The starships you see here are made to scale and represent actual size and proportions of ships in Starfleet service today except Matt Deckers which is just leaving Spacedock.
Here is a rare image of the United Federation's most powerful spacefleet returning to Starbase 234, where Captain Picard later launches his armada from on Stardate 45236.4 to blockade Romulan forces supplying the Duras Family during the Klingon Civil War.
Can you name the ships? Picard, Kirk, Janeway, Sulu, Matt Decker, Beverly and Worf are in command.
The spacedock was first seen in 2270 orbiting earth. In the early days of Star Trek, Starbases were fewer in number, often leaving a lone starship in a fix to make repairs. Luckily ships like Kirks U.S.S. Enterprise 1701 had "miracle workers" like Scotty who always saved the ship. God bless him.
Starbases are massive orbital space stations, larger than planet based cities with large windows and domes overlooking the mooring bay. These observation points offer excellent views of space with a steady stream of fascinating incoming and outgoing starships. The spacedock itself has vast interior mooring bays and recreation facilities, giving weary explorers time to take shore leave. (The Organian Peace Treaty between the Federation and the Klingon Empire established this.)
Starbase operations are straight forward and range from administration duties (which can be shared with non federation races) to secure starship berthing, by mooring tractor beams which lock ships into position. Gangways are secured to airlocks using correct pressurization and stabilization procedures which allow trusting souls to be easily ferried from starship to starbase. Transporters and turbo lifts cars are standard. Starbases serve a medley of purposes for non-stop space exploration, operation and security.
Starbases are used for meetings, pickups and the transfer of medical supplies too. Starbase 173, located in Sector 23 near the Romulan Neutral Zone, is the site of proceedings to establish Lt. Commander's Data's sentience, and Starbase 718 is the location of an emergency conference attended by Captain Picard to discuss the possibilities of a new Romulan incursion into Federation space. Starbase 313 is the base from where the Enterprise picks up an assortment of scientific equipment for transport to the Guernica System on Stardate 44614.6 while Starbase 343 is the transfer point for medical supplies the Enterprise delivers to Alpha Leonis on Stardate 43421.9
Romulans are tricky. I think any alien with starship cloaking technology installed on his ship has to be classified as a spy up to no good. Look what happened to Kirk when he exposed General Chang's cloaked Bird of Prey and Chang was a Klingon!! A Klingons Honor means more to him than his very life! I guess Chang had better sense, just kidding.... So why doesn't anyone call the cloaking device spy technology? It is undeniably sneaky.
Live Long and Prosper, Trekkers.
