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UNSC Point of No Return: Difference between revisions

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(I guess that the 12-31-2552 transmission qualifies as post-war)
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{{Era|HCW|Post}}
{{Title|UNSC ''Point of No Return''}}
{{ratings}}
{{Status|Canon}}
{{title|UNSC ''Point of No Return''}}
{{Infobox/Ships
 
|name            = ''Point of No Return''
{{Individual ship infobox
|image          =
|name           = UNSC ''Point of No Return''
|caption        =
|image          =
|modules        =
|class          = [[Stealth Cruiser]]/[[UNSC Prowler|Prowler]]
{{Infobox/Ships/Individual
|length          = 485 meters {{Verify}}
|country              = [[Unified Earth Government]]
|country flag        = {{Icon|UEG}}
|name                 = ''Point of No Return''
|class                = {{Class|Point Blank|prowler}}{{Ref/Generic|See [[#Production notes]]}}
|namesake            = [[Wikipedia:Point of no return|Point of no return]]
|identification      =
|operator            = [[UNSC Navy]]{{Ref/Reuse|Page 43}}
|manufacturer        = [[Watershed Division]]{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|architect            =
|laid down            =
|launched            =
|commissioned        =
|decommissioned      =
|fate                =
|status              = In active service as of [[2552#December|December 31, 2552]]{{Ref/Anthology|Evo|The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole}}
|captains            =
|ai                  =
|motto                =
|badge                =
}}
|hide-characteristics=
|nocollapse      =
|type            = [[Prowler]]
|length          = {{Convert|1591|ft|m|sp=us|disp=flip}}{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22|Enc22|Page=128}}{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc09|Enc09|Page=252}}
|width          =
|height          =
|mass            = 1.1 million tonnes{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|power          = [[Fusion reactor]]
|maneuver drive  = [[Baffler|Baffled]] [[fusion drive]]s{{Ref/Novel|Id=GOO2|GoO|Chapter=2}}
|slipspace drive = [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]]
|slipspace drive = [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]]
|shield gen      = None
|crew            =  
|hull            = Resistance to several [[Pulse Laser]] bursts
|complement      = At least 24 [[S-14 Baselard]]s{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS19|HSS|Chapter=19}}{{Ref/Reuse|HSS20}}
|complement      =
|troops          =  
*Ablative Baffles
|hull            =
*Counterelectronic Systems
*[[Titanium-A armor|Titanum A battleplate]]
*Matte Black ablative stealth coating
*[[Stealth ablative coating]]{{Ref/Novel|Id=GOO3|GoO|Chapter=3}}
*Texture Buffers<ref name="Page 43">[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]] page 43</ref>
|shielding      =  
|passengers      = 20 [[UNSC]] officers
|sensors        =  
|othersystems    =
|ew              = Communications-jamming{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS7|HSS|Chapter=7}}
*Radar Invisible
|armaments      =
*Insulating layers
*1 [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|20F9B9 MAC]]{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
*Counterelectronics
*5 [[Shiva-class nuclear missile|M947 Shiva nuclear missile]] delivery system{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|role            = [[ONI]] Field Command
*80 [[Archer missile#M42 Archer|M42 Archer missile]] pods{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS20|HSS|Chapter=20}}
|firstsight      = [[2531]]
*4 [[M66 Sentry autocannon]] turrets{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|lastsight      = [[2552]]
*20 [[M910 Rampart point defense network]] turrets{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|affiliation    = [[UNSC Navy]], [[ONI]]
|aircraft        =
|air facilities  = Multiple [[hangar bay]]s including
*Command hangar{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS16|HSS|Chapter=16}}
*Drop hangar{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS7|HSS|Chapter=7}}
*Aft fighter hangar{{Ref/Reuse|HSS19}}
*Various maintenance hangars{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS17|HSS|Chapter=17}}
}}
}}
The '''UNSC ''Point of No Return''''' is a {{Class|Point Blank|prowler}} in the [[United Nations Space Command]]'s [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]. It is one of the most advanced and secret ships ever built by the UNSC.
==Background==
The ''Point of No Return'' is the wartime command and control platform for ONI Section Three. The existence of the vessel is highly classified: officially, the ship does not even exist. Very few have actually seen the ship, only a handful have ever been aboard, and fewer than twenty officers have access to its most sensitive areas.<ref name="Page 43">'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 43''</ref> The ship is crewed by people from all military branches of the UNSC and multiple [[artificial intelligence]]s maintained solely by ONI.


The '''UNSC ''Point of No Return''''' is one of the most advanced and secret ships ever built by the [[UNSC]]'s [[Office of Naval Intelligence]], classified as a [[Stealth Cruiser]].
==Service history==
In [[2531]], [[Colonel]] [[James Ackerson]] met on ''Point of No Return'' with [[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Aaron G. Gibson]], [[Rear Admiral]] [[Ned Rich]], and [[Vice Admiral]] [[Margaret Parangosky]] to discuss the [[SPARTAN-II program]]. They decided to grant Ackerson permission to begin the SPARTAN-III project.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''pages 43-49''</ref> Later, the ship retrieved [[Kurt-051]] after he had been "killed" in action in the [[Groombridge 34 System]].<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 57''</ref> During that operation to shut down a malfunctioning slipspace drive, Kurt noticed that the ship's holding cage was the size of a destroyer, though it had the angles found on [[UNSC prowler|prowlers]]. He noted that the concept of a large stealth ship was seemingly oxymoronic, as the larger a ship is, the more exponentially-difficult it is for the ship to maintain stealth.


==Background==
In [[2537]], Admirals Rich and Parangosky met with Spartan-051 and [[Senior Chief Petty Officer]] [[Franklin Mendez]] again to inform him that the [[SPARTAN-III Program|SPARTAN-IIIs]] of [[SPARTAN-III Alpha Company|Alpha Company]] had been killed and to begin training the SPARTAN-III [[SPARTAN-III Beta Company|Beta Company]].<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 79''</ref>
The ''Point of No Return'' is the wartime command and control platform for ONI Section Two. The existence of the vessel is highly classified: officially, the ship does not even exist. Very few have actually seen the ship, only a handful have ever been aboard, and less than twenty officers have access to its most sensitive areas.<ref name="Page 43"/> The ship is crewed by people from all military branches of the UNSC and multiple [[AI]]s maintained solely by ONI.
 
The ship survived the [[Human-Covenant War]]. On [[2552#December|December 31, 2552]], [[Codename: SURGEON]] filed a report to [[Codename: USUAL SUSPECTS]] entitled "[[Historical/Psychological Analysis of Cole, Preston J.]]" The report was filed from UNSC ''Point of No Return'' in synchronous orbit on the far side of [[Luna]]. This was the last reported action of the ship and its current whereabouts remain unknown.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', ''page 487''</ref>


==Operational History==
==Design==
In [[2531]], [[Colonel]] [[James Ackerson]] met here with [[Captain]] [[Gibson]], [[Rear Admiral]] [[Rich]], and [[Vice Admiral]] [[Margaret O. Parangosky]] to discuss the [[Spartan-II]] project. They decided to grant Ackerson permission to begin the [[Spartan-III]] project.<ref>[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]] pages 43-49</ref> It was the ship that later picked up [[Spartan-051]] after he had been "killed" in action in the [[Groombridge 34 System]].<ref>[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]] page 57</ref> During that same operation to shut down a malfunctioning Slipspace Drive, [[Kurt-051|Spartan-051: Kurt]] noticed that a holding cage for a ship was the size of a destroyer, though had the angles found on prowlers. He said it was an oxymoron; a large stealth ship.
Technically considered a [[UNSC prowler|prowler]], the ''Point of No Return'' is the largest  ever built, easily the size of a [[UNSC destroyer]]. Constructed in parts and then assembled in deep space, the ship is completely radar invisible thanks to [[stealth ablative coating]], and when her engines run below 30 percent she is as dark as interstellar space. It also contains a room called "[[Odin's Eye]]", a chamber surrounded by a [[Faraday cage]] that blocks all electronic signals.{{Ref/Reuse|Page 43}}


In [[2537]], Admirals Rich and Parangosky met with Spartan-051 and [[Senior Chief Petty Officer]] [[Franklin Mendez]] again to inform him that the first 300 Spartan-IIIs of Alpha Company had been killed and to go ahead and begin training Beta Company of the Spartan-III project.<ref>[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]] page 79</ref>
==Production notes==
While not explicitly confirmed, it is extremely heavily implied that the ''Point of No Return'' is a {{Class|Point Blank|prowler}}, as introduced in ''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]''. In ''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'', the ''Point of No Return'' is stated to be "easily the size of a UNSC destroyer", while the ''Point Blank''-class measurements provided in the ''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition)|Halo Encyclopedia]]'' notably explicitly provide the exact same length as the {{Class|Halberd|light destroyer}}. This is a notable change; the ''Point Blank'' was first designed for the [[Sins of the Prophets]] fan mod, in which it is notably larger. This active change away from the source material to a specific number on par with the ''Halberd'' almost certainly corresponds with aligning the ''Point Blank'' with ''Ghosts of Onyx''{{'}}s statement about the ship's size. The ''Halo Encyclopedia'' also went out of its way to mention the "stealth cruiser" nomenclature as being a nickname applied to the ''Point Blank''-class, rather than a sweeping broad sub-categorisation of UNSC spacecraft - somewhat reinforcing that there are presumably not a series of stealth cruiser classifications in the navy.


On December 31st, [[2552]], [[Codename: SURGEON]] filed a report to [[Codename: USUAL SUSPECTS]] entitled "Historical/Psychological Analysis of [[Preston Cole|Cole, Preston J.]]" The report was filed from UNSC ''Point of No Return'' in synchronous orbit on the far side of [[Luna]]. This was the last reported action of the ship and its current whereabouts remain unknown.<ref>[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]], page 487</ref>
Additionally, ''Silent Storm'' also introduced the concept of Prowler naming schemes; [[Ghost Flight]] Prowlers all have names with ''Ghost'' in their title - ''[[UNSC Ghost Song|Ghost Song]]'', ''[[UNSC Ghost Star|Ghost Star]]'', ''[[UNSC Ghost Wind|Ghost Wind]]'' and so forth for the other themed flights featured in the book. Similarly, the ''Point Blank''-class ship introduced in ''Silent Storm'' alongside the {{UNSCShip|Vanishing Point}} share the "''Point''" nomenclature seemingly inherent to this stealth cruiser classification. As such, this article treats the ''Point of No Return'' as a ''Point Blank''-class prowler.


==Complement==
Finally, ''Silent Storm'' author [[Troy Denning]] has also noted that he considered the ''Vanishing Point'' part of the same design as ''Point of No Return'', though ultimately the final decision fell to [[343 Industries]]. Given the information presented in the ''Halo Encyclopedia'', it would seem that they have continued this interpretation.{{Ref/Twitter|TDenningauthor|1037460400130928643|Troy Denning|Quote=is the Point of No Return meant to be the same design as the Vanishing Point?<br>Yes, but I'm not the official authority. 343 could identify them as different classes at a later point, if necessary for a story/game purpose. That possibility remains open.|D=16|M=04|Y=2022}}
Technically considered a Prowler, the ''Point of No Return'' is the largest one ever built, easily the size of a [[UNSC Destroyer]]. Constructed in parts and then assembled in deep space, the ship is completely radar invisible thanks to [[Stealth Ablative Coating]], and when her engines run below 30 percent she is as dark as interstellar space. It also contains a room called "[[Odin's Eye]]", a chamber surrounded by a [[Faraday Cage]] that blocks all electronic signals.<ref name="Page 43"/>


== Trivia ==
==List of appearances==
*The ship has a room entitled ''[[The Cage]]'' that only 20 officers in the galaxy have access to.
*''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
**''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]'' {{Mo}}


==Sources==
==Sources==
<references/>
{{Ref/Sources}}


{{Template:Prowlers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Point of No Return}}
[[Category:Human Starships|Point of No Return]]
[[Category:Cruisers]]
[[Category:Prowlers]]
[[Category:UNSC ships]]

Revision as of 20:57, March 16, 2024

Point of No Return
Ship history
The Unified Earth Government logo Unified Earth Government

Name:

Point of No Return

Class:

Point Blank-class prowler[1]

Namesake:

Point of no return

Operator:

UNSC Navy[2]

Manufacturer:

Watershed Division[3]

Status:

In active service as of December 31, 2552[4]

General characteristics

Type:

Prowler

Length:

485 meters (1,591 ft)[3][5]

Mass:

1.1 million tonnes[3]

Power plant:

Fusion reactor

Maneuver drive:

Baffled fusion drives[6]

Slipspace drive:

Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine

Complement:

At least 24 S-14 Baselards[7][8]

Hull:

Electronic warfare:

Communications-jamming[10]

Armaments:

Air facilities:

Multiple hangar bays including

  • Command hangar[11]
  • Drop hangar[10]
  • Aft fighter hangar[7]
  • Various maintenance hangars[12]
 

The UNSC Point of No Return is a Point Blank-class prowler in the United Nations Space Command's Office of Naval Intelligence. It is one of the most advanced and secret ships ever built by the UNSC.

Background

The Point of No Return is the wartime command and control platform for ONI Section Three. The existence of the vessel is highly classified: officially, the ship does not even exist. Very few have actually seen the ship, only a handful have ever been aboard, and fewer than twenty officers have access to its most sensitive areas.[2] The ship is crewed by people from all military branches of the UNSC and multiple artificial intelligences maintained solely by ONI.

Service history

In 2531, Colonel James Ackerson met on Point of No Return with Captain Aaron G. Gibson, Rear Admiral Ned Rich, and Vice Admiral Margaret Parangosky to discuss the SPARTAN-II program. They decided to grant Ackerson permission to begin the SPARTAN-III project.[13] Later, the ship retrieved Kurt-051 after he had been "killed" in action in the Groombridge 34 System.[14] During that operation to shut down a malfunctioning slipspace drive, Kurt noticed that the ship's holding cage was the size of a destroyer, though it had the angles found on prowlers. He noted that the concept of a large stealth ship was seemingly oxymoronic, as the larger a ship is, the more exponentially-difficult it is for the ship to maintain stealth.

In 2537, Admirals Rich and Parangosky met with Spartan-051 and Senior Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez again to inform him that the SPARTAN-IIIs of Alpha Company had been killed and to begin training the SPARTAN-III Beta Company.[15]

The ship survived the Human-Covenant War. On December 31, 2552, Codename: SURGEON filed a report to Codename: USUAL SUSPECTS entitled "Historical/Psychological Analysis of Cole, Preston J." The report was filed from UNSC Point of No Return in synchronous orbit on the far side of Luna. This was the last reported action of the ship and its current whereabouts remain unknown.[16]

Design

Technically considered a prowler, the Point of No Return is the largest ever built, easily the size of a UNSC destroyer. Constructed in parts and then assembled in deep space, the ship is completely radar invisible thanks to stealth ablative coating, and when her engines run below 30 percent she is as dark as interstellar space. It also contains a room called "Odin's Eye", a chamber surrounded by a Faraday cage that blocks all electronic signals.[2]

Production notes

While not explicitly confirmed, it is extremely heavily implied that the Point of No Return is a Point Blank-class prowler, as introduced in Halo: Silent Storm. In Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, the Point of No Return is stated to be "easily the size of a UNSC destroyer", while the Point Blank-class measurements provided in the Halo Encyclopedia notably explicitly provide the exact same length as the Halberd-class light destroyer. This is a notable change; the Point Blank was first designed for the Sins of the Prophets fan mod, in which it is notably larger. This active change away from the source material to a specific number on par with the Halberd almost certainly corresponds with aligning the Point Blank with Ghosts of Onyx's statement about the ship's size. The Halo Encyclopedia also went out of its way to mention the "stealth cruiser" nomenclature as being a nickname applied to the Point Blank-class, rather than a sweeping broad sub-categorisation of UNSC spacecraft - somewhat reinforcing that there are presumably not a series of stealth cruiser classifications in the navy.

Additionally, Silent Storm also introduced the concept of Prowler naming schemes; Ghost Flight Prowlers all have names with Ghost in their title - Ghost Song, Ghost Star, Ghost Wind and so forth for the other themed flights featured in the book. Similarly, the Point Blank-class ship introduced in Silent Storm alongside the UNSC Vanishing Point share the "Point" nomenclature seemingly inherent to this stealth cruiser classification. As such, this article treats the Point of No Return as a Point Blank-class prowler.

Finally, Silent Storm author Troy Denning has also noted that he considered the Vanishing Point part of the same design as Point of No Return, though ultimately the final decision fell to 343 Industries. Given the information presented in the Halo Encyclopedia, it would seem that they have continued this interpretation.[17]

List of appearances

Sources

  1. ^ See #Production notes
  2. ^ a b c Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 43
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 128
  4. ^ Halo: Evolutions - The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole
  5. ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition), page 252
  6. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, chapter 2
  7. ^ a b Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 19
  8. ^ a b Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 20
  9. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, chapter 3
  10. ^ a b Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 7
  11. ^ Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 16
  12. ^ Halo: Silent Storm, chapter 17
  13. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, pages 43-49
  14. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 57
  15. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 79
  16. ^ Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe, page 487
  17. ^ Twitter, Troy Denning (@TDenningauthor): "is the Point of No Return meant to be the same design as the Vanishing Point?
    Yes, but I'm not the official authority. 343 could identify them as different classes at a later point, if necessary for a story/game purpose. That possibility remains open."     (Retrieved on Apr 16, 2022) [archive]
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