Zheng He-class courier

Zheng He-class courier
Class attributes
Operators:	Office of Naval Intelligence; Corporations;
Manufacturer:	Halifax Spacewerx
Built:	Fewer than 170
In service:	2468 - present
General characteristics
Type:	Courier
Length:	68.4 meters (224.4 ft)
Mass:	Approx. 2,800 metric tonnes (variable with payload/modules)
Maneuver drive:	2x fusion rockets (primary); 4x hybrid fusion drives (secondary);
Slipspace drive:	Original production: Series II SFTE; Current production: Series IV CODEN SFTE;
Crew:	35

"WE'VE GOT A NEW CONTACT, UNKNOWN CLASSIFICATION!"

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"A vessel of exceptional inherent quality and forward-thinking design, its potential was largely unfulfilled due to economic factors and shifting corporate priorities."

— Catalog of Interstellar Vessels, 2560 edition.^[1]

The Zheng He-class courier is a human starship class.^[2]

Overview[edit]

Design details[edit]

"Its influence can be seen in later UEG designs emphasizing modularity and speed, though few have matched its unique blend of performance and understated elegance."

— Catalog of Interstellar Vessels, 2560 edition.^[1]

The Zheng He-class courier is considered capable and efficient alongside the Gypsum-class courier.^[2] As of 2560 they are old vessels, with vessels still in service sometimes using CODEN II Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engines. As such, this gives the vessel a slipspace transit time measured in weeks.^[3]

The ship is fitted with cryo chambers, though there are fewer than 50 of them aboard.^[3]

Service history[edit]

"Despite auspicious beginnings and strong initial interest, the Zheng He never achieved the widespread service originally envisioned."

— Catalog of Interstellar Vessels, 2560 edition.^[1]

Zheng He-class was commissioned in the mid-2450s, but wouldn't enter service with its initial production run until 2468. While there was high initial interest, production costs and shifts in priorities by Halifax Spacewerx led to a truncated production run. Fewer than 170 Zheng He-class ships were completed before the class finished production in 2482.^[1]

The Zheng He-class courier and Gypsum-class courier are considered less prominent than the Vancouver-class courier.^[2]

By 2560, they have become quite scarce and the surviving fleet of the ships are in limited active service.^[1]

Usage[edit]

"Those examples still in service, particularly within ONI, are meticulously maintained and often represent the pinnacle of discreet light transport technology for their age."

— Catalog of Interstellar Vessels, 2560 edition.^[1]

The Office of Naval Intelligence procured a substantial amount of the vessels through their various organizations.^[1]

During the Human-Covenant War, surviving vessels were used in high-speed but low profile critical personnel, materiel, and intelligence transportation missions.^[1]

By 2560, Zheng He-class ships can mostly be found in special detachments and select corporate fleets. They have become quite valuable with private collectors and trans-solar corporations seeking to procure their own.^[1]

One such vessel was stationed at the Avery J. Johnson Academy of Military Science on Nysa in February 2560 and was used to try and evacuate the base's personnel in the opening stages of a large attack on the facility by the Banished. However, the ship was fired upon by the base's surface-to-air missile launchers, which had been hijacked by the rogue AI Iratus, resulting in its destruction.^[3]

Non-canon and dubious canon appearances[edit]

Silver Timeline[edit]

This article contains information about the Silver Timeline, and is not a part of the established Halo canon.

Main article: Silver Timeline

Dr. Catherine Halsey has her own personal Zheng He-class ship named the Endymion II. In one instance the Endymion II would be used by her to visit Eridanus II.^[4]^[5]

Production notes[edit]

The Zheng He-class courier is named after Zheng He, a Chinese mariner and explorer most well known for his expeditionary treasure voyages in the Ming dynasty.