Enterprise history
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference
- "Let's make sure history never forgets the name, Enterprise!"
- – Captain Jean-Luc Picard (TNG: "Yesterday's Enterprise")
The name Enterprise has a longstanding history as a ship name, starting some time prior to the 18th century and lasting at least into the 26th century.
The legacy of the Enterprise was honored at various places, including:
- The 602 Club: A painting of USS Enterprise (XCV 330). (ENT: "First Flight")
- The captain’s quarters aboard the Enterprise (NX-01): Drawings of HMS Enterprize, USS Enterprise (CVN-65), Enterprise (OV-101), and XCV 330. (ENT: "United", "These Are the Voyages...")
- The recreation room aboard the refit USS Enterprise (NCC-1701): Drawings of USS Enterprise (sailing), USS Enterprise (CV-6), OV-101, XCV 330, and pre-refit NCC-1701. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture; The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
- The observation lounge aboard the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D): Models of CVN-65, NCC-1701, NCC-1701-A, NCC-1701-B, and NCC-1701-C. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint")
- The observation lounge and captain's ready room aboard the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E): Models of NCC-1701-D and NCC-1701-E. (Star Trek: First Contact; Star Trek Nemesis)
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[edit] History
[edit] Pre-Spaceflight history
The HMS Enterprize was a noted sailing ship of the British Royal Navy, active in the 18th century. (ENT: "United")
A brig named Enterprise also sailed in this era. This ship was historic enough to have holoprograms based on it in the 24th century. (Star Trek Generations)
The USS Enterprise (CV-6) was an aircraft carrier that served in World War II. (ENT: "Storm Front") Its successor was the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), which was the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)
[edit] Early spaceships
The first space shuttle was the Enterprise (OV-101). (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
A space shuttle named Enterprise was known to dock with the International Space Station. Benjamin Sisko later kept a model of this Enterprise with his ISS model. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
- It is possible that this shuttle is the same as the OV-101, although in the real world, the OV-101 was originally designed for test flights in the atmosphere and never reached outer space.
An early starship was the USS Enterprise (XCV 330). (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
[edit] Starfleet starships
The Enterprise (NX-01) was the first warp 5 starship to be launched. The prototype of the NX class, it was launched in 2151 and would be decommissioned in 2161. It participated in early first contact missions, the Xindi incident, and several other missions during its illustrious career under Captain Jonathan Archer. (Star Trek: Enterprise)
The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) was a Constitution-class starship that served under five captains from 2245 to 2285. Its most famous commander was Captain James T. Kirk, whose five-year mission aboard the Enterprise became legendary. (Star Trek: The Original Series; Star Trek: The Motion Picture; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)
The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) was a refit Constitution-class vessel, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk. The ship was launched in 2286, and served during the Khitomer Conference prior to its decommissioning in 2293. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B) was a variant Excelsior-class starship launched in 2293. It was under the command of Captain John Harriman, and was noted for rescuing 47 El-Aurians from the Nexus. (Star Trek Generations)
The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-C) served in the early-to-mid 24th century under the command of Captain Rachel Garrett. An Ambassador-class starship, it defended a Klingon outpost against four Warbirds long enough to impress the Klingons and prevent 20 years of war. (TNG: "Yesterday's Enterprise")
The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) was a Galaxy-class starship that served from 2363 to 2371. Commanded by Captains Jean-Luc Picard, William T. Riker, and Edward Jellico, the Enterprise-D was the flagship of Starfleet and made first contact with over thirty species. It also participated in the Klingon Civil War and was the first starship to visit another galaxy. (Star Trek: The Next Generation; Star Trek Generations)
The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) was a Sovereign-class starship launched under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in 2372. It participated in the Battle of Sector 001 and was badly damaged in the battle against the Reman Warbird Scimitar in the Bassen Rift. (Star Trek: First Contact; Star Trek: Insurrection; Star Trek Nemesis)
[edit] Alternate timelines
In an alternate timeline created by the Sphere Builders, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-J) participated in the Battle of Procyon V. (ENT: "Azati Prime")
In the mirror universe, the ISS Enterprise (NX-01) was the flagship of the Terran Starfleet. It was commanded by Captain Maximilian Forrest and was destroyed by Tholians in 2155. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly") The ISS Enterprise was a Defiant-type starship under the commands of Christopher Pike and James T. Kirk. This was the first Terran starship to come in contact with members of our universe. (TOS: "Mirror, Mirror")
In an Alternate reality created by Nero in 2233, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) was launched in 2258 under the command of Christopher Pike. The Enterprise was present when the Narada destroyed Vulcan, but under the temporary command of James T. Kirk, the crew was successful in destroying the Narada and preventing Earth from suffering a similar fate. (Star Trek)
| The Starships Enterprise |
|---|
| United Earth: XCV 330 • NX-01 |
| Federation: NCC-1701 • NCC-1701-A • NCC-1701-B NCC-1701-C • NCC-1701-D • NCC-1701-E • NCC-1701-J |
| Federation (Alternate Reality): NCC-1701 |
| Terran Empire (Mirror Universe): NX-01 • NCC-1701 |
[edit] Apocrypha
- In the non-canon Star Trek Spaceflight Chronology, the USS Enterprise XCV 330 was stated as being launched in 2123, and as being Declaration-class.
- In the short story "Iron and Sacrifice" in the anthology Tales from the Captain's Table, the Enterprise-B is described as still being in service beyond 2315.
- In the Star Trek: The Lost Era novel Well of Souls, the Enterprise-C is described as being launched in 2332.
- In the alternate future seen in the DS9 book trilogy Millennium, the USS Enterprise-E was destroyed and replaced with the USS Enterprise-F, which Thomas Riker described was like the USS Defiant to the tenth power. The ship was commanded by Jean-Luc Picard, but was given over to William T. Riker after Picard's promotion to admiral. Among Riker's crew were Geordi La Forge, Deanna Troi, Tom Paris, and B'Elanna Torres. However, the new Enterprise was lost with all hands in a horrific battle that saw the destruction of Earth. This timeline was undone thanks to the efforts of Benjamin Sisko and the rest of Deep Space 9's crew.
[edit] Background
Key ships in real-world history include:
[edit] French/British
L’Entreprise (unknown – 1707) 320-ton, 24-gun, sixth-rate frigate – The first known Human ship named Enterprise. She was captured by the British and renamed HMS Enterprize in 1705.
As of 2007, the Royal Navy has had thirteen more ships named Enterprise/Enterprize, of which ten were commissioned and therefore used the prefix "HMS".
[edit] American
As of 2007, the United States Navy has had eight vessels named Enterprise, of which six were commissioned and used the prefix USS (United States Ship).
[edit] Continental Navy of the United States
- USS Enterprise (1775 – 1777) 70-ton sloop – served on Lake Champlain. (US Navy file)
- Enterprise (1776 – 1777) 25-ton schooner – served in Chesapeake Bay. (US Navy file)
[edit] US Navy (early)
- USS Enterprise (1799 – 1823) 135-ton schooner – defeated the 14-gun Tripolitan corsair Tripoli in 1801. An 1800 refit upgraded her tonnage to 165, and in 1812 she was rerigged as a brig. (US Navy file)
- USS Enterprise (1831 – 1844) 194-ton schooner. (US Navy file)
- One of these ships was the inspiration for the holographic sailing ship in Star Trek Generations.
[edit] Union Army Balloon Corps
- Enterprise (1861 – 1862) small hydrogen-gas balloon – the first balloon in US military service.
[edit] US Navy (powered)
- USS Enterprise (1877 – 1909) 1375-ton barque-rigged screw sloop-of-war. (US Navy file and pictures)
- The first Enterprise known to use the USS prefix while in actual service.
- Enterprise SP-790 (1917 – 1919) motorboat – non-commissioned, served in the 2nd Naval District during World War I. (US Navy file}
- USS Enterprise CV-6 (1938 – 1947) 19,800-ton Yorktown-class aircraft carrier – the most-decorated World War II ship in US service. (US Navy file and pictures)
- USS Enterprise CVN-65 (1961 – present) 85,600-ton Enterprise-class aircraft carrier – the first nuclear powered carrier, and the second such powered surface ship. (US Navy files A, B, C, D, E, and F) The CVN-65 Enterprise is scheduled for decommissioning in 2015. Originally, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) was planned to be named Enterprise or America before being designated to honor the late President. It is possible that one of the other Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers will be named Enterprise.
[edit] Civilian
- Airship Enterprise (launched 1933) First production nonrigid airship to bear the name Enterprise, served in an advertising capacity on the east coast of the United States until WWII. Airship registration: N-1A. A second Airship Enterprise served the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in the 1980s.
- VSS Enterprise (launch planned for 2011) Virgin Space Ship, the first of the Virgin Galactic fleet. [1]
- While the US ships above fit the Star Trek timeline, this ship does not. It is in fact named after the Star Trek Enterprise, and space ships in Trek's history were much more advanced (DY-100 class) by this time.
