Nova Waverider

ventral side of the primary hull, just forward of the ship's primary navigational deflector. Although it has never been seen in action, the Waverider can be readily identified in the MSD of a Nova-class vessel. The craft's aerodynamic shape suggests that this craft is designed solely for operating within a planet's atmosphere, and as a result probably lacks both impulse and warp engines. It is conceivable that a vessel would require such a craft when it is necessary to land on the surface of a planet whose atmospheric conditions make it far too hazardous to use transporters or traditional shuttlecraft.
The Waverider is an atmospheric shuttle craft in service aboard Federation Nova-class starships. Unlike other auxillary craft, the Waverider is not stowed in a shuttlebay. Instead, is docked to the