U.S.S. Etherium

undefinedThe U.S.S. Etherium is a Crossfield-class Vessel in service to the United Federation of Planets. She served as a testbed for several experimental technologies, alongside her template ships, U.S.S. Glenn and U.S.S. Discovery. Technological breakthroughs made on the Etherium would go on to inspire many different advanced systems on a future starship, the U.S.S. Etherion.

Construction
The Etherium was set to be launched in 2256, but was delayed after the destruction of the U.S.S. Glenn put the confidence of the Spore Drive in peril. After months in construction limbo, the ship was eventually greenlit for a Spore Drive, and construction was completed.

The spore drive was not the ship's primary focus. They would be more interested in espionage and low-profile infiltration missions. As such, the Etherium came with the ability to reduce it's unique Warp Signature, thus making the ship much harder to detect. Unlike normal Starfleet vessels of the time, the Warp Core of the Etherium was made with a different blend of Matter/Antimatter, which further reduced it's detection signature.

This, alongside enhanced sensors and detection systems, the Etherium was one of Starfleet's greatest spies.