A Battlestar from the original series

A Battlestar (the Battlestar Galactica) from the re-imagined series, flight pods retracted for FTL travel

Battlestars are capital ships from the science fiction universe of Battlestar Galactica, depicted in the original Battlestar Galactica movie and series, the Galactica 1980 spinoff, and the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series.

Battlestar Galactica (1978-1980)

General information

Battlestars are the premier capital ships, effectively the space equivalent of aircraft carriers, of the 12 Colonies of Man; Battlestars have fought for at least five hundred yahren in the Thousand Yahren War against the Cylon Alliance.

The hull is divided into the main hull with the bridge and propulsion systems, and winged hangar bays on the port and starboard sides. Each hangar bay typically carries many Viper Starfighters and several shuttles. Given the large dimensions of the ship design, there is an internal rail car system to transport personnel, especially in the event of a battle alert.

The fuel for a Battlestar and its Vipers is called tylium, a mysterious material that can be found only on certain planets.^[1]

Battlestar armament

Anti-fighter turret firing

Anti-ship turret

Laser turrets

The laser turrets are essentially the same weapon as a Viper's laser cannon based on appearances alone. There are several known types of turret. One, the anti-ship type, is a slow-tracking heavy turret found along the outer edge of both hangar bays. They have longer barrels than other turrets. Above each anti-ship turret is an anti-fighter turret. They are flatter and thinner in appearance and track much faster. Their barrels are smaller and closer together. These weapons however lack the power to significantly damage capital ships.^[2]

Forward lasers

The forward lasers have only been seen in The Living Legend Part 2 and The Hand of God and are often confused with anti-ship missiles. They are powerful, orange-beamed weapons solely for capital ship use.^[2]

Anti-ship missiles

These heavy missiles give a Battlestar enough firepower to utterly destroy at least two Basestars. The only example of their use is in The Living Legend, Part 2. They are often confused with the forward lasers because they are fired at the same time in the above-mentioned episode.^[2]

List of Battlestars

Only five Battlestars were known to have survived by the time the original movie took place.^[1]

Many are identified in background radio chatter in the original pilot film ("... Battlestars Atlantia and Acropolis losing speed..") (Background voiceover Male: "...Request damage reports from Battlestars Triton and Pacifica.." Background voiceover female: "...no response from the Triton and the Pacifica")

• Battlestar Galactica

Last surviving Battlestar, built 500 yahren before the close of the Thousand Yahren War. It is commanded by Commander Adama. The Galactica has about 150 Vipers aboard, a mixture of its own, some from the other Battlestars at the Peace Conference, and a great number of fighters from the Pegasus.

• Battlestar Atlantia

Lost at the Peace Conference.^[1]

• Battlestar Pacifica

Lost at the Peace Conference.^[1]

• Battlestar Triton

Lost at the Peace Conference.^[1]

• Battlestar Acropolis

Lost at the Peace Conference.^[1]

• Battlestar Pegasus

Sole survivor of the Battle of Molecay, 2 yahren before the Destruction of the Colonies. The Pegasus was commanded by Commander Cain. Missing in action, since the Battle of Gamoray when she destroyed two Cylon Basestars. Viper pilots from the Pegasus' Silver Spar Squadron, wore a helmet design that bore a 'flying horse' unlike the Galactica's Blue and Red Squadron pilots falcon/eagle crest Viper helmets, due to the Pegasus' own namesake. ^[3][2]

• Battlestar Columbia

In the episode "Gun on Ice Planet Zero", a Cadet Cree claims to be from the Battlestar Columbia in an attempt to foil the interrogation efforts by the Gold Command Centurion Vulpa. Vulpa answers back that the Columbia was lost in the Peace Conference with the rest of the fleet.^[4]

• Battlestar Rycon

In the episode "Take the Celestra," during an awards ceremony Commander Kronus is described as having 'risen from the ranks to command the Battlestar Rycon, a ship famed for destroying 3 Cylon Basestars at the Battle Of Cosmora Archipelago, but at the cost of the Rycon herself presumably. '^[5]

• Battlestar Solaria (series: ?)

Another ship mentioned as destroyed in the novelization of the original series 1st episode. Was the last Battlestar destroyed according to the Battlestar Galactica novelization, when Lt Starbuck and Lt Boomer tried to find another ship to land on because of burning up a lot of fuel due to the use of full turbos on their Vipers, during the Battle Of Cimtar. Its ship insignia would've featured a 'Burning Sun' and as the ornament crests on the Viper pilots helmets.

• Battlestar Prometheus

Another ship that was on a list of names given to the costume department during production of the series. Viper pilot helmet ornament and ship insignia, would have featured a hand holding a burning torch, to denote what Battlestar the Viper pilot was assigned to and the ship's actual flag insignia.

• Barttlestar Cerberus

In the novelization for "The Living Legend," Adama recalls serving with Cain and a friend named Apollo in the battlestar Cerberus. Apollo is killed in a battle at Sagitara and Adama names his son in honor of him.

Battlestar Galactica (re-imagined series)

A Battlestar is a space battleship in the re-imagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica. The re-imagined series' Battlestars, as well as the series' other visual effects are designed and created by Zoic Studios for Battlestar Galactica.^[6]

List of Battlestars

Out of about 120 battlestars (Kara Thrace described a loss of thirty as being "almost a quarter of the fleet"), relatively few are known.

• Galactica
• Pegasus
• Columbia
• Atlantia
• Triton
• Valkyrie
• Solaria

References

External links

Battlestar Galactica (2003, 2004?)

• for the Battlestar Galactica by Zoic Studios.
• Galactica type Battlestar at BattlestarWiki.
• Mercury class Battlestar at BattlestarWiki.

Battlestar Galactica (1978, 1980)

• Battlestar at BattlestarWiki.
• Battlestar Galactica: Technical Manual

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