Shuttlepods

OTV type K42 shuttlepods were short-range small craft used by United Earth Starfleet in the mid-22nd century for transportation of personnel and equipment between ships, planets and other facilities. They were routinely carried aboard NX-class starships as auxiliary craft.

Specifications
The type K42 was 6.9 meters long with an access hatch on the port side, and an extensible airlock in the roof. It was propelled at sub-light speeds by a nuclear fusionengine pod that could be ejected in an emergency. Defensive systems included polarized hull plating, which was also utilized to endure the stresses of atmospheric re-entry, and plasma cannons with a range of 10 kilometers. The pod was equipped with quantum-level sensors for scientific missions, and an emergency distress beaconwith a range of ten million kilometers.

Life-Support
The shuttlepod could carry six passengers as well as the single pilot, and could maintain a breathable atmosphere for 24 crew-days with the air tanks and atmosphere recyclers working in tandem. Despite this, they were not intended for long duration missions and only had limited toilet facilities. Edible provisions were provided by a small protein resequencer and ration packs. The life-support system was independent of the engine power supply meaning it could continue to operate even when the engine pod was inoperable.