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The Bajoran vessel was a versatile type of spacecraft utilized by the Bajoran Militia as an assault vessel, scout ship, and transport during the late-24th century.

In addition to the specific design shown here, the Antares-class, Bajoran interceptor, and Bajoran lightship were all also called "Bajoran vessels".

The Cardassian Union also used this type of vessel as a freighter during the war with the Klingons from 2372 to 2373.

Bajoran vessel airlock

Airlock

Utilized by the Bajorans following the Occupation of Bajor for a variety of uses, specifically as a one-man scout and for transporting their soldiers in numbers as a transport vessel. Like the Antares-class carriers, these vessels frequently made routine stops at Deep Space 9 during the 2370s.

Ships of the class[]

Appendices[]

Appearances[]

Background information[]

Footage of these vessels docking at Deep Space 9 was often reused and from the first episode, "The Way of the Warrior" of season four onwards, it is present in every episode as it appears as one of the docking vessels in the revamped title sequence.

Studio models[]

Bajoran assault vessel studio model

The studio model

According to Michael Okuda, "The model was originally designed at Lucasfilm's Industrial Light & Magic." (40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection Auction Catalog, Part One, 2006, p. 251) If that statement holds, it has yet to be ascertained what production it had been originally intended for, a ship designed along these lines has not been identified in any of the Trek productions ILM worked on prior to 1992. Dan Curry performed some redesign on the model and the subsequent modifications were done at Gregory Jein's workshop by model maker Bruce MacRae in the closing months of 1992. [1] The model, measuring 24×15 inches, made its debut as a scout ship in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season one episode "Past Prologue".

It was common practice for the production department to re-designate, redress, and/or rebuild lesser known studio models, both physical and later on CGI models as well. Out of time and cost considerations to appear as ships belonging to various alien races all over the Trek universe, the Merchantman, Batris, Mondor, and Jovis being prime examples. This studio model was one of the few exceptions to the rule, once designated Bajoran, it was never modified nor did it change affiliation during its lifespan, its one time, otherwise unmentioned appearance in a Cardassian convoy in "Rules of Engagement" notwithstanding.

The Jovis model specifically was modified to become the Bajoran Antares-class Carrier, which Gregory Jein later made a duplicate casting of. The bottom half of the casting of that ship was used to create the top side of the studio model for this ship, a similar but separate ship design. [2]

The model belonged to one of the last batches of existing studio models being transformed into CGI models in 1998 for the Deep Space Nine season seven episode "Shadows and Symbols". The CGI version, built at Digital Muse, made its first and last appearance in the episode, its one time later appearance having been stock footage of the physical model. [3](X) Brought in for the occasion by the company was freelance digital artist Tim Wilcox to help out its team with the translation. Wilcox was assigned the Bajoran vessel, as well as the Bajoran Antares-class models. Wilcox recollected on his involvement, "I was hired for roughly 4-6 weeks at Digital Muse to handle converting these two models. The technology was not where it is today to allow for detailed, practical models to be scanned on a both economic or aesthetic manner – It needed a Human touch. David Stipes had brought the actual models, crated, to Muse and they both became my office mates for the next few weeks. I photographed the models to assist in both the recreation of the textures and in measuring and accurately modeling the nurnies along the respective hulls. Having the models on hand was the key though, as I constantly was using my ruler to check and double check everything as I was building it. If you look at the top 'bridge' of Freighter 1 [sic., Wilcox referred to the Bajoran vessel], you will see that it is a zip kick bottle [a super glue accelerator] in real life that was re-purposed into a cool bit of spaceship. All the modeling was done in Lightwave and the texturing was in Photoshop. After the hero, detailed models were finished, I also circled back and built low poly proxy version which aid tremendously in the animation process and are replaced out prior to final renders of shots." [4]

The physical filming model itself, known as Lot 498, being part of the 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection auction and estimated at US$4,000-$6,000, was eventually sold on 6 October 2006 with a winning bid of US$4,000 (US$4,800 including buyer's premium). A wooden camera test model, unusual for its kind, of the Bajoran transport (or assault vessel) was sold as Lot 8846 in the It's A Wrap! sale and auction for US$127.50 on 19 September 2009, whereas a second, far more common foam core one, had already been sold on 28 March 2008 as Lot 7166 for US$142.50.

Apocrypha[]

The Star Trek Customizable Card Game names these ships as "Janitza-class" ships.

External link[]

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