| type-18 shuttlepod | |
| File:Shuttlepod type-18.jpg | |
| Affiliation: | Federation Starfleet |
| In Use: | 2370s |
| Length: | 4.5 meters |
| Crew: | 2 pilots, 1 passenger |
A small version of Starfleet's larger shuttlecraft, the type-18 shuttlepod was a small Federation shuttlepod carried by Starfleet starships. While normally specified as an impulse-driven craft, some of these vessels are outfitted with low-capacity warp drives. The type-18 is not outfitted to carry passengers, the normal flight crew is two pilots, although the shuttle can easily be operated by a single being. The ship also has a small cargo space, which can be used for supplies or an additional crewperson. The type-18s are outfitted to Defiant-class vessels.
When the prototype Defiant was commissioned in 2371 and sent into the Gamma Quadrant, Kira and Odo used one such pod to escape a Jem'Hadar attack, landing on the Founder's homeworld. Sisko and Bashir also thought they were escaping in a similar craft, but they were trapped in a simulation run by the Vorta. (DS9: "The Search, Part I & II")
These craft were also used to assist the installation the subspace communications relay at the Gamma terminus of the Bajoran wormhole in that year. (DS9: "Destiny")
Appearances
Background
The Defiant shuttlepods were introduced with that ship in "The Search." It seems the creators chose the shuttlepod type because of the limited space aboard Defiant, but larger craft would have been more appropriate since all three type-18s seen aboard Defiant used warp drive (Defiant was later refit with a new larger shuttlebay to accomodate a more sensible and plausible full-sized shuttle design, the Chaffee, in later seasons). A new exterior was designed in "The Search" for the type-18 in model photography, however the interior and access door shots were filmed using the type-15 shuttlepod mockup. This created a few inconsistencies, however, considering that the pod used by Sisko and Bashir had an aft hatch, even though the new design lacked that feature on the miniature (it's also puzzling that a two-person shuttlepod would have three access doors, but then again, so did the type-15 on TNG). Many shuttle designations and specifications were never spoken onscreen, but are derived from background graphics and artwork, and are reiterated by the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual.