Enterprise

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

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

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

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

List of starships bearing the name

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

• Enterprise (NX-01), NX class, seen in Enterprise
• USS Enterprise, (NCC-1701), Starship class/Constitution class, seen in The Original Series and the first three movies, plus the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode, "Trials and Tribble-ations".
• USS Enterprise, (NCC-1701-A), Constitution class refit, seen in the fourth–sixth movies
• USS Enterprise, (NCC-1701-B), Excelsior class , seen briefly in Star Trek: Generations (the seventh movie)
• USS Enterprise, (NCC-1701-C), Ambassador class, seen in the TNG episode "Yesterday's Enterprise"
• USS Enterprise, (NCC-1701-D), Galaxy class, seen in The Next Generation and the film Star Trek: Generations
• USS Enterprise, (NCC-1701-E), Sovereign class, seen in three of the TNG movies (8-10)
• USS Enterprise, (NCC-1701-J), seen briefly in the Enterprise episode "Azati Prime" (possible alternate future).

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

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

List of commanding officers

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

NX-01

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

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

NCC-1701

• Christopher Pike — Star Trek pilot episode "The Cage"
• James T. Kirk — Star Trek, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
• Willard Decker — Star Trek: The Motion Picture
• Spock — Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

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

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