star trek ship names and pictures

List of Star Trek Starfleet starships

This is a list of Federation starships from the Star Trek universe. The list is organized first by ship class , then registration number , name , and finally where that vessel was referenced. These vessels appear or are mentioned in the original Star Trek series ( TOS ), Star Trek: The Animated Series ( TAS ), Star Trek: The Next Generation ( TNG ), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ( DS9 ), Star Trek: Voyager ( VOY ), Star Trek: Enterprise ( ENT ), Star Trek: Discovery ( DSC ), the Star Trek films , Star Trek games , and Star Trek literature . This list tries to avoid using information found in Star Trek fan fiction . Many of the sources for this list are considered non-canon and the list relies heavily on the non-canon The Star Trek Encyclopedia . [1]

Akira class

Ambassador class, andromeda class, antares class, apollo class, archer class, bradbury class, cardenas class, centaur class, challenger class, cheyenne class, chimera class, columbia class, constellation class, constitution class, crossfield class, daedalus class, defiant class, deneva class, dreadnought class, einstein class, engle class, erewhon class, excelsior class, freedom class, galaxy class, galen class, hokule‘a class, hoover class, intrepid class, istanbul class, korolev class, magee class, malachowski class, mediterranean class, merced class, merian class, miranda class, mulciber class, nebula class, new orleans class, niagara class, nimitz class, norway class, oberth class, odyssey class, olympic class, prometheus class, renaissance class, rigel class, saber class, sequoia class, shepard class, sovereign class, soyuz class, springfield class, freedom class (kelvin timeline), steamrunner class, surak class, sydney class, theophrastus class, universe class, vesta class, walker class, wambundu class, wells class, yorkshire class, zodiac class, undetermined class, non-starships and support vessels, danube class runabout, peregrine class fighter, yellowstone class runabout, shuttlecraft.

Named for Greek mythological figure and nearby Andromeda Galaxy .

Named for star Antares .

Named for the ancient Greek solar deity and the American Apollo program ( NASA ).

Scout ship introduced in the Star Trek: The Original Series tie-in novel series Star Trek: Vanguard and its follow-up Star Trek: Seekers . Retroactively named after Captain Jonathan Archer from Star Trek: Enterprise .

Name honors science fiction author Ray Bradbury .

Named for United States Air Force brigadier general Robert Cardenas .

Named for the mythical chimaera .

In the script of the TNG episode " The Battle ," Geordi La Forge identified the Stargazer as a Constitution Class, but it was dubbed to Constellation after the script was changed.

Named for the USS Constitution . (The TOS USS Enterprise dedication plaque refers to this ship class as the "Starship Class".)

Constitution class refit

Ostensibly a refit of the Constitution class, this ship is referred to as " Enterprise class" in Andrew G. Probert's non-canon Star Trek The Motion Picture: 14 Official Blueprints . [52] [53]

Named for American naval officer and test pilot Albert Scott Crossfield who became the first human to fly at twice the speed of sound.

Named for an iconic figure from Greek mythology .

Named for the fictional planet in the TOS episode " Operation: Annihilate! ".

Named for Albert Einstein

Named for American test pilot and astronaut Joe Engle who test-flew the joint NASA–Air Force North American X-15 rocket airplane and the space shuttle Enterprise before eventually commanding the space shuttle Columbia .

This fictional spacecraft design was introduced to the Star Trek sci-fi universe in 1984.

The name may have been supposed to honor the space station that was later simply called ISS .

Presumably named for the Polynesian waʻa kaulua replica

Named for United States Air Force fighter pilot Bob Hoover who revolutionized modern aerobatic flying and in many aviation circles has been described as one of the greatest pilots ever to have lived.

Named for the most populous city in Turkey .

Named for spacecraft designer Sergey Korolyov .

Featured in the Star Trek: Titan novels. All known Luna -class starships were named after moons in the Sol System.

Named for Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot and poet John Gillespie Magee Jr.

Named for United States Air Force pilot Nicole Malachowski who became the first female member of the United States Air Force Thunderbirds .

Named for the character in the play The Tempest by William Shakespeare . Also the name of a moon .

Name (in universe) denotes astronomical phenomenon and (real world) pays tribute to the Nebula Award for science fiction writing.

Named for the City of New Orleans . Designated as frigates .

Named for World War II Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz

Ships are named for the NASA Space Shuttle orbiters .

Named after the rocket scientist Hermann Oberth .

Introduced in Star Trek Online .

This class is sometimes erroneously named " Hope class" from an early version of the dedication plaque from the USS Pasteur . [1]

Named for the star Rigel .

Named for American astronaut Alan Shepard who became the first American to travel into space.

Named for the Soviet spacecraft

Named for Vulcan philosopher Surak .

Introduced in Star Trek: Destiny and first visualized in Star Trek Online .

The class was named for NASA test pilot Joe Walker .

Named in honor of science fiction author H. G. Wells .

[ citation needed ]

Star Trek Ship Names Ordered by Class – From TOS to Picard

By: Author Brad Burnie

Posted on Published: September 23, 2021 - Last updated: November 9, 2022

Star Trek Ship Names Ordered by Class – From TOS to Picard

Share the Universe!

For those who consider themselves as die-hard fans of the popular sci-fi Star Trek universe, you may already know that Star Trek’s 24 th century has some astounding array of Starfleet ships that we can stare at with admiration. Star Trek has had strong starships designs since the very beginning. Let’s dig a bit deeper to know more.

The history of Star Trek dates back to 1966-1967 with The Original Series Season 1. All this began when a writer and former Air Force pilot, Gene Roddenberry , wanted to make a science fiction TV show that featured characters that show humanity at its best.

Since then, there has been no looking back as Star Trek has become one of the most popular sci-fi television shows of all time. While it has been entertaining its audience for decades and is globally known for its genre of science fiction, it’s also known for it’s the great space battles with different alien species.

Over the years, the show came up with dozens of iconic starship designs, many of which are even known to people who don’t follow Star Trek. The idea behind the creation of these ships was to represent the diversity of various races, cultures, and factions. So, whether it’s the TOS ( The Original Series ), Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) , Deep Space Nine (DS9), Voyager, or Picard , the show has always lived up to the expectation of producing some vast fleets that demonstrated the abilities at their best.

If you have to rank these astonishing ships, what do you think? Which are the most powerful ships of all? Not sure about the answer? No problem, here we are, revealing a list of 30 most powerful Star Trek ship names today.

From TOS to Picard, we’ve covered and presented some of the powerful Star Trek ships . Their rankings are based on specifications, including speed, size, and power. So, are you ready and excited to know their names? Let’s begin!

See awesome great details in this book Ships of the Line on amazon.

List of Powerful Star Trek Ship Names Revealed

30. ss botany bay.

Built in the late 20 th century by the United States of America, this DY-100-class sleeper ship played a great role in helping Khan Noonien Singh and his group to escape Earth after being defeated at Eugenics Wars . You can explore the nuclear power of this ship and know more about it by watching the prime timeline of Star Trek – TOS.

29. Phoenix

Phoenix, an Earth spaceship, was constructed during the mid-21 st century. The interesting fact about this ship is that it used to be a nuclear missile. Yes, Lily Sloane and Zefram Cochrane later converted this missile into a prototype spaceship. Isn’t it amazing? That’s not it; it is also known to be the first human-made spacecraft launched from Earth to travel faster than the speed of light by using warp-drive technology.

28. Friendship 1

You will come across this Star Trek ship name in a Star Trek: Voyager episode. Launched in 2067 by the United Earth Space Probe Agency, four years after the Phoenix’s game-changing flight, this deep space probe came to find other species. The Friendship 1 ship’s exquisite feature is that it contained a lot of scientific, technological, and cultural information that helped to seek out new worlds and new civilizations.

27. USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-J)

You can get a glimpse of this starship in the “Azati Prime” – The Star Trek: Enterprise episode. It bags one of the top spots in the list as it boasts some of the advanced technologies. However, it is not that popular due to two reasons – one, it just has a brief glimpse, and second, a time-traveling Captain said that the Enterprise-J exists in a possible future timeline.

26. Galileo (NCC-1701-7)

Assigned to the USS Enterprise in the 2260s, Galileo was a Class F shuttlecraft and bore the name of the great astronomer and mathematician of all time. They first used a telescope – Galileo Galilei. However, this craft was lost near Taurus II in 2267, at the time of the Murasaki Effect investigation. It was then replaced with the same numbered craft that was dubbed as the ‘Galileo II.’

25. USS Raven (NAR-32450)

This Federation exploration vessel was the home and the workplace of Magnus and Erin Hansen, the Borg-studying scientists. Check out its remains in the Star Trek: Voyager episode, “The Raven.”

24. Deep Space Nine

While this isn’t technically a ship, its a space station, we though it was important to include. There are two sides to this. On one side, it is simply an old Cardassian mining station for the same-titled TV series. While on the other hand, the same mining station is modified and reconstructed into a battle station with 5,000 photon torpedoes in Deep Space Nine – Season 4 of Star Trek.

23. USS Defiant (NX-74205)

Built for Borg battles, this amazing Federation craft was armed with a cloaking device that was lent from the Romulan Star Empire. It is known to be one of the successful warships that you can see for yourself in Star Trek: Deep Space Nin e as well as Star Trek: First Contact . Also know for it’s “mining” capabilities in games.

22. La Sirena

Memory Alpha states that this newcomer Star Trek ship is a Kaplan F17 Speed Freighter, a class of civilian ships equipped with phasers and shields but a whole lot of hologram capacities. Not to forget, it is the only entry from Star Trek: Picard.

21. USS Franklin (NX-326)

This ship is small, but at the same time, tough, just like other Freedom-class starships. You can see this 22 nd -century ship in the Kelvin timeline of Star Trek: Beyond, seat belts. It is equipped with stealth technology, cannons, and torpedoes, and its warp four power was used to get to the Starbase Yorktown from the planet, Altamid .

20. Enterprise (NX-01)

In the 22nd century of Star Trek: Enterprise , you can see how this starship has the potential to carry a huge crew of almost 100 people. It is remembered as a victory of Zefram Cochrane’s theories of space travel.

19. Sh’Raan

Even though the Vulcans are known better than combat ships for logic, the pre-Federation years have seen Spock’s forerunners ready to throw down in Sh’Raan – the Star Trek: Enterprise -era starship that was capable of Warp 7 power.

18. USS Shenzhou (NCC-1227)

This Walker-class Federation USS starship was introduced in the 23 rd century, and you can see it in Star Trek: Discovery. It had everything, including phasers, cannons, and torpedoes, but unfortunately, it got smashed in the Battle of the Binary Stars that occurred in 2256.

17. Sarcophagus

Bigger than the Shenzhou, Klingon starship of the 23rd-century can be witnessed in the Star Trek: Discovery pilot. One interesting feature of the Sarcophagus is that its armor contains the remains of Klingon warriors in the form of a patchwork of caskets.

16. Jem’Hadar Warship

Simply put, it’s all interconnected when we talk about this warship. The story of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is incomplete without the Dominion, and the story of Dominion is incomplete without the Jem’Hadar warship, i.e., its military division.

15. USS Prometheus (NCC-71201)

This Nebula-class Federation USS starship is in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . It was introduced as a floating science trial. It not only gets the job done but is also famous for its magnificent goal of reigniting a dead sun.

14. USS Excelsior (NX-2000)

It is featured in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as the first Federation starship having trans-warp drive. This 23rd-century ship was operated by Starfleet and served Captain Hikaru Sulu , who commanded the Excelsior from 2290 to at least 2320.

13. D7-class Battle Cruiser

This Klingon starship is considered the largest of its era as it was 748 feet long and had 430 crew members. Although many other cooler introductions came along in the 24 th century, this starship still holds a higher rank. It is also termed as ‘ the pinnacle of combat warships in the 23rd century ’ as per StarTrek.com.

12. Scimitar

This Reman-made ship boasts about a lot of things. Featuring in Star Trek: Nemesis , it is loaded with photon-torpedo bays and disruptor banks. Additionally, Scimitar can convert itself into a Thalaron weapon. It is similar to a nuclear weapon but has far more destructive attributes than the latter.

11. Vor’Cha-class Attack Cruiser

This was yet another heavily armed Klingon starship used during the middle and later part of the 24 th century. It was almost as long as a Galaxy-class Federation craft and was similarly used as the backbone of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance fleet in the mirror universe.

10. USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A)

Have you seen the original iconic Enterprise? USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) is a Constitution-class starship that is essentially a replica of it. It was first featured in the prime timeline of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . Additionally, it also appears in the Kelvin timeline of the J.J. Abrams-era Star Trek films.

9. USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B)

USS Enterprise-B is a polished version of the prime timeline’s Constitution-class Enterprise. This Excelsior-class Federation starship was introduced in the 23rd century and can be seen in Star Trek Generations .

8. USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), Prime Timeline

The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) was a 23rd century Federation Constitution-class starship launched in 2258. Officially Federation was a flagship, this starship was operated by Starfleet. Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the planet Altamid battle in 2263.

7. USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), Kelvin Timeline

This starship was introduced in the 23rd century, so it has the potential of more than warp 8. In fact, it became the first Federation starship to start a five-year mission under the command of Captain James T. Kirk . It is said to be more than double the size of the Prime Timeline’s Enterprise.

6. Romulan Warbird

Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew were awestruck by this Romulan Warbird for obvious reasons in Star Trek: The Next Generation . According to StarTrek.com, it is considered to be the largest and the most powerful Romulan spacecraft.

5. Negh’Var Warship

Negh’Var Warship was the largest class of starship, running more than 2,250 massive feet long. This powerful starship was operated as the emperor’s flagship in the Klingon Empire during the late 24 th century.

4. USS Vengeance

Designed and developed by Khan Noonien Singh and Section 31, Star Trek: Into Darkness reveals how scary this 23rd-century starship is. From Star Trek’s Kelvin timeline, this ship was specifically created for combat and was commissioned in 2259. It has very assassin type feel.

3. The Whale Probe

You cannot stop boasting about the exquisite features of this starship – the Whale Probe. Featured in the Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , defeating it is out of the question as it is a massive, power-sucking, starship-disabling, and ocean-vaporizing craft that visited Earth in 2286 to contact members of the humpback whale species.

2. Xindi Probe

We can define this starship as a pure beam of destructive force. Seen in Star Trek: Enterprise, this Xindi Probe not only attacked Earth in the 22nd century but also successfully killed more than 7 million people from Florida to Venezuela leaving complete destruction in it’s wake.

Nomad starship was designed by Dr. Jackson Roykirk and served in the first part of the 21st century. It was created with two goals: to create a ship that could function as an accurate thinking machine while using logic and find new lifeforms in interstellar space. This powerful starship had the potential to clear out at least 4 billion people from four different planets. You can see how Captain Kirk and his team face it in the Star Trek TOS episode, The Changeling.

Wrapping It Up

See awesome great details in this book Ships of the Line on amazon . There are more powerful Star Trek ships in addition to this list. The Doomsday Machine, the Krenim Temporal Weapon Ship , the Species 8472 bioship , the Narada , the Borg Cube , and V’Ger are undoubtedly powerful Star Trek ships featured in different timelines. The high-tech development and their powerful specifications have made them the most powerful ships of the Star Trek era.

Star Trek Ship Names Ordered by Class From TOS to Picard generated pin 56653

Brad Burnie is the founder of Starships.com. He loves all video game genres. In his spare time, he loves reading, watching movies, and gaming

Entertainment

From TOS to Picard: 40 most powerful Star Trek spacecraft, ranked

It's Enterprise vs. Borg cube time. From the Captain Kirk days to Deep Space Nine, Enterprise to Picard, we've ranked all the greatest ships. Resistance is futile!

This is what we call Enterprise reporting ...

Belt up: We've ranked 40 iconic Star Trek ships, probes and shuttles from the (relatively) least powerful to the (overwhelmingly) most powerful.

Our rankings are based on specs culled from StarTrek.com and Memory Alpha. The crafts have been assessed for their speed, size and ability to assert their will via either weaponry or overall world-destroying power. Craft from both the prime and Kelvin timelines were eligible for consideration, provided they belong to the Star Trek canon, which extends from the original Star Trek TV series to CBS All Access' Star Trek: Picard .

Warp speed ahead for the rankings!

(Disclosure: CBS is CNET's parent company.)

40. SS Botany Bay

Viewed on the screen of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) from the prime timeline of Star Trek the original series, the fun-sized Botany Bay is a pre-warp, 20th-century DY-100 class vessel from Earth. It's most famous for its de-facto captain, the genetically modified strongman Khan Noonien Singh, better known in Captain Kirk-speak as " KHAAAAN! "

39. Phoenix

The Phoenix may be a primitive ship, but it's über - important. Per the Star Trek canon, and as seen in Star Trek: First Contact , Zefram Cochrane's and Lily Sloane's refashioned nuclear missile is the first Earthling craft to use warp drive -- and achieve first contact with an E.T. species, the Vulcans.

38. Friendship 1

As we learn in a Star Trek: Voyager episode, this deep-space probe is launched in 2067 -- or, four years after the Phoenix's game-changing flight. It represents Earth's early desires to seek out new worlds and new civilizations.

37. USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-J)

This 26th-century, Universe-class Federation starship, called a "distant relative" of the Enterprise (NX-01), is glimpsed in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode, "Azati Prime."

Owing to its presumed advanced tech, it should vie for a top spot on this list. But it's at the back of the pack because, one, it is only briefly glimpsed, and, two, a time-traveling Captain Jonathan Archer is told the Enterprise-J exists in a possible future timeline.

36. Galileo (NCC-1701-7)

What this Class F shuttlecraft of the prime-timeline's Enterprise lacks in photon torpedoes, it makes up in significance: It is the focal point of the beloved Star Trek original-series episode, " The Galileo Seven ," the original prop from which was on display at the official visitor center for NASA's Johnson Space Center.

35. USS Raven (NAR-32450)

The remains of this Federation starship are seen in the Star Trek: Voyager episode, "The Raven." In better days, the exploration vessel was the home -- and workplace -- of the Borg-studying scientists Magnus and Erin Hansen. Per StarTrek.com, the couple and their young daughter, Annika, the future Seven of Nine , are considered "perhaps the first [humans] to be assimilated" by the Borg.

34. Deep Space Nine

On one hand, Deep Space Nine, the setting for the same-titled TV series, is just an old Cardassian mining station. On the other hand, it's an old Cardassian mining station that, by Season 4 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , is retrofitted with 5,000 photon torpedoes. Klingons beware.

33. USS Defiant (NX-74205)

Don't let its waffle-iron looks fool you. This Federation ship is tricked out with a Romulan cloaking device, and is built for Borg battles. The Defiant is adept at taking out Jem'Hadar warships, and, from a storyline perspective, opening up Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . It also adds spunk to Star Trek: First Contact .

32. La Sirena

This is the lone entry from Star Trek: Picard . According to Memory Alpha, this newcomer, captained on the show by Cristóbal Rios, is a Kaplan F17 Speed Freighter, a class of civilian ships equipped with shields, phasers -- and a whole lot of hologram capabilities.

31. USS Franklin (NX-326)

Like other Freedom-class starships, the Franklin is small, but tough. The 22nd-century craft is equipped with cannons, torpedoes, stealth technology, and, in the Kelvin timeline of Star Trek: Beyond , seat belts. In the flick, Captain Kirk and crew salvage the rusted-up, long-lost Franklin, and use its warp 4 power to get from the planet Altamid to the Starbase Yorktown.

30. Enterprise (NX-01)

In much of the Star Trek universe, warp 5 power and a cargo-only transporter bay won't get you far. But in the 22nd century setting of Star Trek: Enterprise , this Starfleet ship, capable of carrying a crew of nearly 100, is a triumph of Zefram Cochrane's theories of space travel.

29. Sh'Raan

The Vulcans may be better known for logic than combat ships, but the pre-Federation years are a salty time, and Spock's forerunners are ready to throw down in this Star Trek: Enterprise -era craft with warp 7 power.

28. USS Shenzhou (NCC-1227)

Introduced in Star Trek: Discovery , the Philippa Georgiou-captained Shenzhou is a Walker-class Federation starship of the 23rd century. It's possessed of cannons, phasers, torpedoes -- and bad luck. Following a mutiny, it's destroyed in 2256's Battle of the Binary Stars.

27. Sarcophagus

The Sarcophagus is a 23rd-century Klingon ship. It's larger than the Shenzhou, which it encounters in the Star Trek: Discovery pilot. Its most impressive feature is its most unique feature: Its armor is a patchwork of caskets containing the remains of Kilngon warriors.

26. Jem'Hadar warship

You can't tell the story of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine without the Dominion, and you can't tell the story of the Dominion without its military branch, the Jem'Hadar, whose battleships can defy tractor beams and compromise an opponent's shields.

25. USS Prometheus (NCC-71201)

As seen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , this Nebula-class Federation ship is a floating science experiment. Its lofty goal: to reignite a dead sun. It gets the job done.

24. USS Excelsior (NX-2000)

The vessel that ably serves Captain Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is the first Federation craft to feature transwarp drive. It would rank higher here, save for the apparent ease with which Scotty disables its bells and whistles in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock .

23. D7-class battle cruiser

At 748 feet long (228 meters), and with the capacity for a crew of 430, this Klingon ship is the largest of its era. Per StarTrek.com, it is also the "pinnacle of combat warships in the 23rd century." It'd rank higher here, except, well, even cooler stuff came along in the 24th century.

22. Scimitar

This Reman-made ship from Star Trek: Nemesis is stocked with enough disruptor banks (52) and photon-torpedo bays (27) to impress, but its real power lies in its ability to convert itself into a thalaron weapon , similar to a nuclear weapon but far more devastating.

21. Vor'Cha-class attack cruiser

A mainstay of the Star Trek universe, this powerful, heavily armed Klingon craft is nearly as long as a Galaxy-class Federation starship, a la the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

20. USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A)

This Constitution-class starship is essentially a replica of the original, iconic Enterprise.

First seen blasting off in the prime timeline of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , the Enterprise-A also appears in the Kelvin timeline of the J.J. Abrams-era Star Trek films. There is no known distinction between the Enterprise-As of the two timelines.

19. USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B)

This 23rd-century, Excelsior-class Federation starship is a sleeker version of the Constitution-class Enterprise of the prime timeline. In Star Trek: Generations , Captain Kirk is aboard the Enterprise-B when it's damaged by the Nexus ribbon -- and Kirk is swept away (and presumed dead).

18. USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), prime timeline

So, sure, the Enterprise of the original Star Trek series (of the original Star Trek timeline, natch) would lose a drag race with, say, the USS Voyager (NCC-74656), but speed isn't everything. The Constitution-class vessel is part warship, part science lab -- and all kinds of iconic.

trek-ships-feb2020-enterprise-1701-alternate-timeline

17. USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), Kelvin timeline

According to Gizmodo, the Kelvin timeline's Enterprise is more than twice the size of the prime timeline's Enterprise. Storyline-wise, however, the craft is still the product of the 23rd century, so it can't really kick it at more than warp 8.

16. Romulan warbird

In Star Trek: The Next Generation , Captain Jean-Luc Picard and crew, no strangers to swank and size, are in awe of this baby -- and for good reason. Per StarTrek.com, the Romulan warbird is "the largest and most powerful of Romulan spacecraft."

15. Negh'Var warship

In the 24th century, this Klingon craft is the flagship of its fleet. It runs more than 2,250 massive feet long.

14. USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)

This 24th-century, Galaxy-class Federation starship is the star of Star Trek: The Next Generation , Captain Jean-Luc Picard's ride is bigger and faster than the Constitution-class Enterprise of the prime timeline. With 250 photon-torpedo bays, it's also better equipped to battle the Borg than its 23rd-century counterpart.

13. USS Voyager (NCC-74656)

Captain Kathryn Janeway's relatively puny ship from Star Trek: Voyager gets the edge over the Enterprise iterations we've covered so far, because it's smarter and faster. Powered in part by Borg technology, Voyager can cruise at warp 9.975.

12. USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)

This Sovereign-class craft, captained by Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: First Contact , Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek: Nemesis , was voted the best-engineered Federation ship (prime timeline) in a StarTrek.com fan poll. With quantum torpedoes and the ability to quickly dispatch a Borg cube, it's easy to see why.

11. USS Vengeance

This is a scary-powerful vessel from Star Trek's Kelvin timeline. As related in " Star Trek: Into Darkness ," the Vengeance was developed off the Federation grid -- and with the help of Khan. The Vengeance is the one-and-only member of the Federation's Dreadnought battleship class.

10. The whale probe

There is no defeating this massive, cylindrical, power-sucking, starship-disabling, ocean-vaporizing threat from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . There is only placating it with what it wants to hear: whales.

9. USS Discovery (NCC-1031)

There is nothing else quite like the namesake ship of Star Trek: Discovery . The Federation Crossfield-class starship is distinguished by a propulsion drive that allows it to jump (or, spore jump, if you prefer the technical term) from realm to realm. When last seen in the Season 2 finale, the ship had time-jumped nearly 1,000 years into the future .

8. Xindi probe

This Xindi-dispatched probe from Star Trek: Enterprise is a pure beam of destructive force. In a 22nd century attack on Earth, it wipes out more than 7 million people from Florida to Venezuela.

After this 20th century Earth probe melds with the E.T. probe, Tan Ru, it turns into a judgmental little bugger that wipes out at least 4 billion people across four planets. Captain Kirk and company encounter it in the Star Trek original-series episode, The Changeling .

6. "The Doomsday Machine"

In " The Doomsday Machine ," the Star Trek original-series episode from which this nameless alien ship/lifeform sprang, we learn that "that thing" literally eats planets and everything else it finds, fueling itself with the resulting rubble.

5. Krenim temporal weapon ship

The promise -- or, rather, threat -- of this Star Trek: Voyager craft is awesome: Possessed of timeline-changing power, the ship, we're told in the episode, "Year of Hell," can "erase [an] entire species from time."

4. Species 8472 bioship

This craft is organic -- heavily armed and fortified organic. In Star Trek: Voyager , a Federation-Borg team-up is the only thing that can stop hundreds of these vessels from destroying pretty much everything they encounter. .

3. The Narada

This time-traveling Romulan mining ship is arguably the most significant ship in the Star Trek universe.

In the 2009 Star Trek film, the Narada launches an attack on the USS Kelvin, and prompts Captain Kirk's father, First Officer George Kirk, to take his dying ship on a suicide mission. The resulting collision with the Narada is so massive it creates a whole new timeline -- the Kelvin timeline.

In the new timeline, the devastating Narada destroys the planet Vulcan.

2. The Borg cube

Such is the dark legend of this inscrutable spacecraft that fans routinely debate which is more powerful: Star Wars' vaunted Death Star ... or Star Trek's Borg cube .

Before your next debate, consider this: The Death Star just wants to blow you up. The Borg cube, like the Borg itself, can blow you up, but it may just slice you up in bits instead -- the better to steal your technological soul.

1. V'Ger

As seen in Star Trek: The Motion Picture , V'Ger is a force-field cloud of destruction driven by an old Earth probe, Voyager 6.

That it wipes out Klingon Bird-of-Prey ships and a Federation space station without any apparent effort is one impressive thing. That it spans 7.6 billion miles (or 82 astronomical units) in diameter is another. Craft like this are not defeated; they can merely be managed. Hopefully.

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Hi all, just a reminder that ordering from the www.startrek-starships.com website is no guarantee that they have the product in stock or that you will get it.I ordered DS9 from it on 02-dec-2013 and I'm still being told NEARLY TWO MONTHS LATER thats it out of stock. After two months. Even though they make the product. Anyway go to other functioning shopping sites if you are ordering your models individually.

If you're dissatisfied you could always ask Eaglemoss to cancel your order and get it elsewhere as you suggest, Conor? If they have completely sold out, then they're probably waiting on another production run before they are even able to send them. Who knows at what time scale they can do that, but I doubt it's as simple as making them as and when they like, they likely have to do them in batches. Considering the Collection is expected to launch in multiple countries over time I'd image that means there's a better chance of older issues being able to get back-issues in stock as they do new runs for each territory's release.

Hi 8of5, Just to clarify. The website side DS9 was in stock. This was only 5 days after it came out after all. I put the order through and paid through Paypal. I checked my balance the following day and they had taken my money. They never sent the model. I then emailed them 4 weeks later asking where the DS9 is. And they said they are out of stock and I'd get it when it was available. And they don't know when that will be. I have now been waiting two months. All I'm saying it ordering from startrek-starships.com when the stock is available is no guarantee it IS available and you will actually get it. Yes I could cancel my order. But my original order was when DS9 was in many different websites at the same price. It would cost a FORTUNE now. As you said you'd think that since DS9 became available in America another batch would be created and I'd have my DS9 by now. But I'm still getting the "we don't know when stock will be available" runaround from customer service. And I'm just warning people to go to the alternative websites rather then startrek-starships.com. For their sanity.

Any news on the Aventine?

I'm still waiting for my replacement DS9 model. Mine came with a couple of the vertical spires broken in the box. I thought it was odd it rattled :( They said they would replace it, but it would take a while and still waiting. Also getting a little irritated by small errors. The Defiant's left nacelle pennant is backward...which people told them about long before it was released and never corrected. There is almost always at least 1 or 2 errors in each issue, the worst being the cover of the Excelsior issue. A little bit of proofreading and editing would be nice, especially for the price of these things.

Are you going to be doing any more Eaglemoss reviews? Seems like it kinda stalled out awhile back.

Fear not mcarp555, more reviews forthcoming, I've just not made the time for a few weeks, but I plan to do a big old catch up starting in the next week. Christopher, I agree the Defiant error is Very annoying! Matthew, no Aventine news yet, I imagine if we do get her it wont be until a expansion of the series beyond the initial 70 planned issues.

Looking forward to reading more! As for the Aventine, Is there really any push for ships only in novels? There are still ships that have appeared onscreen that have not been mentioned, like the Pasteur. Yeah, it's not pretty, but at least I've seen it. If you haven't read the novels the Aventine is mentioned in, would you want to buy it? I don't think I would. I'd prefer EM to stick to actually visualized craft (even if only for a screen grab!).

There have been quite a lot of requests for the Aventine, and a handful of other non-canon ships. The Collection's Facebook and Twitter have replied to the effect of: Maybe, one day. I certainly wouldn't expect any to turn up in the first 70 issues. I think three ships have a very small chance of getting in though: USS Titan - It is technically canon, in name, and is probably the most prominent non-canon ship design, starring in its own book series no less. USS Enterprise-F - If any STO original design is going to get the model treatment it will be an Enterprise. This design has had a lot of fanfare, and has a presence outside the game thanks to regular features in Star Trek Magazine. USS Aventine - Some way behind the other two as it's more obscure, but while it's only appeared in a few novels, it did star in the biggest novel event ever, Destiny. Plus it's a just a damned cool design, and it seems to have some love from the STO crowd.

Discovered this site soon after I started collecting these models. Love the reviews. Been following closely. Wondered what the early opinion is on the Stargazer? I had a close look and it doesn't match the one from the show! I did a quick search on the interweb and found some doug drexler orthographics that seem to match the model more than the one from the show. Wonder if anyone thinks the same? Still like it though :)

Glad you're enjoying Thoughts. I think the Stargazer is one of the more middle-ground ships in the series. It's overall a decent model, but the level of detailing is little inconsistent; could have done with a few more prints on the engineering section. Plus mine seems to rattle a bit!

Just as something different, wouldn't mind seeing Captain John Christopher's Lockheed F-104 Starfighter from the TOS episode "Tomorrow is Yesterday". Just a thought...

Hi, I am from germany. Eaglemoss is making very, very nice starships and Batmobiles, but are not very good organized. There are many customers with stories like "I never got what I have ordered" or "I had to wait too long" or "I am not sure, if I will ever get what I have bought". Eaglemoss´ phone / mail - service is very polite and tries to help, but after all I am just happy for every order that arrives. They are pretty - those starships!

Hi. Can you tell me where you get your release times from? I'm having serious issues sourcing these. The only local place that is still selling them is Forbidden Planet and for the last 3 ships, when i have called there on the release date listed on the site they are telling me that they actually received them a week earlier.

I do love this line of ships.

Does anyone know when they will release the special gifts such as the abrams enterprise to U.S subscribers? I know the other gift line such as future enterprise and borg cube are scheduled for much later dates but I really want my ds9 and abrams enterprise.

You need to order the special issues.

I received DS9 several months ago... probably in March or April. (and I live in Seattle) I love it!

i have never had trouble with Eaglemoss. the customer service is excellent. i am sure if you gave them a call they would be more than happy to fix your issue.

I would love to see a model of Voyagers Aeroshuttle.

Has anyone had any problems with receiving their subscription gifts and could you confirm when I'm supposed to receive each of them (UK).

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Personally, every interaction I have had with eaglemoss has been a nightmare. They have yet to meet a single commitment on the individual issues I ordered from the collection shop. I ordered seven ships that were listed as in stock, website stating only 3-5 days for delivery...That was over a month ago. Every email has resulted in a different response and every new ETA has passed. I finally received the K'tinga class last week and it was missing the acrylic stand. I called, they said they would have one out within the week, and that was 8 days ago. Fortunately a local comic dealer gets them from Diamond Distribution and keeps a file for me. I would suggest any other potential collector's do the same as most comic shop's offer a discount for setting up a file, and you can get this wonderful collection without the hassle of the horrid company that publishes it.

Has anyone received the bonus subscription ships, the future Enterprise and the Borg Cube? All I have got is excuses when I have contacted them.

I have mine from the local paper shop. Every fortnight without fail the models are there and the special issues. Try asking at your local shop if they can order for you.

We are yet to receive the Enterprise D future model after a year of trying. Always out of stock even though its a subscription. :(

I finally got my Future Enterprise but it doesn't come with book. I hope the USS Pasture includes info on the design of the Future Enterprise. There is one ship I have not seen any mention of and is my personal favorite "enemy ship"; the Husnock warship from the TNG episode "Survivor".

Hey any Canadian subscription owners had much trouble receiving ships. I just started and they told me Canada only has first 35 ships right now but assured me it will get more also they said we have no specials I really wanted ds9

Anybody heard if they're considering the Federation Class Dreadnought from the Starfleet Technical Manual by Franz Joseph? I'd just about kill for one of those!! I'd love to see ALL of those ships from the tech manual made into these models! Those would be a sure way to get me to finally make the move & subscribe!!

I made a poll to include the Promellian Battlecruiser from TNG's Booby Trap! Sign it here and add your name! http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/promellian-battlecruiser

I received the USS DEFIANT today and the decals on both sides pointed in the right direction. I live in the United States.

is it possible to name your own ship and have it delivered to you???

.....and ive just signed the petition for the Odyssey Class USS ENTERPRISE-F, But, couldnt the odyssey class ship just be made regardless of the petition and renamed something else (like USS Odyssey), otherwise its gonna take ages to get 5000 signatures and to create the model itself causing a load of fuss!

I didn't get issues 50 or 51 and i have called them about it 4 times now. Each time they just go hmm, that strange, you should have got it by now, then they tell me they are showing in stock but may not actually be and that they will order them for me again. They tell me if i haven't got them by such and such a date to call back, but as said i have done that 4 times now and it's the same each time. The next couple didn't come either, but when i called about those ones and they resent them i actually received those ones about a fortnight after i should have originally for them. I think their customer service is terrible. They are polite and all, but seem completely and utterly unable to offer any help beyond telling you to call back again and again. Seriously considering cancelling my subscription.

I hear you. Hands down the worst customer service i have ever experienced. They'll happily keep taking your money, but not so keen on actually sending out the products you have ordered. Call them up, and they haven't a clue as to what has occurred. I was told issue 50 was was re-posted to me 4 times before i actually received it, 3 months late. Oh they're very nice and apologetic about it, but they never seem to do what they have assured you they would. My latest 2 issues are now nearly 2 weeks late. I have been trying to call them about it all week, but they have a new trick with their phone it would seem. Every day this week i have called them at 6.30pm only to be greeted by a recorded message stating that they are closed and their opening hours are 9am to 8pm. Umm, what? last i checked, 6.30pm is EARLIER than 8pm!! Can't explain that at all. I have called them several times at after 7pm. Sadly, they have me by the.....because i really like the collection and want to complete it. Ebay is no use because as is usually the case with collecting 'geek' memorabilia a bunch of assholes buy up as many as they can get their hands on and sell them for ridiculously overpriced amounts. I have seen ships listed as buy it now for £30 quid. I'm not sure they are worth the £10 they currently cost (soon to be £11) never mind £30+.

Like Gavin Montague I've had trouble with deliveries but have found emailing them works better than calling. I went two months with no deliveries then six items turned up on the same day. Also, I have just seen the SPECIAL EDITION ISS ENTERPRISE MIRROR (mentioned above) complete with MU1 MAG being advertised for sale on Ebay, before it's even been announced at $82 or £53(approx) seller seems sure of release since there is a waiting time for a buy it now item! Eaglemoss have emailed me offering the shuttles collection with a £20 discount and I noticed the 'Japanese' Borg Cube (not the crap one the UK got) on sale for £20 but out of stock. https://shop.eaglemoss.com/star-trek-the-official-starship-collection/borg-cube-model-

I finally received the Future Enerprise D about a month ago but still waiting for the Borg Cube. I can't understand why they started selling on their website (and now out of stock) before giving it to their existing subscribers. I'm sure I'm not the only one still waiting for it.

Baldrick - The link you've supplied is for the 'crap' Borg cube we got here in the UK. I don't see the Japanese cube listed.

For the most part the level of detail and craftsmanship is most excellent. Most models have amazing detail however some lack that detail as if whoever did it was rushed or didn't have detailed knowledge and left important details out. I hope they continue to release more ships especially from the books. I would really love to see the Achilles class battle cruiser the one with the broadside of quantum torpedoes. Also I think that making the series to scale would have been totally amazing. I understand you couldn't make a Borg cube and runabout to scale but mayb in groups like small ships and shuttles on one scale. Capital ships on another scale and large stations Borg cubes to another scale. Models being in scale makes their display together all that pre dramatic.

Hey guys, I noticed that the USS Titan petition has reached 5,061 signatures. Has anyone told Ben Robinson about this?

Lee - He has known since September. He mentioned it on Twitter and implies that they are working on it https://twitter.com/BenCSRobinson/status/649265681838546944

Hi Joe, thanks for the update.

Would like to see a model of the U.S.S. Essex (Daedalus class) from ST:TNG episode "Power Play".

"left important details out." The Ambassador class is missing it's impulse engines. I don't mean they forgot to pain them, i mean they didn't put impulse engines on the model at all!

Is anyone else getting royally sick of them downright wasting the specials on the crappy ships from the Abramsverse? Personally, i think the specials should have been all the Enterprises, and other 'hero' ships such as the Defiant or Voyager.

for some reason they stopped mine at issue 69 anyone had the same I life in the uk

I'm still waiting on them to deliver my ISS Enterprise I ordered about a month ago. hughe1971 do you mean 59? I'm up to my 63rd issue so far, 69 (Breen Warship) isn't out till March, and I'm in the UK as well.

hughe1971 if you are a subscriber, like myself, and are not getting the recent models I would suggest contacting them to check whether your payments have gone through properly with them. My brother subscribes to the Doctor Who collection and a few months ago one of his payments didn't go through properly and so they stopped sending them to him without getting in touch with him quickly enough so he is now waiting for the back issues to still be sent out to him.

Has Ben commented anywhere about the Japanese Borg Cube petition passing its require signatures? I see he's confirmed more about Titan coming, but I haven't seen acknowledgement anywhere yet that there's something in the works for the reissue of the DeAgostini Borg Cube.

It looks like he doesn't even know this petition.

Then he must not know of the Titan one either, since the Cube petition is specifically mentioned in it. :)

Did he ever mentioned the borg cube petition? I don't think so. All he wrote was "no" to a possible release outside Japan. The Titan is confirmed. They are already working on the model.

That was my question, to which you responded that it looked like he didn't even know of it, when he obviously had to (as I showed). The "no" you mention, was the reason why the Titan petition was started. I'm sure Ben said "no" to the Titan too...at least before that petition became successful. They are only working on the model now due to the success of that petition. Since the Cube petition prompted the Titan one, and, now , since it is successful too , there's no reason not to expect the same, hence my question. So, has Ben responded to it anywhere yet? I'd love to hear he has...and of course with good news as well. :)

He did not. Remind him.

Perhaps we all should...

Hello All, Also have delivery problems with EAGLEMOSS in France. I've bought the DEFIANT set 2 months later. The Set is still available on french eaglemoss website, and shipping delays around 7/10 days. And for moment still never received it.... That's pity but i will ask Paypal to return me money. Not very professional from EAGLEMOSS. Cheers, Komaro

Get used to it. Great models, but terrible company with dreadful customer service. You call them and they just fob you off with the same crap each time.

Uss odyessy from the star trek odyessy serious would be a great model would love to see that and have one craig from dublin

i've had decent customer service from eaglemoss usa, but my gripe is with shipping. i have received what i believe to be my fair share of broken or otherwise damaged models. seems like every other month i get something that needs to be replaced. they do replace it, and usually pretty quickly, but better to package better.

Here in Australia - we have 8 books not in binders, making then 4 months behind with binders. Issue 53 is MIA (they continued to supply issues 54 and 55 with no update on what's going on. Its a subscription service right, they know how many they need right? They haven't been able to verify if we are even going beyond the initial 70 ships yet. They don't respond to emails. Nice collection - service drives you crazy.

Hi everyone. I am a subscriber in the US. I was getting everything fine until around issue 40. I believe this is when they opened offices in the US. Since this time every magazine that has arrived has been damaged. Corners are bent the edges are worn. I have talked to and emailed customer service numerous times. They sent some replacement issues but those where also damaged. I am still waiting on there response from my last email that was sent to the US and UK customer support. I am on issue 61 right now. I have not received any additional binders, which customer service said was now included in subscription. I am disappointed that they plan on milking the run past 70. I will probably drop it after issue 70 comes along. It is very expensive and had planned on a 70 issue run, not 110 or however many they think they can make. The models themselves are good but as others have noted there are errors.

I agree bisset mags drive me nuts i got my 53 becuase i was getting them thorugh a newsagent because of there service but have had to go back im missing issue 51 not very happy with the newsagent it apperently never got loaded on the truck but i live in hope as for the binders dont even get me started ordered some way back last year and still no sign of them

I enjoy the issues I get. They do replace things that are damaged for the US Postal service that is pretty rough with the packages. If you did not receive something they do get on it right away for any mistakes. The only thing that is annoying is the packaging or lack of that they use to make sure the items do not break or books get bent up. I expect high quality and in mint condition when Items are received. You guys just need to package things a lot better and you will not have to be sending replacement every time due to poor protection and packaging. I am happy other wise with what I have and look forward to others that are coming.🇺🇸😀

I stopped their service about two years ago mostly because I was going overseas. But I decided to try again and saw all the comments again. The models are at best mediocre and yes. I have had several come to me broken. They could be better in detail and material and definatly not worth what they are being charged. After seeing all the reviews here I will not renew my subscription with them. Disappointing because I really wanted to collect all the models. Is there anywhere else that someone can purchase these models?

love the ships that they bring out. although the ship I would love them to make doesn't appear to be on the potential list of ships to be made... the Elachi Escort it did appear briefly on Enterprise. the triangular shaped ship admittedly is more popular in the online MMORPG Star Trek Online. http://images-cdn.perfectworld.com/www/3b/da/3bda481ce3f0e04abe43fd95ab9baefd1376424154.jpg but again would love this ship to be made to add to my ever growing ship collection.

I was hoping for dagra's ship, he was almost a main character in Enterprise series 3. His ship was in quite a few episodes. Way more than some of the ships we have already. Also Dagra was the leader of the Xindi and in the end helped Archer stop the weapon from being used to destroy earth. I asked eaglemoss if they where going to do it, they said no!!!! Im a bit disapointed with that, but such is life......

could you post a 360 view of the gorn ship?

I dont know what the timeline for the special editions are in Aus. We seem to be almost a year behind now. I am waiting for the Kelvin edition to come out.

They're never doing Degra's ship? That sucks. I hope they do the Xindi Weapon as a special.

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What about the Talarian Warship? That thing looked cool.

Why does this page not get updated anymore?

Damn you're back after 1 year !

what about jem hader battleship for the star ships collection

Wow, updates!! Really pleased to see the page is live again

more star ships price goes up what you going to do as long the quality is good

When will this collection be complete ???

What's the rarest ship and the most expansive ship in the collection now?

Expensive *

Does anyone know when this will end? The pricing is just plain silly now.

When will this collection end? I dont have unlimited space for all of them to showcase. I thought i was buying 70 which tbh is more than enough, i now have 100+ more than i originally thought i would.

The collection finishes at issue 180.

A pity they didn't deliver on the promised BoBW Cube and a few other long-desired models. Hopefully another licensee will produce a Cube of the same quality as DeAgostini or better to finally fill the void of the missing Eaglemoss one.

Hi, my brother was a sci fi fan, he collected the die cast models from the magazines. Sadly he passed away in June and there is a cabinet with about 20-30 models. Are these still collectible and if so how best to sell. The money will be going to charity.

Screen Rant

Star trek: every version of the starship enterprise.

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Star Trek Fleet Command Codes (June 2024)

Star trek’s original progenitor & ds9’s changeling salome jens explained, star trek confirms the harsh reality of seven of nine's life after starfleet.

The USS Enterprise has gone through nine versions, each with its own unique design and specifications, but it has always been the Federation's flagship.
The Enterprise has a rich history in the Star Trek franchise, dating back to its first appearance in Star Trek: The Original Series, and it has always been at the forefront of space exploration.
Each iteration of the Enterprise has played a significant role in the missions and adventures of its respective captains, cementing the ship's legacy as a symbol of diplomacy, heroism, and exploration in the Star Trek universe.

There have been nine versions of Star Trek 's signature spacecraft, the USS Enterprise, and here's every starship to bear the iconic name. Home to some of the most exciting adventures in the Star Trek franchise's illustrious history, the Enterprise is also one of the most recognizable ships in science fiction history, even though it has gone through a lot of changes since its debut in Star Trek: The Original Series . Generally maintaining its signature saucer and nacelles look, the specifications of each version of the Enterprise have seen it grow and change with each major refit — still, it's always been the Federation's flagship no matter what era it flew in.

The Enterprise first appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series but was already a veteran of the Federation fleet by the time Captain Kirk and his crew went on their first five-year mission. The history of Starfleet is inextricably tied to the Enterprise, and each show makes it clear that she's the top of the line. Going as far back as the events of Star Trek: Enterprise , the titular vessel was the first to attempt deep space exploration during the course of the prequel series, but small clues alluded to the fact that an Enterprise was always a part of space travel, long before Captain Archer first donned his uniform.

Pre-Federation Enterprises (Star Trek: Enterprise)

Excluding the real-life space shuttle launched by NASA in 1977, the oldest known example of a space-faring ship to bear the Enterprise name was briefly hinted at during Star Trek: Enterprise . Seen in Star Trek: Enterprise season 2, episode 24, "First Flight," a painting of the USS Enterprise XCV 330 revealed it to be a probe-like vessel with a long tube body that was surrounded by massive orbiting rings. Far from the most powerful Starfleet ship, the XCV 330's design was primitive even by Enterprise- era standards, and little has been revealed in canon about the specification or history of the vessel.

Launched in the year 2150, the Enterprise NX-01 was captained by Jonathan Archer until the year 2161 and was the setting for the series Star Trek: Enterprise . The hull of the NX-01 consisted of a massive saucer section that tapered off into two nacelles that were in line with the saucer and gave the ship a sleeker profile compared to later incarnations of the Enterprise. Helping Captain Archer make crucial first contacts during his tenure, the NX-01 was the top of the line for its era and was the first Earth starship capable of reaching warp five, which came in handy during the formation of the United Federation of Planets.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701 (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds)

After the formation of the United Federation of Planets, the Enterprise NX-01 was scuttled because it was woefully behind the times compared to the superior technology of the Vulcans. As such, the Enterprise name sat dormant until the creation of the Constitution class of starship where the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 was launched in 2245. The Enterprise was first commanded by Captain Robert April (Adrian Holmes), under whom Commander Christopher Pike served as the ship's Number One. Pike assumed command of the Enterprise five years later and led the Federation flagship for almost 15 years.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds depicts the final five-year mission of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) before he cedes the Captain's chair to James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Due to the real-world changes in television production, Pike's Enterprise has some subtle differences to Kirk's TOS starship. The nacelles are a slightly more vibrant red, while the exterior of the ship seems better lit than its successor. It's also been noted that Pike's Enterprise is bigger than Kirk's , suggesting that a refit takes place between Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: The Original Series .

USS Enterprise NCC-1701 (Star Trek: The Original Series - Star Trek III: The Search For Spock)

Kirk's two five-year missions between 2265 and 2280 are the stuff of Starfleet legend. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' season 1 finale confirmed that, without Captain James T. Kirk, the Federation would have become involved in a brutal war with the Romulan Star Empire. Twenty years after the starship first launched, Kirk's Enterprise showed no signs of its age as it conducted its two five-year missions, battling Romulans, Klingons, and encountering innumerable strange stellar phenomena.

Much larger than its predecessor, the NX-01, the Enterprise NCC-1701 also sported a massive saucer section and nacelles but featured a secondary hull that sat below the saucer for a less aerodynamic design. Various refits throughout its lifetime updated the look of the ship, and by the events of the first Star Trek movie, the Enterprise had an updated interior. After Kirk, two other men captained the Enterprise 1701: Spock and the brief tenure of Willard Decker. However, the eventual self-destruction of the vessel, enacted by Kirk in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , was a fitting end to her 40 years of service.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home - Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

Following the total destruction of the Enterprise NCC-1701 in Star Trek: The Search for Spock , Kirk was "demoted" back to captaincy and given an entirely new USS Enterprise in the form of the commissioned NCC-1701-A in 2286. Almost identical in look and technical specifications to its predecessor, the Enterprise-A was beset with technical problems, as seen during the events of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier . Kirk was the only person to captain the vessel in its seven-year service period, and the vessel was decommissioned after Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . Star Trek: Picard season 3 revealed Kirk's Enterprise-A as one of the exhibits in the Athan Prime Fleet Museum.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-B (Star Trek: Generations)

The NCC-1701 and 1701-A were the top of the line during their tenures, but the emergence of the Excelsior class of starship in Star Trek: The Search for Spock showed that the Constitution class had become a Starfleet dinosaur. In Star Trek Generations , the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-B was launched under the new Excelsior class and captained by John Harriman in 2293. The ship's saucer section was flattened along with the removal of the neck between the two hulls for a streamlined look. After the apparent death of Captain Kirk during its first flight, the rest of the history of the NCC-1701-B was captured in non-canon stories, but her impressive 36-year service period almost surpassed that of the original NCC-1701 in length.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-C (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

Despite only appearing in Star Trek: The Next Generation , season 3, episode 15, "Yesterday's Enterprise," the NCC-1701-C is nevertheless one of the most important incarnations of the ship. The NCC-1701-C was destroyed in 2344 while defending the Klingon outpost Narendra III during an attack from the Romulans. It was an Ambassador class ship that replaced the streamlined look of the NCC-1701-B with a longer neck, and the NCC-1701-C featured a tubular secondary hull that was reminiscent of its predecessors. While little is known about the ship, its service was integral in the Federation forging an alliance with the Klingons.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

The Enterprise grew in scale with each subsequent redesign, and the USS Enterprise 1701-D joined Starfleet as the largest vessel to ever sport the name, dwarfing the familiar and classic NCC-1701 model. The most notable starship from Starfleet's impressive Galaxy class, the Enterprise-D was the setting for the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation and was commissioned in 2363. Captained only by Jean Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) during its eight years in deep space, the enhanced technology of the Enterprise-D allowed her to be a TNG character all of her own, and her impressive firepower made her a formidable force in the galaxy.

The oval design of the Enterprise's removable saucer section was in stark contrast to the circular design of previous ships, and the secondary hull dropped the tubular structure in favor of a flattened and wide look. She was eventually destroyed during the events of Star Trek: Generations and yet her sub-decade tenure was packed with more important events than many of the previous Enterprises combined. Commodore Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) lovingly restored the Enterprise-D, and it now sits pride of place in the Fleet Museum after saving the galaxy one last time in Star Trek: Picard season 3.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E (Star Trek: First Contact - Star Trek: Nemesis)

Though previous starship classes lasted for generations, the upgrades of the post- TNG era saw a new class every few years. To replace the Enterprise-D following Star Trek: Generations , the Sovereign class Enterprise NCC-1701-E was commissioned under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in 2372. Sent back in time to defeat the Borg during the events of Star Trek: First Contact , the Enterprise-E minimized the lower hull and brought the nacelles in line with the saucer for a narrow body that matched the warlike tone of post- TNG Star Trek .

Related: Why Enterprise “Didn’t Live Up To Expectations”: Star Trek Actors & Director Give Reasons

Picard's Enterprise-E largely avoided Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Dominion War, with the Captain noting his frustration at this in Star Trek: Insurrection . However, the Enterprise did find itself on the fringes of the conflict during Insurrection when they confronted the So'na - manufacturers of the ketracel white used to control the Jem'Hadar. Picard left the Enterprise-E to lead a rescue armada to assist with the evacuation of Romulus during the supernova disaster. Picard was succeeded by Captain Worf (Michael Dorn), but not much is known about his time in command. All that's known is Worf's Enterprise-E disaster which seemingly left the starship completely destroyed.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-F (Star Trek: Picard)

The Odyssey-class USS Enterprise NCC-1701-F was launched in 2386 and was slated for early decommissioning as part of Starfleet's Frontier Day celebrations in 2401. Not much is known about the starship, beyond the fact that several Captains commanded the starship over its 15 years of service. The starship's final ceremonial flight was commanded by Admiral Elizabeth Shelby (Elizabeth Dennehy) before her tragic death at the hands of the Borg. As Picard and the crew of the restored Enterprise-D destroyed the Borg signal, severing the connection to the assimilated Starfleet, it's likely that the Enterprise-F is now stored at the Fleet Museum after the end of Star Trek: Picard season 3 .

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-G (Star Trek: Picard)

Star Trek: Picard brought the story of the Enterprise full circle, by restoring it to Constitution-class status. In 2402, the Constitution III-class USS Enterprise NCC-1701-G launched, having undergone an extensive refit. The refit turned the USS Titan-A into the Enterprise-G, out of respect for Picard and the crew's heroic actions during the Borg and Changeling attack during Picard season 3. The Enterprise-G is commanded by Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) who is joined by Ensign Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), son of legendary Enterprise Captain, Jean-Luc Picard. It's clear, therefore, that the name Enterprise will continue to be associated with diplomacy, heroism, and exploration long into Star Trek 's future.

Star Trek: The Original Series (1966)
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

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: Deep Space Nine's Defiant originally had another name

I ntroduced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's first episode of season three, the USS Defiant became the weapon for Captain Sisko to use to help defeat the Foundlings in the Dominion War. Prior to this, Sisko and his crew, with the exception of the occasional use of runabouts, were confined to the space station. The introduction of the war made it necessary for Sisko to have acces to a ship.

"The Search Part 1" was written by Ronald D. Moore. It was his first time writing for Deep Space Nine, and, according to Screenrant , he was excited about introducing the series' first warship. He named the ship the USS Valiant, based on two ships that were a part of two Star Trek: The Original Series' episodes—"Where No Man Has Gone before" and "A Taste of Armageddon." Unfortunately, though, this name was declined by executive producers Rick Berm and Michael Pillar because, with Star Trek: Voyager in production, they didn't want another ship starting with the letter "V."

Moore went back to the drawing board, so to speak, meaning he recruited another name from an episode from The Original Series. Deep Space Nine's warship was named the USS Defiant after a ship in "The Tholian Web." The writers gave the reason for the warship's name by adding in a layer that it was meant to be able to withstand a battle against the Borg because of the Battle of Worf 359.

Deep Space Nine finally introduced a USS Valiant three years later in the season five Nog-centric episode "Valiant," which was helmed by the Red Squad, a team of Starfleet Academy cadets. But this starship was doomed to fail much like its predecessors, and it was lost when the leader of the Red Squad undertook a mission to destroy a Jem'Hadar warship.

Only die-hard Star Trek fans would have remembered the name of the two ships used in The Original Series, and most likely, no fan would have cared if the USS Defiant had been christened the USS Valiant instead. But the Defiant did become a large part of the battle in the Dominion War before it was destroyed in the season seven episode"The Changing Face of Evil."

This article was originally published on redshirtsalwaysdie.com as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Defiant originally had another name .

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Star Trek: Discovery Boss Breaks Down That ‘Calypso’ Nod, Kovich’s Surprising Reveal in Emotional Series Finale

Keisha hatchett, staff editor.

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The following contains major spoilers from Star Trek: Discovery ‘s series finale on Thursday. Proceed accordingly.

After five ambitious seasons, Star Trek: Discovery has sent its last transmission.

In Thursday’s 90-minute series finale, Burnhum found herself cut off from her crew after following Moll through the portal that contained the Progenitors’ life-altering tech and, to her astonishment, doors to other worlds. While the captain fought the latter inside, her Discovery cohorts battled Breen warriors out in space.

When the dust settled — Action Saru having fended off the Breen army — later scenes set in the future reveal that the Kelpian ambassador and T’Rina married. Book and Burnham also wed, then settled on Sanctuary Four (where Book planted Kwejian’s World Root) and had a son named Leto. The series wrapped with an older Burnham, now an admiral, taking Discovery out to space one last time, where it will sit abandoned for a thousand years until someone else finds it.

Read on for our interview with co-showrunner Michelle Paradise, who breaks down the episode’s biggest reveals and how it all came together.

[Note: Season 5 was originally filmed as a season finale. Following its cancellation , cast and crew were given an opportunity, aka a coda, to film additional scenes that wrapped up the show.]

The other thing it gave us is the chance to resolve the character of the ship because Discovery itself, Zora, is a huge character in the show. In the same way that it was emotionally important for us to wrap up Burnham’s story and know what had happened with her and Book, and just to know that they had their happy ending and she’s become an admiral, we wanted to have an emotional wrap-up for the ship Discovery and know what was going to happen to [it]. And so, tying it in with “Calypso” felt like a way to honor the fans who had seen the short and had that question, and it also felt like honoring fans who hadn’t ever seen the short but would want to know, ‘What’s going to happen to the ship now?’ Well, it has a very important mission. She’s going to go out and it’s going to take some time, but she has something very important to do as well.

TVLINE | You had a very short window for this coda, so was there any story that you wrote but had to unfortunately leave out? No, because we were very clear. We knew from the time we found out that we were going to have three days to shoot, which tells us, ‘OK, we can do maybe 10 to 12 pages or so.’ We knew that there were certain limitations with the sets because some sets had already been struck, but we had the bridge. [EP Kyle Jarrow], [co-showrunner Alex Kurtzman] and I just sat down and said, ‘OK, what are the most important things?’

TVLINE | We did learn that Book and Burnham have a son who is now going to be a captain. Talk to me about the importance of that and carrying their legacy. Is this setting him up to potentially be seen somewhere else in the future? We wanted to know what would happen with Burnham and Book in the future. It felt like, ‘Oh yeah, they would start a family,’ that their son would be the combo platter of the two of them. And we were very intentional about all of that, including his name Leto, which is the name of Book’s [nephew], who we met back in Season 3 and who was on Kwejian [in Season 4, Episode 1 when the DMA destroyed the planet]. Being able to honor his [nephew] in that way by naming their son after him, and that their son is going into Starfleet and following in mom’s footsteps by becoming a captain, it all felt right for the characters and also like a happy ending for us to be able to see that.

TVLINE | I loved the reveal of Kovich as Agent Daniels, the temporal agent from Star Trek: Enterprise . How early on did you know that would be his true identity? Where’d that come from? It was a pitch in the writers’ room. Carlos Cisco and Eric J. Robbins know every iteration of everything, and they really love Enterprise . And from the moment David Cronenberg started playing that role, we all found ourselves leaning in whenever he was on screen. He plays that character so wonderfully and mysteriously that from moment one, I was asking myself, ‘What is happening? Who is this guy? There is a mystery here.’ We wanted to answer that question and we knew we would be doing the fans a disservice if we didn’t answer whatever that mystery was going to be.

It was probably Season 4 when this idea for him to be Daniels came up… In Season 5, we started planting little seeds: him writing with pen and paper as opposed to the holoPADDs that everyone uses. Even just his choice of wardrobe. When we meet him, he’s in glasses and a tie. This is a guy that, from the moment he joined the show, has been a little out of time. And so, Daniels felt like the perfect choice to highlight all of that.

TVLINE | Do you think that this series finale will be a satisfying ending for longtime Star Trek fans? Why so? I hope it is. I hope it feels emotionally satisfying for people who have invested seven or eight years in the five seasons of this show. We didn’t want any hanging questions. We wanted it to be an emotionally satisfying, happy ending for people who have loved the show [and] these characters. And for folks who are fans of Discovery and all the other iterations, we hope it will also be satisfying. We’ve put our hearts into it and we are fans of the show as much as we also work on the show. We know what this show means to people, and what the characters mean to people and what they represent to people. And so, we really wanted to honor the characters and the fans in the way that we ended. I hope it will feel satisfying and that people won’t feel like anything was left out. Hopefully, they’ll come away and feel joy for having been on the ride with us.

What did you think of Star Trek: Discovery’s series finale? Grade the episode below, and then sound off in the comments.

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35 comments.

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I’m glad for those who enjoyed Discovery but it never seemed like Trek to me but instead its own special story.

It’s a shame that Surik, Spock, and Georgiou couldn’t return for the finale.

They all have other shows to appear on

I meant Sarek.

Move over Star Trek: Enterprise, we have a new undisputed worst Trek finale of all time. What better way to say what a waste of time this season was than have a finale that resulted in nothing of consequence happening despite stringing along the Progenitor’s saga for ten episodes.

I completely disagree with you. This episode was very Star Trek and it had a satisfying ending for the series.

Exactly, wasted 10 episodes really. Terrible ending. Instead of focusing on the crew it was all about Burnham and Book.

Also, is it that hard for Burnham not to whisper her way through half the episode?

Glad some people liked it, and the creatives seem like nice people, but wow, this season was painful to watch.

I’m glad we got to see Detmer and Owosekun for a brief moment in the bridge scene as Burnham reflected on her Discovery family, but it’s still a complete mystery to me why the actors were essentially not in the final season. Yes, their characters were piloting Enterprise back to Starfleet. But why make the decision to have their characters to that? I’ve not found an answer to this.

We have an answer for you. Stay tuned!

Great! My first thought was these 2 actors were doing a side project together so they weren’t available to ST:D but my searches have come up empty… Looking forward to your reveal!

They were not available for much of time during filming of the season. It’s been reported before around the Star Trek socials

They reportedly had scheduling conflicts. That’s what I read in another article released yesterday on a different site.

When she flew it out one last time, didn’t some need to be in engineering that was a compatible pilot to activate the spore drive?

In the intervening 40ish years, presumably they solved that problem.

Really loved the finale! I couldn’t tell that it was originally planned as a season finale- they did a good job steering the ship to a satisfying finale and wrapping things up. I’ll miss this crew.

So Discovery ended as it began then…as a show about one. Never understood why they took the route of making Burnham the sole focus of this show when every other Trek show has thrived by being an ensemble piece. One thing I’ll never slight this show on though is the effects. Absolutely top notch.

The original series focused on Capt. Kirk, Deep Space 9 focused on Capt. Cisco.

Might want to go back and re-watch those shows. Discovery was all about Burnham, at least with TOS and DS9 they fleshed out the bridge crew, and DS9 went so far as to flesh out the secondary cast as well.

Look at those episode counts per season between Discovery and ENT, TNG, DS9 and VOY. This was also always a story of Burnham’s journey. However, there was still plenty of room for Saru, Tilly, Stamets, Culber, Book, Adira and Georgiou.They were the main cast. Not the secondaries on the bridge

For being the DEI Trek and the strange need to go against established cannon the writting wasn’t so bad.

Keep holding out for the KKK Trek of your dreams and a normal person’s nightmare

For me, season 5 was a little lackluster compared to the other 4 seasons. While I do understand the need for reflections and the emotional settling for the characters, I was expecting a little more. Just my opinion.

I watched each episodes and the final was to much like Alice In Wonderland/ Darkside of the Looking Glass. I will also comment that these last two series of Star Trek have been the worse! Picard and Discovery. I definently looking forward to seeing the next season of Strange New Worlds. The acting and story lines are superb compared to the two previous series.

I think it was maybe the best possible way to end the show. I liked season 5, and I liked how the main part of the finale resolved the storyline, and I think the coda was a nice sendoff. Nobody died, and everybody lives happily ever after. To quote podcaster Tom Merritt, thank you for your service, Discovery.

As usual, STD was terrible. Grateful it’s over just like Prodigy and Lower Decks

We all really know why you don’t like this show. Afraid of black women all over “your” Trek.

Utter nonsense. You’re projecting your own issues onto the commenter. The show stank from episode one, to episode last, for all the reasons that been stated a million times. Nothing to do with “black women”.

It was the best Trek show on television.

Ah, so you hate Star Trek. The only time Discovery was decent was when it was it introduced the cast of Strange New Worlds. The rest of its seasons fill the bottom of the rungs in the Star Trek universe.

The series was a mess from day one. From non-canon Klingons to a season long antagonist – Moll – who just sort of goes away – this was the least coherent, interesting and satisfying iteration of Trek. Bring on Academy and please, for the love of God, Legacy (or whatever it’s to be called) with 7 in charge.

I really enjoyed the episode until they got to the Calypso part, I have always hated Calypso because it felt so unfair to Zora, and after getting to know Zora for 3 years, I hate it even more. It is so stupid on many levels to leave Zora there alone — the waste of a star ship, the waste of the spore drive, and especially forcing a sentient ship to sit alone for a thousand years FOR NO REASON AT ALL other than to take a character who we know nothing about and care even less home. Calypso is cruelty against a sentient creature and ending it this way has ruined the series for me, No rewatching here.

Did burnam take the ship out alone? I did not see anyone else on the bridge. If she was alone, how did she get back from deep space?

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Klingon starships

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The following is a list of starships of Klingon origin:

External links [ ]

Klingon starships at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
Star Trek Ships: Expanded - Klingon Empire at The STArchive
1 Daniels (Crewman)
3 Calypso (episode)

Inside the ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Series Finale: The Last-Minute Coda, the Surprise Easter Eggs, and What Season 6 Would Have Been About (EXCLUSIVE)

Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery steaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Michael Gibson/Paramount+.

SPOILER WARNING: This story includes descriptions of major plot developments on the series finale of “ Star Trek : Discovery,” currently streaming on Paramount+.

Watching the fifth and final season of “ Star Trek: Discovery ” has been an exercise in the uncanny. Paramount+ didn’t announce that the show was ending until after the Season 5 finale had wrapped filming — no one involved with the show knew it would be its concluding voyage when they were making it. And yet, the season has unfolded with a pervasive feeling of culmination.

Popular on Variety

“I think there’s more to it than just, ‘Oh, it was a coinkydink!’” the actor says with a laugh, before explaining that she’s thinking more about subtext than direct intent. “I’ve gotta give Michelle her flowers. She has always asked the deeper questions of this story and these characters. Those questions of meaning and purpose led to questions of origin and legacy, and, yes, that is quite culminating.”

Martin-Green and Paradise spoke exclusively with Variety about filming the finale and the coda, including the surprising revelation about the origins of one of “Discovery’s” most memorable characters and what Paradise’s plans for Season 6 would have been.

“It’s the Most Complicated Thing I’ve Ever Seen”

Once the “Discovery” writers’ room decided the season would be organized around a search for the Progenitor’s technology, they also knew that, eventually, Burnham would find it. So then they had to figure out what it would be.

“That was a discussion that evolved over the course of weeks and months,” Paradise says. Rather than focus on communicating the intricate details of how the technology works, they turned their attention to delivering a visual experience commensurate with the enormity and complexity of something that could seed life across the entire galaxy.

“We wanted a sense of a smaller exterior and an infinite interior to help with that sense of power greater than us,” Paradise says. Inspired in part by a drawing by MC Escher, the production created an environment surrounded by towering windows into a seemingly endless procession of alien planets, in which it’s just as easy to walk on the walls as on the floor. That made for a daunting challenge for the show’s producing director, Olatunde “Tunde” Osunsanmi: As Burnham battles with the season’s main antagonist, Mol (Eve Harlow), inside this volume, they fall through different windows into another world, and the laws of gravity keep shifting between their feet.

“It’s the most complicated thing I’ve ever seen, directorially,” Paradise says. “Tunde had a map, in terms of: What did the background look like? And when the cameras this way, what’s over there? It was it was incredibly complex to design and shoot.”

Two of those planets — one in perpetual darkness and rainstorms, another consumed by constant fire — were shot on different parking areas on the Pinewood Toronto studio lot.

“The fire planet was so bright that the fire department got called from someone who had seen the fire,” Paradise says. “It should not be possible to pull those kinds of things off in a television show, even on a bigger budget show, with the time limitations that you have. And yet, every episode of every season, we’re still coming in on time and on budget. The rain planet and the fire planet we shot, I believe, one day after the other.”

Martin-Green jumps in: “Michelle, I think that was actually the same day!”

“It Felt Lifted”

The last time a “Star Trek” captain talked to a being that could be (erroneously) considered God, it was William Shatner’s James T. Kirk in 1989’s “Star Trek: The Final Frontier.” The encounter did not go well.

“I had my own journey with the central storyline of Season 5, just as a believer,” Martin-Green says. “I felt a similar way that Burnham did. They’re in this sort of liminal mind space, and it almost felt that way to me. It felt lifted. It really did feel like she and I were the only two people in this moment.”

It’s in this conversation that Burnham learns that while the Progenitors did create all “humanoid” alien species in the galaxy in their image, they did not create the technology that allowed them to do so. They found it, fully formed, created by beings utterly unknown to them. The revelation was something that Martin-Green discussed with Paradise early on in the planning of Season 5, allowing “Discovery” to leave perhaps the most profound question one could ask — what, or who, came first in the cosmos? — unanswered.

“The progenitor is not be the be all end all of it,” Paradise says. “We’re not saying this is God with a capital ‘G.’”

“There’s Just This Air of Mystery About Him”

Starting on Season 3 of “Discovery,” renowned filmmaker David Cronenberg began moonlighting in a recurring role as Dr. Kovich, a shadowy Federation operative whose backstory has been heretofore undisclosed on the show.

“I love the way he plays Kovich,” Paradise says of Cronenberg. “There’s just this air of mystery about him. We’ve always wanted to know more.” When planning Season 5, one of the writers pitched revealing Kovich’s true identity in the (then-season) finale by harkening back to the “Star Trek” show that preceded “Discovery”: “Enterprise,” which ran on UPN from 2001 to 2005.

In the final episode, when Burnham debriefs her experiences with Kovich, she presses him to tell her who he really is. He reintroduces himself as Agent Daniels, a character first introduced on “Enterprise” as a young man (played by Matt Winston) and a Federation operative in the temporal cold war.

This is, to be sure, a deep cut even for “Star Trek” fans. (Neither Cronenberg nor Martin-Green, for example, understood the reference.) But Paradise says they were laying the groundwork for the reveal from the beginning of the season. “If you watch Season 5 with that in mind, you can see the a little things that we’ve played with along the way,” she says, including Kovich/Daniels’ penchant for anachonistic throwbacks like real paper and neckties.

“I didn’t know that that was going be there,” Martin-Green says. “My whole childhood came back to me.”

“We Always Knew That We Wanted to Somehow Tie That Back Up”

Originally, Season 5 of “Discovery” ends with Burnham and Book talking on the beach outside the wedding of Saru (Doug Jones) and T’Rina (Tara Rosling) before transporting away to their next adventure. But Paradise understood that the episode needed something more conclusive once it became the series finale. The question was what.

There were some significant guardrails around what they could accomplish. The production team had only eight weeks from when Paramout+ and CBS Studios signed off on the epilogue to when they had to shoot it. Fortunately, the bridge set hadn’t been struck yet (though several standing sets already had been). And the budget allowed only for three days of production.

Then there was “Calypso.”

To fill up the long stretches between the first three seasons of “Discovery,” CBS Studios and Paramount+ greenlit a series of 10 stand-alone episodes, dubbed “Short Treks,” that covered a wide variety of storylines and topics. The second “Short Trek” — titled “Calypso” and co-written by novelist Michael Chabon — first streamed between Season 1 and 2 in November 2018. It focuses on a single character named Craft (Aldis Hodge), who is rescued by the USS Discovery after the starship — and its now-sentient computer system, Zora (Annabelle Wallis) — has sat totally vacant for 1,000 years in the same fixed point in space. How the Discovery got there, and why it was empty for so long, were left to the viewer’s imagination.

Still, for a show that had only just started its run, “Calypso” had already made a bold promise for “Discovery’s” endgame — one the producers had every intention of keeping.

“We always knew that we wanted to somehow tie that back up,” says Paradise, who joined the writers’ room in Season 2, and became showrunner starting with Season 3. “We never wanted ‘Calypso’ to be the dangling Chad.”

So much so, in fact, that, as the show began winding down production on Season 5, Paradise had started planning to make “Calypso” the central narrative engine for Season 6.

“The story, nascent as it was, was eventually going to be tying that thread up and connecting ‘Discovery’ back with ‘Calypso,’” she says.

Once having a sixth season was no longer an option, Paradise knew that resolving the “Calypso” question was non-negotiable. “OK, well, we’re not going to have a season to do that,” she says. “So how do we do that elegantly in this very short period of time?”

“I Feel Like It Ends the Way It Needed to End”

Resolving “Calypso” provided the storytelling foundation for the epilogue, but everything else was about giving its characters one final goodbye.

“We want to know what’s happening to Burnham, first and foremost,” Paradise says. “And we knew we wanted to see the cast again.”

For the latter, Paradise and Jarrow devised a conceit that an older Burnham, seated in the captain’s chair on Discovery, imagines herself surrounded by her crew 30 years prior, so she (and the audience) could connect with them one final time. For the former, the makeup team designed prosthetics to age up Martin-Green and Ajala by 30 years — “I think they were tested as they were running on to the set,” Paradise says with a laugh — to illustrate Burnham and Book’s long and happy marriage together.

Most crucially, Paradise cut a few lines of Burnham’s dialogue with Book from the original Season 5 finale and moved it to a conversation she has with her son in the coda. The scene — which evokes the episode’s title, “Life Itself” — serves as both a culminating statement of purpose for “Discovery” and the overarching compassion and humanity of “Star Trek” as a whole.

To reassure her son about his first command of a starship, Burnham recalls when the ancient Progenitor asked what was most meaningful to her. “Do you know how you would answer that question now?” he asks.

“Yeah, just being here,” Burnham replies. “You know, sometimes life itself is meaning enough, how we choose to spend the time that we have, who we spend it with: You, Book, and the family I found in Starfleet, on Discovery.”

Martin-Green relished the opportunity to revisit the character she’s played for seven years when she’s reached the pinnacle of her life and career. “You just get to see this manifestation of legacy in this beautiful way,” she says. “I will also say that I look a lot like my mom, and that was that was also a gift, to be able to see her.”

Shooting the goodbye with the rest of her cast was emotional, unsurprisingly, but it led Martin-Green to an unexpected understanding. “It actually was so charged that it was probably easier that it was only those three days that we knew it was the end, and not the entirety of season,” she says.

Similarly, Paradise says she’s “not sure” what more she would’ve done had there been more time to shoot the coda. “I truly don’t feel like we missed out on something by not having one more day,” she says. “I feel like it ends the way it needed to end.”

Still, getting everything done in just three days was no small feat, either. “I mean, we worked ’round the clock,” Martin-Green says with a deep laugh. “We were delirious by the end — but man, what a way to end it.”

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Published May 29, 2024

The Darkest Treks: Star Trek's Closest Calls with Black Holes

From lost probes to ancient treasure, Starfleet's encounters with black holes require science know-how and faith of the heart.

This article contains story details and plot points for Star Trek: Discovery's "Lagrange Point."

Graphic illustration of a starship flying above a the gravitational pull of a black hole

StarTrek.com

As the journey of Star Trek: Discovery comes close to reaching its endpoint, the eponymous starship and crew have found themselves at the end of a very long road. In the search for the technology left behind by the mysterious Progenitors , we learn that the technology itself has been hidden at a specific spot, right in a tricky place, between two black holes. In scientific terms, this is called a " Lagrange Point ," which is where the episode gets its name and refers to a location in space between two bodies in which gravitational attraction and repulsion are enhanced, creating what NASA calls "parking spots," in space.

In this case, the two bodies that have created a small parking spot are two black holes, rendered in all their glory, resembling what physicist Kip Thorne posits black holes would really look like if observed from a spaceship. But, Star Trek has been thinking about black holes, long before current science was really sure what they might look like, and, as such, Starfleet's history with this phenomenon goes deep. So deep, you might say, that light can't even escape!

Here's a brief history of Star Trek 's best black hole adventures, and how these wonderfully mysterious phenomena continue to pull us in.

Voyager 6 … I Presume?

Beyond the iris-like petals, the center of the enormous vessel contained the oldest part of V'ger – Voyager 6, an unmanned deep space probe launched by NASA in the late 20th century — in Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

In Star Trek: The Motion Picture , the crew of the Enterprise learn that a giant machine intelligence known as V'Ger is really a mash-up of an ancient alien lifeform and an old Earth space probe called Voyager 6 . Decker tells us that the probe "disappeared into what they used to call a black hole." In 1979, the same year as the Disney sci-fi romp titled The Black Hole , the actual term "black hole" was still relatively new, at least in the popular consciousness. Although the etymology of "black hole," can be traced to the early 1960s, it was not until 1967 — smack-dab in the middle of the first run of The Original Series — that the scientific term became more widely used. Before the 1960s, referring to a collapsed star with an unbeatable gravitational pull wasn't standardized, and as far back as the 1700s, the term "dark star" was often used instead.

"Beyond the Farthest Star"

This is why Decker says people used to call various gravitational phenomena black holes. At the time, the coinage was still fairly new! In The Animated Series debut episode, "Beyond the Farthest Star," the Enterprise gets into the orbit of a "dead star," which is an imprecise astronomical term, because again, at the time, black holes had just recently become fully codified as black holes.The 1967 TOS episode " Tomorrow is Yesterday ," also mentions that the Enterprise uses a "black star" to create a slingshot effect and travel back in time. In theoretical physics, a "black star" is a kind of alternative theory to a black hole, but, it's also possible that in "Tomorrow is Yesterday," Starfleet merely called it a black star, and it was really a black hole.

In real life, NASA has not lost any probes to black holes, at least not that we know. But, on Voyager I and Voyager II , there is a golden record, containing various pieces of information about Earth, including an audio recording of Nick Sagan saying, "Hello from the children of planet Earth." Sagan is the son of Carl Sagan and was a writer for The Next Generation and Voyager .

Singularity Headaches from Voyager to Enterprise

A Voyager shuttle with B'Elanna Torres and Janeway charge a dekyon beam at the site of a quantum singularity in hopes of expanding the hole in 'Parallax'

"Parallax"

Speaking of spacecraft called " Voyager ," the wayward crew in Star Trek: Voyager dealt with more than their fair share of black hole conundrums. In the second regular episode of Voyager , ever, " Parallax ," they encounter an event horizon of a "quantum singularity." In physics, the center of a black hole is called a singularity, the place of infinite density. In "Parallax," the proximity to this singularity the Voyager crew believed there was another ship trapped in the same area of space, but, in reality, it was a time-delayed echo of Voyager itself.

In the episode " Hunters ," the Voyager crew was able to transform a microsingularity into a full-blown black hole, and thus, destroy an attacking Hirogen ship. A few years later in Earth time — but roughly 200 years prior in Star Trek time — the Enterprise episode " Singularity " found the crew of the NX-01 skirting the edge of a black hole, resulting in everyone becoming obsessed with irritating minutiae. You could say, the proximity to the singularity of a black hole made the crew single-minded .

Real Black Holes Come To Star Trek

"If Memory Serves"

As NASA has pointed out over the years, black holes are not fully understood by contemporary science, an evolving truth that is reflected over the years throughout all of Star Trek , too. This is why, it wasn't until the 2019 Discovery episode " If Memory Serves " that we got our first Star Trek glimpse of what current science thinks a black hole might really look like. When siblings Spock and Burnham take an unauthorized road trip to Talos IV, the Talosians create an illusionary black hole around their planet to ward off the visitors. From this point, all versions of Star Trek have begun using this conception of black holes on-screen. While the red-matter-generated black hole Spock created in the 2009 Star Trek film looks incredible, the version first depicted in Discovery Season 2 is more scientifically up-to-date.

This contemporary version of a black hole also appeared in the Strange New Worlds episode " Memento Mori ," in which the Enterprise crew uses the gravity of a brown dwarf star — tethered to a black hole — to escape attacks from the Gorn. A black star of this nature also appears in the opening credits of every single episode of Lower Decks , in which it appears the U.S.S. Cerritos almost gets sucked into a black hole, but, thankfully, narrowly escapes.

At her station on the Discovery bridge, Tilly looks down at the screen which reveals they're at the location of binary black holes in 'Lagrange Point'

"Lagrange Point"

Because Discovery pioneered this newer look for black holes, it's fitting that two black holes appear in the penultimate episode of the entire series. From navigating the multiverse to the mycelial network, Discovery has had more than its fair share of encounters with the stormy weather of outer space. But, with the double black holes of "Lagrange Point," Discovery proves that when it comes to space obstacles, sometimes, the classics work best.

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Ryan Britt is the author of the nonfiction books Phasers on Stun! How the Making and Remaking of Star Trek Changed the World (2022), The Spice Must Flow: The Journey of Dune from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies (2023), and the essay collection Luke Skywalker Can’t Read (2015). He is a longtime contributor to Star Trek.com and his writing regularly appears with Inverse, Den of Geek!, Esquire and elsewhere. He lives in Portland, Maine with his family.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe and also airs on Cosmote TV in Greece. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

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Review: Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 10 “Life, Itself”

Star Trek: Discovery delivers an excellent series finale that surpassed our high expectations, as this show ends its five-season journey with one of the most Star Trek messages possible.

Captain Michael Burnham ( Sonequa Martin-Green ) is trapped in the Progenitors’ portal, and it’s a locale that makes thorough use of this show’s famous AR wall. It’s a beautiful location, one that inspires mystery and familiarity, as Burnham views relatable environs throughout the galaxy, presumably created by the Progenitors. After falling into and then struggling to find her way out of a cyclonic environment, she encounters Moll ( Eve Harlow ), who is still hell-bent on finding a way to resurrect her lover, L’ak ( Elias Toufexis ).

After reaffirming she won’t let the Breen or the rogue Moll have the tech before the Federation can safely study it, Burnham finds herself engaged with the desperate ex-courier. This extended imaginative, gravity-defying fight scene ends with the pair calling a truce to find the Progenitors’ tech together. Moreover, Burnham gives Moll her personal assurance that she is looking out for Moll’s interests.

On their path to the bright light they assume indicates the Progenitors’ tech, Burnham notes a major difference between the environment within the portal and the rules of physics enjoyed by those outside the portal. There are pockets of “negative space” in the portal, places that shouldn’t exist. Upon interacting with one of these spaces, Burnham opens the true path to the tech – a jaunt through a field of waist-high flowers amid a pastoral, sunset-kissed area.

The pair run across a rock monument that Burnham deduces was made by the tech’s 24 th -century scientists for their fallen comrade, as referenced in “ Jinaal .” Not surprisingly, as they are right on the cusp of interfacing with the tech, Moll cold-clocks Burnham and tries to take the tech for herself, which leads to her entrapment as the space outside the Progenitors’ portal starts to get all wonky, much to the detriment of Discovery and its crew.

What are Discovery ’s crew up to while Burnham is on the doorstep of the Progenitors’ tech? The Breen dreadnaught that got its shuttle bay absolutely wrecked in the previous episode is more or less out of action, but our protagonists still have issues. Tahal ( Patricia Summersett ) is on her way, and the temporarily disabled dreadnaught near Discovery is harassing our heroes with fighters.

This situation just adds pressure to Commander Rayner’s ( Callum Keith Rennie ) rescue of his captain and the Progenitor tech. To rid themselves of those pesky fighters, Rayner and his bridge crew resurrect the Riker Maneuver from Star Trek: Insurrection (whether they realize it or not) and destroy their pursuers by igniting a plasma field near the black holes. Meanwhile, Cleveland Booker ( David Ajala ) and Doctor Hugh Culber ( Wilson Cruz ) take a shuttle to keep the portal from falling into the black hole.

“Ever since Jinaal, I’ve been trying to figure out what it means, this change inside of me or whatever it is. I’m not sure if this will give me the answers, but it might. And at the very least, I can help him. I know I can.” – Culber to Paul Stamets ( Anthony Rapp ), as the doctor goes with Book into the dangerous space surrounding the Progenitors’ portal.

Why is the good doctor on such a dangerous away mission? Before Booker embarks to save Burnham, Culber insists on coming with him, as he instinctively feels he needs to do this. Surprisingly, Culber remembers the precise tractor beam frequency required to grab the Progenitors’ portal, something he has no reason to know; after all, he doesn’t keep any of Jinaal’s memories. Remember, the scientists who studied the Progenitors’ tech, including Jinaal, did indeed make it as far as Discovery ’s crew has, and would thus know how to access the Progenitors’ portal. Why did that particular memory unlock itself when Book needed it? Culber is puzzled by this fortuitous event.

The end of Culber’s metaphysical journey this season is in the shuttle’s cockpit with Book, as the pair hold onto the portal while Burnham is within. Culber never gets an answer to the spiritual journey he experienced this season, but you know what? He’s okay with that. Whereas he thought he might be on the path to answers of life and death, he is content with the mystery of not knowing the answers to such powerful questions. Not knowing, after all, is part of the human condition.

With the Breen dreadnaught coming back online and posing a serious threat to his rescue mission, Rayner needs to eliminate the ship from the playing field. Tasking Paul Stamets to work miracles, the engineer and Adira Tal ( Blu del Barrio ) devise a way to use Discovery ’s Spore Drive to jump the dreadnaught to a different part of the galaxy: the Galactic Barrier. After all, the decades-long trip home for the Breen is more time than the Breen ever gave Rayner’s family during their occupation of his homeworld.

Let’s talk about this plan for a second. Using Discovery ’s trademark Spore Drive technology – which the Pathway Drive recently made outdated, much to Paul’s chagrin – in a way we’ve never seen before is a smart and cool trick for the series finale, and we think Rayner found a clever, harmless way to avenge his family and world while still serving his mission. Seeing Discovery separate its saucer to encase the dreadnaught with a Spore Drive field is such a remarkable sight, and it comes as Burnham is coming face-to-face with a Progenitor.

What to do with Ultimate Power?

Remember when we said Moll and Burnham were on the cusp of discovery? We were referring to them being faced with a puzzle. A grouping of nine triangles sits on a table at the center of the Progenitors’ space, and it’s here Burnham figures the hint she received from the mindscape – “Build the shape of the one between the many” – comes into play. As we alluded to earlier, Moll gets a try at the puzzle first, but ends up injuring herself and almost wrecking the space in and around the portal. When its Burnham’s time to try the puzzle, she correctly uses the lessons she learned along the clue path and places the triangles in the proper order – in a way that forms a larger triangle using negative space between the other triangles – which thus unlocks the key to the whole shebang.

Burnham comes face to face with a Progenitor ( Somkele Iyamah ), or at least the semblance of one; after all, Progenitors died out billions of years ago. The Progenitor asserts she is now responsible for showing Burnham how to use the Progenitors’ technology, and that the rate of its life-creating nature can be adjusted for speed and scale. Moreover, the Progenitor surprises Burnham with a weighty reveal: The Progenitors aren’t actually the ones who created life in the galaxy; they found it there and augmented it after arriving. Who are the Progenitors’ predecessors, the ones who the Progenitors assume created them? Who created the creators, and exactly how far back such a creation cycle goes, is a question that may never be answered, but one that’s mighty fascinating to ponder.

“I’m far from perfect. I’m afraid, lost sometimes.” “Every sentient being, myself included, is all of those things. Yet some strive to be the best of themselves. I see that in you.” – Burnham and the Progenitor.

The Progenitor recalls how the only other visitor to the Progenitors’ space, the Betazoid Dr. Derex, asserted the next visitor needed to be better prepared to handle the tech’s enormous responsibility. Having passed all those trials laid by the tech’s scientists, the Progenitor gives Burnham the powerful choice of choosing what should be done with such power.

The climax of Burnham and the Progenitor’s conversation is framed against the actions being taken by Burnham’s friends in pursuit of their shared goal. It’s a powerful, inspiring scene that is interposed with the actions others are taking – including Discovery spore-jumping the Breen ship – in pursuit of the ultimate treasure and Burnham’s rescue. Major kudos to director and Discovery production veteran Olatunde Osunsanmi for crafting such powerful storytelling.

To help Burnham decide what to do with the tech, the Progenitor also asks Burnham what’s most important to her. As the one who proved herself time and again as someone responsible and altruistic, the choice is hers. The Progenitor offers what was important to her and her people. In their time, they were the only sentients in the galaxy, and they wanted to populate the Milky Way with an endless array of diverse beings. Burnham can’t answer the question of what is most meaningful to her immediately – who could, really, without weighing a ton of factors and deep introspection? – so the Progenitor leaves Burnham with the tech and one final gift.

Burnham’s mind conjures a montage of all the things that had to happen to get her to this point in time. The propagation of life on Earth, evolution, discovery, humans reaching for the stars – it’s all there. Returned to the injured Moll with the bad news that she can’t revive L’ak with the Progenitors’ tech, Burnham and Moll are rescued from the Progenitors’ portal by Book and Culber. Thanks to Discovery’s ability to spore-jump the Breen dreadnaught away from the battle zone, and with Saru’s ( Doug Jones ) ability to force Tahal’s fleet to turn around, the day is saved.

Action Saru

Yep, Saru ended up playing a pivotal role in helping his former shipmates. Remember how in the last episode he was tasked with taking a shuttle to intercept Tahal’s fleet and get them to stand down? He embarks on that mission with Nhan ( Rachael Ancheril ), who we’re thankful makes one final appearance in this show besides her wasted role in “ In the Shadow of War .” Nhan volunteers to assist Saru on this possible suicide mission, and they both agree the effort is worth it to save their found family on Discovery .

“Ambassador Saru, are you insane?” “Not to the best of my knowledge.” – Tahal and Saru, as Saru attempts to stop Tahal’s fleet in an unarmed shuttle.

Catching up to Tahal’s fleet as they barrel toward the black holes, Saru gets one of his best moments in recent seasons. First, the Kelpien hails Tahal to try a typical diplomatic overture, including offering her some trade concessions if she were to stand down. But when that approach predictably doesn’t work, Action Saru comes out in full force – but not by him shooting his ganglia. No, he’s more calculating than that.

Saru confidently asserts himself and confronts Tahal, without any hint of deceit in his expression. The Kelpien uses his diplomatic connections made during his absence from the show, and keen observation of Tahal’s behavior and motivations to all but force her to turn her fleet around, lest she encounters trouble from Starfleet’s allies and other Breen. This scene is a masterclass from Doug Jones, who constantly nails how to act while wearing a mountain of prosthetics and makeup. Expect this scene to show up in any future compilation video for Top Badass Star Trek Character Moments.

We Are Enough

“I saw the last four billion years… I realized we already have infinite diversity in infinite combinations. There’s no need for this technology anymore.” – Burnham.

With the day saved, it’s time for Burnham to decide what to do with the Progenitors’ tech. Her answer offers the perfect Star Trek- ian message. She orders Discovery to shoot the tech into the event horizon of the nearby black hole, free from discovery of any Milky Way species. Her rationale is beautiful: the people of the 32 nd century already have such a diverse and wonderful array of relationships – “infinite diversity in infinite combinations,” as she says, borrowing a phrase from her Vulcan upbringing – that this renders the Progenitors’ tech unneeded in such an idyllic galaxy. Think about this: Burnham asserts the ultimate power in the galaxy already exists in our shared diversity. How much more Star Trek can you get? We loved this resolution to the season-long question of what Discovery should do with the Progenitors’ technology. It really is quite inspiring.

Stamets, who has been viewing the potential study and utilization of the Progenitors’ technology as a lasting part of his legacy in the wake of his spore drive being rendered obsolete, isn’t so thrilled by this plan. However, he ultimately accepts Burnham’s well-intentioned logic and concedes casting the technology into the black hole is the right thing to do. Offering some words of support to her faux-foster father, Adira reassures Stamets that the crew learned a lot in their pursuit of the Progenitors’ tech, and that gaining knowledge is a good enough outcome. We agree with Stamets when he calls the young Adira “wise” for such a mature observation. What are humans if not their quest for lifelong learning?

“I’ve lived many years, captain, and many lives. I’ve met few who have impressed me but also aggravated me as much as you.” – Kovich to Burnham.

There’s one more surprise in store before the episode proper ends with Saru and T’Rina’s scenic marriage and Book and Burnham heartfully reigniting their relationship before venturing off on another mission. Discovery returns to Federation HQ after the ordeal at the black holes, and Burnham pays one last visit to Doctor Kovich ( David Cronenberg ), who recently requested Moll be transferred to his care for unknown reasons. Burnham’s Red Directive mission is over, and all records about the Progenitors’ tech will be erased.

It’s a sensible outcome for Burnham, who, let’s remember, had her 23 rd -century activities erased from official records, but it’s clear she harbors questions about who or what Kovich really is. Every time Kovich was on screen since his introduction in season three, there’s been more to him than meets the eye. Luckily, Discovery wouldn’t let the show end without revealing a big surprise to Enterprise fans.

You might see where this is going if you watched Scott Bakula’s four-season early-2000s Star Trek show. Burnham gets Kovich to finally formally introduce himself to her: Agent Daniels of the USS Enterprise and “other places.” Kovich is a codename for the time-traveling agent seen in a handful of Enterprise episodes, and his extra-temporal nature explains why he not only has access to legitimate pen and paper, as seen earlier in the season, but a collection of memorabilia from across the timeline. On his office shelves, we see artifacts such as what’s presumably Geordi LaForge’s VISOR, Ben Sisko’s baseball, and a bottle of Chateau Picard. It’s Easter egg city for Star Trek fans in this scene, and it’s a relief knowing this show had a cool plan for Kovich all along.

Such would be a great place to leave this season if we were expecting its return next year, but of course, this show’s cast and crew had to return for additional shooting after news of Discovery ’s cancellation broke more than a year ago. For the last 15 minutes of “Life, Itself” director Jonathan Frakes closes out the story of our inspirational protagonist. In a sequence set decades after the events of the Progenitor search, Burnham, who seems to have retired on Sanctuary Four with Book, has one final mission: escorting her son, played by Sawandi Wilson , to Federation HQ for him to assume his own captaincy.

“A long time ago, someone asked me what was most meaningful to me… At the end of the day, every member of your crew has to find their own sense of meaning.” “So, do you know how you answer that question now?” “Yeah… just being here. You know. Sometimes life itself is meaning enough.” – Admiral Burnham to her son.

Burnham and her son share a heartfelt conversation about the importance of captaincy and the even greater importance of finding meaning in one’s life. It’s a tender discussion, and neatly puts a bow on one of this series’ most prominent themes: finding family. Burnham asserts her time aboard Discovery and making the close connections she did was one of the most impactful aspects of her life.

Besides the prideful mission of bringing her son to his first command, Starfleet has one more mission for Admiral Burnham. She is to lead Discovery and its resident artificial intelligence, Zora ( Annabelle Wallis ), to coordinates quite a ways from home. Zora’s Red Directive mission? Await a “craft” – but Burnham doesn’t know if that refers to a ship or a person. We know, however, that Craft is a person, someone who is destined to visit Discovery in the far future as Zora lives a solidary existence as the sole resident of the ancient Starfleet ship. Finally, we get a direct link to the 2018 (yes, six years ago!) Short Trek episode “ Calypso .”

Before sending Zora on her way, Burnham lives in the past a bit as she sits in her captain’s chair one last time. The aged Burnham disappears briefly, replaced by her younger 32 nd -century self, as the admiral remembers her found family from Discovery . Thanks to Burnham’s vivid imagination, we see the entire cast on the bridge one last time. Luckily, both Keyla Detmer ( Emily Coutts ) and Joann Owosekun ( Oyin Oladejo ) make one final appearance, after basically being absent this season.

As far as nostalgic family gatherings go, this one, scored by a heartbreaking soundtrack that really pulls at your heartstrings, is a great one. The scene is imminently appropriate considering Burnham just told her son the most important thing to her was family, and we’re saying goodbye to this cast we’ve grown to love over the last seven years.

Discovery , getting its “last dance,” as Burnham wistfully says to herself,gets the Babylon 5 -esque farewell treatment as the ship, newly de-graded to appear as it did before its jump to the future, is saluted by rows and rows of Starfleet vessels as Burnham and Zora lead the ship into its lonely future. Fin .

Of course, we think this show deserves more than just the relatively quick, albeit well-executed epilogue delivered due to the show’s surprise cancellation. Extended farewells to certain cast members would have been welcomed, but perhaps we haven’t seen the end of this crew’s adventures in the 32 nd century. Who knows if books, comics, or other media can pick up stories left untold. The possibilities for continued storytelling using Discovery ’s powerful ethos and 32 nd century worldbuilding are endless, and it’d be a shame if the final minutes of “Life, Itself,” as good as they are, were indeed the end of the line for these characters.

Sticking the Landing

“Life, Itself” serves as a fantastic finale for the season-long Progenitor mystery, tying together the scientists’ clue trail and associated tests of character with masterful storytelling and emotional depth. Burnham’s decision to cast the Progenitors’ tech into the black hole is a remarkable reflection of how strongly and powerfully Discovery upholds Star Trek ‘s timeless ideals of galactic cooperation and the power of diversity. By choosing to trust in the strength of “infinite diversity in infinite combinations,” Burnham embodies the essence of Roddenberry’s vision, reminding us that true power lies in the unity and diversity of life across the galaxy. If only this lesson was followed in the present day.

Burnham’s resolution, combined with stunning visual spectacles throughout the episode, Culber’s acceptance of the mystery of life, the reveal of Kovich as Daniels, the touching glimpses of Burnham’s future, and a heartfelt sendoff for her crew, solidifies “Life, Itself” as one of Discovery ’s best entries. This show has delivered a series finale that not only meets but exceeds expectations.

Stray Thoughts:

Here’s a neat statistic from the fine folks over at TrekRanks : “Life, Itself” makes Discovery the longest-running Star Trek series ever. This show, from premiere date to today, is 11 days longer than the time between TNG ‘s airdates for “Encounter at Farpoint” and “All Good Things.”
Why was Moll fighting Breen while in the portal? The Breen who were sucked in before her should have been deferential to their new commander, no?
Burnham really should have warned Moll she was going to programmable-matter a dermal regenerator into her hand, as Moll could and should have easily taken the surprise tool in Burnham’s hand as a weapon.
We see almost 20 Breen fighters pursuing Discovery . Why can’t such a large taskforce disable one ship?
Culber gets to utter a version of the increasingly rare classic Trek line by saying, “I know I’m a doctor, not a physicist, but…,” and we’ll be damned if that didn’t put a smile on our face.
Pay attention to Jörg Hillebrand on X , who will undoubtedly turn his eagle-eye toward identifying all the mementos in Kovich’s office.
After voicing her opinion earlier in the season that Starfleet Academy was missing a key element, Tilly realizes in this episode that a one-on-one mentorship program is what the Academy needs. So, expect to see such a program play a role in the upcoming Starfleet Academy show.
Book notes to Burnham that he planted the World Root, which was given to him by the Eternal Gallery and Archive in “ Labyrinths ,” on Sanctuary Four, the planet seen in “ That Hope is You, Part 1 .” In the epilogue for “Life, Itself,” we see a strong, mighty tree near Burnham and Book’s house that is likely the spawn of the World Root.
Burnham seems to have named the pretty sci-fi deer on Sanctuary Four “Alice,” perhaps a reflection of how Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland played a role in Burnham’s upbringing.
Did you notice how there’s a Starfleet insignia in Burnham’s backyard, which serves as an indicator of sorts of where the shuttle should pick up the admiral? Remember in the series pilot how Burnham and Georgiou traced a Starfleet insignia in the sand to indicate to Shenzhou where to pick them up. The symmetry is just *chef’s kiss*.

The complete Star Trek: Discovery series is now available to stream on Paramount+ . Season 5 stars Sonequa Martin-Green (Captain Michael Burnham), Doug Jones (Saru), Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), David Ajala (Cleveland “Book” Booker), Blu del Barrio (Adira) and Callum Keith Rennie (Rayner). Season five also features recurring guest stars Elias Toufexis (L’ak) and Eve Harlow (Moll).

Stay tuned to TrekNews.net for all the latest news on Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Prodigy , Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Star Trek: Lower Decks , and more.

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Kyle Hadyniak has been a lifelong Star Trek fan, and isn't ashamed to admit that Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek: Nemesis are his favorite Star Trek movies. You can follow Kyle on Twitter @khady93 .

May 31, 2024 at 1:58 pm

Great ending of Discovery!!! Hopefully a movie will come soon!

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