Starship Enterprise

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. It is often portrayed as the flagship of the Federation's Starfleet. Most of these vessels also share the "NCC-1701" registry number, with later ships appending a letter to the number to differentiate them.

During the run of the original Star Trek series, the "U.S.S." preceding the name Enterprise was said to stand for either "United Space Ship" or "United Star Ship". Since Starfleet is unrelated to the United States armed forces, any similarity between this phrase and the American vessel 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 1966, the World War II generation was still in its vital prime, and many remembered the heroic exploits of the aircraft carrier Enterprise (CV-6) at the Battle of Midway and many other engagements during the war.

In honor of Star Trek, as well as the real vessels, NASA named an initial (flight-test) space shuttle Enterprise. 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 appears 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 at 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.

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:
*USS Enterprise (XCV 330) – seen in a display in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and a painting in Star Trek: Enterprise.
*Enterprise (NX-01) – NX class, the titular ship in Enterprise
*USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) – Starship class/Constitution class, seen in The Original Series and the first three movies, plus the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribble-ations" and a cameo in the Enterprise series finale, "These Are the Voyages...".
*USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) – Constitution class refit, seen in the fourth–sixth movies
*USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B) – Excelsior class, seen briefly in Star Trek: Generations (the seventh movie)
*USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-C) – Ambassador class, seen in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Yesterday's Enterprise"
*USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) – Galaxy class, seen in The Next Generation and the film Star Trek: Generations
**A refit of this ship, with substantial modifications and improvements, is seen in the future timeline in the TNG series finale, "All Good Things...". However, this refit does not take place in the main timeline, since the ship is damaged beyond repair in Star Trek: Generations.
*USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) – Sovereign class, seen in the three most recent TNG movies (8-10)
*USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-J) – seen briefly in the Enterprise episode "Azati Prime" (possible alternate future)

The first spaceship/starship Enterprise is visible in an illustration on display in the recreation room of the NCC-1701 in The Motion Picture. This ship is the USS Enterprise (XCV 330). A ship of the same class is later visible 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.

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.

Enterprises found only in novels:USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-F) – from two novels: Peter David's Imzadi and Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens' Millennium. Also unlettered Enterprise featured in William Shatner's novel Return, a temporarily renamed USS Monitor (Defiant class ship).

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 afterward.

NX-01

* Jonathan Archer (2151â€"61) â€" Star Trek: Enterprise; alternate timeline: 2151â€"3 in episode "Twilight"; Mirror Universe c. 2155 ISS Enterprise "In a Mirror, Darkly"
* T'Pol â€" alternate timeline: 2153â€"6 in "Twilight"
* Charles "Trip" Tucker III â€" alternate timeline: 2156â€"65 in "Twilight"
* Lorian â€" alternate timeline: ?â€"2154 in "E²"
* Maximillian Forrest â€" Mirror Universe: c. 2151â€"5 ISS Enterprise in "In a Mirror, Darkly"

Text on a computer screen about the USS Defiant, visible in the "In a Mirror, Darkly", gives 2160 as the year Archer's command of Enterprise ends, 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, though it is theorized that what was founded was not the Federation itself, but a percursor to it, which would counter any contradiction in the timeline.

NCC-1701

* Robert April
* Christopher Pike â€" Star Trek pilot episode "The Cage"
* James T. Kirk â€" Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
* Matt Decker - During the incident dealing with an alien WMD (The Doomsday Machine), he pulled rank to command the ship; he later flew a shuttlecraft into the alien device.
* Willard Decker â€" Star Trek: The Motion Picture
* Spock â€" Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

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". The existence of a captain prior to Pike is suggested by computer screen data visible in the Enterprise episode "In a Mirror, Darkly Part II" which confirms that 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.

Kirk was twice named as captain of NCC-1701; his initial command was the five-year mission shown in the original Star Trek series, while his second is during and after the events of The Motion Picture (which can be assumed to be followed by the unseen events of the aborted Star Trek: Phase II series). His later command of the NCC-1701 in The Wrath of Khan was due to Starfleet regulations rather than an official appointment, and his final days commanding the vessel in The Search for Spock were, of course, unofficial.

NCC-1701-A

* James T. Kirk â€" Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Though Kirk is commanding officer of the Enterprise-A through the 2280s into the 2290s, Spock and Montgomery Scott also hold the rank of captain, endowing the ship with an unusual command structure. However, Spock is still considered first officer and assumes temporary command as usual in the event Kirk is off-ship, as in Star Trek VI.
* According to Gene Roddenberry, the NCC-1701-A was not a newly constructed ship, but instead was the renamed USS Yorktown, a nod to the name of the starship in his original pitch for Star Trek. This is based on the fact that it is difficult to believe that Starfleet could build a whole new ship in such a short time. If so, it suggests that the Yorktown, damaged during the events of The Voyage Home, was able to return to Earth in order to be repaired, refitted and finally renamed Enterprise within a relatively short timespan. Neither scenario is without its flaws, and no firm explanation has been given in canon. However, the early retirement of the Enterprise-A could be further justified if the ship had been in service for many years under another name.
* In Mr Scott's Guide to the Enterprise, it is noted that the USS Ti-Ho was completed shortly before the events of TWOK, TSFS and TVH, and was rechristened Enterprise-A.

NCC-1701-B

* John Harriman (2293â€"unknown) â€" Star Trek: Generations

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

NCC-1701-C

* Rachel Garrett (?â€"2344) â€" in Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Yesterday's Enterprise", the Enterprise-C is transported 22 years into an alternate future; Garrett actually dies in an alternate 2366.
* Richard Castillo (2344) â€" succeeds Garrett when the Enterprise-C returns 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.

NCC-1701-D

* Jean-Luc Picard (2364â€"71) â€" entirety of ST:TNG series and Star Trek: Generations (barring exceptions below)
* William Riker (2366â€"7, et al.) â€" executive officer; during the Borg crisis in "The Best of Both Worlds", he is temporarily field promoted to Captain; Riker also serves as CO in numerous alternate timelines and futures
* Edward Jellico (2369) â€" during Cardassian negotiations in "Chain of Command"
* Thomas Halliway (Alternate "Q" timeline: 2369) â€" mentioned as being Captain, but unseen, during the alternate future depicted in "Tapestry"

NCC-1701-E

* Captain Jean-Luc Picard (2372â€"?) â€" Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, Star Trek: Nemesis

NCC-1701-F

* As yet unrevealed. A non-canonical novel (Imzadi by Peter David) features Data as the captain of the Enterprise-F. However, even in the non-canonical story that future is 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)
*Another non-canonical novel series, (Millennium by Judith and Garfield Reeve-Stevens) features 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 is destroyed in the first five minutes of the Battle for Earth between the Federation and the Pah-Wraith followers. This future is eventually undone by the Emissary of the Prophets, Benjamin Sisko.
* Another non-canonical novel (The Return by William Shatner) features a custom battlecruiser-esque starship designed to battle the newly emerged Romulan-Borg alliance called the USS Monitor, temporarily renamed the Enterprise in the book's penultimate clash. The USS Monitor/Enterprise was also Defiant class.

NCC-1701-J

* Captain Archer is transported through time to the 26th century and 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.

See also

*Virgin Galactic VSS Enterprise, proposed first commercial spacecraft, named after the Star Trek vessels.

External links

*
* NASA link on the naming of the first Space Shuttle