Officer of the Deck

The Officer of the Deck is the on-duty officer carrying responsibility for the safety of a spacecraft. This role could be held by the Ship Captain, Executive Officer, or any other qualified officer on board. Transfer of authority to the OOD is a formal affair, with both the individuals assuming and relinquishing the role acknowledging the transfer.   Often the Officer of the Deck is also referred to as the Conn, meaning they are responsible for the ship's movements, although this is not always the case. Larger vessels, or those training additional officers, may choose to split the roles. In these cases the OOD will supervise the Conn officer, as the Officer of the Deck is still responsible for the safety of the spacecraft.