Star Trek The Next Generation: The U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D Illustrated Handbook

FOREWORD

STAR TREK has always been more than just a story. It is a world, a place that lives in our imaginations. For some of us that is very important. When we watch Picard and his crew walking through the corridors of the Enterprise, we imagine what’s behind every door. When the nav officer punches in the coordinates, we want to know exactly how that works. That’s something that the makers of STAR TREK always recognized. They were careful to make sure that – as long as it was in the service of the story – everything made sense and was as consistent as possible. Because they cared about those things, the Enterprise felt like a real place, with real technology and real locations. it was somewhere you could imagine waking up.

This book is an attempt to bring all of that information together and to take you aboard the Enterprise-D. Our goal is to explain as much as possible about that world and to illustrate all the key locations and systems. We’ve tried to be as comprehensive as possible. Inside you’ll find isometric illustrations of rare locations such as the control room in the nacelles and the isolation room in sickbay. You’ll find explanations of the key technologies including the warp engines and the transporters, as well as more obscure systems such as the inertial dampeners without which everyone on the Enterprise would be crushed to a pulp. All written in straightforward English that you won’t have to attend Starfleet Academy to understand.

So, turn the pages and step into the 24th century.


DESIGN LINEAGE

The name Enterprise is one that has instilled pride and dedication in generations of Starfleet officers for over two centuries. The line of ships to bear that name made historic contributions to space exploration.
Of all Starfleet vessels, the predecessors of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D exemplified the ideals of exploration into the unknown depths of the Galaxy. Launched in 2151, the Enterprise NX-01 is of significant importance in the development of Earth as the planet’s first warp 5 capable starship. Commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer, the NX-01 was an important symbol of Earth’s rise as a space-faring civilisation. The NX-01 was decommissioned in 2161.

The Constitution-class U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 had a special place in the history of Starfleet. Active for over four decades in the 23rd century, this Enterprise was at the vanguard of Federation expansion under its commanders – Robert April, Christopher Pike and James T. Kirk. It underwent several major refits during its career and was almost completely rebuilt circa 2270, ending its career as a training vessel under Captain Spock. It was destroyed above the Genesis planet in 2285 after engaging a Klingon bird-of-prey.

The U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-A was named to honor the heroic actions of Admiral Kirk and his crew after they saved Earth from the effect of a signal from an alien probe. Taking command of this new Constitution-class Enterprise as its captain, Kirk and his legendary crew continued the work for which they were so feted. This Enterprise played a crucial role in the Khitomer Accords of 2293 shortly before it was decommissioned.

The Excelsior-class U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-B had a tragic start to its operational career. Under Captain John Harriman, the starship’s maiden voyage became an urgent rescue mission which resulted in the death of James T. Kirk. This incident should not be reason to overlook the achievements of this ship and its crew during its lifetime.

The fifth starship to bear the name Enterprise was the Ambassador-class U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-C. Captained by Rachel Garrett, this Enterprise’s actions in 2344 defending a Klingon outpost on Narendra III from attacking Romulan ships was a turning point in peaceful relations between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. The Enterprise-C was lost with all hands in the battle, but her sacrifice was honored in the continuing line of starships named Enterprise.