star trek enterprise vessels

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Star trek: every version of the starship enterprise.

The Federation flagship, the USS Enterprise, has a long, fabled history, and each version of the classic Star Trek spacecraft has its own unique look.

• 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.

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Published Sep 1, 2014

Celebrating the Ships of the Line: USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A

She was the second Federation ship to proudly bear the name U.S.S Enterprise. She was nearly identical, externally, to the U.S.S. Enterprise refit. She was the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-A, commissioned in 2286 at the San Francisco Fleet Yards. The ship was called into action – with James T. Kirk in command following his demotion from admiral to captain -- while still undergoing repairs following a less-than-successful shakedown cruise and was soon after commandeered by Sybok, a Vulcan zealot. Sybok led the ship to Sha Ka Ree, a planet beyond the Great Barrier that was supposedly home to God. Kirk and crew eventually regained control of the Enterprise-A with help from an unlikely ally, Klingon Ambassador Kordd.

By the 2290s, the Enterprise-A had been outfitted to join a handful of other Starfleet ships in investigating gaseous planetary anomalies. Then, in 2293, the ship was poised to be retired – along with most of her crew – when Kirk and company were ordered to escort Klingon Chancellor Gorkon to Earth for the earliest stages of the Khitomer Accords negotiations. The negotiations were nearly derailed by a conspiracy between Romulan, Klingon and Starfleet figures, among them Lt. Valeris of the Enterprise, that left Gorkon dead and Kirk and McCoy framed for his death and imprisoned. However, Spock defied orders, leading the Enterprise on a mission to save Kirk and McCoy. Later, once Valeris and the conspiracy plot had been exposed, Klingon General Chang and his Bird-of-Prey still stood between the Enterprise and reaching the Khitomer Conference in time to prevent the assassination of Gorkon’s daughter, and newly installed Chancellor, Azetbur. The Bird-of-Prey, which could fire while cloaked, attacked the Enterprise and then also the Excelsior, which was under the command of Captain Sulu. Thinking on their feet, the Enterprise crew rejiggered the new equipment that had been installed for investigating gaseous planetary anomalies and used it to locate the cloaked Bird-of-Prey. The Enterprise and Excelsior destroyed the Bird-of-Prey and raced to Khitomer, where they successfully thwarted the assassination attempt. Starfleet Command then recalled the Enterprise-A so it could be finally be decommissioned, but Kirk couldn’t resist taking the ship out for one last mission. StarTrek.com 's look at the USS Enterprise-A continues our ongoing celebration of the Ships of the Line, which will carry on from now until the end of the year. The latest in the bestselling Ships of the Line calendar series is available now; visit www.Amazon.com to purchase the 2015 Ships of the Line calendar. And if you're an artist or designer, be sure to enter the Ships of the Line Design Contest, under way now, for a chance to have your art featured in the 2016 Ships of the Line calendar. Click HERE to enter.

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Star Trek: Every Version of The Enterprise, Ranked

Star Trek's Enterprise has been through several iterations. While many versions surpass their predecessors, some classic designs still hold up.

Star Trek gave sci-fans the world over the greatest starship in genre history: the starship Enterprise . The classic vessel debuted in 1966 with a deceptively simple but considered design — a very sci-fi saucer attached to a rocket-like fuselage and paired with twin warp nacelles. This design does what every practical, real-world design does: it follows its function.

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Because of that, the original starship Enterprise has endured over fifty years through numerous updates and interpretations. The Star Trek franchise has expanded through myriad live-action and animated television series, as well as feature films. A new Enterprise is generally at the heart of most updates, and each carries on the proud tradition of the first.

Updated on April 28th, 2023 by David Harth: The Enterprise has always been the core of Star Trek . When the show first debuted back in 1966, starships were all either rockets or saucers. The Enterprise changed that, taking familiar design elements and mixing them together to create an iconic vessel that nearly everyone could recognize. Over the last six decades, there have been multiple Enterprises. Two versions of the ship appeared on Star Trek: Picard — one for the first time in live action and another that is totally new.

13 NCC-1701-J (Star Trek: Enterprise)

Star Trek has taken viewers to alternate universes and strange futures. It's also taken viewers into the past, which is why it's so ironic that the series that took viewers furthest into the past also showed them the most advanced Enterprise. Star Trek: Enterprise took place in the 22nd century, but Captain Archer received a glimpse of the distant future in the episode, "Azati Prime."

The Enterprise-J is a Universe- class vessel and serves in Starfleet during the 26th century. Unbelievably massive, it had time travel capacity, like other Starfleet ships that have been portrayed from that time. Fan reaction to the ship was resoundingly negative. Even ship fans didn't enjoy the design, and it's the least loved Enterprise of them all.

12 Future NCC-1701-D From "All Good Things" (Star Trek: Next Generation)

An amped-up version of the Enterprise appeared in the series finale for Star Trek: The Next Generation , "All Good Things," one of its very best Star Trek episodes ever. In an alternate future, the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D packs in a lot more power.

The previously graceful Enterprise adds the third nacelle on the back and a gigantic phaser canon on the underbelly of the saucer. This canon blows Klingon ships to bits in one shot, which is kind of nuts. The future version of the ship also featured a cloaking device, something Starfleet ships generally avoided.

11 The Kelvin Timeline NCC-1701 (Star Trek 2009)

When J.J. Abrams rebooted the franchise in the 2009 Star Trek film, the Enterprise got a major makeover. Kind of. The saucer section of the ship is essentially that of the refit Enterprise , but the rest looks different. The body, neck, and nacelles all feature a much more sweeping, fluid design than the original version of the ship.

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The nacelles are also much larger in comparison to the rest of the ship, and much closer. It's unclear whether fans have seen the last of the Kelvin-era Enterprise and her crew, though it remains a possibility that they will.

10 The NX-01 (Star Trek: Enterprise)

By the time the 21st century rolled on, Star Trek had oddly gotten a bit tired. To change it up, the producers of the franchise went back to the future. They set a new series, Star Trek: Enterprise , a hundred years before Kirk and introduced a never-before-seen version of the starship. The NX-01 actually had some links to ships previous.

The NX-01 Enterprise 's design is essentially that of the Akira-class vessel from the feature film Star Trek: First Contact , featuring one of the coolest alien races ever, the Borg. The designers flipped the ship upside down and called it good. Fans kind of didn't like the series, but the ship remained cool.

9 NCC-1701-B (Star Trek: Generations)

For a long time, the Enterprise -B remained the question mark in the lineage between Kirk's ship and Picard's. Fans knew it was an Excelsior -class vessel thanks to a mural on the Enterprise -D, but not much else was known about it. The ship appeared in Star Trek Generations , and despite the fact it was based on a design people knew, it had some cool new details.

Star Trek Generations modified the secondary hull of the original Excelsior, sweeping out the hull around the deflector dish. This change was actually made to preserve the existing Excelsior- class model, since the move still used physical models and the scene called for the part of the ship Kirk was in to be destroyed. It also added two huge impulse engines and changed the caps of the nacelles.

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

The Enterprise -C had been introduced during the run of The Next Generation , in the episode "Yesterday's Enterprise." The Ambassador -class vessel was another link in the chain between the 23rd and 24th centuries and showed how Starfleet got from Kirk to Picard. The Enterprise -C essentially combined elements of the Constitution -class that preceded it and the Galaxy -class that superseded it.

RELATED: 13 Greatest Star Trek Villains Of All Time, Ranked

The dynamic curving lines of Picard's Enterprise weren't present yet, but the size and uniquely colored red and blue nacelles were. This Enterprise fell to the Romulans, among the greatest villains of the Federation, at the Battle of Narendra III.

7 NCC-1701-F (Star Trek: Picard)

The Enterprise-F made its first appearance in Star Trek Online, an MMO that took place thirty years from the end of Voyager . The Odyssey- class vessel was the flagship of Starfleet at the time Its unique design included a connecting boom between the saucer and stardrive section. The NCC-1701-F Enterprise made an impact on fans, so they were excited to see it in the trailer for Star Trek: Picard.

Star Trek is no stranger to retcons , and games aren't usually canon anyway, so bringing the F back to 2401, instead of further in the future was a cakewalk. The NCC-1701-F Enterprise had a great reputation with Star Trek Online fans, although it rarely in the show. The NCC-1701-F Enterprise was scheduled for decommissioning, and the new Borg threat in Picard made that a reality.

6 NCC-1701 (Star Trek: Discovery And Star Trek: Strange New Worlds)

Setting Star Trek Discovery only ten years before the Original Series meant that the U.S.S. Enterprise was destined to show up. It eventually did at the end of the first season. The show updated the classic 60s elements for a modern audience, and the NCC-1701 was no exception.

The original Matt Jefferies design largely remains the same but incorporates elements of the refit from Star Trek: The Motion Picture . The nacelle pylons are swept back, giving it a greater sense of fluidity. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has taken its place among Star Trek 's most beloved shows, a mix of old and new, much like this great new design.

5 NCC-1701-E (The Next Generation Movies)

The Enterprise - E provided the single greatest design change in the storied ship's history. Producers wanted something faster and sleeker, and they got it. The Sovereign -class starship resembles a hot rod, with a flat, elongated profile that is in stark contrast to the big, swan-like grace of its predecessor.

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Designers accomplished this by removing the neck out of the design entirely. Starships during this period, like the Voyager , basically abandoned the neck element and stacked the saucer directly on the secondary hull. This Enterprise was one of the fastest and strongest of them all.

4 NCC-1701-G (Star Trek: Picard)

Star Trek: Picard 's third season helped the series become one of the most beloved Star Trek spin-offs , bringing together the crew of TNG for one last ride. It also introduced fans to a new Enterprise. The Enterprise-G took things back to the old school look in some ways. Originally appearing in the show as the U.S.S. Titan-A , Picard and his crew used the vessel to figure out who was attacking the Federation.

The G is a Constitution III- class ship, sometimes called a Neo-Constitution. Star Trek: Picard fans came to love the Enterprise-G . Its design took elements from Constitution- class and the refit from the later motion pictures and added design flourishes from newer ship designs as well. A mid-sized vessel, it wasn't the most powerful warship, but it had the feeling of a great jack of all trades vessel. Captained by Captain Seven Of Nine, fans are hoping to see more of the Enterprise-G in the future.

3 NCC-1701 (Star Trek: The Original Series)

The first is usually the best, and in many ways, the original Enterprise from the 1966 series remains the most iconic design in science-fiction. It's hard to argue with its basic simplicity and instantly recognizable silhouette. Due to budgetary constraints, the original model of the ship lacked the detail that later versions did, but it's still an incredible work of art.

The original Enterprise appeared in all the most memorable episodes of the classic Star Trek series. The first starship Enterprise established a design lineage that informs every single ship in the Star Trek universe to this day. That goes for Starfleet and alien vessels alike.

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

Later versions updated and improved on the already awesome original design. Lots of brutal things happened in Star Trek: The Next Generation , but on the positive side, the Enterprise-D received an upgrade. Designer Andrew Probert took the largely static lines of the original and transformed them into flowing, graceful lines that made the Enterprise look more like a glass sculpture than a machine.

Some Star Trek fans didn't take to the new design because of how different it was, especially in 1987, upon its debut. However, the Enterprise-D has aged very well and defines an era of the franchise hailed for its creative endeavors.

1 NCC-1701 And The NCC-1701-A (The Original Series Movies)

The best update the original Enterprise ever received came in The Motion Picture . Legendary concept designer Ralph McQuarrie, responsible for some of the most iconic Star Wars concept art, helped reimagine the Enterprise . The ship got a top-to-bottom makeover, receiving the biggest changes in the secondary hull.

An embedded blue disc replaced the original gold deflector dish, and a weapons port provided the base for the neck. The nacelle pylons were swept back, and the nacelles completely redesigned, becoming more wedge-like and less tubular. It's the perfect redesign of the quintessential starship and remains a huge inspiration for Enterprise designs all these years later.

NEXT: 10 Times The Star Trek Captains Went Way Too Far

‘Star Trek’ Fans Can Now Virtually Tour Every Starship Enterprise Bridge

An interactive web portal explores the vessel’s evolution over nearly six decades

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For decades, many “ Star Trek ” fans have imagined what it would be like to work from the bridge of the starship  Enterprise , the long-running franchise’s high-tech space-exploring vessel. Through various iterations and seasons of the series, created by  Gene Roddenberry in the ’60s, the bridge has remained a constant, serving as the backdrop for many important moments in the show’s 800-plus episodes.

Now, die-hard Trekkies and casual watchers alike can virtually roam around the Enterprise’s bridge to their heart’s content, thanks to a sophisticated and highly detailed new  web portal that brings the space to life.

The site features 360-degree, 3D models of the various versions of the Enterprise , as well as a timeline of the ship’s evolution throughout the franchise’s history. Fans of the show can also read detailed information about each version of the ship’s design, its significance to the “Star Trek” storyline and its production backstory.

Developed in honor of the “Star Trek: Picard”  series finale , which dropped late last month on Paramount+, the portal is a collaboration between the Roddenberry Estate, the Roddenberry Archive and the technology company OTOY. A group of well-known “Star Trek” artists—including Denise and Michael Okuda , Daren Dochterman, Doug Drexler and Dave Blass—also supported the project.

“Through new technology, we can bring audiences back in time as if they were there on set during the making of ’Star Trek,’ providing a window into new dimensions of the ‘Star Trek’ universe,” says Jules Urbach, OTOY’s CEO, in a  statement .

The voice of the late actress  Majel Roddenberry , who played the Enterprise ’s computer for years, will be added to the site in the future. Gene Roddenberry  died in 1991 , followed by Majel Roddenberry  in 2008 ; the two had been married since 1969.

The portal’s creators also released a short video , narrated by actor  John de Lancie , exploring every version of the Enterprise ’s bridge to date, “from its inception in  Pato Guzman ’s 1964 sketches, through its portrayal across decades of TV shows and feature films, to its latest incarnation on the Enterprise-G , as revealed in the final episode of ‘ Star Trek: Picard ,’” per the video description. Accompanying video interviews with “Star Trek” cast and crew—including William Shatner , who played Captain Kirk in the original series, and Terry Matalas , a showrunner for “Star Trek: Picard”—also explore the series’ legacy.

The interactive, 3D bridge models contain a surprising level of detail, right down to the consoles and turbolifts. The site, however, has so far been hit or miss for users, suggesting that the team behind it may still be working out a few of the technical kinks, reports the  Verge ’s Sean Hollister. And as Kyle Barr writes for  Gizmodo , one big downside is that the models don’t contain any “Star Trek” characters, who he says are “the beating heart of the show and its ideals.”

“Sitting in the captain’s chair, with all the stations empty beside you,” he writes, “is enough to make one wistful.”

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Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.

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Star Trek: Enterprise

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

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

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

Subcommander T'Pol : I'm not upset.

Commander Tucker : Sure sounds like it.

Subcommander T'Pol : You're mistaken.

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

Subcommander T'Pol : Unless what?

Commander Tucker : Unless you're a little jealous.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The Long-Lost Original Star Trek Enterprise Model Is Heading Home

After going missing from gene roddenberry's collection half a century ago, the very first model of the starship enterprise is back in his family's hands..

It was our first look at the vision of Star Trek ’s future: the original ship model of the USS Enterprise that zoomed across screens in the show’s opening credits. But after being loaned out during the making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture , it had gone missing... until now.

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After, bizarrely, it randomly turned up on eBay last fall—the first time it had been seen publicly since it had gone missing —the original model of the Enterprise made for the Star Trek pilot “The Cage” and shooting its opening titles sequences is now back in the hands of the Roddenberry estate. After the eBay seller quickly learned just what they had their hands on, the model was handed over to Heritage Auctions for authentication, and when it was confirmed to be the long-lost Trek icon , held in storage until it could be handed over to Rod Roddenberry this past weekend. “After five decades, I’m thrilled that someone happened upon this historic model of the USS Enterprise . I remember how it used to adorn my dad’s desk,” Roddenberry said in a statement provided over email. “I am tremendously grateful to Heritage Auctions for facilitating the return of this iconic piece of Star Trek history to my family.”

The original model served as the prototype for what would become the primary original 11-foot shooting model of the Enterprise , which has had a similarly long and winding history on display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum —it was damaged, then tweaked in an a restoration that was ultimately undone to restore it to its original glory just in time for Trek ’s 50th anniversary back in 2014. Like its successor, the newly recovered model will find a life outside of a private collection: Roddenberry Entertainment intends to put it on public display.

“I can’t wait to figure out how we are going to share it with my extended family, Star Trek fans around the world,” Roddenberry’s statement concluded. “We look forward to making that announcement.”

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel , Star Wars , and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who .

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Long-lost model of 'Star Trek' Enterprise makes voyage home

April 18 (UPI) -- The original model of the starship Enterprise has returned to the family of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.

Heritage Auctions last week returned the long-lost model, featured in the original Star Trek series' opening credits, to Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry Jr., CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment and son of the late Gene Roddenberry, the company announced on Thursday.

The three-foot-long USS Enterprise was believed to have disappeared in the 1970s when Gene Roddenberry loaned it to the makers of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

It resurfaced last fall when an unnamed person discovered it and brought it to Heritage for authentication. The auction house then contacted Rod Roddenberry to coordinate its return.

"Once our team of experts concluded it was the real thing, we contacted Rod because we wanted to get the model back to where it belonged," Heritage Auctions Executive Vice President Joe Maddalena said in a statement. "We're thrilled the Enterprise is finally in dry dock."

Walter "Matt" Jefferies designed the original USS Enterprise and was the namesake of the Jefferies tubes referenced in numerous Stark Trek episodes.

Jefferies, in the 1968 book The Making of Star Trek , said the ship's design was based partly on designs from NASA, Douglas Aircraft and other aerospace engineering outfits, and that Gene Roddenberry wanted the ship to be "believable."

"My feeling was that if you didn't believe in the spaceship, if you didn't believe you were in a vehicle traveling through space, a vehicle that made sense, whose layout and design made sense, then you wouldn't believe in the series," Gene Roddenberry wrote in book.

Once Roddenberry and Jefferies agreed on a design, model-maker Richard Datin Jr., built the three-foot, wooden, hand-painted model, which would appear in the show's opening credits and in the pilot episode "The Cage."

The model now in Rod Roddenberry's hands also was the prototype for the 11-foot-long Enterprise famously on display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

"After five decades, I'm thrilled that someone happened upon this historic model of the USS Enterprise. I remember how it used to adorn my dad's desk," Rod Roddenberry said.

"I am tremendously grateful to Heritage Auctions for facilitating the return of this iconic piece of Star Trek history to my family. I can't wait to figure out how we are going to share it with my extended family, Star Trek fans around the world."

Long-lost first model of the USS Enterprise from 'Star Trek' boldly goes home after twisting voyage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Leila Fadel.

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

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

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

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By Emily Schmall

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-C)

• View history

The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-C) was a 24th century Federation Ambassador -class starship operated by Starfleet . It was the fourth Federation starship to bear the name Enterprise . In 2344 , Captain Rachel Garrett served as the ship's commanding officer .

• 2.1 Final mission at Narendra III
• 2.2 Creation of an alternate history
• 2.3 Back to 2344
• 3 Command crew
• 4.1 Appearances
• 4.2 References
• 4.3 Background information
• 4.4 Apocrypha
• 4.5 External links

Lineage [ ]

History [ ], final mission at narendra iii [ ].

In 2344 , the Enterprise responded to a distress call from the Klingon outpost on Narendra III , which was under attack by the Romulan Star Empire . When the Enterprise arrived at the outpost, she was engaged by four Romulan warbirds . The ship was hopelessly outnumbered, and suffered major damage to her warp nacelles and external hull , with all but 125 crew members being killed.

During the firefight, a temporal rift was created. The ship entered and almost instantly emerged from it, before she was ultimately destroyed. ( TNG : " Yesterday's Enterprise ")

Creation of an alternate history [ ]

The severely damaged Enterprise drifted through the rift, emerging in the year 2366 (precisely twenty-two years, three months, and four days later), and encountered her successor, the Galaxy -class USS Enterprise -D . The crew discovered that the outpost at Narendra III had been completely destroyed, and a state of war existed between the Klingon Empire and the Federation. Both crews eventually realized that the current timeline was a result of the Enterprise -C's absence from the battle, and determined that the Enterprise -C needed to return to its own time through the rift.

The Enterprise emerges in the future

While the Enterprise -D assisted in repairs, both ships soon came under attack from the Klingons, and Captain Garrett was subsequently killed.

Lieutenant Natasha Yar , the Enterprise -D's tactical officer , learned from Guinan that, if the Enterprise -C was successful, in the new timeline that would be created she would die a meaningless death. Not comfortable with that idea, Yar requested and was granted a transfer to the Enterprise -C.

The last surviving senior officer of the Enterprise -C, Lt. Richard Castillo , assumed command of the ship and, under the protection of the Enterprise -D, took her back into the rift to return to 2344. ( TNG : " Yesterday's Enterprise ")

Back to 2344 [ ]

The Enterprise returns to its proper time

The Enterprise -C returned at the same time it left its timeline. It engaged the Romulans and was eventually destroyed. In the aftermath of the battle, the Klingons were deeply impressed by the act of self-sacrifice by a Starfleet crew to protect a Klingon outpost, and the Enterprise 's ultimate legacy was reinforcing the relations between the Klingon Empire and the United Federation of Planets , leading to a close alliance of peace .

A number of the ship's crewmembers, including Yar, were captured by the Romulans and held prisoner. Yar later gave birth to a half-Romulan daughter named Sela . ( TNG : " Redemption II ")

Starfleet did not commission another Enterprise until nearly two decades later in 2363 . ( TNG : " Redemption II ")

Featured in a display (second from top) of all Federation ships named Enterprise prior to 2364

Sculptures of the Enterprise -C later adorned the walls of the observation lounges on both the USS Enterprise -D until 2368 and the USS Enterprise -E launched in 2372 . ( Star Trek: The Next Generation ; Star Trek: First Contact ; Star Trek Nemesis )

Commander William T. Riker 's questions on Professor Berlinghoff Rasmussen 's questionnaire dealt mostly with previous Starfleet ships, including innovations of the Enterprise -C. ( TNG : " A Matter Of Time ")

Command crew [ ]

• Rachel Garrett ( 2340s – 2366 )
• Richard Castillo (acting)
• Richard Castillo (2340s–2366)
• Fredericks (acting)
• Parker (acting)
• Natasha Yar (acting)

See also: USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-C) personnel

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• TNG : " Yesterday's Enterprise "

References [ ]

• " Redemption II "
• " A Matter Of Time "
• " Trials and Tribble-ations "

Background information [ ]

A dedication plaque was made by Michael Okuda for the bridge set. However, due to camera angles and lighting conditions, it was unreadable. The plaque made an appearance in the Star Trek Encyclopedia  (4th ed., vol. 1, p. 192). According to the plaque, the Enterprise -C was built at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards .

Apocrypha [ ]

According to the non-canon Lost Era novels – The Art of the Impossible and Well of Souls – the Enterprise -C was launched in 2332 with Garrett in command. The Star Trek: The Next Generation - Future's Past video game for Super Nintendo follows the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual (p. 4) in claiming the Enterprise -C was constructed at Earth Station McKinley .

In the Star Trek Online mission "Temporal Ambassador", it was revealed that the Enterprise -D's battle with the Klingons in " Yesterday's Enterprise " caused the Enterprise -C to emerge from the temporal rift in 2409 rather than 2344. The alternate timeline remained in place, and the Federation has fallen to the Klingon Empire. However, the Klingon Empire, including the former Federation, and the Romulan Star Empire have been conquered by the Dominion . The Tholian Assembly holds the Enterprise -C at a base in the Azure Nebula , and the player joined forces with Richard Castillo and Tasha Yar to take the Enterprise -C back through another temporal rift to once more restore the timeline.

Also in Star Trek Online , a plaque commemorating the Enterprise -C can be seen inside certain fleet starbases . According to the plaque, she was launched in 2332, the date given in the Lost Era novel Well of Souls .

External links [ ]

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

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To Boldly Return —

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

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

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

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

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

Further Reading

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

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

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

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

Roddenberry also revealed what he has planned for the model:

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

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

Listing image by eBay

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