SSV Normandy

"She's the best ship in the fleet... if you've got a pilot who knows how to handle her." - Joker

The SSV Normandy  is a prototype warship  that was developed in collaboration with the Turians and funded in part by the Citadel. She is in  the service of the Human systems alliance and is classified as a

 frigate. The Normandy is optimized for deep reconnaissance missions into hostile areas such as the Terminus systems and beyond the Perseus Vale.  She is considered to be the most technologically advanced ship in the navy and as such includes a lot of unique features such as advanced stealth systems and the Tantalus drive core. She was originally commanded by Captain Anderson but he relinquished command when Commander Shepard was chosen to be a specter.  Although she has a lot of notable systems, the feature that most stands out is her Internal Emission sink which helps her camouflage in space by storing the generated heat in heat sinks which are located within the hull. Although it does not make her any less visible to the naked eye she is all but invisible to sensors. She can effectively remain invisible for about two to three hours but after that period, the heat sinks will have to be radiated or the crew will be cooked alive. However, with the heat sink enabled she cannot jump to another system but rather she is forced to go to silent running mode. It has a relatively small crew numbering 30. Should the Normandy’s design prove to be successful in field tests, it will most likely result in the approval of a follow-up class incorporating "lessons learned" will be produced.

She also has respectable amnesties like good sized crew quarters, a common dining area and a fairly large "garage" area where the Mako is held. The Normandy

also comes with a small medical facility with a full time doctor as well as multiple ejection pods to use if the need arises. It has a large bridge with the pilot at the helm and unlike human vessels it does not have a central area for the commanding officer to sit and look over the bridge. Instead it is constructed using Turian designs. In essence, the entire top deck of the ship is one massive bridge, with the star map located towards the middle on a raised platform, the conference room is all the way at the end of the first deck. The engine room is present on deck three, in the underbelly of the ship.

Crew

• Commander Shepard - Commanding officer on the Normandy
• "Navigator" Pressley - XO of the ship and second in command
• Lt. Kaidan Alenko - Marine- sentinel class
• Gunnery Chief Ashley williams - Marine- Soldier class
• Jeff 'joker'  Moreau - Pilot of the Normandy
• Dr. Chakwas - Ship's doctor
• "Engineer" Adams - Chief engineer about the Normandy

NON- HUMAN CREW MEMBERS/PARTY MEMBERS

 

• T ali'Zorah Nar Rayya - Quarian member who is on a pilgrimage
• Liara T'Soni - Asari scientist who happens to be Benezia's daughter
• Urdnot Wrex - A bounty hunter and one of the last Krogan battlemasters in the galaxy
• Garrus Vakarian - A member of C-Sec, he spearheaded the investigation into Saren's activities

SERVICE

Although the ship was funded by the Citadel and constructed/designed in part by the Turians the Ship is still considered to be part of the Alliance fleet. Further complicating matters is the fact thatShepard is a member of the Human Systems alliance and is still considered to be part of the human chain of command. His role certainly causes much confusion and in Rear Admiral Mikhailovich's case anger, as he believes that the ship is a waste of credits and time. The Normandy was originally supposed to be part of his fleet and he still considers it to be part of his Flotilla.

He is extremely critical of the ship, calling it over designed and questioning Shepard's allowance of Aliens aboard the craft. However, the Normandy is an exemplary ship. The ship is very maneuverable and quick as Joker has demonstrated number of times. Under Jokers expert piloting he has saved Shepard and the ground team from multiple close encounters. He has multiple accomplishments with the craft, such as the evacuation from Therum when the landing zone was about to collapse and also on Illos when he guided the MAKO to an almost impossible drop. The Normandy and its stealth systems make it one of the few ships, if not the only ship that can get into the Terminus system without raising an alarm. Joker was able to successfully take the ship into this area after Shepard with Captain. Anderson's help recovered the ship from Ambassader Udina. After Shepard gets on the Relay on Illos that brings him to the Citadel Joker rendezvous with the fifth fleet that was stationed in the Arcturus sector. The Normandy leads the fleet in its attack against Sovereign and after multiple salvos he is able to land the killing blow on Sovereign in the form of a pair of torpedoes. The Normandy is expected to be present in Mass effect 2.

Mass Effect 2

While patrolling the Omega Nebula for Geth the Normandy is attacked by a gigantic foreign vessel, later discovered to be a Collector Ship. The SSV Normandy is destroyed in the attack. The ship gets sucked into the atmosphere of the planet Alchera and crashes on it. You can explore the crash site and collect dog tags of your fallen comrades if you have the free DLC installed "Normandy Crash Site", which can be downloaded off the Cerberus Network. The Illusive Man gives Commander Shepard a brand new starship for him to use The SSV Normandy SR-2. The ship is twice as big as The SSV Normandy. The design of the ship is based on the original SSV Normandy, but there are quite a few custom additions to the ship. Such as the Element Zero Core and the Armory and Tech Lab.