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 SR-1 (Systems Alliance Space Vehicle) is a Systems Alliance frigate. She is a prototype starship co-developed with turian engineers, and incorporates several innovations. The most important of these are her drive core and unique stealth system. The Normandy was initially captained by David Anderson, but she was handed over to Commander Shepard when the commander became the first human Spectre, serving as Shepard's main source of transportation and base of operations. She is ably piloted by Jeff "Joker" Moreau and carries a crew of around thirty people. She is named after the Battle of Normandy in World War II in 1944.

The Normandy is a prototype "deep scout" frigate, developed by the Systems Alliance with the assistance of the Citadel Council. She is optimized for solo reconnaissance missions deep within unstable regions, using state-of-the-art stealth technology.

Source: Galactic Codex at BioWare: Normandy

Internal Layout
The Normandy is built on three main decks:

Command Deck
This contains the bridge in the bow where Shepard can chat to Joker, the airlock, the CIC containing the galaxy map overseen by Navigator Pressly, and the comm room towards the stern. The comm room also serves as a conference room for debriefing after missions, and allows Shepard to privately consult with the Citadel Council.

Quarters
The second deck is reached by a set of stairs. This is the Normandy's habitation deck containing the mess and crew sleeper pods, the captain's private cabin and office, and the medical room where Doctor Chakwas is working. Liara T'Soni spends her time in the lab and storage room at the back. The medical room also contains a medi-gel dispenser. Along one wall outside is Shepard's equipment locker. Kaidan Alenko is busy at a control panel on the opposite side.

Engineering
An elevator in the Normandy's quarters goes down to engineering and the 'garage' section containing the M35 Mako. Ashley Williams is cleaning rifles next to the squad lockers; Garrus Vakarian is attending to the Mako while Urdnot Wrex is just watching from across the room. Opposite Wrex is the Normandy Requisitions Officer who can sell Shepard new equipment. A door leads to the engineering section proper, containing the drive core. Shepard can find Engineer Adams and Tali hard at work in here.

Technology
The Normandy's IES (internal emission sink) stealth system is her most notable feature. For centuries, it was assumed that starship stealth was impossible. The heat generated by routine shipboard operations is easily detectable against the absolute-zero background temperature of space. The Normandy, however, is able to temporarily "store" this heat in lithium heat sinks deep within the hull. The system doesn't work during FTL flight because this blue-shifts the Normandy's emissions beyond the sinks' ability to store, and any visual scan (i.e. looking out of a window) would reveal her, but this is rare since most ships rely on scanners rather than visual contact and spotting another ship in space is very difficult. The Normandy can go to 'silent running' for around 2-3 hours of stealthed flight, or drift passively through a system for days before having to vent and give away her position. The stored heat must eventually be radiated, or it will build up to levels capable of cooking the crew alive. The stealth system is powered by an experimental piece of equipment called the Tantalus Drive Core which is, proportionally, about twice the size of any other ship's core - Tali'Zorah nar Rayya is fascinated at how the Alliance managed to fit it into such a compact vessel. Joker mentions the the over sized drive core affects the Normandy's balance, but it's nothing he can't handle. The Tantalus drive generates mass concentrations that the Normandy "falls into", allowing her to move without the use of heat-emitting thrusters. The core not only makes the Normandy quiet and fast, but means she can run at FTL speeds for much longer before having to discharge the drive.

The Combat Information Center (CIC) of the Normandy is also unusual. Alliance ships usually place Commanding Officers in the middle of the room, to facilitate communication with subordinates, but the CO's station in Normandy's CIC is at the back. This is because the Normandy has a turian design and their commanders prefer to look over their subordinates rather than be in the midst of them; the engineers wanted to see how well it worked with a human command structure. The Normandy's officers use their suit radios to communicate with the operators out of earshot when necessary.

Should the Normandy’s design prove useful in field tests, it is expected that a follow-up class incorporating "lessons learned" will be produced.

Crew

 * Captain David Anderson - Former Commanding Officer (CO)
 * Commander Shepard - Former Executive Officer (XO), current CO
 * Flight Lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau - Chief Helmsman
 * Navigator Pressly - Chief Navigator, current XO
 * Doctor Chakwas - Chief Medical Officer (CMO)
 * Engineer Adams - Chief Engineer (CHENG)
 * Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko - Marine Detail Commander
 * Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams - Marine Chief Munitions Officer (?)
 * Corporal Richard L. Jenkins - Marine

Additionally

 * 4 CIC Officers
 * 8 Bridge Technicians
 * 4 Marines
 * 3 Engineers

Mass Effect
Though Shepard works for the Citadel, the Normandy is still considered to be under Alliance jurisdiction, and her unique design means Shepard is often asked to complete missions for Admiral Steven Hackett, especially those requiring discretion. The Normandy is also the subject of an inspection by Rear Admiral Mikhailovich, who is annoyed that she was given to Shepard rather than being assigned to his flotilla as was intended; he refers to the Normandy as 'over designed'. Shepard can set him straight and defend the Normandy's innovations. Joker's handling of the Normandy saves Shepard's neck on several occasions; providing an evac from Therum, dropping the Mako right under the radar of the AA guns on Virmire, pulling off a supposedly impossible Mako drop on Ilos, and getting them away from the nuclear explosion in time, to name but a few.

The Normandy's stealth systems made her the only ship that could get Shepard into the Terminus Systems undetected, to pursue Saren Arterius to Ilos, but the Council refused to risk it and Ambassador Donnel Udina locked out the ship's systems remotely. With Captain Anderson's help Shepard stole the Normandy and took her to Ilos, where Joker dropped the team safely in the Mako before taking the ship to rendezvous with the Fifth Fleet. The Normandy led the assault against Sovereign and distinguished herself with her impressive speed and maneuverability, which, once Shepard had taken care of the Reaper's shields, allowed her to take Sovereign down. Afterwards, Shepard takes the Normandy out into space to find a way to stop the Reapers.

Trivia

 * According to Ashley's sister, Sarah, the Alliance broadcast a newsvid about the Normandy on the extranet. Though it likely showed very little of the ship's interior (due to the Normandy's classified innovations) the newsvid did feature some of her crew members.
 * The Normandy's computer (primarily heard in the airlock and in Bring Down the Sky) is voiced by Diane Michelle.
 * The Normandy is substantially larger on the inside than on the outside.