Starfleet (Earth)

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.

The Earth Starfleet (often simply called Starfleet) was the primary space defense and exploration organization of United Earth in the early-to-mid-22nd century.

Starfleet must have been founded sometime during the 2120s or 2130s, as Jonathan Archer gave some thought to join the Earth Cargo Service a few years before Starfleet was chartered. However, in 2136, Margaret Mullin turns down Archer's proposal of marriage, since she does not want to become a "Starfleet widow", which seems to indicate that Starfleet was operational by then. (ENT: "Horizon", "Twilight")

The primary authority of the Earth Starfleet was referred to as either Starfleet Command or UESPA (United Earth Space Probe Agency) under the jurisdiction of the Command Council, and was located in the city of San Francisco, Earth. (ENT: "Broken Bow", "Terra Prime")

The main purpose of the Earth Starfleet was to "...seek out new life and new civilizations." and "...go boldly where no man has gone before." (This quote is attributed to Zefram Cochrane, the inventor of warp drive on Earth.) (ENT: "Broken Bow")

The Earth Starfleet was a civilian organization but adopted many aspects of Earth's earlier military forces, even though its main role was scientific development and exploration. Ranks within Starfleet closely follow the traditions of the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy.

In 2153, following the Xindi attack on Earth and the numerous firefights that the Enterprise NX-01 had been involved in since its launch in 2151, it was determined that vessels of the Earth Starfleet would begin to carry detachments of United Earth's elite military unit, the MACOs, thus taking a step towards the unification of the Earth Starfleet and the Earth military -- and of the roles of defense and exploration. (ENT: "The Expanse")

The same basic uniform was worn by all Earth Starfleet officers, with differences in insignia and color-coded elements designed to distinguish rank and departmental function. Earth Starfleet departments included Starfleet Operations and Starfleet Security. (ENT: "Broken Bow")

Some Starfleet personnel worked for the United Earth Diplomatic Corps. This may or may not be a Starfleet department, as the officers could be working for a civilian organisation in the interests of galactic politics (ENT: "The Forge").

One of the primary projects of the Earth Starfleet was to develop a viable and fast interstellar engine that would allow Earth to practically cross vast distances in reasonably short time. Despite some allegations of interference - or at least, a refusal of assistance - from the Vulcans, Earth had made notable progress in developing the warp five engine by the 2150s. (ENT: "Broken Bow")

Key officials overseeing the Earth Starfleet included:

Forrest, Leonard and Williams were named after William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley.

The most famous ship of the Earth Starfleet was the NX class Enterprise (NX-01). That ship was the first to be equipped with the Warp 5 engine, and made first contact with over thirty species. Under the command of Captain Jonathan Archer, Enterprise established Earth as an interstellar power after negotiating treaties between the Vulcans and Andorians in 2152, saving the galaxy from the Sphere Builders and the Xindi in 2154, uncovering the lost teachings of Surak on Vulcan and preventing a Vulcan invasion of Andor later in 2154, helping to instigate a cultural and political coup d'etat against the dictatorial Vulcan head of state Administrator V'Las, and attempting to facilitate peace talks between the Andorians and Tellarites following a series of attacks on both races in late 2154. (ENT: "Broken Bow", "Cease Fire", "Zero Hour", "The Forge", "Awakening", "Kir'Shara", "Babel One")

The Earth Starfleet also built the NX-class Columbia (NX-02), launching that ship in late 2154. (ENT: "Home", "Affliction")

It can be assumed that both ships, as well as many other Earth Starfleet vessels, were among the primary line of defense against the Romulans during the Earth-Romulan War of the late 2150s.

Starfleet did not have any jurisdiction over what happens aboard vessels operating in the Earth Cargo Service. That responsibility remained in the hands of the Earth Cargo Authority. (ENT: "Fortunate Son", "Horizon")

The Starfleet Charter, Article 14, Section 31, made allowances for certain rules to be bent during times of extraordinary threat. This clause was the seed for the rogue organization known as Section 31. Lieutenant Malcolm Reed was recruited to Section 31 as a young ensign. (ENT: "Affliction", "Divergence")

In DS9: "Tacking Into the Wind", Julian Bashir said that Section 31 had managed to stay hidden for "over three hundred years". Therefore, the Earth Starfleet should have been chartered before 2075. This however is contradicted by Captain Archer stating that he considered becoming a member of the Earth Cargo Authority "before Starfleet was chartered" in ENT: "Horizon".

The Earth Starfleet was succeeded in 2161 by the new Starfleet of the United Federation of Planets, of which the Earth fleet formed a major part. (ENT: "Zero Hour", "These Are the Voyages...")

The Latin phrase on the Earth Starfleet seal is "Ad Astra Per Aspera" (which translates roughly as "to the stars through hardships"). It is a modified version of the NASA motto "Per Aspera Ad Astra" ("through hardships to the stars"). It is also the current-day state motto of Kansas. It may also be related to the RAF motto "'Per Ardua Ad Astra'" ("through adversity to the stars").