Starship Enterprise

From Free net encyclopedia

Image:Enterprise NX-01 2001-01-300.jpg Image:Enterprise orig.jpg Image:1701-a.jpg Image:NCC1701Bdrydock.jpg Image:Ambwall.jpg Image:NCC-1701-D.jpg Image:NCC-1701-E.jpg Image:USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-J).png

In the Star Trek fictional universe, the USS Enterprise is the name given to a series of starships. Several of these vessels are focal points in the fictional universe created by Gene Roddenberry.

The USS Enterprise was once referred to as the "United Space Ship Enterprise", but ever since has always been "United Star Ship". Since Starfleet is unrelated to the United States armed forces, any similarity between this phrase and the American warship prefix "United States Ship" is purportedly coincidental. However, the prefix is intended to play off of the affinity that many have for the USS Enterprise series of naval vessels.

In honor of Star Trek, as well as the real vessels, an initial (flight-test) space shuttle was named Enterprise by NASA. To return the favor, the second Earth starship in Star Trek: Enterprise was named for the second (but first space-worthy) space shuttle, Columbia, lost in 2003. The second USS Enterprise aircraft carrier appeared in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. However, the USS Enterprise featured in the movie was actually the USS Ranger (CVA-61): the actual USS Enterprise was out to sea during filming. It is questionable whether the United States Navy would have allowed the filming crew aboard Enterprise had she been available; at the time, the internal arrangements of the U.S. Navy's nuclear carrier engineering plants were classified.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Not only the name, but also the associated hull number ("NCC-1701") has been bestowed upon different fictional ships at different times.

Contents

[edit]

List of starships bearing the name

The starships Enterprise that have been seen in the various Star Trek series and movies to date are as follows:

The existence of an Enterprise-J implies the existence of an Enterprise-F, -G, -H, and -I at some point in history, however as yet no canonical information has been provided regarding these vessels. Since the future in which the Enterprise-J is depicted in "Azati Prime" is undone by the ending of the Xindi threat and the collapse of the Temporal Cold War, it remains to be seen if the vessel will ever actually exist in any future canon.

An additional spaceship (not necessarily starship) Enterprise is visible in an illustration on display in the recreation room of the NCC-1701 in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. This ship is the Enterprise (XCV-330). It was later shown on a wall in 2143 San Francisco in the Enterprise episode "First Flight", meaning that its top speed was apparently less than warp 2. The ring-shaped design suggests application of Vulcan propulsion technology, and there is some speculation that it was an early transport ship used in colonization efforts. The design was based on Matt Jefferies' early designs for the NCC-1701.

Enterprise's found only in novels: USS Enterprise, (NCC-1701-F), from two novels: Peter David's Imzadi and Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens' Millennium

[edit]

List of commanding officers

The lists below are of captains officially recognized in the Star Trek canon, with additional non-canon captains of note listed afterwards.

[edit]

NX-01

Text on a computer screen visible in the episode "In a Mirror, Darkly" gives 2160 as the year Archer's command of Enterprise ended, but this is contradicted by the finale episode "These Are the Voyages..." which takes place at the founding of the Federation, previously established as occurring in 2161.

[edit]

NCC-1701

The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Crossover" strongly suggests that Spock took command of the Mirror Universe ISS Enterprise from Kirk soon after the events of "Mirror, Mirror". During the events of The Motion Picture, Wrath of Khan and Search for Spock, Kirk commanded Enterprise despite holding the rank of admiral. The existence of a captain prior to Pike is suggested by computer screen data visible in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "In a Mirror, Darkly Part II" which confirms the NCC-1701 launched in 2245; although a year range for Pike's tenure has never been established, it would suggest that the NCC-1701 was already approximately a decade old at the time of "The Cage", which in turn takes place more than a decade before the episode "The Menagerie" in the original series, leaving time for another captain to serve prior to Pike.

Various reference works (like The Star Trek Encyclopedia and the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual) and the animated series episode "The Counter-Clock Incident" identify Robert April as the first captain of the Enterprise (at Roddenberry's suggestion); however, due to these not being considered canon by Paramount (at most only semi-canon), this has yet to be made official. No Star Trek episode provides the name of the first captain of the NCC-1701.

[edit]

NCC-1701-A

Though Kirk was Commanding Officer of the Enterprise-A through the 2280s into the 2290s, Science Officer Spock and Chief Engineer Scott were also of the rank of captain, endowing the ship with an unusual command structure. However, Spock was still considered First Officer and assumed temporary command as usual in the event Kirk was off-ship, as in Star Trek VI.

[edit]

NCC-1701-B

Several non-canon sources have also named other captains of the Enterprise-B and are, thus, unofficial. According to several novels, Harriman was succeeded by Demora Sulu as captain. A poster of the NCC-1701-D also listed one Tomas Johnson Jr. as captain, but no information is offered as to when he might have commanded the vessel. Non-canon sources also suggest that Harriman's command ended shortly after the Tomed Incident of 2311; Sulu assumed command of the Enterprise-B afterward.

[edit]

NCC-1701-C

  • Rachel Garrett (?–2344) — in Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Yesterday's Enterprise", the Enterprise-C was transported 22 years into an alternate future, therefore Garrett actually died in 2366.
  • Richard Castillo (2344) — succeeded Garrett when the Enterprise-C returned to 2344 and is assumed to have died in the ensuing battle with Romulan forces upon the vessel's return to the proper timeline. Castillo retains his rank of lieutenant as he takes command.
[edit]

NCC-1701-D

[edit]

NCC-1701-E

[edit]

NCC-1701-F

  • As yet unrevealed. A non-canonical novel (Imzadi by Peter David) featured Data as the captain of the Enterprise-F. However, even in the non-canonical story that future was undone, and the death of Data in Star Trek: Nemesis renders it unlikely any element of this storyline would become canon. (However his memories reside in a Soong android prototype B-4, making the possibility that Data could return like Spock in his new body in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)
  • In another non-canonical novel series, (Millennium by Judith and Garfield Reeve-Stevens) featured Will Riker as captain of the Enterprise-class Enterprise-F in an alternate future following the discovery of the Red Orbs of Jalbador and the Pah-Wraith Wormhole. This ship was destroyed in the first five minutes of the Battle for Earth between the Federation and the Pah-Wraith followers. This future was undone eventually by the Emissary of the Prophets, Benjamin Sisko.
[edit]

NCC-1701-J

  • Captain Archer was transported aboard the Enterprise-J to discuss his role in history in the episode Azati Prime. The captain of this vessel is not revealed.

As of 2006, no canonical television series or film has made reference to the Enterprise-F, -G, -H or -I, although the introduction of the Enterprise- J would imply that these vessels may exist in the centuries following the events of Star Trek: Nemesis.

[edit]

See also

  • Virgin Galactic VSS Enterprise, proposed first commercial spacecraft, named after the Star Trek vessels.
[edit]

External links

es:Enterprise fr:Enterprise id:Enterprise (Star Trek) it:Astronave Enterprise nl:Enterprise (Star Trek) ja:エンタープライズ (スタートレック) pl:Enterprise (Star Trek) pt:USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

Retrieved from "http://www.netipedia.com/index.php/Starship_Enterprise"