US-DOC-45878-X
[Declassified]
Subject: Reports of the USS Challenger (JSC-001) disaster in Struve System
The USS Challenger (JSC-001) the first Jump Scout built by the United Systems, exploded in the Struve system on 4th November 2091. This document reports the chronological events and the proposed actions to prevent future episodes.
3rd June 2087
The crew of [JSC-001] USS Challenger has completed shore leave on Lalande Systems and is fully rested
2nd January 2088
Commander Bernard Amador has been killed in an accident, a pipe junction exploded while he was examinating some damaged panels near one of the engines. Commander Tyree Trumbo take command.
24th July 2089
Gripes amongst crew member about the long tour, Cmdr. Trumbo reassure fleet HQ about the situation onboard.
7th October 2089
USS Challenger coming from Cygni system jump in the newly discovered Struve star systen.
7th December 2089
Having surpassed planned deployment time by 38.75%, the crew of the Challenger (composed by 69 members) formally protest against Cmdr. Trumbo asking for the docking of the ship on the nearest colonized planet on Barnard's Star (New Terra)
4th March 2090
Cmdr. Trumbo suspended the survey operations on Struve and ordered the return towards New Terra via the Cygni Jump Point
6th March 2090
Navigator officer signla that the fuel monitor systems undergo an anomaly that cause the sensors to display a total of 30% fuel more than the real available. Cmdr. Trumbo immediately send an emergency dispatch to Starfleet HQ, the ship was unable to perform the system jump towards Cygni.
7th March 2090
Starfleet HQ ordered the immediate construction of another JSC to provide support for the Challenger, as it's isolated bacause, without jump gates connecting Struve and Cygni, no support ship can reach it. Starfleet Command reassure Challenger crew and asked them to "be patient" as the total operation time was estimated to be no less than 9 months. Food is rationed as ordered by Cmdr. Trumbo.
12th August 2090
Fights between crewmember aboard the Challenger end with 3 injured.
12th September 2090
An AuraCorp A-81 Ion Drive Engine on USS Challenger has suffered a maintenance failure. Repairs have been carried out and the engine was fixed.
12th October 2090
The AuraCorp A-81 Ion Drive Engine that previously was fixed has suffered another maintenance failure . Insufficient maintenance supplies were available to effect a repair.
12th October 2090
The other A-81 Engine has a failure. The ship is now unable to move until repairs can be made
12th December 2090
The jump engines injection tubes suffer maintenance failures.
12th January 2091
The USS Hawking (JSC-002 Challenger class) was built on Mars and depart for support operations to the Challenger
The ECM-1 on USS Challenger has suffered a maintenance failure.
12th February 2091
The THS-11 Thermal Sensor on USS Challenger has suffered a maintenance failure along with the Hoplon D Delta Shields.
The Hawking arrives but malfunctions of the docking systems of the Challenger prevent it to dock and transfer the crewmembers. No fuel was transferred as the Challenger cannot fix the engine. Starfleet HQ ordered the USS Lalande, a jump gate builder, and the USS Rhino, a tug, to reach Cygni. The Lalande will built a jump gate to connect the system to Struve and the Rhino will link with the tractor beam to the USS Challenger and try transport it to New Terra shipyards.
26th July 2091
USS Lalande start the jump gates construction operations
Total failure of the ships sensor arrays and communication modules.
HQ ordered the USS Hawking to leave the Struve systems for employ it eslewhere, as it's presence will be no longer necessary
24th October 2091
USS Challenger has suffered a catastrophic maintenance failure within the life support systems, oxygen inflation containers overheated and exploded, causing the total ship structural destroctions, Commander Tyree Trumbo failed to escape and has been killed. 18 crewmember was able to survive on escape pods but no ships (the Hawking, or one of the four gravsurvey ships in service) was able to reach the Challenger lifepods in time.
4th November 2091
All lifepods shows no sign of life on them.
A salvager was sent towards the Struve system and when the jump gates will be finished will recover the wrecks.
Cause
The major cause of the tragedy can undoubtely seen in the lack of a proper maintenance plan for the shipa and a bad design that compromized the rescue possibilities of the crewmembers.
The ship was built in 2060, at current date, no overhaul was made on it. In more than 30 years, only general maintenance plan was executed and the ship was intensively used. When the first failure occours, a chain reaction of malfunctions started.
Other than the bad maintenance status, a poor design was noted. The Challenger Class was desinged to explore systems that are not linked via Jump Gates, in the event of a J-3000 Jumpe Engine failure, the ships remains isolated, and the Starfleet have not yet built a jump capable rescue vessel.
Proposed Action
In order to avoid that such a tragedy will occour in future, the following actions will be proposed to the Starfleet Command
- The immediate dock of the latest build Challenger Class Frigate, the USS Hawking, at the Navy Auxiliary Docks on Earth for indefinite time.
- The research for a new class of JSC frigates, able to sustain longer travel with and improved damage control system.
- The research for a jump capable rescue ship.
