Mercury-class

Battlestar Galactica 2004 Continuity
Battlestar Galactica 2004, Caprica and Blood & Chrome

Mercury-class
General Information
Affiliation:	United Colonies of Kobol Colonial Fleet
Technical Specifications
Type:	Battleship/Carrier
Crew:	~2800
Length:	1,790 meters (5,870 ft)
Width:	~712 meters (2,336 ft)
Height:	~320 meters (1,050 ft)
Armament:	2 Main Quad Axial KEW 34 Secondary Dual KEW Batteries Missiles
Defenses:	CIWS KEW Batteries Armor plating
Aviation facilities:	2x Flight Pods 4x Flight Decks 74x Viper Launch Tubes 6x Raptor Launch Tubes Viper construction facilities
Complement:	Viper Mk. VIIa Viper Mk. VIIb Raptor Mk. II Raptor Mk. II Heavy
Propulsion:	8x Sublight Engines Manoeuvring Thrusters
FTL:	Yes

The Mercury-class was a class of battlestar developed and used by the Colonial Fleet in the interwar period. Intended to supplement and eventually replace the aging Jupiter-class, the Mercury provided upgrades in virtually every category, from enhanced fighter carrying capacity to firepower.

Design

Armament

The Mercury class features impressive armament and armor, with the entire ship covered with metal armor plating. Turrets are mounted around the ship, especially on its bow section, port, and starboard sides. However, the class appears somewhat lacking in dorsal and ventral turrets compared to the older Jupiter-class.

Fighter Complement

Mercury class ships carried a large complement of Viper space superiority fighters along with Raptor multipurpose craft. The exact amount that can be carried is unknown. Still, it is presumed to be several squadrons (six to eight), judging by conversations in the show and the size of the Mercury class's flight pods, which were fixed (non-retracting) and dual-layered to allow pilots to launch and land on two sides. The Mercury-class also features fighter production facilities to allow it to produce spare parts for its fighter squadrons or even wholly new fighters, even if detached from support ships, provided with the suitable materials.

Computer Systems

Not much is known about the computer systems of the Mercury-class; however, it is known that the class, as with most other Colonial military assets at the time of the Fall of the Colonies, was designed to rely heavily upon advanced computer systems and networks; the network functionality is described as allowing a person with the needed access to be able to control any part of the ship from any other. It is implied that at the Fall, several ships of this class have already been upgraded with the new CNP with more to come. This proves to be the class's downfall - it is presumed that many ships of its class were destroyed during the attacks, and the only known surviving ship of its class, the Battlestar Pegasus, is forced to de-network its computers and revert to older software to keep its systems relatively safe from Cylon infiltration.

Crew

Despite its much larger size compared to the older Jupiter-class battlestar, thanks to its heavy automation, the Mercury class only needs a crew complement of around 2800 people to function.

Propulsion

Ships of this class have eight main rearwards-facing sub-light engines attached to their outer hull at the stern of the ship, four each on its dorsal and ventral surfaces, as well as having at least two FTL drives in sync for faster-than-light travel. Smaller maneuvering thrusters are also scattered throughout the ship to allow for high maneuverability in combat scenarios, including two large bow-mounted forward-facing thrusters on the forward section of the alligator head.

Known ships

• Battlestar Pegasus BS-62 (Destroyed over New Caprica in 2 ACH)

Behind the Scenes

• At some point, a Raptor-sized launch tubes were visible on the CGI model however, they were apparently removed from the finished model, as they do not appear in the show or any renders that use the finished models.
• Either by CGI error or design, during the liberation of New Caprica, Battlestar Pegasus spurs an additional secondary dual KEW battery.

Gallery

• Screenshots
• Behind the Scenes
• Concept Art

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Render by ZOIC at Modeler's Miniatures & Magic

Set Floorplan

Set Floorplan

Set Floorplan

Set Floorplan

Concept Art by David MacLean

Unofficial Gallery

Images in this section are not directly taken from the TV show, production or pre-production. They do however use the CGI models originally used by the VFX team. They are usually produced by the original artists, but in their free time.

3D Render by Robert Bonchune

3D Render by Robert Bonchune

3D Render by Robert Bonchune

3D Render by Robert Bonchune