, decommission by 2210, and the shuttle in operation until the late-2220s.

Connections[]

Starship classes of the Federation Starfleet
subclass groups	Akira (Alita • Armitage • Thunderchild) • Ambassador (Alaska • Narendra • Yamaguchi) • Apollo (Akula frigate / light cruiser) • Cardenas (Buran) • Chesapeake (Mongrel) • Cheyenne (Dakota • Stargazer) • Concorde (Geneva battlecruiser • Presidio) • Constellation (Challenger deep space explorer) • Chimera heavy destroyer (Manticore) • Constitution (Achernar • Bonhomme Richard • Tikopai • Enterprise • Exeter • Excalibur • Vesper • Kirk • Crossfield (Glenn • 32nd century refit) • Danube (Yellowstone) • Decatur (Dreadnought) • Defiant (Gallant • Incursion • Nachthexen • Sao Paulo • Valiant • Vigilant escort) • Dervish (Gryphon • Hermes escort • Maelstrom • Tempest) • Destiny (Nimbus • Oracle • Trident) • Engle (Earhart) • Excelsior (Bismarck • Curry • Kirov • New Jersey • Resolute) • Galaxy (Andromeda (25th century) • Celestial • Envoy • Galaxy X • Monarch cruiser • Ross • Venture cruiser • Yamato dreadnought) • Hermes scout (Cygnus • Monoceros) • Inquiry (Avenger battlecruiser • Arbiter) • Hoover (Edison) • Intrepid (Bellerophon • Cochrane science vessel • Discovery (25th century) • Janeway • Pathfinder • Trailblazer • Yeager) • Kumari (Charal • Khyzon) • Luna (Comet • Polaris • Sol • Titan) • Magee (Shran (escort)) • Malachowski (Helios (tug)) • Miranda (Anton • Reliant • Soyuz) • Merian (Merian (dreadnought)) • Nebula (Magellan) • New Orleans (Lafayette) • Nimitz (Europa) • Norway (Oslo) • Nova (Aurora • Quasar • Rhode Island) • NX (Columbia • Poseidon) • Oberth (Clarke • Gagarin (23rd century) • Grissom • Sagan) • Odyssey (Verity • Yorktown (cruiser)) • Olympic (Hope • Horizon science vessel) • Prometheus (Cerberus • Hephaestus • Hestia • Phoenix) • Ptolemy (Dollond • Doppler • Keppler) • Remora (Charger) • Saladin (Cochise • Siva) • Santa Fe (Newport) • Saber (Gladius • Rapier • Ushaan) • Sentinel (Emissary • Nomad cruiser • Vanguard) • Shepard (Gagarin (25th century)) • Solanae (Helios • Montgomery • Omega) • Sovereign (Archon • Imperial • Majestic • Noble cruiser • Regent) • Steamrunner (Appalachia • Zephyr) • Vesta (Aventine • Rademaker) • Walker (Georgiou • Shenzhou ) • Wells (Eternal • Ouroboros • Verne)
other named classes	AA class • Aakenn • Achilles • Advance • Aegian • Aeolus • Aerie • Akula destroyer / escort • Ambassador Hardin • Andes • Andor • Andromeda (24th century) • Angelou • Antares • Apache • Aquarius • Archer • Archimedes • Ark Royal • Ariel • Ascendant • Atrox • Avenger (scout) • Babcock • Bader • Baker • Baton Rouge • Berena • Bode • Bolarus • Bonaventure • Bradbury • Brenton • California • Canada • Canopus • Capella • Castor • Centaur • Centaurus • Ceres • Cestus • Challenger • Chandley • Chariot • Chimer • Chimera fast frigate • Christopher • Clarke (25th century) • Cle Dan • Cochrane transport • Columbia • Condor (raider) • Continent • Contortrix • Copernicus • Courage • Daedalus • Dauntless • Decker • Defender • Delta • D'Kyr • Deneva • Derf • Drexler • Durrett • Eagle • Eclipse • Edward • Einstein • Eisenberg • El Dorado • future Enterprise • Epoch • Epsilon • Erewon • Eternal • Federation • Fenlon • Fermi • Fiji • Freedom • Friendship • Frontier • Gagarin (24th century) • Galen • Gallant • Ganges • Geneva • Genser • Graceful • Grayson • Griffon • Guardian • Gemini • Hale • Hermes fast cruiser • Heston • Hogan • Hokule'a • Horizon cruiser • Icarus • Ilthirin • Indomitable • Intrepid (22nd century) • Iowa • Istanbul • Iwo Jima • Class J • Jupiter • Karekh • Keith • Kethkin • Kiev • K'Kmarak • Kolm-An • Korolev • Larson • Lauro • Laweya • Legacy • Lenthal • Lexington • Liberty • Loki • Loknar • London • Madison • Makin • Mann • Marklin • Mars • Marshall • M'Benga • Mediterranean • Merced • Mercury (courier) • Mercury (escort) • Mercury (scout) • Merian • Merian (dreadnought) • Messier • Meteor • Midway • Mission • Missouri • Mobulai • MoKal • Moscow • Mulciber• Narcine • Nautilus • Nelson • Niagara • Noble laboratory vessel • Nomad escort • Northampton • Oberon • Odin • Odysseus • Okinawa • Oppenheimer • Orion • Osaka • Overfield • Paladin battlecruiser • Paladin destroyer • Parliament • Paladin (24th century) • Perseus • Pioneer • Phalanx • Phantom • Philadelphia • Pinnacle • Piper • Pollux • Portsmith • Pralim • Premonition • Protostar • Proxima • Pyotr Velikiy • Pyrenees • Rakota • Ranger battlecruiser • Ranger explorer • Ranger scout • Renaissance • Rickenbacker • Rigel • Rochester • Royal Sovereign • Sagittarius • Samson • Saturn • Sawyer • Scorpio • Scryer • Scylla • Sequoia • Sevaijen • ShiKahr • Sierra • Solar • Springfield • Sulek • Surak • Sydney • Tangent • Theophrastus • Thomas Paine • Thucydides • Thufir • Tiberius • Ticonderoga • Universe •Theseus • Tripper • Tritium • Typhon • Typhoon • Ukora • Ulysses • Ural • Utah • Venture scout • Vigilant scout • Voyager • Wallenberg • Wambundu • Wei-Fa • Wellington • Wilkerson • Wizard • Yamato • Yorkshire • Yorktown • Zodiac • unnamed
general type	Defiant pathfinder • Raging Queen • Sun Tzu • Valley Forge • Federation assault ship • Federation battleship • Federation cargo ship • Federation colony ship • Federation construction ship • Federation cruiser • deep galaxy ship • Federation dreadnought • Federation freighter • Federation frigate • Federation galaxy ship • Federation holoship • Federation heavy cruiser (2380s heavy cruiser) • Federation light cruiser (Constitution-variant light cruiser • Intrepid-variant light cruiser) • Federation medium cruiser (Excelsior-variant medium cruiser) • Federation mining freighter • Federation repair ship • Starfleet tanker

Starship classes of the Spaceflight Chronology
United Nations, United Earth	Assist-class • Aventeur-class • Belmont-class • Cochrane-class • Columbus-class • Companion-class • Cosmos-class • DY-500-class • Edison-class • Franklin-class • Galileo-class • Gallant-class • Glenn-class • Horizon-class • Keller-class • Liberty-class • Lindbergh-class • Long-class • Magellan-class • Merchant-class • Messier-class • Monticello-class • Parr-class • Saratoga-class • Wheeler-class • Vanguard-class • Verne-class
Federation, Starfleet	Advance-class • Baton Rouge-class • Bode-class • Bradley-class • Broadway-class • Byrne-class • Cabot-class • Calvary-class • Canopus-class • Castor-class • Clark-class • Constitution-class • Chariot-class • Declaration-class • Doppler-class • Eagle-class • Hale-class • Hopkins-class • Hunter-class • Libran-class • Lowell-class • Mann-class • Marshall-class • Master-class • Mercury-class • McCormick-class • Messier-class • Newton-class • Normandy-class • Palomar-class • Pointer-class • Portsmith-class • Powers-class • Placido-class • Provider-class • Rickenbacker-class • Sawyer-class • Stellarford-class • Tritium-class • University-class • Voyager-class • Watt-class

Appearances and references[]

• TOS reference: Star Trek Chronology
• TOS novel: The Kobayashi Maru