STARSHIP ENTERPRISE

'''Enterprise''' or 'USS ''Enterprise''' are the names of several fictional starships, some of which are the focal point for various television series and films in the Star Trek franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The majority of these vessels share "NCC-1701" as part of their registry, with later ships appending a letter to the registry to differentiate them.

Contents

History

Pre-Federation era

''The Original Series'' era

Between ''TOS'' and ''TNG''

''The Next Generation'' era

Beyond ''The Next Generation''

Others

References

See also

External links

History

According to ''The Star Trek Encyclopedia'', the ship's registry number, "NCC-1701"

"was devised by Matt Jefferies, art director of the first Star Trek series. Jefferies, who is a pilot, based NCC on 20th century aircraft registration codes. In such 20th century usage, an "N" first letter refers to an aircraft registered in the USA. A "C" second letter refers to a civil aircraft. Jefferies added a second "C", just because he thought it looked better."^[1]

The name ''Enterprise'' itself comes from a long series of ships. The first was the French frigate L'Entreprise'', captured by the British in 1705. The British rechristened the ship HMS ''Enterprise'' for use by the Royal Navy. The first United States ship to use the name USS ''Enterprise'' was a Revolutionary War-era sloop-of-war. The eighth American ship to bear this name was the world's first nuclear aircraft carrier.
To capitalize on the popularity of ''Star Trek'', as well as to honor the actual, historical vessels, NASA named an initial flight-test space shuttle ''Enterprise''.¹ For '', external shots of the aircraft carrier USS ''Ranger'' substituted for the aircraft carrier ''USS Enterprise'', at sea during filming.¹ In 1994, the real aircraft carrier ''Enterprise'' played host to a Star Trek convention and Star Trek memorabilia can be found throughout the ship and in the movie, The Hunt for Red October, ''Enterprise'' is referred to by its call sign, "Starbase".

Pre-Federation era

Two ships predate the United Federation of Planets.

'Registry:' USS ''Enterprise'' (XCV 330)

'Class:' ''Declaration'' (apocryphal)

'Service:' circa 2130s

'Captain:' Unknown

Drawings of this ship are visible in background images in '' and ''.

'Registry:' ''Enterprise'' (NX-01)

'Class:' ''NX''

'Service:' 2151 – 2161

'Captain:' Jonathan Archer

The United Earth Starfleet's ''Enterprise'' is the main setting of ''.

''The Original Series'' era

Two ships named USS ''Enterprise'' are featured in the original television series and the through Star Trek films.

'Registry:' USS ''Enterprise'' (NCC-1701)

'Class:' ''Constitution''

'Service:' 2245 – 2285

'Captain:' Robert April, Christopher Pike, James T. Kirk, Willard Decker, Spock

The Federation Starfleet's first ''Enterprise'' is the main setting for Kirk’s historic five-year mission as depicted in the original series and '' (2265–2270). Two-and-a-half years later, the newly refitted ''Enterprise'' appears in , and again in , before being destroyed in .

'Registry:' USS ''Enterprise'' (NCC-1701-A)

'Class:' ''Constitution''

'Service:' 2286 – 2293

'Captain:' James T. Kirk, Spock

This ship first appears at the end of , and is the main setting of the films and . The ship is ordered decommissioned at the end of ''The Undiscovered Country''. No canon source has given further details, although paperwork from the model kit indicated the ship was mothballed at the Memory Alpha ship museum, and in the novel ''The Ashes of Eden'', by William Shatner, the ''Enterprise''-A is removed from the mothball fleet before being destroyed defending the planet Chal.

Between ''TOS'' and ''TNG''

The ''Enterprise''-B and ''Enteprise''-C and their crews are briefly visible on screen, and are also the subject of several licensed (but non-canon) novels published by Pocket Books.

'Registry:' USS ''Enterprise'' (NCC-1701-B)

'Class:' ''Excelsior'' upgrade^[2]

'Service:' 2293 – 2320s

'Captain:' John Harriman

Launched at the start of ''. James T. Kirk goes missing during the ship's maiden voyage. According to the Star Trek novels, Demora Sulu becomes captain, after Harriman.

'Registry:' USS ''Enterprise'' (NCC-1701-C)

'Class:' ''Ambassador''

'Service:' 2330s – 2344

'Captain:' Rachel Garrett

This ship plays a major role in the ''Next Generation'' episode "Yesterday's Enterprise". According to dialog in the ''TNG'' episode "Redemption, Part II", the ship was destroyed attempting to defend the Klingon outpost Narendra III from Romulan attack. Survivors included Tasha Yar, whose alternate timeline version from ''Yesterday's Enterprise'' travels with the ship back in time to the battle over Narendra III.

''The Next Generation'' era

Two ships named ''Enterprise'' are featured in '' and four ''TNG''-era films.

'Registry:' USS ''Enterprise'' (NCC-1701-D)

'Class:' ''Galaxy''

'Service:' 2363 – 2371

'Captain:' Jean-Luc Picard, William Riker, Edward Jellico

The main setting of TV series. She is destroyed in the film ''. In the alternate future featured in the ''TNG'' series finale All Good Things..., this ''Enterprise'' is shown intact, albeit heavily refit, in 2395. The refits included a third warp nacelle, new weapons, and a cloaking device.

'Registry:' USS ''Enterprise'' (NCC-1701-E)

'Class:' ''Sovereign''

'Service:' 2372 – Active (as of 2380)

'Captain:' Jean-Luc Picard

The main setting for the films: , , and .

Beyond ''The Next Generation''

'Registry:' USS ''Enterprise'' (NCC-1701-J)

'Class:' ''Unknown''

'Service:' circa 26th century

'Captain:' Unknown

The "Azati Prime" episode of '' involves time travel and features a scene in which this ''Enterprise'' is briefly shown.
The ''Enterprise''-J operates in one possible version of the 26th century, with a diverse crew that includes members of the Xindi race. The ship, along with a fleet of other Federation vessels, fights and defeats the Sphere Builders at the Battle of Procyon Five (depicted in the episode Azati Prime). Crewman Daniels brings Captain Jonathan Archer forward from the 22nd century so that Archer can witness the battle. Archer subsequently works with the Xindi in the 22nd century to defeat the Sphere Builders earlier in history.
The ''Enterprise''-J is featured in the 2005 ''Ships of the Line'' calendar that features images of the various starships seen from Star Trek throughout the years, as well as in the ''Ships of the Line'' book released in 2006. The ''Enterprise''-J is also seen in the "Ships of the Line" poster released in the ''Star Trek Magazine'' issue #1.

Others

Star Trek novels and comics present two additional starships named ''Enterprise'':
; USS ''Enterprise'' (NCC-1701-F): Appears in Peter David's novel ''Imzadi'' and Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens' novel ''Millennium''.
; USS ''Enterprise'' (registry unknown): The ''Defiant''-class USS ''Monitor'' is temporarily renamed "USS ''Enterprise''" in William Shatner's novel ''The Return''.
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References

1. The Star Trek Encyclopedia, Okuda, Michael & Denise, , , Pocket Books, 1994,1997,1999, ISBN 0-671-03475-8
2. Enterprise-B, U.S.S.

See also

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

External links

★ NASA link on the naming of the first Space Shuttle

★ Star Trek Fans and Stars Visit Real USS Enterprise, US Navy press release

★ Carrier Enterprise Meets Starship Enterprise, The Virginian-Pilot, Oct. 28, 1994