Prometheus (Stargate)
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- This article is about the Stargate spaceship. For the episode of Stargate SG-1 in which this ship first appears, see "Prometheus (Stargate SG-1)".
The Prometheus was a fictional spacecraft in the science-fiction television show, Stargate SG-1. The BC-303 is the production model of the X-303 (see below). The original X-303 featured in the show was named Prometheus. The Daedalus is the sister ship of the Prometheus but due to design changes the Daedalus is no longer of the same class of ship.
| Image:SGPrometheus.jpg
The X-303 Prometheus | |
| Technical Data | |
|---|---|
| Length | 257 m |
| Width | 104 m |
| Height | 71 m |
| Mass | 2.95 million metric tons |
| Max Sub-Light Speed | 95 PSL |
| Defenses | Asgard-type Shields, Trinium Hull |
| Armaments | Railguns, Missiles, Nuclear Bombs, one weapon of Asgard design (possibly defunct) |
| Fighters | 8 F-302 Fighters<ref name=Disclosure>Template:Cite episode</ref> |
| Status | Lost in Action |
Contents |
United States Air Force Vessel Prometheus
The Prometheus, otherwise known as the BC-303 (formerly X-303), was Earth's first capital starship. Although small compared to a Goa'uld Ha'tak mothership, it was a large battlecruiser nonetheless, ten times the size of an Al'kesh. It dwarfed its two predecessors, the X-301 Interceptor and the X-302, which accommodated only two people each. Despite some difference of opinion (Colonel O'Neill wanted to name the ship Enterprise, on the grounds that Prometheus was "a Greek tragedy"), it was finally named Prometheus, after the Titan Prometheus of Greek mythology. Prometheus was intended to serve as the prototype for a new fleet of space-faring vessels.
Although Prometheus was the first commissioned ship of her class, the BC-303 series has already been rendered obsolete. With adaptations of Asgard and other alien technology the future Prometheus class ships eventually became supplanted by the BC-304 Daedalus class; their upgrades and modifications represented an entirely new class of ship based on the Prometheus design. The Prometheus is the sole BC-303 built. The BC-303 was designed to carry up to eight F-302s for long-range duty, which can be launched and received through a launch bay even when the ship is in flight. Both the F-302 and BC-303 were capable of hyperspace travel, primarily because of advances in hyperspace technology due to the discovery of naqadriah on Jonas Quinn's homeworld.
Prometheus used Asgard technology in its hyperdrive engine and shields, as well as transport beams and their attendant sensors. (There may have been other uses of Asgard technology installed). This technology was fitted by the Asgard in return for Earth's help in fighting the Replicators. It also relied on some Goa'uld technology. Also present were a set of transport rings, an Ancient design based on the Stargates. Most of the weapons systems aboard the Prometheus were of Earth design.
The vessel was equipped with hyperspace engines, and could also operate in a planet's atmosphere and land on the surface. Research and development for the hyperdrive—powered by naqahdriah—cost the U.S. over $2 billion. Prometheus' main purpose was to serve as a platform for the defence of Earth. The ship could achieve orbit in less than 30 seconds, and utilizing the sub-light engines, could travel at 110,000 miles per second. The corridors of the vessel are constructed of trinium alloys. The ships crew complement was over 115.
As part of an agreement regarding the use of the Russian Stargate following the loss of the American Stargate, Russia has received (in addition to a considerable periodic cash payment) the plans for both the X-302 and the X-303 as well as a completed and fully operational BC-304, the Korolev.
Service
The ship was operated by the U.S. Air Force, and its crew consisted of Air Force personnel. Operationally, Prometheus, like her following sister ships, was under the Pentagon's Department of Homeworld Security.
Three officers have been shown in command of Prometheus: Col. William Ronson (Seasons 6 and 7), Major General George Hammond (both parts of "The Lost City" and "Prometheus Unbound") and Col. Lionel Pendergast (Seasons 8 and 9).
Initial Mission
Prometheus was hijacked before completion by rogue NID agents demanding the release of Colonel Frank Simmons and the Goa'uld infested Adrian Conrad. However, SG-1 managed to reclaim control of the ship and was enlisted by the Asgard to help them trap the Replicators within a time dilation bubble. The Asgard thanked Earth by fitting advanced systems onboard the X-303.
Shakedown Cruise
The ship was subsequently finished and began a shakedown cruise. A problem with the hyperdrive engines forced the crew to eject the reactor into space, stranding the ship on an alien world.
Prometheus remained stranded until she was fitted with the hyperdrive taken from a captured Al'kesh bomber. Unfortunately this meant that the ship was underpowered, since the Al'kesh reactor couldn't generate the power needed to fully operate Prometheus. She set out for Earth, but was attacked by an unknown alien ship en route and suffered damage while hiding from it inside a corrosive nebula. The damage was reparable, however.
Anubis' Attack on Earth
Prometheus served in the defense of Earth from attack by Anubis's forces, and was almost destroyed before the Ancient weapons found in the Antarctic outpost were activated.
Last Mission
Image:USAF Prometheus Death.jpg When Prometheus was attempting to prevent a genocidal war between two nations locked in a generations old Cold War ("Ethon") it was destroyed by the Ori-designed satellite weapon of the Rand Protectorate which easily sliced through the Asgard shield technology. Out of the 115 crewmembers aboard during the mission, only 76 survived. The commander, Col. Lionel Pendergast, was killed in the third and final energy blast that destroyed the Prometheus. Its wing of F-302's successfully made planetfall in Caledonian territory, along with the survivors of the Prometheus, successfully evacuated by its Asgard Transporters prior to Prometheus' destruction. Its final mission was unsuccessful as subsequent peace talks failed and another major war was launched, leaving the Stargate on that planet inaccessible and presumed buried under rubble.
Hyperdrive
Original Human/Goa'uld Hyperdrive
The X-303 was the first Hyperspace ready, Earth-human-built capital spacecraft. Its main engine was reverse engineered from Goa'uld technology and powered by an unstable variant of Naquahdah called "Naquadria" found on the planet Kelowna by SG-1. Jonas Quinn provided a small amount of Naquadria when he defected to the Tau'ri, and this Naquadria was at the heart of the Prometheus' Hyperdrive core.
However, despite the intervention of the Asgard, the main Naquadria reactor proved too unstable to control and destabilzed during the Prometheus maiden voyage. The reactor was jettisoned and detonated over Tagrea. Thus, stranding the vessel on an inhabited planet until a new reactor could be fashioned for the ship.
Go'auld Alkesh Core
The second hyperdrive core installed in the Prometheus was salvaged from a Goa'uld Alkesh that Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c stole from Ba'al's Jaffa. This engine core was not designed for a vessel of Prometheus' size, and required that it be operated in short hops, to prevent the core from overloading.
Asgard Hyperdrive
Following the return of the Prometheus to Earth, the Asgard refit the Prometheus engines, for the third time in the ships' lifetime, providing their own technology to replace the unreliable human/goa'uld hybrid technology. This hyperdrive engine performed admirably for the remainder of the ship's lifetime.
Weapons
Installed Weapons
The BC-303 used conventional missiles as weapons, as well as Vulcan/Phalanx CIWS as point defense weapons. Additional advanced weaponry such as point-defense railguns and one main railgun were also installed on Prometheus. The Prometheus was given some Asgard technology, primarily for shields and teleportation as well as a weapon of some sort (possibly removed since).
Asgard Weaponry
A year after the initial launch of the Prometheus at the hands of the Rogue N.I.D., Supreme Commander Thor of the Asgard arrived at Earth and informed the delegates of an international conference that he had arrived to install Asgard-designed weapons and shields on the Prometheus as a reward for SG-1 helping trap the Replicators in a time dilation field. It is unknown whether the weapons Thor was referring to were energy/particle based weapon systems similar to those on Asgard ships, or whether they were technical augmentations to Prometheus existing human-made arsenal.
The existence of an energy weapon cannot be confirmed or denied as while Thor explicitly mentioned weapons and has been one reference to charging a primary weapon, suggesting an energy cannon of some sort, in the episode "Memento", it has never been used or mentioned since (including during the battle over Antarctica in "Lost City" and during its last battle). The reason for this discrepency is currently unknown.
Trivia
- As a joke, Colonel O'Neill proposed the X-303 to be named "Enterprise" (probably indicating to the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek) but the President refused the request. (Unnatural Selection)
- In Greek mythology, Prometheus was a Titan who stole fire from the Gods and gave it to humanity. Since the USAF Prometheus is a human built warship reverse engineered from Goa'uld and Asgard technology, the name is fitting.
- Prometheus and Daedalus share names with two vessels in the Robotech and Macross universes, see the Daedalus article for details.
- Prometheus and Daedalus also share names with two vessels in the Star Trek universe.
- The episode in which the Prometheus was destroyed was called "Ethon." It was named for the eagle which, in Greek mythology, fed off Prometheus' liver while he was chained to the Caucasus mountainside, punishment determined by Zeus for betraying the Gods.
- The Prometheus was the first of the BC-303 series to be developed and the only one seen in the Stargate Universe. Its design was immediately supplanted by the Daedalus class.