A shuttlebay is the hangar deck where a starship stores, launches and recovers its shuttlecraft and other small auxiliary vessels.
Shuttlebays are usually placed at the rear or sides of a ship's hull and are sealed from space by large doors and, in later eras, by atmospheric forcefields. Flight control officers coordinate launches and landings, and the bay also serves as a staging area for cargo and away missions.
The original Enterprise launched the Shuttlecraft Galileo from its hangar deck on a survey mission that left Spock and his party stranded on Taurus II. Larger ships, such as the Galaxy-class, carried several shuttlebays.