Saucer section - Definition and Overview

The primary and engineering hulls of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-C).

In the Star Trek fictional universe, traditional Federation starship design divided Starfleet ships into with two main sections: the "primary hull", which provides crew quarters and living facilities, science and mission facilities. The "primary hull" also has weapons arrays, impulse engines, and command facilities such as the main bridge. The "primary hull" is also known as the "saucer section" due to its resemblance to a saucer. The second part of the ship, the "engineering hull", is attached to the "primary hull" by a neck. The "engineering hull" is also known as the "stardrive section", or the "battle section." The "stardrive section" holds all warp drive-related components, as well as the navigational deflector array, shield generator and additional weapons. The "stardrive section" could also contain fuel storage, cargo bays, shuttle bays and other systems.

Some Starfleet vessels such as the Galaxy class had the capability to separate the two sections, whether as a disaster recovery tactic, or to bring only mission-critical functions into a dangerous situation.

Example Usage of section