Okay, what is the coolest Sci-Fi ship?
Frankly, I am in love with the Klingon Bird of Prey. It is styling, has a cloak, can land, and has enough cargo space to haul around a couple of whales.
For me it will always be the Millennium Falcon.
I still stand by the Battlestar Galactica as my favorite ship. I love seeing this outdated and battle scarred ship embarrassing the Cylon fleet.
My second favorite would probably be the Star furies from Babylon 5.
Least favorite for me are the federation ships from Star Trek, though I did kind of like the Klingons Birds of prey (as pointed out by Firebreathingchicken)
The Shadow vessel from Babylon 5.
They were bad-a$$. The first time they shrieked across the screen, it freaked me out. I got chills and not in the Travolta Grease kinda way but in the Norman Bates shower scene sorta way.
The Andromeda, i like the avatar… cool bombs that can destroy a planet within a flash. But dont get me wrong Galactica is a close second
Yeah, the federation ships are all pretty lame, except the Enterprise and Kahn’s ship in Wrath of Kahn. They aren’t great, but good.
I’ll have to go with either the re-fitted NCC1701 (I admit it, I’d want to be a Starfleet Officer rather than serve aboard a Klingon ship - they’re way cleaner and I wouldn’t have to eat Gagh three times a day) or maybe the Terran ships from the Perry Rhodan series(incidentally, the biggest SciFi franchise ever), because those ships are mostly spherical in shape, which makes at least some sense from a scientifical point of view: maneuverable in all directions (as opposed to e.g. Star Trek ships that fly like aircraft in a vacuum - looks cool, though) plus you get the maximum of inner space for a minimum of outer hall!
Do you even have to ask? It’s a Firefly, of course! 
Star Wars
I would have to say that my favorite ships in this universe are Boba Feit’s Slave 1 and the Millenium Falcon. This are obligatory in any respect.
Nuff said
Farscape
I wasn’t really in love with Farscape ships, but The Peacekeeper warships such as: the Command Carrier, Marauder, and Prowler are very original and look good too. Even Stannz’s Salvage ship has an interesting design and has a lot of personality. The Farscape One module is pretty. As for Moya, she is simply gorgeous! Which is my fave here.
Babylon 5
The designs of Earth Alliance wer mostly flying boxes, but at least they had character. The Omega class destroyers come to mind and I love those. Let’s face it, any ship with a rotating section looks very cool. Speaking of which, the Gunstar in the movie, “The Last Starfighter”, was SWEET.
The Narn, they have some of the coolest ship designs ever. Ships like the G’quan, T’loth, and Th’nor cruisers.
The Minbari. They have the best designs compared to all the races combined. the Sharlin, Tinashi, Nial, Lintira, as well as the civilian ship, the Glider class transport are very beautifully designed.
Firefly/Serenity
The ship was singularly the most original I think. It was simple and elegant. Made for one purpose. Oddly enough the most simple and direct designs tend to be the most popular.
Battlestar Galactica (old version)
For me this is perhaps one of the very best ships in sci-fi tv history! It alwasy reminded me of a predator stalking the universe. Where it lacked was combat. I never got the feel for its immense firepower…enter
Battlestar Galactica (new version)
It looks very similar to the old one, except it has a more gritty and somewhat gothic tone to it. Where it makes up is combat. No lasers or energy weapons, just good old fashion projectile armaments, you really get the impression that NOTHING can take a Battlestar on. And how can forget the Pegagsus’ head long charge into those 2 Basestars in Season 2!
Now, if I had to choose which version of Galactica as the best ship, I’d go with the new one because I love the ribbed-cage look on it.
Stargate
The BC-303 Prometheus is a good design. It looks militaristic. Very good for the show and made it seem more real. Practical and achieved a purpose.
2001: A Space Odyssey
They had a ship? Seriously though this gets the Ho-Hum Design award. Never was impressed…but then when you have already seen the best of the best you begin wondering why the production crew didn’t go talk to NASA first.
Andromeda
This ship has a bold and fresh look. Though it looks too much like a horseshoe for my tastes…yet its main bonus was the Rommie!
Hmmmm…Rommie…hmmmmm
Star Trek
Personally, I never liked the starship designs in Star Trek because they were essentially all the same: A huge saucer, connected with a very thin neck, followed by two nacelles attached to it. Now, how many starships in Starfleet resemble this design? Nearly all of them!
Defiant was the only one to break the mold really and it becomes one of my favorite. Still Startrek missed out. Comparing it to Galactica ships Startrek ships are just one big floating gun. Galatica ships are made for defense and battle. I never understood how the enterprise would take on more then one or 2 ships…I mean it only has some many phaser banks…now the galactica. its gunna charge your ass and make you squel for momma.
Even though, I have to admit, I never could get into Andromdait did rock
the art designer for STWOK explained this on the special edition dvd: they were looking for a design for the reliant that would be different from the Enterprise but it also had to convey the sense that it belonged to the same fleet. and that is only logical, look at the US Navy, they have different classes of ships but they all look like they BELONG to the same organization, you re-use a design that has proven to work fine. just a side note: they sent the drawing for the Reliant to Nimoy and he signed it upside down accidentally, so they went with it. that’s how the Miranda class was created.
Sure. I get it, still it doesn’t justify such a bland design. But thats me.
2001 probably has the most “realistically” designed ships of anything on your list. Certainly everything they did was based on very solid science and engineering design principles; talking to NASA would probably have given them pretty much what they came up with.
Besides, how can you not like the Pan-Am Orion Shuttle
Oh, and the Death Gliders from Stargate.
you know, for a moment I read “Sliders” - a show I remember with mixed feelings. plus, I remember that Sliders was on around the same time as a really bad show called Earth 2
Isn’t Arthur C. Clarke a physicist/engineer by training? It seems to me that with Kubrick’s penchant for authenticity that he WOULD have talked to NASA.
Of course, they got the computer technology at least partially wrong, but then, I doubt anyone in 1968 could’ve anticipated nanotechnology.
Or, as the IBM CEO said in 1948: “I think there is a world market for maybe three computers”
I kinda like how these keep coming around …lets me be as fickle as I want.
This time I’m trying on The Jupiter II.
Now stay with me people…
I’m imagining the whole lower level as a circular stainless steel lounge with orange shag carpet on all horizontal surfaces. A toasty round sunken plasma-place in the center. Moog and theremin music on the astro-8-track. The Robot, now wearing his lava-lamp bubble, serving up icy Caucasians to Mom and Dad Robinson in their silver suits. Don and Judy nearly getting busy under some throw pillows. Dr. Smith introducing Will and Penny to a recent alien herbal discovery. Visiting aliens throwing their ship keys into the bowl as they enter.
On second thought, not as cool as I thought.
Nevermind
Two words: vestigial wings.
(Although I am in agreement with you on the general look and feel of 2001.)
I loved the Andromeda. A tie with the Serenity. Cool ship with an awesome name.