star trek different enterprises

• The Inventory

All 11 Versions of the U.S.S. Enterprise , Ranked

The Enterprise isn’t just quintessential to the long history of Star Trek , it’s also one of the most iconic starships of all time. It was the star of the classic series, but later and earlier versions of it also sat at the heart of The Next Generation and Enterprise , and beyond that in film. Now that we know the ship is coming to Discovery ’s second season, it’s time to look back and rank the best of them.

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It’s too early to judge Discovery ’s take on the ship—it was only glimpsed in dark lighting at the very end of the first season’s finale —but we can still look to the many models of the U.S.S. Enterprise and judge them all.

11) Enterprise -J

This far-flung Enterprise of a future 26th century where the evil Sphere-Builders invade the Federation was barely seen during Star Trek: Enterprise ’s Temporal Cold War storyline, and for good reason: It’s an ugly, ugly ship. Our best look at it actually came in a render for an official calendar, which really shows off how spindly and flat-looking the J is. It’s like someone had a perfectly good render of a future-y take on the Enterprise and just squished it down a bit too much. There’s a difference between sleek and “looking like a space pancake with nacelles”—nacelles are the structures that house the warp engines on a ship, by the way, non- Trek fans—and the J is definitely the latter.

10) Enterprise (Kelvin Timeline)

The Trek reboot’s take on the Enterprise is, similar to the rest of the movie, an Apple-ified take on ‘60s retro-futurism. It’s blindingly shiny and has curves like a classic roadster, but as an Enterprise , it’s just a little too curvy for its own good. This is especially let down by the struts attached to the nacelles, which position the two engines far too close together, making the whole ship look off and any angle other than from the side.

9) Enterprise -B

The design, seen in the Star Trek: Generations movie, was ostensibly right in the middle of the evolution between the Enterprise of the original series and the Enterprise-D of TNG . It’s also kind of a mess—the tiny nacelle struts, the weird body around the deflector dish, and unlike the J it just looks too chunky. But the B’s biggest problem is that it’s a rehash of a design we’d already seen at that point: The U.S.S. Excelsior captained by Sulu in The Search for Spock and onwards to The Undiscovered Country . Sure, the Excelsior-class was meant to be one of Starfleet’s finest models at the time, but the Enterprise is an iconic ship and deserves to at least be a little unique.

8) Enterprise -A (Kelvin Timeline)

We don’t get to see much of it in Star Trek Beyond , but the replacement for the Kelvin universe’s Enterprise is a marked improvement on the first, if only because it corrects the mistakes of the first design by having wider-positioned, straighter nacelles (which themselves are a little more like the classic Enterprise ’s). It adds a lot of thickness in the back of the ship to do so, though, but it’s a welcome change... if only we’d actually, you know, get to see it in action in a movie anytime soon.

7) Enterprise NX-01

Okay, so it’s not a traditional version of the Enterprise . But the NX, used by the crew featured in Enterprise the TV series, at least manages to feel familiar to the silhouette of the ship we all know and love, and like one of the earliest prototypes of it, which it literally is meant to be. Not having the bottom section below the saucer gives it a svelte profile many other Enterprise iterations have tried their hand at, but it serves to give the NX it’s own look of its own while still crucially maintaining the elements you know are meant to be picked up by the time of the original Star Trek .

6) Enterprise -D (Alternate Future)

We barely got to see this 30-years-in-an-alternate future version of the Enterprise -D as The Next Generation series finale, “All Good Things.” And yes, while it was cool to see a cloaking-equipped, beefier warship version of TNG ’s iconic flagship... we have to talk about that third nacelle. It’s just too much . The D is not the prettiest looking ship in the Alpha Quadrant at the best of times (more on that in a bit), but giving it more proverbial junk in the space-trunk both ruins the Enterprise ’s shape and just makes it look silly.

5) Enterprise -D

The Next Generation ’s normal Enterprise -D, used for the remaining 99.9999 percent of the series, is a weird-looking starship. In some ways, that’s understandable. It’s noticeably bulky—unlike its predecessors, it’s a ship designed to hold both its crew and their extended families, so it needs a good deal bigger than the classic Enterprise . Plus, it’s got all sorts of cool advanced tech, like swanky holodecks and the very silly but also totally rad saucer separation/battle bridge set-up. But from a looks standpoint, it’s hardly the most graceful-looking thing around. Borrowing the angular struts of the Enterprise -B is a nice carryover, but positioning them so low (and giving the Galaxy-Class   such a ginormous saucer too) makes the whole thing look so gangly and awkward. A less than stellar ship for a totally stellar show.

4) Enterprise -C

The Enterprise of “Yesterday’s Enterprise” is only in one episode of TNG , but it’s an important part of the lineage of Star Trek ’s most iconic vessel. In the Trek timeline, it was destroyed defending a Klingon outpost at Narendra-III before the Enterprise-D was built, but thanks to a time-space rift it popped up briefly and encountered a version of its successor thanks to some time-altering shenanigans. The crew of the C must have been pleased to realize their ship looked better because it actually looks a little more like a mash-up between the D and the ships that came before it, canceling out some of the clunkiness of TNG ’s design while making a ship that feels like a natural evolution on what came before it. It’s almost a shame this wasn’t the Enterprise of the show and the D was the one-off design.

3) Enterprise -E

If the Kelvin Enterprise was a Apple-esque take on the original series’ Enterprise , the E—exclusively seen in the Next Generation movies, most of which aren’t great—is a hot rod take in the classic Star Trek aesthetic. The Sovereign-Class slims out the Enterprise ’s form by removing the “neck” piece connecting the deflector dish section to the saucer (itself slimmer, instead of the hilariously wide one on the Enterprise -D) and extending the length of the nacelles, which manages to keep everything still vaguely within the Enterprise shape we all know and love while delivering a sleek sports car feel. More than any other iteration of the Enterprise , this one feels like the slickest, most modern take on the original’s design without actually breaking too much about it to push it into unfamiliarity.

2) Enterprise -A

The Enterprise ’s first refit—which debuted in The Search for Spock movie, even if technically, it borrowed the design of the upgraded original Enterprise that appeared in The Motion Picture, Wrath of Khan , and Spock —may not have hung around for that long, and even when it did, it was the butt of a few jokes for most of its main appearance in The Final Frontier for the fact that most of its systems were malfunctioning half the time (it was rushed out of drydock). But even then, it’s still a good-looking ship, keeping everything that made its predecessor great (or rather, the predecessor before its tune-up into what would become the A’s design too). Same great ship, just a little different.

1) Enterprise

The original series’ Enterprise is iconic for a reason. It’s a beautiful design, simple and clean—and sharply angled in all the right places—compared to the busy predecessors and successors that would come in Trek series after the original. It set the legacy of everything that would come after it, not just in terms of future Enterprise refits, but for what a good Federation vessel should evoke to feel like part of the Star Trek universe. Forget the word salad mayhem of the refits that came after it—try as you can to evolve and improve on it, you can’t beat a design that cuts such an iconic appearance the first time round.

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Every "Star Trek" USS Enterprise, Ranked

For the 50th anniversary of the original series, let's look back at the ships of Star Trek .

Star Trek is not solely the story of Enterprise . There's "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager" and a whole galaxy full of other vessels and settings. But the name ties the icon of the original series back in time to the aircraft carrier and space shuttle of today and forward in time to the other fictional starships Enterprise that would follow. Today, 50 years after the first episode of "Star Trek" aired on TV, let's rank 'em.

9. NCC-1701-B

Of the two Enterprises that fell between the ships of the original series crew and the ships of "The Next Generation" crew, one heroically sacrificed itself to stop a war (we'll get to it in a minute). Then there's the B, which makes a cameo appearance in Generations , a not-great movie, captained by Ferris Bueller's best friend. The Enterprise-B isn't even the definitive ship of its class. It's a clone of the Excelsior , last seen under the command of Captain Sulu in The Undiscovered Country .

The ship of "Star Trek: Enterprise." It's fine.

7. NCC-1701-D ("Next Generation" series finale alternate universe Enterprise)

Bringing in elements from alternate timelines that exist solely within single episodes is a good way to fall down a rabbit hole. However: I reserve the right to talk about this ship and none of the others, because when tween me saw the Enterprise-D transformed into a three-nacelle cloaking-equipped war machine, a barely suppressed "hell yes" sprang from my heart.

6. NCC-1701-A

I always thought the -A was a good-looking ship. It just doesn't have the track record to ascend any higher here. Following its introduction at the end of Star Trek IV , the ship spends Star Trek V the butt of running jokes about how the damn thing doesn't work yet. It's shot up and decommissioned by the conclusion of Star Trek VI . The Enterprise-A has to live down the list because it saved the galaxy only what, twice?

5. NCC-1701-E

Enterprise-E stars in three movies, two of which aren't very good. That scene at the beginning of First Contact , though. Captain Picard defies orders and swoops in with his jagged new Sovereign-Class vessel to kick a little Borg ass and save the fleet. It tells you all you need to know about the swashbuckling version of Star Trek you're about to watch.

4. NCC-1701-C

This ship is a one-shot hero. It appears only in "Yesterday's Enterprise," one of the best episodes of "The Next Generation" and most thoughtful uses of time travel in the series. Accidentally transported to Picard and Riker's era, the ship and her crew must choose to return to certain death in their rightful time, sacrificing themselves to protect a Klingon outpost and ignite the Klingon-Federation alliance that blooms a peace in the 24th century.

3. NCC-1701-D

TNG will forever be my Trek show. I watched it live with my dad and rewatched the collection of episodes he recorded to VHS. I am a Picard man.

The ship, though. For all its neat features like the holodeck and the battle bridge, the Enterprise-D looks like a Mercury Sable station wagon on the outside and a mid-sized American city's convention center on the inside.

2. NCC-1701 (J.J. Abrams universe)

1. NCC-1701

" No bloody A, B, C, or D ."

Andrew's from Nebraska. His work has also appeared in Discover, The Awl, Scientific American, Mental Floss, Playboy, and elsewhere. He lives in Brooklyn with two cats and a snake.

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Star Trek: The 15 Most Powerful Versions Of The Enterprise, Ranked

The Enterprise is synonymous with the Star Trek franchise, so we're paying tribute to the ship by ranking the best versions of the popular ship!

Star Trek is one of the most celebrated franchises in the entire world, and why shouldn’t it be? Since its inception over 50 years ago, this franchise has helped recruit (pardon the pun) entire generations of fans. And we’ve had several different shows to help us explore the frontiers of this awesome universe. While there have been some notable exceptions, such as Deep Space Nine and Voyager, the heart of Star Trek has always been the Starship Enterprise . Fans quickly understood that the ship was as much of a character as Kirk or Picard was, and everyone became defensively protective over “their” Enterprise .

Of course, this leads to the inevitable fan debates of which version was the best. While all the fans love Star Trek , what they arguably love even more is constantly comparing show and characters to each other. Is Kirk better than Picard? Is Spock better than Data? These debates have raged for years, and they show no sign of letting up anytime soon. Those arguments are long and bitter because they are subjective. How do you determine if one character is better than another? That’s why we like to stick to arguments that you can easily prove. For instance, which Starship Enterprise is the strongest of them all? There have been quite a few ships to bear this name over the years, and not all of them are equally powerful. How can you figure out which ship is strongest without setting off an angry internet debate? It’s simple: replicate yourself some Earl Grey Tea and keep scrolling to read   which version of the Enterprise is the best of the best.

15 THE VERY FIRST

Here at the top of our list is the very first Starship Enterprise . While it’s true that Earth Naval vessels had previously had the title, this was the first starship with the name. Furthermore, it was the first Earth vessel that specifically sought out new life, under the command of Captain Archer.

This ship was immensely powerful for its day and time, boasting phasers, photon torpedoes, and even a newfangled transporter device. However, this ship was built a whopping one hundred years before the adventures of Captain Kirk, which is why everything else on this list is a little bit higher.

14 ENTERPRISE MIRROR UNIVERSE

As time went on, the Enterprise creators felt more comfortable creating connections to The Original Series. Eventually, we got two episodes of Enterprise set in the infamous “mirror universe” in which all our familiar and friendly characters are maniacal and manipulative. This meant that, technically, we got a new Enterprise .

We don’t get to see a whole lot of this Enterprise in battle. However, the opening credits alone show us that in this warlike reality, weapons systems are a higher priority. You never know when a single ship might need to bombard a planet! So, for having weapons built with no scruples whatsoever, this mirror ship edges out the original Enterprise .

13 DISCOVERY'S ENTERPRISE

Part of what makes it difficult to evaluate some of these ships is that we haven’t seen much of them yet. For instance, this next ship is the familiar Starship Enterprise from Kirk’s day, but with a twist: this is the version of the ship we see on Star Trek: Discovery .

However, the ship only pops up in the last minutes of the last episode of Discovery ’s first season. Aside from cooing over the sexy modern design of the ship, we haven’t seen yet what this baby can do. That’s why this ship is at the bottom of the list in terms of Kirk-era ships.

12 THE CLASSIC

Your first Starship Enterprise is a lot like your first boyfriend or girlfriend: there will never be an experience like it ever again and for most Trek fans, that first experience occurred during the Original Series with Kirk’s familiar Starship Enterprise .

Over three seasons, we got to see what this ship could do. It was capable of beating Romulans in a pitched battle, and on any given day, it could travel backwards in time. Basically, any ship with Scotty could do just about anything, making this one of the most powerful ships for its time period, and the Enterprise , like Scotty himself, would only get better with age!

11 ENTERPRISE MIRROR UNIVERSE, PART II

Like the Enterprise of Captain Archer’s era, there is also a Mirror Universe version of Captain Kirk’s Enterprise  and for many of the same reasons, we are forced to rate this new Enterprise as just a little bit higher than its primary universe counterpart.

We don’t see this “evil” Enterprise in a lot of combat. However, we do see them threatening to destroy an entire planet’s population as a form of punishment. In this way, this Enterprise is as deadly as the Death Star from Star Wars , and it gets the nod for being more powerful than the main universe ship that we know and love.

10 THE MOTION PICTURE

Many casual fans think that the Enterprise in the first Trek movies was the same as the one in the show. However, this isn’t entirely true. While this is still the trusty NCC-1701, the ship receives an extensive refit in-between the end of Kirk’s five-year mission and the beginning of Star Trek: The Motion Picture .

This refit was far from being only cosmetic. It got upgraded phaser banks, a better torpedo launcher, and an entirely new engine. It was these refits that helped the ship survive its encounter with V’ger, but unfortunately, Kirk would eventually have to self-destruct this ship to save it from Klingon capture.

9 THE REFITTED ENTERPRISE

Shortly after the destruction of the refitted Enterprise (and after Kirk and his crew helped save planet Earth), Starfleet presented a new Enterprise with the NCC-1701 A. Visually, this ship was basically the same as the previous one: the creative teams of these movies were still using the old models.

However, we’re giving the 1701-A an edge over the original because it would have benefited from having the most recent weapons and other tactical advantages. It also had a brand new style of warp core (the same style later used on the Enterprise-D ), which may give the ship another advantage in combat and pursuit.

8 THE ENTERPRISE-B

In man ways, the Enterprise-B is the ship we know the least. It only appeared at the beginning of Star Trek: Generations . However, during a crisis -- and with the help of Captain Kirk -- this Excelsior-class ship was able to demonstrate why it was more powerful than previous vessels to bear that name.

It was a running joke in the movie that this ship was missing several key components (all arriving “on Tuesday”), and that the ship setting out was basically a PR stunt. However, even missing these components, the Enterprise-B survived the reality-warping The Nexus and managed to save 47 people, including fan-favorite character, Guinan.

7 THE ENTERPRISE-C

The Enterprise-C had a unique design. It was an Ambassador-class ship, and we would rarely see this ship class again (at least, outside of Peter David’s amazing New Frontier novels). But thanks to Star Trek: The Next Generation , we know how important, and powerful, this ship really was.

In “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” we see this ship come through a time portal into the future. This ended up altering reality into an ongoing war between Starfleet and the Klingons. The ship is sent back through the portal into what was allegedly its doom with four Romulan warbirds attacking at once. Nonetheless, the ship seemingly survived the barrage because the Romulans took prisoners (including a reality-displaced Tasha Yar) back to their homeworld. Bottom line? It’s one tough ship.

6 THE KELVINVERSE

Next up is the Enterprise from the rebooted Star Trek movies. This ship is from a different universe (the Kelvinverse), but fans might be surprised to see it this high up on the list. After all, isn’t this basically the same ship from The Original Series?

In actuality, this is only the same ship when it comes to the general design. In terms of sheer size, this vessel is larger than any of the previous ones on this list, and it even rivals Captain Picard’s Enterprise-D . Aside from size, it seems to have power and endurance, as it survives attacking Nero’s stolen ship, which canonical comics tell us was outfitted with Borg weaponry and other scary weapons from nearly a hundred years in the future.

5 STAR TREK: BEYOND

As we said before, some of the ships on this list are ones we haven’t really seen in action. That means we had to have Mr. Data boot up the Sherlock Holmes program and help us brush up on our deductive skills. That’s what we did with this next ship, the Kelvinverse 1701-A.

We only really see this ship being built in the last few minutes of Star Trek: Beyond . That means we don’t know what all it can do in terms of strength and speed. However, it’s an updated and upgraded version of a ship that was already powerful, so we’re confident about its place on the list.

4 THE ENTERPRISE-D

Next is one of the most iconic ships on this list -- the Enterprise-D . Under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, we have seen this ship tested in a variety of ways and by a number of deadly foes. That’s why we feel confident about placing it so highly on the list.

This is basically the only ship that survived attacking the Borg when they first assaulted Earth. It has also survived encounters with giant crystals, hostile armies, and a malevolent, god-like being. It boasts powerful shields, strong engines, and top-of-the-line phasers and photon torpedoes, and as a tactical option, the saucer section can be separated, forcing enemies to suddenly fight a two-front war.

3 THE ENTERPRISE-E

As cool as the Enterprise-D was, it couldn’t last forever and after its destruction, it was replaced with a new ship in the Sovereign-class Enterprise-E . We see this ship for several movies, and that lets it firmly establish itself as the strongest Enterprise in this particular timeline and reality.

This ship personally led the charge in destroying a Borg cube when it attacked the Earth. Later, it was able to take out multiple enemy ships at once in The Briar Patch area of space. Finally, it is used to disable the giant Reman ship named the Scimitar in the most metal way: by ramming it! Ultimately, it’s helpful to have such a tough ship helmed by someone as tough as Captain Picard.

2 THE MODIFIED ENTERPRISE-D

Star Trek basically wrote the book on things like alternate timelines and altered realities. So, it’s not much of a surprise that one of the strongest ships on this list is from a future that will never happen. What is it? It’s the modified Enterprise-D that we see in the future timeline of “All Good Things.”

We know this ship has powerful engines -- after all, it’s got a third nacelle. We also know it’s strong, too as it’s able to take out a powerful Klingon vessel with a single shot. So, even though we don’t see this ship on-screen that much, we’re confident that it’s almost as tough as they come.

1 THE 1701-J

The show Enterprise was deliberately set in the past as a kind of prequel to Kirk’s adventures. Nonetheless, Captain Archer and crew often got involved in weird time adventures with foes from the future, and this meant getting a glimpse of the toughest Enterprise of all in the 1701-J.

Archer is actually taken onboard this ship by a Temporal Agent so he can get a glimpse of how the future could potentially change. There could be peace with the Xindi, or possibly endless war. As for the ship itself, it’s a Universe-class vessel that is from the 26th century -- its tech should blow everyone else out of the water!

All Versions of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek

• by Edidiong Abraham
• August 25, 2023

Not many starships have been the subject of fascination for audiences like the USS Enterprise when it comes to science fiction and space exploration.

This vessel has gone beyond its fictional origins to become a cultural phenomenon among cinephiles.

The inspiration for the different versions of the USS Enterprise cuts across various television series, films, books, and even video games . 

For over five decades, the starship has undergone many remarkable transformations.

It has continued to amaze fans with its evolving design, cutting-edge technology, and the diverse crews aboard.

Each of the different versions of the USS Enterprise represents a unique era and vision of the future. 

Its transformations from its origins in the 1960s to its latest incarnations reflect its creators’ ever-changing vision and fans’ evolving expectations.

Here are 11 versions of the USS Enterprise that have ignited the spirit of exploration that defines the fictional human space experience.

1. USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) holds a special place in the hearts of Star Trek fans.

It was introduced in the original Star Trek series that aired from 1966 to 1969. Captain James T. Kirk commanded this Constitution-class starship. 

The ship exemplifies the vision of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek.

It was designed with a saucer-shaped primary hull, twin warp nacelles, and lines in ways that were simply amazing.

Its elegant and functional aesthetics have influenced countless other spaceship designs in science fiction since its inception.

2. USS Enterprise-A (NCC-1701-A)

Following the events of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, this starship was commissioned as a replacement for its predecessor, the original USS Enterprise.

It is one of the versions of the USS Enterprise that has marveled at Trekkies worldwide due to its design and rich history.

One of the defining features of the Enterprise-A was its commitment to exploration and diplomacy. 

It could handle its challenges because it had advanced sensors, warp drives, and various defensive systems.

The ship’s saucer section and engineering hull design brought a feeling of adventure and unity among Star Trek enthusiasts.

However, it was the crew of the Enterprise-A that genuinely made the ship come to life through their chemistry and interactions on-screen.

3. USS Enterprise-B (NCC-1701-B)

Introduced in the 1994 film “Star Trek: Generations,” this version of the Enterprise has garnered both admiration and criticism from fans over the years.

It was the successor to the legendary Enterprise-D, commanded by Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

The Enterprise-B faced the daunting task of living up to its predecessor’s legacy and succeeded. 

Under the command of Captain John Harriman, the ship embarked on a maiden voyage that quickly turned into a rescue mission.

It was intended to save two transport ships caught in the energy ribbon known as the Nexus.

This unexpected event pushed Enterprise-B and its crew into a vital role in the film’s narrative.

4. USS Enterprise-C (NCC-1701-C)

The Enterprise-C represented a departure from the familiar USS Enterprise-D. It featured a more streamlined appearance.

Its primary hull maintained the classic saucer shape, while the engineering section and nacelles showcased a refined aesthetic.

This visually striking design heightened the anticipation surrounding the ship’s capabilities and mission.

What distinguished the Enterprise-C from other versions of the USS Enterprise was its role in the show’s time-travel storyline.

The ship accidentally traveled from the past to the future through a temporal rift, altering the timeline and creating a dystopian reality.

This narrative twist showcased the crew’s courage and explored the implications of sacrifice and duty.

5. USS Enterprise-D (NCC-1701-D)

The Enterprise-D was more of an exploration and diplomatic starship operated by Starfleet.

It was significantly more extensive and advanced than its predecessor, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) from the original “Star Trek” series.

The Enterprise-D was designed as a Galaxy-class starship, characterized by its saucer-shaped primary hull and two long nacelles.

Its mission was to explore new civilizations, seek out new life forms, and expand the knowledge of the United Federation of Planets.

It was equipped with advanced technology, including warp drive for faster-than-light travel, transporters for matter-energy transportation, and various scientific and diplomatic facilities.

6. USS Enterprise-E (NCC-1701-E)

The Enterprise-E debuted in “Star Trek: First Contact” and played a prominent role in subsequent Star Trek movies .

This incarnation of the Enterprise showcased a more streamlined and aggressive design, which reflected the changing times and the challenges faced by the Federation in a post-Dominion War era.

It is one of the versions of the USS Enterprise with powerful warp engines and advanced weaponry. 

Beyond its combat prowess, the Enterprise-E was also a platform for scientific discovery and diplomatic missions.

It carried out various exploratory ventures and fostered diplomatic relations with alien species.

The ship’s advanced sensors, laboratories, and holodecks provided tools for scientific research and cultural exchange.

7. USS Enterprise-F (NCC-1701-F)

The Enterprise-F embodied the height of Starfleet’s technological advancements.

It presented an aesthetically pleasing profile referencing its predecessors while embracing a contemporary vision.

Regarding capabilities, Enterprise-F pushed the boundaries of exploration and defense.

Its advanced warp propulsion systems allowed it to travel far distances in space with incredible speed.

Also, the ship’s weaponry systems allowed it to defend itself and its crew in the face of potential threats.

8. USS Enterprise-J (NCC-1701-J)

Visually, the Enterprise-J was different from its predecessors while retaining a sense of familiarity.

It is one of the versions of the USS Enterprise whose sweeping lines gave it elegance and functionality.

The ship’s size was huge, surpassing even the largest vessels from earlier eras. 

In the Star Trek story, the Enterprise-J proved humanity’s enduring commitment to exploration and diplomacy.

The ship is depicted as a critical player in the Temporal Cold War, a conflict spanning time and space.

Its presence in this conflict signifies the Federation’s role in preserving the integrity of the timeline and safeguarding the future.

9. USS Enterprise-G (NCC-1701-G)

As a flagship of the Federation, the Enterprise-G served as a symbol of unity and cooperation among diverse species and civilizations.

Its crew was carefully selected from the best and brightest minds in Starfleet.

They worked to foster interstellar relations and promote peaceful coexistence among different worlds.

During times of great difficulty, Enterprise-G ensured the safety of its crew by using its powerful weapons and defense mechanisms.

It was exceptionally formidable and represented the essence of curiosity and adventure.

10. USS Enterprise (XCV-330)

As one of the earliest iterations of the USS Enterprise, the XCV-330 represents the pioneering spirit of humanity’s first steps into the cosmos.

Launched during Earth’s pre-warp era, this experimental vessel laid the foundation for future starship designs.

Its appearance, combined with its characteristic saucer-shaped hull and streamlined design, served as a model. 

Although details about the XCV-330’s specific missions are scarce, it is widely believed to have been involved in charting new star systems, conducting scientific research, and establishing contact with alien civilizations.

Also, the ship’s advanced propulsion systems and cutting-edge technology were impressive for its time.

11. USS Enterprise (NX-01)

As Earth’s first warp 5-capable starship, it embarked on a significant exploration mission, paving the way for future deep space exploration.

Captain Jonathan Archer and his crew faced numerous challenges and enemies on this ship.

Their exploits aboard the NX-01 shaped the future of Starfleet and established diplomatic relations with various alien species.

The NX-01’s design is one of the versions of the USS Enterprise that testifies to the ingenuity of its creators.

It exudes a sense of purposeful efficiency due to its streamlined appearance.

Also, its advanced warp propulsion system and technology made it possible for the technological advancements that came later.

12. ISS Enterprise (NX-01)

The ISS Enterprise reflected a dark and ruthless reality where the Terran Empire reigned through oppressive forces across the galaxy.

It served as a symbol of power and dominance in the alternate universe. 

Its design and weaponry were tailored to enforce the iron-fisted rule of the Terran Empire.

The vessel combines the familiar saucer-shaped hull with menacing, aggressive accents, emphasizing its nature as a weapon of conquest rather than discovery.

Edidiong Abraham

Freelance Content Writer and Data Analyst

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Every Version Of The USS Enterprise Ranked Worst To Best

The name "USS Enterprise" has a long and storied history. Although two Enterprises briefly served the Colonial Forces and Continental Navy , the first true United States Navy vessel to bear the title came into service in 1799, followed by a schooner in 1831, a screw sloop-of-war in 1874, the 1938 Yorktown-class aircraft carrier that fought with distinction in World War II, and the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in 1961. But barely three years after that last ship was commissioned, Gene Roddenberry gave the name to a fictional spacecraft: the Federation starship USS Enterprise NCC-1701.

Prior to the original Enterprise boldly going to NBC in September 1966, you'd be hard-pressed to find a spaceship in film or on television that didn't look like a rocket, a flying saucer, or something cobbled together out of commercial model kits. Two years before "2001: A Space Odyssey" debuted, the starship Enterprise broke the mold, and science fiction hasn't been the same since.

The Star Trek spinoffs and reboots that arrived in the intervening decades have introduced many other starships named Enterprise, but how do they all stack up? Starships are more than a pretty face, so ranking them must take into account their demonstrated on-screen performance and special features in addition to their visual appeal. With that criteria in mind, here are all the main starships named Enterprise, ranked.

11. Enterprise J: Universe-class Pizza Cutter

Although this list won't include every Enterprise glimpsed in one-off alternate timelines, one deserves a mention because the episode in which it appears suggests that it's from a future that a hostile force wishes to prevent from happening, so we might assume that it's the timeline that's supposed to occur. That ship would be the 26th century's NCC-1701-J, which features briefly in the "Star Trek: Enterprise" episode "Azati Prime." That's the one where Captain Archer is shown a history-defining battle in order to convince him to change his course of action.

We see almost nothing of this ship — just a corridor and a window looking out on a swath of her underbelly. As the most briefly seen of all the Enterprises, we have effectively zero information about her capabilities, other than the fact that she fires beams that we presume are phasers. Our only on-screen clue to her overall configuration is a diagram that appears on a screen; from that, one can surmise that this supposed Universe-class starship is awkward and ugly, looking like it's been flattened by a steamroller a la Judge Doom in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" For all these reasons, she can only land in last place.

10. Enterprise 1701-B: The Hybrid

Throughout the first four seasons of "The Next Generation," a display in the Enterprise-D's observation lounge featured six vessels, each one representing a different Enterprise. Amongst these were an Excelsior-type ship that was presumably the 1701-B. However, it wasn't until 1994 and the film "Star Trek: Generations" that the B would actually appear on screen.

The 1701-B's single outing is brief and figuring out her capabilities is mere guesswork, as her cruise, already nothing more than a publicity stunt, is interrupted by an actual emergency for which the not-quite-fully outfitted vessel is ill-prepared.

What we can judge is the ship's appearance. We see next to nothing of the B's interiors, and the exterior is simply the USS Excelsior model with a few fresh modifications. In an attempt to make the Enterprise-B something new, the existing miniature had extra bits glommed on, most notably a pair of oversized impulse engine blisters that bracket the already large impulse deck, both foolishly aimed at the warp nacelles. Worse, to add something to the ship that could be visibly damaged without harming the model , a flared beltline was added to the B's hull, which utterly destroys the lines of the ship.

9. Enterprise 1701-C: The Compromised Class

The aforementioned display on the Enterprise-D suggested that the 1701-C would look like something between the Excelsior-class ship and the Galaxy-class Enterprise. In fact, as "The Next Generation" season 1 consulting senior illustrator Andrew Probert told Star Trek Futures , if he'd had his way, we would have seen a ship of the C's class (which he dubbed "Ambassador-class") appear as the USS Fearless in the episode "Where No One Has Gone Before." Probert was overruled, however, and stock footage of the Excelsior model was used instead.

When the 1701-C finally appeared in the third season episode "Yesterday's Enterprise," she wasn't quite the ship that Probert had imagined. In a rush to get a miniature built quickly, the ship's design was greatly simplified , and the engineering hull's compound curves eliminated for expediency. The result looks less like a progression from the B to the D, and more like it belongs between the A and the B.

Given how utterly beat up she is upon popping out of the space anomaly of the week, and since she's destined to be destroyed in order to set history straight, it's difficult to gauge the ship's capabilities. Again, that design is really all we have to go on.

8. Enterprise 1701-A: The Changeling

After the scuttling of the refit Enterprise in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," many fans expected that the replacement ship would be the "great experiment" known as the USS Excelsior, with her transwarp drive. The very end of "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" plays on that expectation, showing the Enterprise crew heading towards the Excelsior before pulling a gotcha and revealing an Enterprise identical to her late predecessor in every way but her registry: NCC-1701-A.

However, "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," which is often considered one of the worst films in the series , demonstrated that the A was a lemon and a joke. It was only in its sequel, "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," that her capabilities were demonstrated and her reputation redeemed.

The ship's interiors change drastically between the two films. The A has a "The Next Generation"-like aesthetic in "The Final Frontier," and feels like a cramped warship in "The Undiscovered Country." They're basically different ships. A mix of new sets and standing sets then in use for "The Next Generation" resulted in the mismatch; such inconsistencies in both performance and design merit her less than stellar position here.

7. Enterprise NX-01: The Early Bird

Unlike the other Enterprises discussed here, the NX-01's name was not preceded by the letters USS (United Space Ship), but that's not enough to leave her off this list.

If we were merely ranking these starships by their technological sophistication, the "Star Trek: Enterprise" flagship would land squarely at the bottom, being a veritable antique. Comparing her to even the original NCC-1701 would be like comparing the first Navy flattop to a modern supercarrier. However, taking into account the time in which the ship was built and the fact that she's merely a prototype, Captain Archer's Enterprise more than distinguishes herself.

As repeatedly demonstrated in the series' four seasons, the first Starfleet ship named Enterprise was tough and capable. Her interior detailing rests comfortably and logically between NASA's design sense and that of the Federation. The ship's exterior design isn't quite as good, and she doesn't have as many good angles as most of her fellow Enterprises. In addition, like the E, she suffers from looking terrible in profile, with an undistinguished silhouette.

6. Enterprise 1701-E: The Borg Buster

Following the ignominious destruction of the D in "Star Trek: Generations" and the trashing of the Enterprise's main bridge set for that film, a new ship had to be built for "Star Trek: First Contact." The result was the Sovereign-class Enterprise 1701-E, which would go on to star in "Star Trek: Insurrection" and "Star Trek: Nemesis."

In her three cinematic adventures, the E performs admirably, and avoids getting completely blown to bits despite facing vessels vastly more powerful and more numerous. "First Contact" features a lot of action, but, as is ever the case of the movie Enterprises, we never really get to see her function as an exploration vessel.

Appropriately, the ship's interiors eschew the hotel-like aspects of her predecessor in favor of a harder, less comfortable look. Externally, she was designed to look leaner and meaner than any other Enterprise, with angles and swept back elements suggesting a forward momentum. The result is a ship that looks great from above, behind, and a few other angles, but ungainly in others — her profile suggests that she's been stepped on. The design also suffers from one of the B's flaws: oversized impulse engines whose exhaust ports point too close to the warp nacelles.

5. Enterprise 1701: Kelvin Times

While it's supposedly the same ship each time, the Enterprise looks somewhat different in all three of the Kelvin timeline films (2009's "Star Trek," "Star Trek Into Darkness," and "Star Trek Beyond"); the "Beyond" variant in particular is a rather extensive overhaul. How much you like any of these rests on how big a fan of "ample nacelles" you are, but as a cohesive design they're all a bit of a miss, with a saucer section that appears mismatched with the rest of the ship, an engineering hull that's too far forward, and nacelles that are too close together.

On the other hand, the interiors are gorgeous and roomy with plenty of points of visual interest. You might hate the brewery-like engineering spaces featured in the first film and think the bridge looks like an Apple Store (it doesn't), but the designs are fantastic. overall.

How good this Enterprise is as a functioning starship remains questionable, however, as she gets thrashed repeatedly in all three films, and is ultimately chopped to bits and replaced by a briefly glimpsed A of her own in the closing moments of "Beyond."

4. Pike's Enterprise 1701: Strange New Starship

"Strange New Worlds" revised the Pike-era Enterprise NCC-1701, which was first introduced in its current form on "Star Trek: Discovery." That ship had a thankless job: It needed to satisfy old school fans, who expected a ship that honored the original '60s model, while also featuring a more modern design to satiate newer viewers. As such, she harkens back to both the Enterprise of "The Original Series" and the refitted version from "The Motion Picture." The spinning nacelle caps and copper deflector dish come from the former, and the swept back pylons and glowing engine grills recall the latter. She's a handsome ship both inside and out, with detailed, roomy interiors that rank up there with the Kelvin timeline's Enterprise in terms of design and visual appeal.

Sadly, Pike's vessel seems to have a glass jaw, getting repeatedly beaten up in the first season. Her reach is apparently worse than an old U.S. Navy battleship's, too, as objects that are visible in the same shot are somehow "out of weapons range." Season two of "Strange New Worlds" should clarify how good of a ship this Enterprise ultimately is. Let's hope she learns how to take a punch.

3. The Refit Enterprise 1701: The Pearlescent Beauty

The redesigned Enterprise from "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" is, in a word, gorgeous. From her subtle curves and art deco influences to her spectacular pearlescent finish, she's a great looking ship.

Sadly, she doesn't age gracefully in the two following films. She's scarred in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," and is inexplicably even more battered at the beginning of "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock." That "Motion Picture" shine literally fades away to a flatter look throughout the second film, likely because of a change in visual effects companies and a dulling down of her paintjob. By the third film she's lost her luster, and then she's blown to smithereens.

Still by the end of that first movie, the refit ship feels ready for any adventure. Her shields are capable of withstanding the V'ger energy bolts that chew up Klingon ships in seconds, and she can torpedo mountain-sized asteroids into rubble with a single shot. Her capabilities diminish in the next two installments, though; were she not treated like a tired old punching bag in those films, she'd be number two on this list.

2. Enterprise 1701-D: The Galaxy Class Swoop

Fans are sharply divided on the Galaxy-class NCC-1701-D. Some think she's awkward and ungainly, while others argue that she's the embodiment of "technology unchained." The D stands out among other Enterprises like a Luigi Colani car in a parking lot full of Toyotas: If nothing else, it's distinctive. Of all Enterprises, she's the most carefully thought out in terms of features, from her transporter emitters to her escape pods to her ability to split into two independent vehicles.

One problem with ranking this ship's visual appeal is that the two main models used to portray it are fairly dissimilar, with the smaller one making it look like the ship has been binging Cheetos. The original 6-foot miniature is an A+, but the fatter 4-footer is a B-. Whichever model you're looking at, however, the main visual sin this Enterprise commits is a saucer that's so big that it can entirely hide the rest of the ship, making high forward angles a no-no. The ship's interiors are a mixed bag, too — some fans complain that it feels too much like a hotel or a cruise ship, and not an interstellar vessel built to boldly go into the final frontier.

1. Enterprise 1701: The Original

Polls indicate that "The Original Series" is still the most popular Star Trek show . Accordingly, the OG USS Enterprise belongs at the top of this list.

Despite her vintage, the original 1701 is a badass. She always manages to go faster than she's designed to without flying apart. She's capable of glassing a planet's surface ("A Taste of Armageddon"), and blowing an unshielded starship to dust with a single phaser blast ("Day of the Dove"). She survives galaxy-enveloping energy barriers and antimatter-spewing planet killers, and always comes out on top.

Visually, interiors are her weak point, even making allowances for a '60s series. Outside of the bridge, the cabins, and engineering, too many corridors and compartments are visually flat and feel unlived in. Externally, she might look simple to audiences accustomed to heavily textured hulls with complex curvatures, but the genius of her design is in her simplicity; she combines familiar icons of space travel — rockets and flying saucers — in a fashion that instantly tells you that not only is this is a spacecraft, but it's one intended to operate entirely outside of the confines of atmosphere and gravity. That, along with a paint job that resembles a Navy cruiser, communicates what she is at a glance. That's brilliant, and why the original Enterprise is still number one.

USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)

• View history

The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) was a Federation Galaxy -class starship operated by Starfleet , and the fifth Federation vessel to bear the name . The Enterprise served from 2363 to 2371 as the Federation flagship , under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard . Following the ship's destruction at Veridian III , it was rebuilt as a museum ship , and was briefly brought back into service to counter a Borg threat in 2401 .

• 1.1 Construction and launch
• 1.2 Picard's eight-year mission
• 1.3 Destruction
• 1.4 Reconstruction
• 1.5 Emergency return to action
• 1.6 Final retirement
• 3 List of first contacts
• 4.1 Physical arrangement
• 4.2 Weaponry
• 4.3 Operations
• 4.4 Shipboard life
• 4.5 Ship's directory
• 5.1 Commanding officers
• 5.2 Command crew
• 6.1 Encounter with an energy vortex
• 6.2 Encounter with the Enterprise -C
• 6.3 Crusher's static warp bubble
• 6.4 Barash’s simulation – Captain Riker
• 6.5 Quantum fissure encounter
• 6.6 Anti-time eruption
• 6.7 Destruction at Veridian III
• 7.1 Appearances
• 7.2 Background information
• 7.3.1 Reference manuals
• 7.3.2 Games
• 7.3.3 Attractions
• 7.4 External links

Service history [ ]

Construction and launch [ ].

Enterprise at Earth Station McKinley

The Enterprise was built at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards orbiting Mars in the Sol system . The construction was a massive undertaking, involving thousands of people across disciplines. ( TNG : " Booby Trap ", " Eye of the Beholder ") Construction was supervised by Commander Quinteros . ( TNG : " 11001001 ") Dr. Leah Brahms was responsible for much of the Enterprise 's warp propulsion system design. ( TNG : " Booby Trap ", " Galaxy's Child ") Some of the Enterprise 's components were derived from technology originally developed on the USS Pegasus . ( TNG : " The Pegasus ") In an alternate timeline , the Enterprise was the first Galaxy -class warship constructed. ( TNG : " Yesterday's Enterprise ")

One of the ship's nacelle tubes was the site of a multiple murder - suicide while it was still under construction at Utopia Planitia. A member of the construction team, Walter Pierce , became jealous of a former lover's new relationship. He killed the two officers, Marla Finn and William Hodges , then disposed of their bodies in the plasma stream . Pierce committed suicide in the same manner, leaving a telepathic imprint in a bulkhead that was not discovered until 2370 . ( TNG : " Eye of the Beholder ")

On stardate 40759.5, in the year 2363 , the Enterprise was launched from Mars. ( Enterprise -D dedication plaque, second version ) On stardate 41025.5, the Enterprise was commissioned. ( Enterprise -D dedication plaque, first version )

Final systems completion and shakedown was conducted at Earth Station McKinley . Captain Jean-Luc Picard took command of the ship on stardate 41148 at the order of Rear Admiral Norah Satie . ( TNG : " All Good Things... ")

Picard's eight-year mission [ ]

In orbit of a red giant star

The Enterprise -D made first official contact with a number of species ( see below ).

While fleeing from the entity known as Q ; the Enterprise conducted the first high-warp (warp 9.6) saucer separation . ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ") The Traveler used the energy of his thoughts to move the Enterprise to a galaxy known as M-33 at a speed greater than warp 10 . A subsequent use of the warp drive by the Traveler propelled the Enterprise to the end of the universe at a speed that, according to the ship's instruments, never exceeded warp 1.5. ( TNG : " Where No One Has Gone Before ")

The Enterprise received a computer refit in 2364 . ( TNG : " Datalore ")

Arriving at the end of the universe

Later in 2364, the Enterprise was hijacked from Starbase 74 by the Bynars . They intended to use the ship to repair the damaged computer on their homeworld . The Enterprise was returned to Captain Picard's control following the incident, and the Bynars freely accepted the consequences of their actions. ( TNG : " 11001001 ")

During its first encounter with the Borg , Sections 27, 28, and 29 on Decks 4, 5, and 6 were removed for analysis by the Borg. Eighteen people were killed. ( TNG : " Q Who ")

In 2366 , the Enterprise had traveled about ten thousand light years . ( TNG : " Booby Trap ")

During the Borg incursion of 2366 and 2367 , the Enterprise suffered heavy damage. Deck 36, including main engineering, was decompressed after a cutting beam damaged the engineering hull , killing at least eleven, and possibly eight more. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ")

Undergoing repairs at Earth

The main deflector dish was transformed into a last-ditch energy weapon, which failed due to the assimilated knowledge of Captain Picard. In the attempt, the deflector and warp core were overloaded, while several decks were flooded with radiation .

Later, the saucer module sustained damage to its impulse drive and Decks 23 through 25 were sliced open by the enemy during the final battle over Earth . ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ") The extent of the damage required a full refit at Earth Station McKinley, which lasted five to six weeks. ( TNG : " Family ")

During that refit, the starship received a phaser upgrade as well as full damage repair and a new dilithium chamber hatch . The hatch malfunctioned later that year, causing extensive damage to the warp core. Although Romulan sabotage was initially suspected, it was later learned that undetected flaws in the hatch were responsible. ( TNG : " The Drumhead ")

The Enterprise was the command ship in Captain Picard's ad hoc armada which blockaded Romulan assistance to the House of Duras during the Klingon Civil War . It coordinated a tachyon detection grid which was used to detect cloaked Romulan ships from crossing the border. ( TNG : " Redemption II ")

The ship struck a quantum filament in early 2368 , causing a loss of all power aboard ship and severe damage to most systems. Antimatter containment was nearly compromised; fortunately, repairs were made before the ship was destroyed. ( TNG : " Disaster ")

Also in 2368, the Enterprise was trapped in a temporal causality loop near the Typhon Expanse . Each cycle ended in a catastrophic collision with the USS Bozeman , destroying both ships. Feelings of déjà vu allowed the Enterprise crew to gather clues which allowed them to send a message into the next loop and avoid the collision. The ship spent a total of 17.4 days repeating the same interval of time. ( TNG : " Cause And Effect ")

On a mission to Ligos VII , the Enterprise was attacked by two Klingon Bird-of-Prey starships under the command of the Ferengi DaiMon Lurin . The surprise attack allowed Lurin and his men to successfully hijack the Enterprise. Forcing its crew to transport to the surface of Ligos VII for slave labor , Lurin had planned to sell the Enterprise to the Romulans, however, his plans were thwarted by a group of crewmembers who had temporarily been transformed into children due to a transporter malfunction. ( TNG : " Rascals ")

The Enterprise at Deep Space 9

The Enterprise was one of the first Starfleet vessels to dock at the newly-commissioned Deep Space 9 , where it offloaded most of the station's Starfleet contingent, and its first complement of Danube -class runabouts . The Enterprise departed the station and heading to the Lapolis system . ( DS9 : " Emissary ") Several weeks later, the Enterprise returned to Deep Space 9 to help repair the Bajoran aqueduct systems that had been damaged during the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor . ( TNG : " Birthright, Part I ", " Birthright, Part II ")

The Enterprise underwent its first baryon sweep at the Remmler Array in 2369 . A stronger field was needed due to the Enterprise 's heavy use of warp drive. During the sweep, a mercenary group nearly stole dangerous trilithium resin from the warp core, but was thwarted by the Enterprise senior staff . ( TNG : " Starship Mine ")

One of the most important discoveries in the history of the Federation was made aboard the Enterprise -D. Its crew pieced together Dr. Galen 's final research to decipher a message from the ancient humanoids , the first humanoid species in the Milky Way Galaxy . ( TNG : " The Chase ")

Late in 2369 , the Enterprise was damaged while rescuing the crew of a Romulan warbird , whose artificial quantum singularity warp core had been colonized by lifeforms which mistook it for a genuine quantum singularity, causing severe disruptions in space - time .

The Enterprise was destroyed due to feedback from a power transfer beam , which was killing the lifeforms' young. Fortunately, four Enterprise crewmembers were returning to the ship at the time and were able to avert the Enterprise 's destruction and save the Romulan crew. ( TNG : " Timescape ")

The Enterprise at Qualor II

A new warp core was tested aboard the Enterprise in early 2370 . The core was installed at Starbase 84 ; several points of the power transfer conduits were replaced as well.

The core and the conduits had been manufactured on Thanatos VII using interphase technology, attracting interphasic organisms which attached themselves to the crew and began to digest their cellular structures . An interphasic pulse was successful in destroying the creatures. ( TNG : " Phantasms ")

Also during 2370, Commander La Forge engaged in a friendly contest with Donald Kaplan , chief engineer of the USS Intrepid . They competed to have the best power conversion rates in the fleet, with the Enterprise frequently beating out the Intrepid . ( TNG : " Force of Nature ")

The Enterprise became one of the few Federation ships to use a cloaking device in 2370, and perhaps the first to successfully use a phasing cloak . It had been retrieved from the wreckage of the USS Pegasus and was installed aboard the Enterprise to allow it to pass through an asteroid after a Romulan vessel sealed the ship inside. ( TNG : " The Pegasus ")

Investigating the asteroid field in 2370

While investigating a rogue comet in 2370, the Enterprise stumbled upon an archive of the lost D'Arsay civilization. The archive trapped the ship and used matter and DNA aboard to create artifacts from the D'Arsay culture. The Enterprise was later returned to normal. ( TNG : " Masks ")

Lieutenant Worf supervised an upgrade of the Enterprise 's weapons systems in late 2370. The tests were interrupted after the ship was ravaged by Barclay's Protomorphosis Syndrome . ( TNG : " Genesis ")

At some unspecified point in 2370, the Enterprise -D docked at Deep Space 9, where some of the crew went on shore leave , and Lieutenant Jadzia Dax staked Commander Riker three strips of gold-pressed latinum when Riker's winning-streak ran dry at Quark's . Riker would later contact Quark and trade his unclaimed winnings for information on the Duras sisters. ( TNG : " Firstborn "; DS9 : " Defiant ")

The Enterprise temporarily became sentient in 2370 when an emergent lifeform used the ship's systems to reproduce. ( TNG : " Emergence ")

When Miles O'Brien , one of the ship's former transporter chiefs , was captured by the Cardassians in late 2370, the Enterprise along with Prokofiev , and Valdemar were sent to patrol the Demilitarized Zone as a warning to the Cardassian government . ( DS9 : " Tribunal ")

The Enterprise in 2371

In early 2371 , the Enterprise received a number of refits to its internal spaces. Color and lighting schemes were slightly altered, and the bridge inherited a number of new consoles on the port and starboard sides. There were now four science stations , three along the starboard wall and one at the starboard side of the aft stations. Mission Ops was now the second station, followed by environmental control . Two engineering stations rounded out the aft area, while three communications stations were present along the port wall.

The Enterprise -D arrives at Amargosa

In addition, the main floor (where the captain's, executive officer's, and guest's chairs were) was slightly raised, and a chair was placed at the tactical station for the chief of security to sit while manning that console.

Later that year, the Enterprise picked up a distress call from the observatory in the Amargosa system . An away team led by Commander Riker found that the station had been attacked by Romulans, they also found an injured Doctor Tolian Soran buried among the wreckage. After analyzing the Romulan tricorder , they discovered the Romulans were looking for trilithium . Back on the station, Data and La Forge discovered a secret lab filled with solar probes when they are attacked by Soran. Soran then launched a solar probe that destroyed the Amargosa star, producing a level-12 shock wave , after rescuing Data, the Enterprise left the system as the observatory was destroyed.

The Enterprise in orbit of Veridian III

After talking with Guinan about Soran and the Nexus , Picard met with Data in Stellar cartography , where they discovered that Soran was altering the course of the energy ribbon. Picard determined Soran was heading for the Veridian system and ordered Worf to set course at maximum warp. The Enterprise arrived at Veridian III and intercepted a renegade Klingon Bird-of-Prey commanded by the Duras sisters. The Klingons agreed to a "prisoner exchange" for La Forge, taking Picard in his place and allowing him to beam to Soran's location somewhere on the planet's surface. ( Star Trek Generations )

Destruction [ ]

However, an subsequent engagement with the Bird-of-Prey resulted in extensive damage to the Enterprise . The ship's magnetic interlocks were ruptured, and before efforts could be made to repair them, a coolant leak began, leading to an unavoidable warp core breach .

The Enterprise 's stardrive section is destroyed

Faced with this scenario, Commander Riker ordered the evacuation of the crew from the secondary hull to the saucer section . Once the evacuation had been completed, the saucer could separate and get to a safe distance before the stardrive section was destroyed by the core breach. La Forge and Dr. Crusher oversaw the evacuations of their respective departments and completed it with a minute to spare. The saucer's impulse engines were engaged as soon as it cleared the secondary hull, but the saucer was unable to get to a safe distance before the core breached. The explosion produced a ion shock wave that disabled the entire saucer section and propelled it into a degrading orbit of Veridian III, forcing the saucer section into the planet's atmosphere .

The saucer section of the Enterprise grinds to a halt on Veridian III

With the saucer hurtling towards the surface of the planet, Data managed to reroute the auxiliary systems to the lateral thrusters and thereby restore thruster control to level out their descent. Moments later, the saucer crash-landed into a jungle on the planet's surface, flattening many trees as it came to rest. Owing to the relatively safe landing, casualties on the Enterprise were minimal. Unfortunately, the severe damage sustained by the primary hull in the battle and subsequent crash landing apparently rendered the ship unsalvageable. The ship's crew was rescued by three Starfleet vessels, including the Nebula -class USS Farragut , an Oberth -class ship , and a Miranda -class ship . ( Star Trek Generations )

Reconstruction [ ]

Due to Prime Directive concerns, the crashed saucer section was recovered and transported to the Fleet Museum . Upon taking stewardship of the Museum, Commodore Geordi La Forge spent twenty years restoring the ship to its original condition in Hangar Bay 12, forgoing her last refits from 2371, and using parts from the USS Syracuse to rebuild the secondary hull . He also repaired the extensive damage to the saucer section from the crash, with only cosmetic damage to the outer hull remaining. By Frontier Day in 2401 , the Enterprise -D was an operational starship once again, aside from some lingering issues that La Forge had yet to address. ( PIC : " The Star Gazer " commemorative plaque ; PIC : " Võx ")

Emergency return to action [ ]

In 2401 , when Picard came to the Fleet Museum in search of Geordi La Forge 's help with rescuing an away team from Daystrom Station , La Forge's daughter Alandra discreetly suggested using the Enterprise for the mission, but he instantly shot the idea down. Instead, Picard's son Jack Crusher and La Forge's other daughter Sidney stole the cloaking device from the HMS Bounty . ( PIC : " The Bounty ")

The crew standing on the restored bridge of the Enterprise -D

The Enterprise -D returns to service

On Frontier Day , La Forge revealed the Enterprise to the rest of its old command crew when they needed a ship not linked to the Starfleet mainframe , which had been used by the Borg to take over the Federation fleet. The ship was functional, barring some lingering issues. With the ship's computer identifying him as Captain Picard due to the long-outdated crew manifest , Picard jokingly accepted a field demotion to command the Enterprise again. ( PIC : " Võx ")

Picking up a distress call from President Anton Chekov , it was quickly determined that the Enterprise was the only help that was coming for Earth. Deducing that the Borg had to be close, the Enterprise located a Borg cube hiding in Jupiter 's Great Red Spot broadcasting the Borg Collective 's command signal - Jack Crusher. Data quickly determined the cube to only be 36% operational as most of its resources were being used to broadcast the signal. After detecting the Enterprise , the cube lowered its shields and redirected its weapons in an invitation. Deducing that there was a beacon transmitting the signal across the solar system, Picard, Riker and Worf beamed aboard to find Jack and the coordinates for the beacon so that the Enterprise could target it while La Forge, Doctor Crusher, Counselor Troi and Data remained on the ship to help guide them.

As Riker and Worf located the beacon, the cube opened fire on the Enterprise , but Crusher, displaying the accumulated skill of the past twenty years, was able to manually target the ship's weapons to take out the cube's defensive turrets. The information recovered by the away team revealed the beacon to be at the very heart of the cube, a location statistically impossible for even the best computer or pilot to reach.

The USS Enterprise -D escaping Jupiter with Jack Crusher following the destruction of the Borg Collective and the Borg Queen.

However, at Data's insistence, La Forge allowed him to fly the Enterprise through the cube's superstructure, with Crusher firing at any targets of opportunity that emerged along the ship's flight path. The ship eventually reached the beacon, which was discovered to be interfaced into the very substructure of the ship; its destruction would trigger a cataclysmic chain reaction that would destroy the Borg cube, and everyone on it.

The USS Enterprise -D and the USS Titan -A returning to Earth following their victory over the Borg.

The Enterprise hit the beacon with multiple phaser blasts and photon torpedos , destroying it and causing the cube to be consumed by a series of explosions. After Troi telepathically sensed her husband's farewell, she was able to fly the Enterprise over the away team's position and beam them out just in time. The Borg cube was destroyed, ending the Borg threat forever and breaking the Borg's control over Starfleet. As everyone celebrated, Picard welcomed his son to the Enterprise . ( PIC : " The Last Generation ")

Final retirement [ ]

The USS Enterprise -D was officially restored and took her place in the Fleet Museum.

After the battle at Jupiter, the Enterprise was returned to the Fleet Museum and her restoration continued (along with repairs). By 2402 the work was completed and she was put on display in a place of honor between the USS Enterprise -A and the USS Stargazer . Picard, La Forge and Riker reminisced on her bridge about the old ship, the number of times that she had managed to save the world and how it was difficult to imagine what they might've been without her. La Forge ordered the computer to initiate the shutdown procedure and promised to take good care of the Enterprise as "after all, she's always taken good care of us."

Soon afterwards, the USS Titan -A was rechristened the USS Enterprise -G in honor of the Enterprise -D and the heroic actions of her command crew. ( PIC : " The Last Generation ")

Commander Riker was upset over the loss of the Enterprise . Having hoped he would one day command the ship, he was disappointed that he never got that opportunity. However, Picard expressed doubt that the Enterprise -D would be the last vessel to carry the name. ( Star Trek Generations )

The Enterprise was so dear to Worf that, shortly after being reassigned to Deep Space 9 in 2372 , he briefly considered resigning from Starfleet . Station commander Captain Benjamin Sisko expressed regret on the loss of the Enterprise and offered his condolences over the destruction of the ship to Worf, saying the Enterprise "was a good ship." ( DS9 : " The Way of the Warrior ")

Picard dreams of the Enterprise -D in flight

Captain Picard's belief that the Enterprise -D would not be the final ship to bear the name was borne out with the christening of the Sovereign -class USS Enterprise -E in 2372. In that instance, the legacy of the Enterprise continued with Picard reprising his role as CO and selecting most of the former crew from the Enterprise -D, with the notable exception of Worf due to his recent assignment to DS9.

A gold model of the Enterprise -D was kept in a display case in the observation lounge of the Enterprise -E. Picard later destroyed it with a phaser rife in the fit of rage while discussing the Borg assimilation of the Enterprise -E with Lily Sloane . It was the image of the broken Enterprise -D model that helped convince Picard to set the auto-destruct sequence and abandon ship rather than be destroyed by his need for revenge against the Borg. ( Star Trek: First Contact )

Following a mission on Karzill IV in 2381 , Riker commented to Lieutenant Brad Boimler on how much he missed the exploration and scientific exploits of the Enterprise -D compared to the "non-stop fighting" he experienced as captain of the USS Titan . He advised Boimler to enjoy his reassignment to the USS Cerritos similarly to his time on the Enterprise. ( LD : , " Kayshon, His Eyes Open ")

The Enterprise -D served as the setting for a late-24th century version of the Kobayashi Maru scenario among the USS Protostar 's training programs. In 2383 , Dal R'El attempted the scenario numerous times before learning its lesson. ( PRO : " Kobayashi ")

In 2383 , Hologram Janeway showed the young crew of the USS Protostar an image of the Enterprise -D while explaining the history of the Federation and Starfleet to them. ( PRO : " Starstruck ")

Picard's dream of the Enterprise -D

In 2399 , Picard, sleeping at Château Picard in France , had a dream that he was in Ten Forward with Data on the Enterprise -D, playing a game of Poker . Nearing the end of the game, he stalled Data as best he could because he did not want the game to be over. They were seated at a table directly next to a window , which allowed Picard to notice Mars outside. He didn't realize that the Enterprise was on course for Mars, so this surprised him. He then watched as the entire planet exploded , engulfing the Enterprise as well, causing Picard to awaken from his dream. ( PIC : " Remembrance ")

Later that same year, a hologram of the Enterprise was displayed in the atrium of the CNC's office at Starfleet Headquarters . ( PIC : " Maps and Legends ")

By 2401 , the Enterprise -D was depicted on a commemorative plaque alongside other historic ships at Starfleet Academy . ( PIC : " The Star Gazer ")

Later that year, in preparation for Frontier Day , Guinan began selling models of the various starship Enterprise s, including the Enterprise -D at 10 Forward Avenue . However, much to Riker's chagrin, the Enterprise -D models proved to be unpopular, being seen as "the fat one". ( PIC : " The Next Generation ")

List of first contacts [ ]

In most cases, the date indicated is the first time open communication was initiated with at least one member of the species. Otherwise, it is the first known contact with the species.

• The Aldeans ( TNG : " When The Bough Breaks ")
• Armus ( TNG : " Skin Of Evil ")
• The Beta Renner cloud ( TNG : " Lonely Among Us ")
• The Crystalline Entity ( TNG : " Datalore ", " Silicon Avatar ")
• The Edo ( TNG : " Justice ")
• The Farpoint Station entities ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ")
• The Ferengi ( TNG : " The Last Outpost ")
• Microbrain ( TNG : " Home Soil ")
• The parasitic beings ( TNG : " Conspiracy ")
• The Q Continuum ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ")
• The Borg ( TNG : " Q Who ")
• Nagilum ( TNG : " Where Silence Has Lease ")
• Ian Andrew Troi, Jr. ( TNG : " The Child ")
• The nanite civilization ( TNG : " Evolution ")
• The Douwd ( TNG : " The Survivors ")
• The Mintakans ( TNG : " Who Watches The Watchers ")
• Gomtuu ( TNG : " Tin Man ")
• Koinonian energy being ( TNG : " The Bonding ")
• The Zalkonians ( TNG : " Transfigurations ")
• The Cytherians ( TNG : " The Nth Degree ")
• The Malcorians ( TNG : " First Contact ")
• The Enterprise -D also encountered the Paxans in 2367, but all recollection of that encounter was erased from the memories of the entire crew except for Data as well as from the ship's logs. ( TNG : " Clues ")
• First successful establishment of two-way communication. Actual first contact had occurred at least one century earlier.
• FGC 47 lifeforms ( TNG : " Imaginary Friend ")
• Criminals from Ux-Mal composed of anionic energy ( TNG : " Power Play ")
• The exocomps ( TNG : " The Quality of Life ")
• The quantum singularity lifeforms ( TNG : " Timescape ")
• The Solanogen-based lifeforms ( TNG : " Schisms ")
• The Boraalans ( TNG : " Homeward ")
• Emergent lifeform ( TNG : " Emergence ")

Technical data [ ]

Physical arrangement [ ].

The Enterprise -D at warp

With a total of 42 decks, the USS Enterprise -D was twice the length and had eight times the interior space of the Constitution -class ships of over a century earlier ( TNG : " Yesterday's Enterprise ") it carried a combined crew and passenger load of 1,014. ( TNG : " Remember Me ", " Rascals ", " Genesis ")

The bridge , captain's ready room , and conference lounge were on Deck 1, and were protected by redundant safety interlocks to prevent environmental systems failure. ( TNG : " Brothers ")

The main shuttlebay was on Deck 4, supported by several cargo bays on Deck 4 and Deck 18. ( TNG : " Power Play ", " Schisms ") Two additional shuttlebays were found on Deck 13. ( TNG : " The Next Phase ")

The secondary hull or stardrive section following a saucer separation

Deck 8 of the ship was an unfinished multipurpose deck. Additional workspaces were set there when needed. ( TNG : " Liaisons ") It also contained the officers' quarters, some guest quarters, and the battle bridge . ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ", " Reunion ")

Deck 12 contained sickbay and the gymnasium , ( TNG : " Remember Me ", " The Icarus Factor ") while main engineering was located on Deck 36. ( TNG : " The Hunted ", " The Game ") Engineering took up twelve decks of the secondary hull , with the antimatter storage pods housed on Deck 42. ( TNG : " Liaisons ") There was a science section on deck 15. ( TNG : " In Theory ")

The primary docking ports were located on either side of the torpedo launcher on Deck 25; ( TNG : " 11001001 ") the nacelle control room was also on that deck. ( TNG : " Eye of the Beholder ") According to Lieutenant Commander Nella Daren , the most acoustically perfect spot on the ship was the fourth intersect of Jefferies tube 25. The intersection formed a resonance chamber for the sound compression waves. ( TNG : " Lessons ")

The ventral aft section

The aft section

The Enterprise had a maximum sustainable speed of warp 9.6 for twelve hours . ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ")

The warp core could generate a tremendous amount of energy at once if needed; the only device on the ship capable of channeling such energy all at once, at controlled frequencies, was the main deflector dish. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ") There were some four thousand power systems in all on board the ship. It also had twenty transporter rooms, with at least one on deck 6. ( TNG : " 11001001 ", " Hollow Pursuits ", " Ménage à Troi ")

Weaponry [ ]

The armaments of the Enterprise -D included twelve phaser arrays , two torpedo launchers , a supply of 250 photon torpedoes , and hundreds of antimatter mines . The ship was protected by a high-capacity shield grid that could operate on multiple frequencies. When the ship was destroyed in 2371, the shield frequency was at 257.4 MHz. ( TNG : " Half a Life ", " Conundrum ", " Chain Of Command, Part II "; Star Trek Generations )

While on the rebuilt Enterprise in 2401, then-Captain Worf noted how he preferred the weaponry aboard its successor ship. ( PIC : " Võx ")

Operations [ ]

The bulk of the people on board the Enterprise could be evacuated within four minutes. This was executed at Starbase 74 during 2364 . ( TNG : " 11001001 ")

During emergency situations, certain large but protected areas of the ship were designated emergency shelters , including Ten Forward . Collectively, they could hold all the ship's crew and were designed so that the crew could reach one of the areas quickly. In 2367, while caught in a Tyken's Rift , the crew were ordered to these areas in order to get extra power from life support in non-shelter areas. ( TNG : " Night Terrors ")

Shipboard life [ ]

In 2367, an average day aboard ship recorded by Lieutenant Commander Data included four birthdays, two personnel transfers, two chess tournaments, a secondary school play, four promotions, and at least one birth. ( TNG : " Data's Day ")

The Enterprise normally ran on three duty shifts . ( TNG : " Lower Decks ") Increasing to four duty shifts caused many personnel scheduling problems, as observed when Captain Jellico ordered a change during his tenure in 2369 . ( TNG : " Chain Of Command, Part I ")

Crewmembers of ensign rank were required to share crew quarters but were allowed their own quarters upon promotion to lieutenant junior grade . ( TNG : " Lower Decks ") Families often shared quarters. ( TNG : " Lonely Among Us ", " When The Bough Breaks ", " Imaginary Friend ", " A Fistful of Datas ", " Journey's End ")

The Enterprise had five day care centers and at least seven classrooms . ( LD : " Kayshon, His Eyes Open ", TNG : " Rascals ")

Ten Forward , located at the extreme forward of Deck 10 in the saucer section, was the center of the ship's social activity; nearly everyone on board passed through the lounge at one time or another. ( TNG : " The Child ", " The Offspring ") Holodecks located on Deck 10 and Deck 12 also provided entertainment for the crew. ( TNG : " The Big Goodbye ", " Homeward ")

Ship's directory [ ]

• Room 2713: Lieutenant Worf 's quarters, 2370 ( TNG : " Parallels ")
• Room 3653: Lieutenant Commander Data 's quarters , 2370 ( TNG : " Masks ")
• Section 19, Room 1947: Lieutenant Edward Hagler 's quarters ( TNG : " Schisms ")
• Section 25 Baker, Room: Lieutenant Worf's quarters, 2369 ( TNG : " Rightful Heir ")
• Room 0910: Commander Deanna Troi 's quarters, 2368 - 2370 ( TNG : " Violations ", " Genesis ")
• Room 0912: Commander William T. Riker 's quarters ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ", " Chain Of Command, Part II ")
• Room 2133: Commander Beverly Crusher 's quarters, 2370 ( TNG : " Sub Rosa ")
• Room 3402: Counselor Deanna Troi's office ( TNG : " The Price ")
• Section 4, Room 4711: Lieutenant Ro Laren 's quarters, 2370 ( TNG : " Preemptive Strike ")
• Marla Aster and Jeremy Aster 's quarters, 2366 ( TNG : " The Bonding ")
• Room 0910: Counselor Deanna Troi's quarters, 2366 ( TNG : " The Price ")
• Room 0929: Ensign Maddy Calloway 's quarters ( TNG : " Eye of the Beholder ")
• Room 3601: Captain Jean-Luc Picard 's quarters ( TNG : " Allegiance ")
• Section 28: Commander Beverly Crusher's quarters, 2368 ( TNG : " Cause And Effect ")

As of 2366, some thirteen species were represented among the 1,014 members of the ship's complement , at that time including Betazoid , Klingon, El-Aurian , Vulcan , and Human . ( TNG : " Remember Me ", " Reunion ") Over the course of its mission, crew species included Bolian , Benzite , Bajoran , Napean , and an android . When Lal was considering an Andorian form, Troi told her that she would be alone, meaning there were no Andorians or at least no Andorian females on the ship then. ( TNG : " The Offspring ") As of 2369, there were seventeen crew members from non-Federation worlds. ( TNG : " The Chase ") The ship also carried dolphins . ( TNG : " The Perfect Mate ")

Beverly Crusher said there were supposed to be at least four people on duty in sickbay at all times. ( TNG : " Remember Me ")

Although Starfleet crewmembers staffed the vital positions on board the Enterprise , civilian crewmembers were allowed to hold important jobs in the ship's science and medical departments, as well as support areas like Ten Forward and the ship's school or the arboretum. ( TNG : " Night Terrors ", " Hero Worship ", " Ethics ") The Enterprise included children among the civilians on board, a concept which was not initially embraced by Captain Picard. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " The Bonding ")

Crew evaluations were conducted every three months, and were usually supervised by Executive Officer William Riker and Counselor Deanna Troi. ( TNG : " Man Of The People ", " Lower Decks ", " Eye of the Beholder ")

Commanding officers [ ]

Although Captain Jean-Luc Picard commanded the Enterprise for most of the starship's life, his first officer , William Riker, was field promoted to captain in 2367 following Picard's capture by the Borg and assimilation as Locutus . ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ") In early 2369, the Enterprise was briefly commanded by Captain Edward Jellico, as Captain Picard was assigned to a covert mission on the Cardassian planet of Celtris III . ( TNG : " Chain Of Command, Part I ", " Chain Of Command, Part II ")

Command crew [ ]

The Enterprise -D under Captain Jean-Luc Picard

The Enterprise -D under the command of Captain William T. Riker in 2367

The Enterprise -D under the command of Captain Edward Jellico in 2369

The Enterprise -D under the command of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard in 2401

• Jean-Luc Picard ( 2363 – 2371 , 2401 )
• William T. Riker ( 2367 )
• Edward Jellico ( 2369 )
• Beverly Crusher (2370, temporary)
• Geordi La Forge (2401, temporary)
• William T. Riker (2364–2371)
• Kurn ( 2366 ) (temporary)
• Elizabeth Shelby (2367)
• Data (2369) (temporary)
• Data (2364–2371)
• Daystrom Android M-5-10 (2401)
• MacDougal (2364)
• Argyle (2364)
• Logan (2364)
• Leland T. Lynch (2364)
• Geordi La Forge ( 2365 –2371, 2401)
• Natasha Yar (2364)
• Worf (2364 – 2371)
• Worf (2364 – 2371, 2401)
• Burke (2365)
• Taitt ( 2370 )
• Beverly Crusher (2401)
• Beverly Crusher (2364, 2366)
• Katherine Pulaski (2365)
• Deanna Troi (2364–2371)
• Geordi La Forge (2364)
• Worf (2364)
• Miles O'Brien (2364)
• Wesley Crusher (2364–2367)
• Ro Laren ( 2368 –2369, 2370)
• Graham (2367)
• Sariel Rager (2367–2369)
• Gates (2368–2370)
• McKnight (2367–2369)
• Sam Lavelle (2370)
• Deanna Troi (2371, 2401) (temporary)
• Swenson (2364)
• Taitt (2370)
• Miles O'Brien (2365–2369)
• Maggie Hubbell (2367–2369)

Alternate Enterprise s [ ]

Numerous alternate timeline and illusory versions of the Enterprise have been encountered.

Encounter with an energy vortex [ ]

One alternate version of the Enterprise was observed in 2365 . A ship from several hours in the future was destroyed following an encounter with an energy vortex , which was later determined to be a sentient presence. There was a single survivor, Captain Picard, who was thrown back in time and picked up by the Enterprise . The "present" Picard was able to determine that the Enterprise needed to fly through the anomaly rather than attempt to escape it via the entrance, and the timeline was averted. ( TNG : " Time Squared ")

Encounter with the Enterprise -C [ ]

Two Enterprise s meet

In another alternate timeline, following the disappearance of the USS Enterprise -C , and the destruction of the Klingon outpost at Narendra III , relations between the Federation and the Klingon Empire deteriorated into war .

The Enterprise -D in this alternate timeline was the first of the Galaxy -class warships constructed by the Federation, capable of carrying over 6,000 troops. The vessel was entirely militarized, with no civilians or counselor . The bridge contained multiple redundant consoles, computer panels along the side walls, and a single command chair for the captain. The observation lounge was a war room instead, with the table at waist height so that the crew stood. Replicators throughout the ship were restricted to minimal power, lighting was generally darker, and all available power was routed to the defensive systems. In addition to crew performing their normal duties, there were additional security officers standing at attention at all times.

In 2366, on combat date 43625.2, the Enterprise -D investigated a radiation anomaly near Starbase 105 , where it encountered the Enterprise -C, transported through time by an anomaly called a temporal rift . As the Enterprise -D assisted in repairs, it was made clear that the Enterprise -C had to return through the rift, in order to prevent the chain of events that would lead to war. Enterprise -D's El-Aurian bartender Guinan was aware of the change to the timeline, and convinced Captain Picard to send the Enterprise -C back through the rift.

As three Klingon K'vort -class battle cruisers attacked, the Enterprise -D laid down cover fire in order for the Enterprise -C to return through the rift. Heavy casualties were suffered, and the vessel was on the verge of a warp core breach when the timeline was restored. However, the Enterprise -C crew retained memories of their encounter, and one Enterprise -D crewmember, Tasha Yar , went back in time with the Enterprise -C. ( TNG : " Yesterday's Enterprise ", " Redemption II ")

Crusher's static warp bubble [ ]

In 2367, the thoughts of Dr. Beverly Crusher after she was trapped in a warp bubble created a completely separate universe, in which people and objects began disappearing. At various points, the crew of the Enterprise was reduced to a normal operating contingent of about three hundred, then one hundred, then simply two. All crew eventually disappeared, as the bubble began to collapse and the universe destroyed. This Enterprise was gradually erased from existence as the bubble collapsed. ( TNG : " Remember Me ")

Barash’s simulation – Captain Riker [ ]

USS Enterprise in Riker's service record

In 2367, while exploring a cavern on Alpha Onias III , Commander William Riker was rendered unconscious by gases . While unconscious, neural scanners scanned Commander Riker's brain . The scanners used elements of Riker's reality and constructed a simulation with those elements interspersed throughout so that it felt real to him. What Riker wanted, the scanners made possible.

In the first simulation, set in 2383 , Riker was the captain of the Enterprise and was in the final stages of securing a peace treaty with the Romulans.

In 2374 , on stardate 51253, after serving for many years as the captain of the USS Titan , Riker succeeded Picard as the captain of the Enterprise . The ship's first assignment under his command was a deep space exploration mission. Under his command, the ship surveyed the space beyond the Sargon Region , was a participant in the joint Excalbian Campaign , and captured a Romulan warship. These events were mentioned in his service record that was on display in his quarters on the Enterprise -D.

A few years before 2383, a Romulan battle cruiser had drifted into Federation space. The ship's warp coils had collapsed and life support was failing. The Enterprise rescued the crew. Riker was the key spokesman in securing an alliance with the Romulans, who were impressed with his efforts at saving one of their ships. In the sixteen years between 2367 and 2383, the Enterprise saved all the colonists in the Fornax Disaster .

Riker was a widower with a son, Jean-Luc . His wife had been the ship's counselor after Troi had accepted a position at Starfleet Command. His wife died in 2381 in a shuttlecraft accident.

In 2383, Data served as the first officer while La Forge was using cloned eye implants instead of his VISOR . There were Klingons and Ferengi serving aboard the Enterprise . The interior of the ship was also slightly altered and the bridge had several more science stations. The Enterprise had been assigned an escort mission for the Romulan ambassador Tomalak , whereupon he would be delivered to the final session for a peace treaty between the Federation and the Romulans. At this session, Riker would be a signatory to the treaty.

However, a number of flaws convinced Riker that what he was experiencing was a charade and he challenged the program. This resulted in a new simulation where Riker was a prisoner of the Romulans. ( TNG : " Future Imperfect " okudagram )

Quantum fissure encounter [ ]

The bridge of an alternate Enterprise -D

Several thousand Enterprise s from many different quantum realities were encountered – later spilling into a single universe – in early 2370 , as a result of Lieutenant Worf's encounter with a quantum fissure .

Worf observed numerous realities, with variations in personnel and positions widespread. In one quantum reality, Captain Picard was lost in the Borg encounter in 2367 and Riker was captain of the Enterprise , Wesley Crusher was still (or again) part of the crew, having risen to the rank of full lieutenant with the positions of security chief and tactical officer . In at least one reality, Alyssa Ogawa, who was a long-time nurse in the primary reality, was a full doctor and the chief medical officer with the rank of commander. In that reality, La Forge was killed in an attack by the Cardassians.

On occasion, races that were adversarial to the Federation of the original universe, such as the Cardassians, were part of the crew. Specifically, a Cardassian ensign served as the Enterprise -D's conn officer . Conversely, in the same quantum reality, the Bajorans were a hostile faction, having overthrown the Cardassian Union prior to 2370 . They became increasingly aggressive towards the Federation. A Bajoran ship destroyed the Argus Array on Stardate 47391.2 as they thought that Starfleet was using it to spy on them. In the same reality, La Forge had likewise been killed shortly beforehand, though the cause of his death was not stated.

In a reality where the Borg had emerged victorious after the Battle of Wolf 359 and successfully conquered the Federation, the Enterprise was one of the few remaining Starfleet vessels by 2370. Riker was in command of that ship as well and was desperate not to return to his universe once all of the Enterprise s began spilling into a single universe. After attempting to get the attention of the present-reality Enterprise by firing lightly upon them, the heavily damaged ship was destroyed by Captain Riker with the alternate Riker on board to prevent further damage to his ship.

The fissure was eventually sealed and the remaining ships were returned to their proper universes. When Worf returned to his normal universe, time was reversed and these events no longer occurred. ( TNG : " Parallels ")

Anti-time eruption [ ]

The Enterprise -D in an alternate future

Several alternate versions of the Enterprise -D were seen by Captain Picard after encountering an anti-time eruption in the Devron system . All were part of separate closed timelines.

In the anti-time past of 2363 and 2364 , the Enterprise was not sent to Farpoint Station , but instead was diverted to investigate the anomaly, which was feared to be a new Romulan presence. In this time period, Picard did not inform his crew of his time shifts, worrying that it may influence the future.

He initially ignored Starfleet's orders and proceeded to Farpoint, but then diverted the ship to the Devron system and began scanning the anomaly with an inverse tachyon pulse . When it was discovered that the beam actually caused the anomaly and that the ship would need to create a static warp shell to contain the eruption, the crew was hesitant to accept the orders of their commander, who seemed to be making arbitrary decisions.

After a quick reassurance from Picard, the crew cooperated and the ship joined two other Enterprise s in order to seal the breach. It was the first to be destroyed after the stress from the static warp shell caused a warp core breach.

The second ship existed in the anti-time present of 2370 and 2371. Its history was identical to the real ship up until that point. It was also sent to the Devron system and began to scan the anomaly with the inverse tachyon beam. Picard did tell this crew about his time shifts, and this ship was most drastically affected by the anomaly's effects.

This Enterprise joined the two other ships inside the anomaly, but was also destroyed trying to maintain a static warp shell.

In the anti-time future , the Enterprise was not destroyed at Veridian III, but remained in service for a number of years, Admiral Riker saving the vessel from being decommissioned by making it his personal flagship based out of Starbase 247 .

Firing phasers

In this future, the Enterprise had undergone several significant modifications, including the addition of a third nacelle, a cloaking device, and a powerful phaser mounted underneath the saucer section. Riker took the Enterprise to intercept the USS Pasteur when he realized that Picard would investigate the anomaly without permission. It intercepted two Klingon battleships which were attacking the Pasteur , single-handedly destroying one with eight shots from the new phaser weapon. This forced the other vessel to retreat. The Enterprise then rescued the crew of the badly-damaged Pasteur before it was destroyed due to a warp core breach.

Riker ordered the Enterprise back to Federation space, but Picard later convinced him to return to the Devron system and the ship arrived in time to watch the initial formation of the anomaly. It was the last ship to be destroyed when the anomaly was sealed, preventing any of these ships from coming into existence. ( TNG : " All Good Things... ")

Destruction at Veridian III [ ]

The Enterprise destroyed by a shock wave

In yet another alternate timeline, the saucer section of the Enterprise -D was destroyed with the loss of all hands shortly after its crash-landing on the surface of Veridian III. In this version of events, Doctor Tolian Soran successfully launched his trili thium missile into the Veridian star; the resulting shock wave destroyed all planets in the system. Fortunately, before the wave reached the planet, both Soran and Captain Picard were swept into the Nexus, until the Enterprise -D's saucer section and all aboard were wiped out when the shock wave reached Veridian III.

Acquiring the assistance of James T. Kirk , Picard was able to return to a point before Soran launched his weapon and prevent the destruction of the Veridian star, sparing the lives aboard the saucer section of the Enterprise -D at the same time. ( Star Trek Generations )

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " Encounter at Farpoint "
• " The Naked Now "
• " Code of Honor "
• " The Last Outpost "
• " Where No One Has Gone Before "
• " Lonely Among Us "
• " Justice "
• " The Battle "
• " Hide And Q "
• " The Big Goodbye "
• " Datalore "
• " Angel One "
• " 11001001 "
• " Too Short A Season "
• " When The Bough Breaks "
• " Home Soil "
• " Coming of Age "
• " Heart of Glory "
• " The Arsenal of Freedom "
• " Symbiosis "
• " Skin Of Evil "
• " We'll Always Have Paris "
• " Conspiracy "
• " The Neutral Zone "
• " The Child "
• " Where Silence Has Lease "
• " Elementary, Dear Data "
• " The Outrageous Okona "
• " Loud As A Whisper "
• " The Schizoid Man "
• " Unnatural Selection "
• " A Matter Of Honor "
• " The Measure Of A Man "
• " The Dauphin "
• " Contagion "
• " The Royale "
• " Time Squared "
• " The Icarus Factor "
• " Pen Pals "
• " Samaritan Snare "
• " Up The Long Ladder "
• " Manhunt "
• " The Emissary "
• " Peak Performance "
• " Shades of Gray "
• " Evolution "
• " The Ensigns of Command "
• " The Survivors "
• " Who Watches The Watchers "
• " The Bonding "
• " Booby Trap "
• " The Enemy "
• " The Price "
• " The Vengeance Factor "
• " The Defector "
• " The Hunted "
• " The High Ground "
• " A Matter of Perspective "
• " Yesterday's Enterprise "
• " The Offspring "
• " Sins of The Father "
• " Allegiance "
• " Captain's Holiday "
• " Tin Man "
• " Hollow Pursuits "
• " The Most Toys "
• " Ménage à Troi "
• " Transfigurations "
• " The Best of Both Worlds "
• " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II "
• " Brothers "
• " Suddenly Human "
• " Remember Me "
• " Reunion "
• " Future Imperfect "
• " Final Mission "
• " The Loss "
• " Data's Day "
• " The Wounded "
• " Devil's Due "
• " First Contact "
• " Galaxy's Child "
• " Night Terrors "
• " Identity Crisis "
• " The Nth Degree "
• " The Drumhead "
• " Half a Life "
• " The Host "
• " The Mind's Eye "
• " In Theory "
• " Redemption "
• " Redemption II "
• " Ensign Ro "
• " Silicon Avatar "
• " Disaster "
• " The Game "
• " Unification I "
• " Unification II "
• " A Matter Of Time "
• " New Ground "
• " Hero Worship "
• " Violations "
• " The Masterpiece Society "
• " Conundrum "
• " Power Play "
• " The Outcast "
• " Cause And Effect "
• " The First Duty "
• " Cost Of Living "
• " The Perfect Mate "
• " Imaginary Friend "
• " The Next Phase "
• " The Inner Light "
• " Time's Arrow "
• " Time's Arrow, Part II "
• " Realm Of Fear "
• " Man Of The People "
• " Schisms "
• " Rascals "
• " A Fistful of Datas "
• " The Quality of Life "
• " Chain Of Command, Part I "
• " Chain Of Command, Part II "
• " Ship In A Bottle "
• " Face Of The Enemy "
• " Tapestry "
• " Birthright, Part I "
• " Birthright, Part II "
• " Starship Mine "
• " Lessons "
• " The Chase "
• " Frame of Mind "
• " Suspicions "
• " Rightful Heir "
• " Second Chances "
• " Timescape "
• " Descent "
• " Descent, Part II "
• " Liaisons "
• " Interface "
• " Gambit, Part I "
• " Gambit, Part II "
• " Phantasms "
• " Dark Page "
• " Attached "
• " Force of Nature "
• " Inheritance "
• " Parallels "
• " The Pegasus "
• " Homeward "
• " Sub Rosa "
• " Lower Decks "
• " Thine Own Self "
• " Eye of the Beholder "
• " Genesis "
• " Journey's End "
• " Firstborn "
• " Bloodlines "
• " Emergence "
• " Preemptive Strike "
• " All Good Things... "
• DS9 : " Emissary "
• Star Trek Generations
• ENT : " These Are the Voyages... "
• " Remembrance " (dream only)
• " Maps and Legends " (hologram only)
• " The Next Generation " (model)
• " The Last Generation "
• LD : " Trusted Sources " (display graphic, mural)
• " Starstruck " (digital image)
• " Kobayashi " (hologram)
• VST : " Worst Contact "

Background information [ ]

The Enterprise -D model was designed by Andrew Probert . The basic layout of the ship was derived from a painting Probert had done following Star Trek: The Motion Picture of how he would redesign the Enterprise had he been allowed to break with the basic plan Matt Jefferies and Joe Jennings created for Star Trek: Phase II . When he was hired to work in the Star Trek: The Next Generation art department, he brought the painting with him and hung it in his office, then set to work on the design of the bridge. Out of pure luck, David Gerrold saw the painting and brought it to Gene Roddenberry 's attention. Roddenberry immediately approved the general direction. Probert further refined the design into the familiar shape; however, he originally conceived the battle section as a smaller vessel shaped like a "D" which detached from an area on the saucer. Later, the producers informed him that they wanted the ship to split in two and have the engineering hull serve as the battle section. This presented an additional problem for Probert, as he needed to figure out some way to fulfill the producers' requests while keeping the original lines of the design. Eventually, he found a way to incorporate a separation using the approved design, and after several more minor changes, the design reached its final form. Roddenberry's only requests were to lengthen the ends of the warp nacelles and to keep the bridge on the top of the saucer section rather than within the ship. Roddenberry felt that having the bridge on the exterior gave a sense of scale to the vessel.

Two versions of the filming miniature were built by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) for the first season : a large six-foot model and a smaller less-detailed two-foot model, both constructed under the supervision of Ease Owyeung . Both were capable of saucer separation. The cost to construct the original models was US$75,000. For the third season , Greg Jein built a new four-foot miniature. It was not built to separate, but for the first time it accurately depicted the Ten Forward windows. It first appeared in TNG : " The Defector " and completely replaced the previous two models, although stock footage of the original models was still used. The six-foot model was briefly reused for the saucer separation in " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ". It was completely refurbished and overhauled for Star Trek Generations , where it represented the Enterprise alongside a computer-generated version and a special twelve-foot-wide saucer, created for the crash sequence. ILM crewmember Bill George relabeled the registry on the saucer to "NCC-1701-E" before the model was returned to the Paramount archives. The four-foot model was modified into the three-nacelled Enterprise from " All Good Things... " and later partially restored to become the USS Odyssey in " The Jem'Hadar " and the USS Venture in " The Way of the Warrior ".

The original six-foot filming model of the Enterprise -D (Lot #712) was sold at the 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection auction on 7 October 2006 for US$576,000, including the buyer's premium (the winning bid was US$500,000), by far the highest price for any item in the auction.

The Star Trek Generations CGI model was utilized as various Galaxy -class ships during Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager . This same CGI model was overhauled by Gabriel Koerner for the ship's appearance in " These Are the Voyages... ".

During the early planning stages of TNG, it was intended for the series to be set in the late 25th century . The Enterprise -D would have been the seventh starship to bear the name, with a registry of NCC-1701-7. After the release of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home featuring the USS Enterprise -A , the designation was changed to NCC-1701-G before the producers finally moved the series to eighty years after Star Trek: The Original Series and settled on NCC-1701-D. There was also talk of eliminating the starship from the TNG series altogether and merely boosting the abilities of the transporter, but this idea was quickly dropped.

Conceptual sketch for the Enterprise bridge by Andrew Probert

Interior sets were supervised by Herman Zimmerman during the first season and Star Trek Generations . Andrew Probert also contributed design sketches, most importantly for the bridge. Richard James took over the role from the second season until the end of the series. Many sets were recycled from those created by Harold Michelson for Star Trek: The Motion Picture and the aborted Star Trek: Phase II . In turn, many of the Enterprise -D sets were transformed into those of the USS Voyager for Star Trek: Voyager .

Parts of the Enterprise -D sets, including the bridge tactical station, command chairs, and main engineering master systems display were displayed at the Hollywood Entertainment Museum [4] until they shut down in 2007, at which time the items were returned to Paramount. Other smaller set pieces and walls have been kept in the Paramount archives and used in other Star Trek productions, even becoming parts of the recreated TNG sets in "These Are the Voyages...".

A design patent was issued in 1990 for the "ornamental design" of the Enterprise -D. Andrew Probert was recognized in that patent as the sole "inventor" of the design.

The Enterprise -D had a captain's yacht named the Calypso . It was never actually seen, due to budget restrictions, but it can be seen on the underside of the saucer section. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual )

In a scene description from the final draft script of ENT : " These Are the Voyages... ", the Enterprise -D was referred to as a "great ship".

Apocrypha [ ]

Reference manuals [ ].

The Enterprise -D was the subject of the highly detailed Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual by Rick Sternbach and Michael Okuda , and had its sets rendered in QuickTime VR for the interactive version of the book.

Sternbach later produced a set of blueprints depicting every single deck of the Enterprise .

The Enterprise -D was seen in several officially-licensed games , including Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity , Star Trek: The Next Generation - Echoes from the Past , and Star Trek Generations . It also made a brief appearance at the end of the Star Trek: Armada strategy game, and in a Star Trek: Legacy mission with the USS Defiant .

Attractions [ ]

The Enterprise -D met the science vessel Antares at the conclusion of Star Trek: Orion Rendezvous , a Star Trek -themed planetarium show produced in 1992 in conjunction with the Star Trek: Federation Science exhibit. That exhibit featured displays and interactive learning games modeled after the Enterprise -D bridge, engineering, sickbay, science lab, and transporter room.

Until September 1st, 2008, fans could visit the Enterprise -D via Star Trek: The Experience , which took guests through the transporter room, corridors, bridge, and shuttle deck while attempting to escape into a temporal rift aboard a shuttle motion simulator ride. Similar recreations of certain sets were included in the European Star Trek World Tour . [5]

External links [ ]

• USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) at StarTrek.com
• USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) at Wikipedia

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From one generation to the next: Ranking the Starships Enterprise

Credit: CBS

"It's been a long road, getting from there to here," croons Russell Watson in the opening titles of Star Trek: Enterprise , and you might be forgiven to think he's talking about the lineage of starships named Enterprise .

From the beginnings of Starfleet to defending the universe against the Borg, there's been a number of different vessels carrying that infamous name, all responsible for countless discoveries of new life and new civilizations as well as blowing a space-ton of things up. With the return of Star Trek: Discovery , there's yet another Enterprise now on the screen to boldly go where, let's be honest, most have already gone before. So let's take this as an excuse to pit those fine starships against one another and see which one comes out on top. Will it be J.J. Abrams ' super-scaled behemoth? Might it be the Borg-killer from the Next Generation movies? Or just the classic 1701? To quote a famous engineer, "No bloody A, B, C, or D."

Let's get it on, Roddenberry style.

Before we begin, please note: The following starships were judged based on four main factors: their warp speed, their weaponry and tactical ability, the crew serving on them, and their aesthetic qualities. They have been loosely put into two groups based on the technology gap between the 23rd and 24th centuries, where the warp scale was reconfigured to allow for the new velocities reachable by starships. Also, neither the new Enterprise from Discovery nor the Enterprise-J have been included in this list because they've only been seen for a minimal time and as such the Memory Alpha entries are pretty sparse.

08 . Enterprise (NX-01)

Oh my. A whole century before Kirk and co., a new Enterprise was launched to runabout space and try not to get into too much trouble, a time when Starfleet didn't really exist.

The first of the NX-class, the NX-01 Enterprise was launched in 2151 and to be honest wasn't much space-cop. It could only get up to warp 5, and defensively it had but a few tricks up its sleeve; plasma cannons, phase cannons, and initially only spatial torpedoes (it got upgraded to photon torpedoes a bit later).

It's also not a great looking ship; while you can kind of see a bit of design lineage it always looked a bit too futuristic, not surprising considered its aesthetic was based on a previously existing 24th century vessel: the Akira-class, introduced in Star Trek: First Contact , to the point where the producers originally requested to use that ship design with no changes. Designer Doug Drexler convinced them otherwise and while the ship still doesn't look great, it at least has an individual feel.

Credit: Paramount Pictures

07 . The J.J.-prise

When Paramount and J.J. Abrams decided to bring the franchise back to the big screen in 2009, they wanted to sex everything up and make it cooler and bigger and more impactful than before, and of course, that was also applied to the design of the new Enterprise .

Abrams was said to have wanted the new ship to look like a hot-rod and it does look like a muscle car, albeit one that spent a few months in the drydock of the 23rd century equivalent of Pimp My Ride . Who knows if it has a bass tube in its glove compartment, but it does have twelve phaser banks and some photon torpedo launchers, with the phasers acting more like Star Wars ' pew-pew cannons rather than the usual phasers.

When the film came out there were some complaints about how quickly the ship could reach other planets, and indeed it can reach warp 8 on the old scale. It does look quite jumbled up though, like someone took a bit from the original and the movie refit and the later ships and made it a bit shinier.

And then they blew it up and made a new one, which managed to look even worse. Probably a good thing Star Trek 4 just got canceled ...

06 . The Enterprise-B

Introduced in 1994's Star Trek Generations , the basic design of the 1701-B had been decided long before there was ever any thought of killing off James T. Kirk.

1987 saw the launch of Star Trek: The Next Generation , and one of the sets built for the show was the observation lounge where the crew would get together to discuss missions and such. On the wall of the lounge was a visual history of ships named Enterprise via a bunch of gaudy golden relief representations of the ships, from the Navy aircraft carrier up to the newest at that point, the 1701-D. At that point, no one had thought about an Enterprise-B , so they decided that it would be an Excelsior-class ship after the class introduced in Star Trek III .

When it finally came round to build one, they stuck with the design but made some additions to the saucer, the nacelles, and the secondary hull, making it a bit more unique (and also meaning they could make a big hole in the ship without actually damaging the motion control model).

It's a decent looking ship with a fair amount of weapons — including many phaser banks and fore and aft torpedo launchers — and can bring itself up to the old warp 9, which is pretty great. Its biggest problem is that it's commanded by Cameron Frye from Ferris Bueller's Day Off who, from his short appearance on-screen, knows less about commanding starships than he does about convincing his smug proto-yuppie friend to steal his dad's Ferrari.

05 . The Enterprise-C

If there's any ship that deserves to have a tragic opera composed about it, it's the 1701-C. Originally destroyed by Romulans while defending a Klingon outpost, it was saved by the Enterprise-D during a temporal mishap, which was great until Whoopi Goldberg told everyone that they had to send them back to fight the Romulans and certain death.

Nevertheless, the Ambassador-class ship was impressive and not that far away from Picard's ship in ability and design. Ten phaser banks lined the hull along with a pair of photon torpedo launchers, and the warp engines could push it to a speed of warp 9.2.

She had a good crew, although Captain Rachel Garrett was later killed before she could return to her time. But it was aided by Tasha Yar going back with it. Yeah, I know, she was already dead, but this as they say in Star Trek , "No one's ever really gone."

04 . The Original Enterprise

Sometimes you just have to admire a classic.

Refined lines, a rare color, the original 1966 Constitution-class Enterprise always has been one of a kind and was an incredible design back when the majority of screen spaceships were flying saucers or rockets, never both. But designer Matt Jefferies put the two together and bam, an instant classic.

She was never the fastest ship at warp 6, and while she had a healthy amount of photon banks and torpedo launchers (7 of both), her charm came from her beauty and the men and women serving her.

Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty, Sulu — these were great minds and together got this ship out of more scrapes than you can imagine, all while looking like one of the smoothest vessels in the galaxy. And then she had a full refit, but we'll come to that soon enough.

03 . The Enterprise-E

With the Enterprise-D destroyed in Generations , it was fate that a new starship would be introduced for the first solo TNG movie, First Contact . And thus the Sovereign-class Enterprise-E , a slender hellfire of a ship with long beautiful lines and enough firepower to make anyone jealous, made her debut.

Built for the sole purpose of fighting the Borg, it was a vessel made to be a predator, initially armed with twelve phaser banks, four photon torpedo launchers, and a new quantum torpedo launcher that helped take out a Borg cube. She even got upgraded further for Star Trek: Nemesis , in which she received a further four phaser banks and five photon launchers across the hull.

Her speed isn't too shabby either, with a maximum speed of warp 9.9, and being under the command of Jean-Luc Picard puts her at a huge tactical advantage. The only drawback is that Worf's position at Deep Space Nine means he's no longer the regular security officer, although he always seems to be in the right place at the right time for certain missions, the jammy Klingon.  

02 . The Enterprise-D

Before E there must come D , and once again we have a beauty of a starship commanded by Picard.

At the time this was the true future, a huge behemoth of a ship with an oversized saucer and low-slung nacelles, a truly progressive design. Inside she was just as powerful with warp engines that could take her to 9.6, a stunningly efficient crew (this time with Mr. Worf permanently stationed), several tasteful carpet choices, and even a bar.

While there were bigger vessels like the enormous D'deridex -class Romulan warbird, she could hold her own with ten phaser arrays and front and rear torpedo launchers that could launch multiples at a time. Sadly she finally saw her end at the hands of the Klingons at Veridian III, but one future vision saw a refitted and upgraded version that would be a match for anything, with a cloaking device, a top speed of warp 13, and a massive ventral phaser gun thing that could take out a Klingon battle cruiser in seconds.

But it was the original 1701-D that still remains in the heart of fans, a beautiful ship with one of the best crews ever to serve in Starfleet. And in any other universe, it would be the best.

01 . The Constitution-refit

1979 saw Star Trek launch onto the big screen with The Motion Picture , so for a bold new venture, they needed a brand new ship that could stand the increased resolution and detail of movie cameras.

Enter the refit concept, purporting that after the original five-year mission the Constitution -class Enterprise entered a drydock to be upgraded and transformed. She got a larger saucer, new hull plating, brand new warp engines, and for all intents and purposes was a brand new Enterprise . The new engines pushed her to warp 8 and she gained new phaser banks to take her to twelve, although curiously her photon launchers were reduced to two forward-facing.

And then you have that crew, a seasoned Kirk et al bringing tactical and technical brilliance that saw them beating the no-win scenario wherever they could. One such occasion saw him destroy the ship himself, but soon after saving the galaxy once again they received a new Constitution , designated the 1701-A .

It's no surprise that The Motion Picture contains a six-minute sequence where Kirk falls in love with the Enterprise when seeing it for the first time, it's that great, just a wonderful design and practical model that has enchanted fans and cinemagoers alike since '79. To quote that first film's theatrical tagline, "There is no comparison."

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USS Enterprise Evolution in Photos: The Many Faces of Star Trek's Favorite Starship

The enterprise throughout history.

Starship USS Enterprise, serial number NCC-1701, of the United Federation of Planets, has captivated audiences since the debut of "Star Trek" on television in 1966. That fascination has continued to the present day, as the latest installment of the science-fiction franchise, "Star Trek Into Darkness," opens in the US on May 16, 2013. Here we take a look at ships bearing the name of Enterprise in many different incarnations.

USS Enterprise (Sailing Vessel)

The first of all US ships to bear the name of Enterprise was a Continental Navy sloop-of-war that served in the American Revolutionary War on Lake Champlain. Originally a British sloop named "George," it was captured by a small American force commanded by Colonel Benedict Arnold in 1775 and renamed. Later the US forces had to run the ship aground and destroy it in 1777 to avoid capture.

USS Enterprise (CVN 65) in Real Life

A long series of sea vessels were named Enterprise throughout history. The eighth US ship to bear the name was the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The US Navy commissioned the giant vessel in 1962, which served until its deactivation in 2012. A new USS Enterprise (CVN-80) is scheduled to become operational in 2025. Regarding Star Trek, the naval warship may have inspired the name of the fictional starship. Also, in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," Uhura and Chekov visit the aircraft carrier Enterprise, though the filmmakers could not shoot aboard the actual ship.

Star Trek Crew Welcomes Real-Life Enterprise

In 1976, NASA's space shuttle Enterprise rolled out of the Palmdale manufacturing facilities, and was greeted by NASA officials and cast members from the original "Star Trek" television series. They are (L to R): NASA Administrator Dr. James D. Fletcher; DeForest Kelley, who portrayed Dr. "Bones" McCoy on the series; George Takei (Mr. Sulu); James Doohan (Chief Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott); Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura); Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock); series creator Gene Roddenberry; an unnamed NASA official; and, Walter Koenig (Ensign Pavel Chekov).

Space Shuttle Enterprise

In real life, the prototype space shuttle was named Enterprise (OV-101) following a write-in campaign by Star Trek fans. The orbiter conducts a 1977 test flight in this photo.

The VSS Enterprise of Virgin Galactic

Another real-life craft, one of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo vehicles, bears the name VSS Enterprise. It glided over California's Mojave Air and Space Port during the first drop and glide test on Oct. 10, 2010. Eventually the company plans to take "space tourists" on commercial flights.

USS Enterprise (XCV 330)

The experimental craft represents the first Starship Enterprise, although it only appeared as a illustration in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." It again appeared in a painting during the Star Trek: Enterprise episode, "First Flight," thereby dating it prior to 2143 in the Star Trek timeline.

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Enterprise (NX-01)

The United Earth Starfleet's Enterprise was an experimental prototype ship, commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer. It appeared as the titular vessel of the prequel television series Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005). A mirror version of the ship, ISS Enterprise (NX-01), appeared in the episode "In a Mirror, Darkly."

The Original Starship Enterprise (NCC-1701)

This model of the fictional starship Enterprise was used in filming the weekly hourlong “Star Trek” TV series that aired September 1966 to June 1969. The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, now displays the iconic model.

ISS Enterprise in the Mirror Universe

This ship of the Terran Empire appeared in the Star Trek episode "Mirror, Mirror," which involved a treacherous, violent mirror crew. The mirror ship appears almost identical to the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701).

USC Enterprise (NCC-1701) Animated

Star Trek: The Animated Series ran from 1973-1974, and featured a Starship Enterprise retaining the original TV show's design, though the producers altered certain interior features, such as a second turbolift accessing the bridge.

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Star Trek Has Finally Revealed the Evil Enterprise's Weird Fate

Watch out for any goatees.

Today, everyone knows what a multiverse is. But back in 1967, parallel universe stories weren’t nearly as common as they are now, even within the sci-fi genre. A classic Star Trek episode, Jerome Bixby’s “Mirror, Mirror,” helped popularize the alternate universe trope, complete with meaner versions of yourself who may rock an evil little goatee like Mirror Spock.

Star Trek’s Mirror Universe also gave us an alternate version of the USS Enterprise in the ISS Enterprise , a ship that served the Imperial Terran Empire, not the United Federation of Planets. Now, in the Discovery Season 5 episode “Mirrors,” the evil ISS Enterprise is back... as a force for good. Here’s what it all means. Spoilers ahead.

The ISS Enterprise returns

Captain Burnham watches the ISS Enterprise warp to Federation HQ.

While pursuing the thieves Moll and L’ak, Book and Burnham take a shuttlecraft into an unstable wormhole and discover the floating, pseudo-derelict ISS Enterprise . One of the clues to the Progenitor’s tech has been hidden on it, but for Burnham, it’s kind of like a bizzaro universe homecoming. Burnham spent a decent amount of time in the Mirror Universe in Discovery Season 1 , and in Season 2 she found herself on the Enterprise with her brother Spock just before jumping from the 23rd century to the 32nd century.

In “Mirrors,” Burnham notes that “crossing between universes has been impossible for centuries,” which means the ISS Enterprise must have crossed over into the Prime Universe well before the 32nd century. Burnham is referencing the events of Discovery Season 3, when we learned that Philippa Georgiou, a resident of the Mirror Universe, couldn’t go back to her home universe because those dimensions had drifted apart. But the ISS Enterprise , which was previously captained by an evil Kirk, crossed over into the Prime Universe well before that moment, and Discovery has now added details connecting The Original Series, Deep Space Nine , and Discovery Season 3.

How evil Spock became good

Spock talking with Kirk in “Mirror, Mirror.”

In the Deep Space Nine episode “Crossover” we learn that after Kirk talked to Mirror Spock and encouraged him to try making the Terran Empire a peaceful power, Mirror Spock did just that. But as Mirror Kira explained, Mirror Spock’s idealism didn’t work out the way he’d hoped:

“Spock rose to Commander in Chief of the Empire by preaching reforms, disarmament, peace. It was quite a remarkable turnabout for his people. Unfortunately for them, when Spock had completed all these reforms, his empire was no longer in any position to defend itself against us [the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance].”

Discovery appears to be referencing this exact event, even if Spock isn’t named outright. When Book learns the ISS Enterprise became a refugee ship for people who’d turned against the Empire, he says, “The Terran High Chancellor was killed for trying to make reforms.”

This likely references Spock, but adds the twist that he was perhaps betrayed by other people within the Terran Empire, even if Earth adopted his reforms. Now, by the end of “Mirrors,” the 23rd-century ISS Enterprise has been moved to the Prime Universe and the 32nd century. It’s an antique by modern standards, but it’s a contemporary of the USS Discovery, so it’s still serviceable. This means that by the end of Discovery Season 5 there will still be a version of the classic Enterprise floating around Federation headquarters, so when the Starfleet Academy series debuts, 32nd-century Starfleet cadets will have access to the classic version of the most famous Enterprise. It may technically be an evil twin, but its historic adventures aren’t over just yet.

Star Trek: Discovery and The Original Series stream on Paramount+.

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Star Trek: Enterprise

A century before Captain Kirk's five-year mission, Jonathan Archer captains the United Earth ship Enterprise during the early years of Starfleet, leading up to the Earth-Romulan War and the ... Read all A century before Captain Kirk's five-year mission, Jonathan Archer captains the United Earth ship Enterprise during the early years of Starfleet, leading up to the Earth-Romulan War and the formation of the Federation. A century before Captain Kirk's five-year mission, Jonathan Archer captains the United Earth ship Enterprise during the early years of Starfleet, leading up to the Earth-Romulan War and the formation of the Federation.

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• Trivia Admiral Forrest is named after DeForest Kelley , the late Star Trek (1966) actor who played Leonard H. McCoy. Similarly, Commander Williams and Admiral Leonard from the pilot Broken Bow, Part 1 (2001) are named after series stars William Shatner (James T. Kirk) and Leonard Nimoy (Spock). Big Foot (1982) (#2.5) also had a character with a last name Forrest. That show had numerous references & stars from the Star Trek franchise, the most well known of which was William Shatner from the original TV series.
• Goofs Whenever the video signal is being lost, instead of pixelating, as a digital signal would, the picture shows analog "snow," which would be unheard of by that era.

Commander Tucker : You aren't saying much tonight. Don't tell me you're still upset about me and Amanda.

Subcommander T'Pol : I'm not upset.

Commander Tucker : Sure sounds like it.

Subcommander T'Pol : You're mistaken.

Commander Tucker : Why would a few neuropressure sessions between me and a MACO be such a big deal. Unless...

Subcommander T'Pol : Unless what?

Commander Tucker : Unless you're a little jealous.

Subcommander T'Pol : I don't experience jealousy.

Commander Tucker : You're doing a pretty fair imitation of it.

Subcommander T'Pol : I am not, in any way, jealous of you and Corporal Cole.

Commander Tucker : You know, your voice is tensing up. That's a dead giveaway.

Subcommander T'Pol : I didn't know you were an expert in vocal inflections.

Commander Tucker : I don't need to be an expert to read you. Come on, admit it. You're a little jealous.

Subcommander T'Pol : Are you implying that I'm attracted to you?

Commander Tucker : That kind of goes along with the assumption, doesn't it?

• Crazy credits The opening credits video footage of the Sojourner rover approaching the "Yogi" rock, taken by the Mars Pathfinder lander, make Star Trek: Enterprise the first television show or movie in history to use footage taken on another planet.
• Alternate versions The Region 1 DVD release of Season 3 modifies the opening credits of the first three episodes of the season to say "Star Trek: Enterprise" instead of "Enterprise", in order to be consistent with the rest of the season.
• Connections Featured in How William Shatner Changed the World (2005)

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• September 26, 2001 (United States)
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Long-lost first model of the USS Enterprise from 'Star Trek' boldly goes home after twisting voyage

DALLAS — The first model of the USS Enterprise — used in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series — has boldly gone back home, returning to creator Gene Roddenberry’s son decades after it went missing.

The model’s disappearance sometime in the 1970s had become the subject of lore, so it caused a stir when it popped up on eBay last fall. The sellers quickly took it down, and then contacted Dallas-based Heritage Auctions to authenticate it. Last weekend, the auction house facilitated the model’s return.

Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment, said he’s thrilled to have the model that had graced the desk of his father, who died in 1991 at age 70.

“This is not going home to adorn my shelves,” Roddenberry said. “This is going to get restored and we’re working on ways to get it out so the public can see it and my hope is that it will land in a museum somewhere.”

Heritage’s executive vice president, Joe Maddalena, said the auction house was contacted by people who said they’d discovered it a storage unit, and when it was brought into their Beverly Hills office, he and a colleague “instantly knew that it was the real thing.”

They reached out to Roddenberry, who said he appreciates that everyone involved agreed returning the model was the right thing to do. He wouldn’t go into details on the agreement reached but said “I felt it important to reward that and show appreciation for that.”

Maddalena said the model vanished in the 1970s after Gene Roddenberry loaned it to makers of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which was released in 1979.

“No one knew what happened to it,” Rod Roddenberry said.

The 3-foot (0.91-meter) model of the USS Enterprise was used in the show’s original pilot episode as well as the opening credits of the resulting TV series, and was the prototype for the 11-foot (3-meter) version featured in the series’ episodes. The larger model is on display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

The original “Star Trek” television series, which aired in the late 1960s, kicked off an ever-expanding multiverse of cultural phenomena, with TV and movie spinoffs and conventions where a fanbase of zealous and devoted Trekkies can’t get enough of memorabilia.

This USS Enterprise model would easily sell for more than $1 million at auction, but really “it’s priceless,” Maddalena said.

“It could sell for any amount and I wouldn’t be surprised because of what it is,” he said. “It is truly a cultural icon.”

Roddenberry, who was just a young boy when the model went missing, said he has spotty memories of it, “almost a deja vu.” He said it wasn’t something he’d thought much about until people began contacting him after it appeared on eBay.

“I don’t think I really, fully comprehended at first that this was the first Enterprise ever created,” he said.

He said he has no idea if there was something nefarious behind the disappearance all those decades ago or if it was just mistakenly lost, but it would be interesting to find out more about what happened.

“This piece is incredibly important and it has its own story and this would be a great piece of the story,” Roddenberry said.

Thankfully, he said, the discovery has cleared up one rumor: That it was destroyed because as a young boy, he’d thrown it into a pool.

“Finally I’m vindicated after all these years,” he said with a laugh.

Kirks Starship Enterprise Returns In Star Trek: Discovery - With A Big Twist

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 5 - "Mirrors"

• The Mirror Universe's ISS Enterprise, last seen in Star Trek: The Original Series' "Mirror, Mirror," makes a shocking return in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5.
• Star Trek: Discovery filmed scenes on the USS Enterprise set of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
• The ISS Enterprise now exists in the 32nd century, offering a new glimpse into the alternate reality of the Mirror Universe.

Captain James T. Kirk's (William Shatner) Starship Enterprise makes a shocking return in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, but with a jaw-dropping twist - it's the ISS Enterprise from Star Trek: The Original Series ' "Mirror, Mirror"! Written by Johanna Lee & Carlos Cisco and directed by Jen McGowan, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, "Mirrors," sees Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) enter interdimensional space to pursue Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) and the next clue to the Progenitors' ancient treasure. What Burnham and Book never expected to find was the Mirror Universe's derelict ISS Enterprise.

Star Trek: Discovery picked up the mantle of the Mirror Universe from Star Trek: The Original Series , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and Star Trek; Enterprise. Discovery 's season 1's game-changing Mirror Universe arc introduced Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), who would enter Star Trek 's Prime Universe and is now headlining Paramount+'s upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 movie. Star Trek: Discovery deepened the saga of the Mirror Universe, but the alternate reality's final appearance was in Star Trek: Discovery season 3. Thanks to Star Trek 's Temporal Wars , it's now impossible for the Prime and Mirror Universes to cross over in Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century.

Individuals who both time travel and cross from Star Trek' s Prime and Mirror Universes suffer a lethal medical condition, such as what happened to Emperor Georgiou.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Star trek: discovery brings back kirks mirror universe starship enterprise, the iss enterprise last appeared in star trek: the original series' "mirror, mirror".

The Mirror Universe's ISS Enterprise in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5 is the same Constitution Class starship from Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 4, "Mirror, Mirror," which was the ISS Enterprise's only prior canonical appearance. The ISS Enterprise was trapped in interdimensional space and abandoned by its crew, who were refugees and freedom fighters attempting to flee the Mirror Universe for Star Trek 's Prime Universe in the 24th century. As Captain Burnham later learned, the refugees made it to the Prime Universe, and one scientist even became a Starfleet Admiral.

In Star Trek: Enterprise season 4's "In A Mirror, Darkly", the 22nd-century Terran Empire gained control of the Constitution Class USS Defiant, which crossed over and time traveled from the 23rd-century Prime Universe.

In Star Trek: The Original Series ' "Mirror, Mirror", the ISS Enterprise was commanded by Captain James T. Kirk who assassinated its prior Captain, Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter). "Mirror, Mirror" saw the Prime Universe's Kirk, Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), and Scotty (James Doohan) switch places with their Mirror counterparts due to a transporter accident during an ion storm. Before switching back, Prime Kirk planted a seed with the goateed Mirror Spock (Leonard Nimoy) to take control of the Terran Empire and institute reforms to prevent the inevitable destruction of the Empire.

Mirror Spock's reforms were successful but ultimately weakened the Terran Empire, which was conquered by the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, as seen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Star Trek: Discovery Filmed Season 5s Enterprise On Strange New Worlds Set

Star trek: strange new worlds was on hiatus after season 2..

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, "Mirrors", was filmed on the USS Enterprise set of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . When Discovery season 5 was in production in late 2022, Strange New Worlds was on hiatus after completing season 2 filming in June . ( Strange New Worlds wouldn't begin season 3 production until December 2023.) Sonequa Martin-Green, David Ajala, Eve Harlow, and Elias Toufexis shot on Strange New Worlds ' sets, which are located in Toronto where Star Trek: Discovery also filmed.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 is in production, and the series has been renewed for season 4.

Star Trek: Discovery redressed Strange New Worlds ' USS Enterprise set to become the ISS Enterprise. Scenes were filmed on the Enterprise's bridge, hallways, and medical bay. Interestingly, by using Strange New Worlds ' Enterprise set, which depicts the USS Enterprise before Captain Kirk assumes command, Star Trek: Discovery season 5 establishes that the ISS Enterprise, which crossed into the Prime Universe decades after Star Trek: The Original Series , is the same ship as in "Mirror, Mirror" despite the very different interiors.

Star Trek: Enterprise recreated the sets of Star Trek: The Original Series ' USS Enterprise for the interiors of the USS Defiant.

What Happens To Mirror Universes Enterprise In Star Trek: Discovery?

The 32nd century just got another 23rd-century starship.

Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker piloted the ISS Enterprise out of interdimensional space and into Star Trek 's Prime Universe with the help of the USS Discovery. Afterward, Burnham assigned Lt. Commanders Kayla Detmer (Emily Coutts) and Joann Owosekun (Oyin Oladejo) to fly the ISS Enterprise to Federation headquarters, so that the Mirror Universe's starship could be put into "storage". However, there are now fascinating ramifications to the ISS Enterprise existing in Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century .

Amazingly, the ISS Enterprise is also now the second 23rd-century starship in 3191 along with the USS Discovery itself.

Although the ISS Enterprise is obsolete by 32nd-century standards, it's still a bonanza of Mirror Universe technology that the United Federation of Planets has now acquired . This would certainly be of interest to Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg). The 23rd-century ISS Enterprise is a window not just to 900 years ago, but also to the alternate reality, especially since the Mirror Universe is now sealed off permanently from the Federation. Amazingly, the ISS Enterprise is also now the second 23rd-century starship in 3191 along with the USS Discovery itself. Perhaps the ISS Enterprise will reappear and play a role in the second half of Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+

Cast Blu del Barrio, Oded Fehr, Anthony Rapp, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Eve Harlow, Mary Wiseman, Callum Keith Rennie

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Alex Kurtzman

Directors Jonathan Frakes, Olatunde Osunsanmi

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Original ‘Star Trek’ Enterprise Model Is Found After Being Missing for Decades

The 33-inch model surfaced on eBay after disappearing around 1979. An auction house is giving it to the son of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of “Star Trek.”

• Share full article

By Emily Schmall

The first model of the U.S.S. Enterprise, the starship that appeared in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series , has been returned to Eugene Roddenberry Jr., the son of the creator of the series, decades after it went missing.

“After a long journey, she’s home,” Mr. Roddenberry wrote on social media on Thursday.

For die-hard Trekkies, the model’s disappearance had become the subject of folklore, so an eBay listing last fall, with a starting bid of $1,000, didn’t go unnoticed.

“Red alert,” someone in an online costume and prop-making forum wrote, linking to the listing.

Mr. Roddenberry’s father, Gene Roddenberry, created the television series, which first aired in 1966 and ran for three seasons. It spawned numerous spinoffs, several films and a franchise that has included conventions and legions of devoted fans with an avid interest in memorabilia.

The seller of the model was bombarded with inquiries and quickly took the listing down.

The seller contacted Heritage Auctions to authenticate it, the auction house’s executive vice president, Joe Maddalena, said on Saturday. As soon as the seller, who said he had found it in a storage unit, brought it to the auction house’s office in Beverly Hills, Calif., Mr. Maddalena said he knew it was real.

“That’s when I reached out to Rod to say, ‘We’ve got this. This is it,’” he said, adding that the model was being transferred to Mr. Roddenberry.

Mr. Roddenberry, who is known as Rod, said on Saturday that he would restore the model and seek to have it displayed in a museum or other institution. He said reclaiming the item had only piqued his interest in the circumstances about its disappearance.

“Whoever borrowed it or misplaced it or lost it, something happened somewhere,” he said. “Where’s it been?”

It was unclear how the model ended up in the storage unit and who had it before its discovery.

The original U.S.S. Enterprise, a 33-inch model, was mostly made of solid wood by Richard C. Datin, a model maker for the Howard Anderson Company, a special-effects company that created the opening credits for some of the 20th century’s biggest TV shows .

An enlarged 11-foot model was used in subsequent “Star Trek” television episodes, and is now part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum , where it was donated by Paramount Studios in 1974.

Mr. Roddenberry, who said he gave the seller a “reward” for its recovery but did not disclose the terms, assembled a group of “Star Trek” production veterans, model makers and restoration specialists in Beverly Hills to authenticate the find.

The group included a “Star Trek” art supervisor, Michael Okuda, and his wife, Denise, an artist on “Star Trek” television series and films, and Gary Kerr, a “Trek x-pert” who served as technical consultant for the Smithsonian during a 2016 restoration of the 11-foot model.

“We spent at least an hour photographing it, inspecting the paint, inspecting the dirt, looking under the base, the patina on the stem, the grain in the wood,” Mr. Roddenberry said.

“It was a unanimous ‘This is 100 percent the one,’” he said.

Gene Roddenberry, who died in 1991 , kept the original model, which appeared in the show’s opening credits and pilot episode, on his desk.

Mr. Kerr compared the model to 1960s photos he had of the model on Mr. Roddenberry’s desk.

“The wood grain matched exactly, so that was it,” he said on Saturday.

The model went missing after Mr. Roddenberry lent it to the makers of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which was released in 1979, Mr. Maddalena said.

“This is a major discovery,” he said, likening the model to the ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz,” a prop that was stolen in 2005 and recovered by the F.B.I. in 2018, and that Heritage Auctions is selling.

While the slippers represent hope, he said, the starship Enterprise model “represents dreams.”

“It’s a portal to what could be,” he said.

Emily Schmall covers breaking news and feature stories and is based in Chicago. More about Emily Schmall

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Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery's enterprise plaque reveals new mirror universe history details.

Star Trek: Discovery brought the ISS Enterprise into the 32nd century, and a translation of its dedication plaque reveals new Mirror Universe details.

Warning: This Article Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 5 - "Mirrors"

• Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, "Mirrors", reveals new details about the Mirror Universe's history on the ISS Enterprise.
• The dedication plaque on the starship sheds light on events in the late-23rd century after "Mirror, Mirror" from TOS season 2.
• Burnham and Booker found the ISS Enterprise in interdimensional space and brought it into the 32nd century Prime Universe.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, "Mirrors", shockingly brought the ISS Enterprise into the 32nd century, and the starship's dedication plaque reveals new details about the Mirror Universe's history. Written by Johanna Lee and Carlos Cisco and directed by Jen McGowan, "Mirrors" brought Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) into interdimensional space in pursuit of the next clue to the ancient treasure of the Progenitors, which was hidden aboard the 23rd century ISS Enterprise from the Mirror Universe.

On his X account, Jörg Hillebrand (@gaghyogi49), who was a researcher for Star Trek: Picard season 3 renowned for his attention to detail, posted a clear translation of the ISS Enterprise's dedication plaque from Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5 . The illuminated text reveals what happened in the late-23rd century Mirror Universe after the events of Star Trek: The Original Series season 2's "Mirror, Mirror." Read the post below:

Here is the image in the X post:

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

A timeline of star trek's mirror universe, from the terran empire to the temporal wars.

The Mirror Universe was introduced in Star Trek: The Original Series season 2's "Mirror, Mirror" and its canonical history can be tracked through Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Enterprise, and Star Trek: Discovery. The earliest chronological glimpse of the Mirror Universe is on April 5, 2063, when Zephram Cochrane (James Cromwell) murdered a Vulcan after making First Contact in Enterprise 's "In A Mirror, Darkly". In the 22nd century of Star Trek: Enterprise 's Mirror Universe , Commander Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) captured the USS Defiant from the 23rd century, but he was betrayed by Hoshi Sato (Linda Park), who declared herself Empress of the Terran Empire.

In the 23rd century of Star Trek: Discovery , the Mirror Universe was ruled by Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh). Georgiou jumped to Star Trek 's Prime Universe aboard the USS Discovery after defeating a coup by Gabriel Lorca (Jason Issacs) . The Terran Empire continued unabated, but after Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) briefly switched places with his Mirror Universe counterpart, he convinced the Mirror Spock (Leonard Nimoy) to institute reforms to save the Terran Empire from its inevitable collapse.

Refugees fled the Mirror Universe aboard the stolen ISS Enterprise.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 episode 5 reveals that High Chancellor Spock did change the Terran Empire, but he was assassinated for weakness. Refugees fled the Mirror Universe aboard the stolen ISS Enterprise, thanks to the Mirror Saru (Doug Jones), a rebel leader. The ISS Enterprise's personnel did make it to the Prime Universe. However, in the Mirror Universe, the Terran Empire was conquered by the Klingon/Cardassian Alliance , as detailed in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . By Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century, the Mirror and Prime Universe timelines have split further apart thanks to the Temporal Wars, making crossing over impossible.

Source: Twitter/X

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+

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The long lost original model of the USS Enterprise has been returned

The model, in the opening credits of Star Trek , had been missing since the 1970s. It popped up on eBay last fall. The seller helped facilitate its return to the family of the creator of Star Trek .

(SOUNDBITE OF ALEXANDER COURAGE'S "THEME FROM STAR TREK")

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Leila Fadel.

The long-lost original model of the USS Enterprise, the one that could be seen in the opening credits of the TV show "Star Trek," has been returned. Missing since the 1970s, the model popped up on eBay last fall. The seller eventually took down the item and helped facilitate its return to Rod Roddenberry, the son of the late "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry. Roddenberry, the son, says he now hopes to get the model into a museum for the public to enjoy.

It's MORNING EDITION.

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Nbc news now, 'star trek' uss enterprise model found on ebay after nearly 50 years.

The original USS Enterprise model used in the introduction of the show "Star Trek" was found after being missing for nearly 50 years. The model went missing in the 1970s and was found being sold on eBay with a starting bid of $1,000.  April 26, 2024

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To Boldly Return —

Long-lost model of the uss enterprise returned to roddenberry family, it showed up in an ebay listing; now roddenberry's son wants to show it to fans..

Samuel Axon - Apr 19, 2024 9:05 pm UTC

The first-ever model of Star Trek's USS Enterprise NCC-1701 has been returned to the Roddenberry family, according to an ABC News report.

The 3-foot model was used to shoot the pilot and credits scene for Star Trek's original series in the 1960s and was used occasionally for shots throughout the series. (Typically, a larger, 11-foot model was used for shots after the pilot.) The model also sat on series creator Gene Roddenberry's desk for several years.

It went missing in the late 1970s; historians and collectors believe it belonged to Roddenberry himself, that he lent it to a production house working on Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and that it was never returned. Its whereabouts were unknown until last fall, when a listing for a mysterious model of the Enterprise appeared on eBay .

Further Reading

The eBay account that posted the item specialized in selling artifacts found in storage lockers that end up without an owner, either because of failure to pay or death.

The model was turned over by the eBay seller to Texas-based Heritage Auctions. News spread that it had been discovered, and Gene Roddenberry's son, Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry, made public statements that he would like to see it returned to his family.

After that, there were months of silence, and its fate was unknown—until now. Heritage Auctions announced that it had given the model to Rod Roddenberry. Details of the exchange have not been shared, but Roddenberry said he did compensate Heritage in some way.

Heritage reached out directly to Roddenberry upon acquiring the object and reportedly decided to return it because it was "the right thing to do." Roddenberry said that he "felt it important to reward that and show appreciation for that" but didn't disclose a sum.

Roddenberry also revealed what he has planned for the model:

This is not going home to adorn my shelves. This is going to get restored and we’re working on ways to get it out so the public can see it, and my hope is that it will land in a museum somewhere.

He runs a group called the Roddenberry Foundation that has scanned and digitized many relics from Star Trek's ideation and production over the years, so it's likely the Foundation will get a crack at the model, too.

Listing image by eBay

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