Time-podedit this page

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference

A time-pod was a small craft, originating from the 26th century, that was five meters in length, and constructed of a plasticized tritanium mesh. Of unknown origin, this pod utilized time travel for field observation by future historians.

One such historian used the pod to travel back in time to the 22nd century Earth, where he had the misfortune of running into Berlinghoff Rasmussen, a would-be inventor from New Jersey. Rasmussen stole the pod and used it to travel to the year 2368, where it was discovered by the USS Enterprise-D. While aboard the Enterprise, Rasmussen hoped to retrieve 24th century artifacts, such as a phaser and a tricorder. He would bring these items back with him to the 22nd century where he would claim that he invented them.

The time pod was placed in the Enterprise's shuttlebay while Rasmussen interviewed Enterprise crewmembers and secretly stole any piece of technology he could. His true identity and intentions were ultimately revealed, however, and he was prevented from boarding the time pod before it returned to the 22nd century, stranding Rasmussen in the 24th century. (TNG: "A Matter of Time")

For more information on the studio model, please see studio models (TNG).