star trek earth location

Although unfortunately, distances are often concealed or avoided on Star Trek, there are nevertheless quite a lot of known distances. On the one hand, these distances are mentioned directly in the dialogue or displayed on computer screens, but more frequently, indirect figures and allusions are used, which can be transformed into actual distances. In chapter 1.2 of the Star Trek Cartography The Cartographer's tools , you can learn the methods and procedures for determining distances from indirect sources. The following table provides a nearly complete collection of all distances mentioned in the series, movies and official books (altogether 83), listing the starting points, destinations, distances and also the sources and the type of the figure (direct or indirect).

New in version 8 : seven entries added, all distances revised and/or specified (now precise up to the third decimal place!), source episodes added/corrected, extensive annotations added.

1. Table of Star Trek distances

Distances in italics: ultra-precise HIPPARCOS figures DQ=Delta Quadrant, QQ=Gamma Quadrant * Added in v8.0

2. Annotations

With these distances, we can assume that the colonies of the Federation (with exception of Rigel and Antares) and the "classic" empires of the Romulans and Klingonsare all within 200 ly away from Earth. Lacking of every indication what the distance Earth-Bajor or Earth-Cardassia might be until recently, since the ST:DS9 TM the distances of this "next generation" locations to the core region of the Federation is slightly clearer.

While real stars distances are highly accurate as they are based on the newest data available (from the 1990s HIPPARCOS satellite survey), somehow even revising older information (e.g. the 3200 vs. 1600 light years for the distance Earth - Deneb), all figures calculated from a time / distance / speed given in on screen dialogue must be regarded as conjecture minimum figures, as the light speed equivalents of warp factors (from the TOS/TNG Writer's Guide used by the creative staff of the series, and the official technical manuals) and various warp formulae are semi-canon at best and have been contricted in many episodes, leading to the theory that the true speed of warp factors varies according to locally different properties of space and subspace (expressed with the "Cochrane factor" X) and can be therefore higher than the given values (explaining the incredibly short travel times seen in some episodes).

Distances drawn from maps must be regarded as conjecture as well due to perspective / scale / validity uncertainties.

Locations from ST:TMP such as Betelgeuse or Cait have not been mentioned in dialogue but are strictly taken from background information. It is pretty certain, however, that they indeed exist in the Star Trek universe, as they are stars from the real Galaxy.

To end an old speculation, the real star 40 Eridani-A has never been mentioned in any Trek episode as the Vulcan home sun, including [TOS] Amok Time, even if this episode is often quoted as the source. It first appeared in early fandom publications of the 1970s. The episode Amok Time, however, includes some facts that support this assumption, such as the neighbourhood of Altair. Why do I regard 40 Eridani then still as fully canon? Gene Roddenberry himself "made it official" in 1991, and I don't know how more "canon" you can get. Please refer to the astronomy section of this website's Investigating Trek project for more information on the Vulcan home sun.

With its almost 800 light years distance, the real star Rigel has often been quoted as too far away from Earth to be indeed the central star of the important Star Trek system (mentioned in more than a dozen episodes!). While we had no evidence to really reject Rigel = Beta Orionis in the past, the pilot of the new series "Enterprise", "Broken Bow" clearly establishes that at least the "Rigel" mentioned in this episode, and the associated alien trading colony on the tenth planet, cannot have any relation to the real star for four reasons: 800 light years in 4 days are, even with the "Cochrane factor" justification, too far a stretch, the distance contradicts with the "15 light years from our current position" statement, the good Captain does not know anything about the system when he learns about it (while he should know it if it's the star known to Earth science for two thousand years) and, first and foremost, how should a Klingon source know anything about our Arabic designations for stars? "Rigel" can only be a alien homophone here, and it may be a homophone as well in some of the other mentions, comfortably solving the distance problem plus the improbabilities that a) one star has so many class M planets and b) that Beta Orionis has a planet that has developed intelligent life on its own (impossible given the short life span of super giants).

This compilation uses the 70000 light years / 75000 light years figures for the distance Earth-Ocampa and Bajor-Idran from the DS9:TM simply because the many on screen sources itself are too inconsistent with distances from 60000 to 90000 light years for the Gamma Quadrant terminus of the Bajoran Wormhole in DS9 and alternating distances of 70000 and 75000 light years for Voyager's initial distance to Earth.

In contrast to 40 Eridani/Vulcan, the fandom assignations for Andor and Tellar, Epsilon Indi and 61 Cygni are not included here, as they have never been backed up by any official information or member of the Star Trek staff. On contrary, Epsilon Indi as Andorian home sun is quite unlikely given that this system was mentioned twice in Trek without any hint regarding its alleged prominent inhabitants.

Other possible real star distances that were not included for some reason:

Ceti Alpha V/VI - Most fandom sources conjecture that this is simply the reversed notation of the real star Alpha Ceti (Menkar), but this star's distance to Earth (over 300 light years) is far too large given the course of events shown in Star Trek II. It's true that the too large distances of many other real stars cause problems too, however, I will accept these discrepancies only if we can be sure that it's indeed the real star (when the name is identical or practically identical, such as a wrong genitive form for the constellation).

Delta Vega  - Given that this planet's name includes the proper designation of a real star (Vega = Alpha Lyrae), one could assume that this is a different notation system specifying the number of the planet by greek letters (delta = forth planet). Again, the on screen events forbid this sometimes applied speculation, given that according to the second TOS pilot, this planet must be near the edge of the Galaxy. Because of this uncertainty, similar explanations for Beta Antares and Delta Rana are not accepted here, too.

Alpha Majoris  - It is mere speculation that this TOS planet orbits the real star Alpha Canis Majoris, as it could be Alpha Ursae Majoris as well. The proposed connection is simply too vague. The just as daring explanation of Zetar (= Zeta R eticuli) is rejected for similiar reasons.

Back to the Star Trek Cartography overview

� 1999-2001 by Star Trek Dimension / Webmaster . Last update: October 20th, 2001

• Movies & TV
• Big on the Internet
• About Us & Contact

A Wannabe Blue Shirt Officer’s Guide to the Map of the Galaxy in ‘Star Trek’

No matter the fictional universe— be it fantasy or sci-fi or somewhere in between (looking at you, space operas)—I’ve always found maps and cartography one of the most fascinating parts of worldbuilding. There’s something about actually seeing how an author imagines the setting of their story that immediately grounds it in the realm of possibility, and helps immerse viewers in the worlds in which these stories unfold.

Sure, it’s somehow easier when the map consists of a single continent, kingdom, or city on Earth or any other Earth-like location. Bringing the action up into space definitely makes everything a tad more complicated—and a whole lot more fascinating. 

And now that the third season of Star Trek: Picard is in full swing , there’s no better time to refresh our collective memory on the “astrogeography” the crews of the USS Enterprise explore.

Star Trek and maps

The decades that have passed since Star Trek first premiered on television screens have made it possible for the saga to acquire beautifully complex and detailed lore on pretty much everything related to it—including the planets that make up the United Federation of Planets, and the powers that border it, like the infamous Klingon Empire.

There have actually been several maps made for Star Trek and its locations over the years, as it reads on The Map Room blog . “While original series canon assigned aliens to known nearby stars, and the shows occasionally used real locations, episode writers did not start with a map and generally did not take spatial relationships into consideration, which no doubt has made the belated mapping process a bit more challenging,” The Map Room blog continues, explaining how creating a comprehensive map of the Star Trek galaxy might be easier said than done.

Still, while none of the maps ever put to print or screen have ever been accepted as official canon, most of them have the major power players of the galaxy in more or less the same location. This means we can reasonably assume that this is the actual position in which they can be found in-universe. 

The galaxy quadrants

Most of the action in the Star Trek canon takes place within our galaxy, the Milky Way, which has been divided into its famous four primary quadrants, each named after a letter in the Greek alphabet: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta.

The Alpha and Beta quadrants are the ones that are better known, even in-universe, and that house many of the major players we see throughout the various series—the United Federation of Planets chiefest of all. The Federation has a strong foothold in both quadrants, spanning Alpha and Beta from their shared border outwards. 

According to Memory Alpha , the official Star Trek fan wiki, the Alpha quadrant contains two all-important planets that we all know very well: Earth, from which a good majority of the characters in Star Trek canon hail; and Vulcan, the homeworld of the Vulcans and especially of Spock. This quadrant also contains the Cardassian Union, the Ferengi Alliance, and the Breen Confederacy—among other smaller factions—whose representatives make an appearance in the canon, particularly in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

The Beta quadrant includes a couple of relatively smaller players like the Nyberrite Alliance and the Tholian Assembly, and then the major forces of the Romulan Star Empire and the infamous Klingon Empire—who both have their respective homeworlds, Romulus and Qo’noS, in this quadrant.

In contrast to the Alpha and Beta quadrants, the Gamma and Delta quadrants are considerably less well-known and less visited—which makes sense, considering the notable distances that separate them from the other areas of the galaxy, which would require years to bridge even at warp speed. Their reputation also isn’t as stellar as the areas in Federation space.

Still, they are of course mentioned time and again in the canon, as are the planets and people located within them. The Delta quadrant, for example, is the place of origin of the infamous Borg Collective, made up of the terrible Borg cyborgs.

(featured image: Paramount+)

Quadrants in Star Trek: A Guide to the Different Regions of the Galaxy

• by Kingsley Felix
• October 31, 2023

Are you a fan of Star Trek ? If so, you may be familiar with the concept of quadrants in the show’s universe.

In Star Trek, the galaxy is divided into four main quadrants: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta.

Each quadrant contains different planets, species, and civilizations that the show’s characters explore and interact with.

This article will delve deeper into the concept of quadrants in Star Trek, exploring what they are, how they work, and why they matter in the context of the show.

In the Star Trek universe, the quadrants serve as a way to divide and organize the vast expanse of space.

Each quadrant contains a variety of star systems, planets, and other celestial bodies, as well as different species and civilizations.

The quadrants are named after the first four letters of the Greek alphabet, with Alpha being the closest to Earth and Delta being the farthest.

As the show’s characters travel through space, they often encounter new planets and species in different quadrants, leading to new adventures and challenges.

Understanding the concept of quadrants is essential to understanding the world of Star Trek.

By dividing the galaxy into four distinct regions, the show’s creators were able to create a vast and complex universe that is full of exciting possibilities.

Whether you are a die-hard fan or a casual viewer, learning more about the quadrants in Star Trek is sure to deepen your appreciation for this beloved sci-fi franchise.

Overview of Quadrants in Star Trek

In the Star Trek universe, the Milky Way galaxy is divided into four quadrants: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta.

These quadrants are defined by one meridian passing through the galactic core and a second one perpendicular to the first, which also passes through the galactic core.

Most of the action in Star Trek takes place in the Alpha and Beta quadrants, which are home to many significant planets like Earth, Vulcan, and Qo’noS.

The Gamma and Delta quadrants are less explored and are home to many alien species that are not commonly encountered in the Alpha and Beta quadrants.

The galactic coordinate system is used to map out the quadrants and other regions of space in the Star Trek universe.

Star Trek star charts and maps are available for fans to explore and learn more about the various quadrants and other regions of space.

Cartography plays an important role in the Star Trek universe, as it enables the characters to navigate through space and explore new worlds.

The Starfleet Corps of Engineers is responsible for creating and maintaining the maps and charts used by Starfleet vessels.

In summary, the quadrants in Star Trek are an important part of the Star Trek universe, and understanding them is essential for fans of the franchise.

The Alpha and Beta quadrants are the most explored and are home to many significant planets.

In contrast, the Gamma and Delta quadrants are less explored and are home to many alien species not commonly encountered in the Alpha and Beta quadrants.

Quadrants in Star Trek

The alpha quadrant.

The Alpha Quadrant is one of the four quadrants in the Milky Way Galaxy, as depicted in the Star Trek series.

It is home to many important planets, including Earth, Vulcan, and Bajor.

The United Federation of Planets is also located in this quadrant, making it a significant region in the Star Trek universe.

The USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain Kirk, frequently explored the Alpha Quadrant during its five-year mission.

The Enterprise NX-01, the first warp-five starship, also traveled extensively through this quadrant during the events of Star Trek: Enterprise.

Deep Space Nine, a space station located near the Bajoran wormhole, was a focal point of the Alpha Quadrant during the events of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

It served as a hub for trade, diplomacy, and conflict between the Federation, the Klingon Empire, and the Romulan Star Empire.

The Alpha Quadrant also features several important starbases, including Starbase 1 and Starbase 11.

These facilities provide support for Federation vessels and serve as strategic locations for defending against threats from the Klingons, the Romulans, and other hostile forces.

The Beta Quadrant

The Beta Quadrant is one of the four quadrants and is adjacent to the Alpha and Delta Quadrants.

It is home to various races, including the Vulcans and Klingons.

The Beta Quadrant has been featured in various Star Trek series and movies , including the original series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Enterprise, and Star Trek VI.

The USS Enterprise, Enterprise NX-01, and Deep Space Nine space station have all explored the Beta Quadrant.

Captain Kirk and his crew visited several planets in the Beta Quadrant, including Angel I, Talos IV, and Murasaki 312.

In The Next Generation, the Enterprise visited Vulcan and Andoria, both located in the Beta Quadrant.

The Beta Quadrant has been the setting for many important events in the Star Trek universe.

For example, the Romulan Star Empire is located in the Beta Quadrant, and the Dominion War between the Federation and the Dominion took place in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.

The Gamma Quadrant

In the Star Trek universe, the Milky Way Galaxy is divided into four quadrants, and the Gamma Quadrant is one of them.

It is located adjacent to the Alpha Quadrant and the Delta Quadrant.

The Gamma Quadrant is home to various planets and civilizations, including the Dominion and the Breen Confederacy.

One of the most notable features of the Gamma Quadrant is the Bajoran Wormhole, which connects the Bajoran system in the Alpha Quadrant to the Idran system in the Gamma Quadrant.

This wormhole was discovered by the crew of Deep Space Nine, a space station located near the wormhole’s Alpha end.

The Dominion, a powerful empire that controls much of the Gamma Quadrant, is a major antagonist in the Star Trek universe.

The Dominion Space is vast, and it includes many different species that the Dominion has subjugated.

The Dominion War, which took place during the later seasons of Deep Space Nine, was fought between the Dominion and the Alpha Quadrant powers.

The Breen Confederacy is another major power in the Gamma Quadrant.

The Breen are known for their advanced technology and their mysterious appearance. They are also a key player in the Dominion War.

The Delta Quadrant

The Delta Quadrant is one of the four quadrants in the Milky Way Galaxy, adjacent to the Beta and Gamma Quadrants.

It is approximately 30,000 lightyears away from the United Federation of Planets.

The quadrant was prominently featured in the television series Star Trek: Voyager, as the USS Voyager was stranded there for seven years before returning to Earth.

The Delta Quadrant is home to many different species, including the Vidiians, Kazon, and Borg.

The Vidiians are a species that suffers from a disease called the Phage, which has ravaged their society and led them to resort to organ theft to survive.

The Kazon are a warrior race that is known for their conflicts with other species in the quadrant.

The Borg Collective, a powerful and dangerous cybernetic species, also has a significant presence in the Delta Quadrant.

In addition to the various species, the Delta Quadrant is home to many unique phenomena, such as the Caretaker’s Array, which was responsible for bringing Voyager to the quadrant.

The Borg also has a transwarp hub in the Delta Quadrant, allowing them to travel quickly throughout the galaxy.

Overall, the Delta Quadrant is a fascinating and dangerous region of space, full of unique species and phenomena that make it a popular destination for explorers and adventurers alike.

Kingsley Felix

Kingsley Ibietela Felix is a digital media publishing entrepreneur and founder of Krafty Sprouts Media, LLC. A 2-time African blogger of the year. Kingsley can be found researching, reading, watching football, playing games, discussing politics or creating great content.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

You May Also Like

What Channel is Peacock on Cox?

• by thebingeful
• October 12, 2023

Movie Producer Vs Director: What is the Difference?

What Does PG Mean in Movies?

• July 21, 2023

Avatar Na’vi Clans: a Guide to the Different Tribes of Pandora

• October 15, 2023

What’s the Difference Between Open Captions Vs Closed Captions

• October 10, 2023

How to Connect Your Smart TV to Alexa in 2022?

• by Editoral Team
• August 9, 2022

Discover more from The Bingeful

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

Feature | August 4, 2016

Top 10 star trek destinations chosen by nasa scientists.

By Pat Brennan, NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program

What would happen if the crew of the Starship Enterprise handed over the controls to NASA scientists and engineers? It turns out many are avid Star Trek fans with lengthy itineraries in mind. We asked a few of them to pick their favorite destinations in the Star Trek universe, to tell us why, and to let us know if they resemble any of the thousands of actual exoplanets—planets orbiting other stars—that have been discovered so far.

What is perhaps the most famous Star Trek planet was placed by creator Gene Roddenberry in a real star system: 40 Eridani. This trinary system of three dwarf stars, about 16 light-years from Earth, could play host to exoplanets; none have been detected there so far. The most massive is 40 Eridani A , chosen as Vulcan’s home world. Home to the “pointy eared, green blooded” Vulcans and to Star Trek’s iconic Mr. Spock, Vulcan is said to be a hotter, more massive planet than Earth, with stronger gravity and a thinner atmosphere. Desert and mountainous expanses are interspersed with seas. The planet makes an appearance in several Star Trek films and series episodes and (spoiler alert) is destroyed in J.J. Abrams’ alternate timeline. An example of a real exoplanet being destroyed—by its own sun, not vengeful aliens—is HD 209458b , a “hot Jupiter” orbiting so close to its star that its atmosphere is being blown away into space, leaving a large, detectable tail.

An icy “M-class” (Star Trek's term for “Earth-like”) moon of a much larger planet—a gas giant—that is home to soft-spoken humanoids with blue skin, white hair and stylish antennae. A bit of a dust-up takes place in the original Star Trek series when an Orion poses as an Andorian during an ambassadorial mission (“Journey to Babel”). Definitive “exo-moons” have yet to be discovered, but some could be both icy and habitable. In our solar system, gas giants play host to icy moons, such as Jupiter’s Europa or Saturn’s Enceladus , that possess subsurface oceans locked inside shells of ice. NASA missions are searching for lifeforms that might exist in these cold, dark habitats.

Another Trek M-class planet known for its engineered tropical climate and its welcoming humanoid population. This earns it a designation as a “pleasure planet” from the United Federation of Planets, of which it is a member. Crew members from the “Next Generation,” “Deep Space Nine” and “Enterprise” series all paid visits there. The planet is said to orbit a binary , or double, star system—in Star Trek fan lore, Epsilon Ceti, a real star system some 79 light-years from Earth. While no real planets have yet been discovered around these stars, many exoplanets have been found in orbit around binaries. The first unambiguous such discovery, Kepler-16b found in 2011, is cold, gaseous and Saturn-sized, but still invites comparisons to Tatooine , the double-sunset planet in the competing space franchise Star Wars. A 2014 study suggested that as much as half the stars that play host to exoplanets could be binaries– equaling billions of worlds.

4. “Shore Leave” planet, Omicron Delta region

This is another amusement park of a planet—provided someone lets you in on it before you beam down. Unwitting members of the original crew are assailed by strafing aircraft, a jousting knight and a laughing bully named Finnegan (“Shore Leave”) before they realize it’s all just in good fun—manufactured in underground factories straight from the crew members’ imaginations. In real life, astronauts aboard the International Space Station print out plastic tools and containers with their own 3-D printer, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., is among the research centers experimenting with this technology. But the “Shore Leave” planet takes it to a whole new level.

“Star Trek: Into Darkness” finds Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy fleeing from chalk-skinned aliens through a red jungle. Welcome to planet Nibiru. In the second installment of the latest round of Star Trek films Kirk interferes, yet again, with a primitive culture, even if it is to save their lives. Red or even black vegetation could cover land surfaces on real exoplanets that orbit cooler, redder stars, an adaptation meant to gather as much light for photosynthesis as possible. Several planets discovered by NASA’s Kepler space telescope could fit this profile, orbiting in the “habitable zones ” of red dwarf stars—where liquid water can exist on a planetary surface. Perhaps the most famous is Kepler-186f , only 10 percent larger than Earth in diameter, orbiting a star some 500 light-years away. At high noon, the surface of this planet would look something like dusk on Earth.

6. Wolf 359

A star best known in the Star Trek universe as the site of a fierce battle in which a multitude of “Star Trek: Next Generation” ships are defeated by the Borg (“Best of Both Worlds”). But Wolf 359 is a real star, one of the closest to Earth at a distance of 7.8 light-years. Wolf 359 is also a likely observational target for the Kepler space telescope in the upcoming Campaign 14 of its “K2” mission.

7. Eminiar VII/Vendikar

Another case of Captain Kirk playing fast and loose with the Prime Directive—that is, the prohibition on interfering with civilizations on other planets (“A Taste of Armageddon”). These two planets are neighbors, sharing a star system. So, of course, they’ve been at war for centuries. Real exoplanets have shown no signs of interplanetary war, although multiple rocky worlds have been discovered orbiting single stars. One of the latest examples: A cool dwarf star called TRAPPIST-1 , orbited by three planets in Earth’s size-range; two have a chance of being in the star’s habitable zone, with possible Earth-like atmospheres. The Kepler space telescope will further study the star TRAPPIST-1 in the upcoming Campaign 12 of its “K2” mission.

The planets Romulus and Remus are home to the Romulan Empire (ancient Rome, anyone?), although Remus seemed to have gotten the raw end of the deal. Remus is tidally locked, one face always turned to its star, where a lower caste of Romulan society labor in dilithium mines. Reference is made to Remus in the original series as the Enterprise gives chase to a Romulan warship, called a bird of prey (“Balance of Terror”), and in the film “Star Trek: Nemesis.” Tidally locked worlds might well be a real thing, with many possible candidates among the thousands of exoplanets discovered with NASA’s Kepler space telescope. The habitable portion of the surface of such planets might be confined to a band between the day and night sides called the “terminator zone” —a.k.a. the twilight zone. On these planets, one hemisphere would be seared by its sun, the other plunged permanently…into darkness.

9. Janus VI

A rocky world lacking an atmosphere, perhaps similar to Mars, that is the site of a Federation mining colony (“Devil in the Dark,” original series). While humans must maintain an artificial underground environment to survive, the innards of the planet are a comfortable home to an alien species known as the “Horta.” Their rock-like biochemistry is based on silicon , rather than carbon, inspiring us to imagine the many forms life might take in the universe—some that might not be obvious at first.

In the Star Trek universe, Earth is home to Starfleet Headquarters; the real Earth is, at least so far, the only life-bearing world we know. Earth returns again and again in Star Trek series and films, in many guises, from the raucous 1960s, to 1980s San Francisco (“Star Trek: The Voyage Home”), to a troubled 21 st century (“Star Trek VIII: First Contact”). Strange Earth analogs also appear, inhabited by centuries-old children (“Miri”) or a modern-day Roman Empire worried about TV ratings for its gladiatorial games (“Bread and Circuses”), both in the original series. No true Earth analogs have been discovered among the real exoplanets detected so far. But a new generation of space telescopes , designed to capture direct images of exoplanets in Earth’s size range, might one day reveal an alternative “pale blue dot.”

Related Stories

Explore Alien Worlds

Exoplanet Travel Bureau

Strange New Worlds

Historic Timeline

Screen Rant

Star trek is ditching discovery's spore drive - and that's good.

Stamets reveals that there will be no more spore drives after Star Trek: Discovery season 5, which is good news for Starfleet in the 32nd century.

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episodes 1 & 2!

• Starfleet's decision to abandon the spore drive in Discovery season 5 is a smart move for the future of the franchise.
• The spore drive's ability to instantly transport the USS Discovery can hinder dramatic tension and urgency in storytelling.
• The new pathway drive technology will likely power the adventures in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, replacing the spore drive.

Star Trek: Discovery has revealed that Starfleet is ditching the groundbreaking spore drive, which is a good thing for the future of the franchise's 32nd century timeline. The USS Discovery's spore drive was an experimental technology from the 2200s that became invaluable in Star Trek 's dilithium-starved 32nd century. Pioneered by Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) and his research partner, Straal (Saad Siddiqui), the spore drive was a way to navigate a subspace mycelium network of fungal roots that spanned the entire universe . The Federation-Klingon War necessitated a rapid scaling up of Stamets and Staal's research to create a brand-new propulsion system.

The USS Discovery is the only starship in the entire Star Trek timeline to both possess and successfully operate Stamets and Staal's spore drive. The ship owned by Cleveland "Book" Booker (David Ajala) had a stolen spore drive prototype fitted in Star Trek: Discovery season 4, but it was destroyed when Ruon Tarka (Shawn Doyle) crashed into Species 10-C's hyperfield. The Discovery's predecessor, the USS Glenn, suffered a catastrophic accident when testing one of the original spore drives, resulting in the death of all hands . Now that Starfleet has shuttered the spore drive project in season 5, the USS Discovery will always be a one of a kind starship.

Every New Version Of Warp Drive In Star Trek

Why star trek is right to drop discovery’s spore drive after season 5.

Star Trek: Discovery 's spore drive may be a huge leap forward for Starfleet, but it can create a lot of story issues for the viewers at home. Ultimately, the USS Discovery's ability to appear wherever it needs to can seriously hamper the dramatic tension . Discovery season 5's treasure hunt is a good example of how the spore drive can negatively impact storytelling. The audience is repeatedly told that the Progenitors' treasure must not fall into the hands of L'ak (Elias Toufexis) and Moll (Eve Harlow), setting up a thrilling race against time.

The only problem is that, because Discovery can just instantaneously jump to the next location on their treasure map, there's time for the crew to drop off Captain Saru (Doug Jones) before they head to Trill. This undermines any sense of urgency with Star Trek: Discovery season 5's treasure hunt. In other Star Trek shows, a warp drive means that the hero ship and its crew are constantly moving forward, heading to their next destination . There's an urgency to these onward journeys that Star Trek: Discovery just doesn't have.

For example, it's hard to imagine Star Trek: The Next Generation 's classic "The Best of Both Worlds" having the same impact with a spore drive. The emotional gut punch of the USS Enterprise-D arriving too late to save the thousands of lives lost at the Battle of Wolf 359. By dropping the spore drive in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, it could restore some dramatic urgency and forward motion to the storytelling in the upcoming Starfleet Academy show , which will also be set in the 32nd century.

Discovery’s Warp Drive Replacement Made It A Different Star Trek Show

Ironically, given its name, the USS Discovery hasn't done much discovering over the course of Star Trek: Discovery 's five seasons . While it's true that they've sought out strange new worlds and made contact with new life and civilizations, their discoveries have been a lot less spontaneous than those of their predecessors. Possessing a spore drive, the USS Discovery is regularly dropped into the heat of the action, be that a battle with the Emerald Chain or a short hop to the Galactic Barrier to meet Species 10-C.

Star Trek: Discovery "Ushered In A New Era" & "Made A Difference", Say Executive Producers

This has given Star Trek: Discovery a unique feel from other Star Trek TV shows , helping the show to stand out from its franchise stablemates. Discovery being dropped into various hot spots by Starfleet is often very exciting, and marks out Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) as the most important captain in Star Trek 's 32nd century. The only drawback of this approach is that it can often feel like the Discovery crew are sitting around waiting for orders, rather than exploring the wider Star Trek universe .

Starfleet Is Right To Abandon The Spore Drive In Discovery Season 5

After the events of Star Trek: Discovery season 4, it might be prudent for Starfleet to abandon the spore drive going forward. The actions of Ruon Tarka and Book showed just how dangerous the spore drive technology was if it fell into the hands of people with bad intentions . Tarka and Book almost caused the destruction of Earth by launching hostile action against Species 10-C, and this worst case scenario was averted when Booker finally saw sense.

Indeed, the very fact that Stamets' spore drive research was co-opted by Starfleet during wartime is proof of its more dangerous implications. Villainous figures like Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) and Osyraa (Janet Kidder) have coveted the USS Discovery's unique technology, hoping to use it to assert power and destroy their enemies rather than learn more about the mycelial network. By closing down the spore drive research program in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, Starfleet can further prevent this valuable technology from falling into the wrong hands .

Star Trek: Discovery Science YouTube Show BioTrekkie With The Admiral Returns In April

Will star trek: starfleet academy have its own warp drive replacement.

Star Trek: Discovery 's spore drive is just one of many attempts made to replace Starfleet's traditional warp drive . First, there was the USS Excelsior, " The Great Experiment " which tried and failed to perfect transwarp technology in the late 23rd century. A hundred years later, and Star Trek: Prodigy 's USS Protostar was equipped with a proto-drive, allowing it to cross lightyears like never before. Similarly, the USS Dauntless, commanded by Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) in Prodigy season 1, was fitted with a quantum slipstream drive that was also incredibly powerful. Starfleet's latest innovation in the 32nd century is the pathway drive, first mentioned in Star Trek: Discovery 's season 4 premiere.

Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 will unveil the USS Voyager-A, which will be "bigger" than the USS Protostar, suggesting improvements on either the proto or quantum slipstream drives.

Not much is known about this new technology, but now that the spore drive has been dropped, the pathway drive will be the new standard in Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century. Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) notes that his ship, the USS Antares, doesn't have a pathway drive, meaning that it's still in the early stages. The pathway drive was tested by the 32nd century's USS Voyager , and has presumably been proven as a more viable alternative to dilithium-powered warp than the spore drive. This means that the new pathway drive will likely be powering the adventures of the crew in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy .

Star Trek: Discovery streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

‘This is our shrine’: Why Harry Styles fans are on pilgrimage to a viaduct

Harries are flying across the globe to visit Holmes Chapel, leaving a trail of muddied clothes and very personal questions

Elvis Presley had Graceland. Dolly Parton has Dollywood. Harry Styles has a railway viaduct on the mudflats of rural Cheshire.

It may not compare to the grand estates of some megastars but fans across the world are descending on the sleepy village of Holmes Chapel to pay homage to its most famous former resident .

More than 5,000 Styles fans – or Harries, as they are known – have visited the tiny country parish in the past year, nearly equal to its entire population, prompting community organisers to launch a recruitment drive for superfans to lead official tours.

Peter Whiers, a retired nuclear engineer overseeing the search, said supporters from as far afield as Argentina, the US and Spain had applied for the coveted gig after it was advertised this week.

However, he added, they were looking for someone a little closer to home unless those overseas “have a great-aunt they can live with”.

Whiers, chair of the Holmes Chapel Partnership, said Styles fans had been trickling into the village since the Grammy-winning singer rose to fame on The X Factor in 2010 – but it had become a deluge in the past two years.

One father and daughter flew nearly 6,000 miles from Japan just for a day trip before travelling straight back, he said: “I don’t think that’s unusual. It’s almost like a religion now,” said Whiers.

The mecca of this pop pilgrimage is the 180-year-old Twemlow Viaduct on the banks of the River Dane, where Styles reputedly had his first kiss. The grand railway bridge was a headline-making feat when it was built in 1841. Now, thanks to Styles signing his name on its historic arches, it has its own hashtag on TikTok.

“It’s just very overwhelming,” said Alyssa Fleming, 17, adding her name to the Grade II-listed structure, now known as Harry’s Wall, alongside thousands of others.

The teenager, from Belfast, had travelled by ferry with her parents just to visit the mural – and to pick up some Styles merch in London’s Camden Market.

But visiting the viaduct is not for the faint-hearted. Last year, the Holmes Chapel Partnership warned that fans were “risking life and limb” by darting across a notoriously dicey A-road to access the site.

Some tourists are unsure which way to look on British roads, said Whiers. Others are left confused by the kissing gates. A free map was released last March (now selling on eBay for £5) with the aim of guiding Harries across country fields to avoid the 50mph main road.

Yet the new route has its own perils: namely, the British weather. The half-mile riverside trek is a mudbath for much of the year and home to rather excited cows in spring.

“There are a few issues we’ve got to navigate – like frisky cows,” said Whiers, 67, on the safe side of barbed wire fencing after a small herd gave chase to the Guardian on Thursday.

The mud is another issue, he added: “The trouble is: if you’re coming from Peru, are you really going to bring wellies because it’s the only time you will ever need them – on the mudflats of Holmes Chapel.”

Many fans describe visiting the railway mural as an emotive experience. Fleming, who lives nearly 200 miles away, described it as like a “home from home”. Her mother, Anne Fleming, 45, said: “It was sentimental knowing that everyone else had done the camel hike to get there as well. It’s very mucky.”

The tours will begin in June at a cost of £20 a person. The town’s residents expect they will instantly sell out and hope they will help businesses recover from the recession.

They will begin at Holmes Chapel railway station, which is staffed by the cheerful superviser Graham Blake, who knows the Styles family.

Blake, 62, sold Harry the train tickets that began his journey to fame and pictures of the pair adorn his tiny ticket office. He is the first port of call for international visitors who arrive, somewhat lost, often straight from Manchester airport.

“This is our little shrine,” he says, pointing to a table with Styles artwork and guestbooks for fans to leave messages, five of which were given to the former One Direction frontman on his 30th birthday in February.

Harries often say they are drawn to the star’s down-to-earth nature, but for some his home town is a little too down-to-earth.

One fan was left in tears on her 18th birthday after falling down a muddy slope. Two Danish youngsters in tight white jeans had to seek help from a hardware store after suffering the same fate.

Others take their fandom slightly too far: “One girl asked me what Harry smelled like,” says Blake. “I said I don’t really go round sniffing my passengers.”

Yet in the warmth of W Mandeville, a fourth-generation family bakery where Styles worked as a part-time cleaner, Laura Mulry, 18, explains why she and her friend had driven 50 miles from Walsall to be in this quiet country village.

“A lot of celebrities are so out there and you don’t feel close to them because they’re so unrelatable,” she said. “Harry just seems so human.”

• Harry Styles
• Pop and rock

Most viewed