Survey ship
In starship classification, a survey ship or survey vessel was a specialized type of starship designed for conducting surveys. They shared many common features with both scouts and science vessels. 

In 1958, T'Mir suggested she might be able to arrange for Mestral to be aboard the next survey ship that visited Earth. Mestral declined, as he didn't wish to wait twenty years just to perform statistical scans from high orbit; he preferred to explore the planet from the ground. ()

In the 2260s of the alternate reality, information on Starfleet and non-Starfleet survey vessels was located in the Federation database. ()

In 2268, Captain Kirk of the  recommended to Starfleet to dispatch a survey vessel to Argus X due to its rich tritanium deposits. ()

In early 2366, the  was sent in response to the Sheliak Corporate's notification to the Federation of the existence of Human life on the planet Tau Cygna V. Prior to contacting the inhabitants, Captain Jean-Luc Picard asked Commander William T. Riker to speculate on what they might find on the surface; his first officer guessed that it might be "a lone survey ship. Maybe a dozen or so survivors." What they found was a colony of over fifteen thousand. ()

Survey vessel classes 
 Hierarchy
  
 Hierarchy survey vessel
 Vulcan High Command
 Vulcan survey ship
 
 
 Vulcan survey ship (22nd century)
 United Earth
 
 United Federation of Planets
 
 Class 4 stardrive vessel

Survey vessels by name 
Named
 Antares
 
 
 
 D'Vahl
Unnamed
 Cardassian survey vessel

External links 
 
 

de:Erkundungsschiff
ja:調査艦
nl:Onderzoekschip
Spacecraft classifications
Spacecraft classifications (alternate reality)