USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)

In the Star Trek fictional universe, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) is the Galaxy class starship that is the principal setting of the television series '. The TV series is set in the 24th century where humans have formed alliances with other friendly alien species to form the United Federation of Planets. The stories of The Next Generation (TNG) take place a century after the original television series.

Related Topics:
Star Trek - Fictional universe - ''Galaxy'' class - Starship - Television - United Federation of Planets

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The Enterprise (or Enterprise-D, to distinguish it from numerous prior starships with the same name) served for eight years as the flagship of the Federation until its untimely destruction. Throughout its mission, it was primarily under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard; however, William Riker and Edward Jellico briefly commanded the ship during its tenure.

Related Topics:
Numerous prior starships with the same name - Flagship - Captain - Jean-Luc Picard - William Riker - Edward Jellico

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As the third Galaxy class ship, the Enterprise-D was commissioned in 2363 after its construction at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards orbiting Mars. It became one of the most important and noted ships of the late 24th centry while under the command of Captain Picard. The ship made many first contacts with a multitude of new species, including the Borg, the Q Continuum, and the Ferengi. Its diplomatic efforts helped cool tensions amongst minor races and prevented dramatic upheavals to Federation security, such as mitigating Romulan aid of the Duras faction during the Klingon Civil War and preventing a Cardassian strike near the McAllister C5 Nebula.

Related Topics:
Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards - Mars - First contact - Borg - Q Continuum - Ferengi - Romulan - Duras - Klingon - Cardassian

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The Enterprise-D was instrumental in the defeat of the Borg during their first attempt to invade the Federation in 2366-2367, during which Captain Picard was abducted and transformed into the Borg spokesperson Locutus and subsequently rescued. The ship was seriously damaged during these engagements and required extensive repairs afterward.

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In 2371 ('), the Klingon Duras sisters were able to render the shields of the Enterprise-D useless by finding the shield modulation frequency and altering their weapons accordingly. Though the Enterprise-D succeeded in destroying the sisters' ship, the matter/antimatter warp core sustained heavy damage, prompting an emergency saucer separation. The saucer managed to separate but did not clear the explosion radius fast enough, and its impulse engines were knocked out as a result. The out of control saucer was pulled into the gravity well of the planet Veridian III, and crash-landed there, damaged beyond repair. Shortly thereafter, all of its crew (except for Captain Picard) died from a shock-wave generated by the destruction of the Veridian star. This shockwave also destroyed the entire Veridian system.

Related Topics:
Klingon - Duras - Shield - Matter - Antimatter - Warp core - Saucer separation - Impulse engines - Planet - Veridian III

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However, Captain Picard utilized a temporal/spatial phenomenon called the Nexus to save the Veridian system. (While inside the Nexus, he found himself in an "alternate" paradox universe which he could manipulate at will and where time had no meaning.) Picard chose to go back in time to prevent the events on Veridian III just prior to the star system's destruction. With the help of James T. Kirk, Picard accomplished his goal. Thus in the "alternate universe", the surviving Enterprise-D crew was rescued. However, the saucer section was unsalvageable.

Related Topics:
Temporal - The Nexus - Paradox - Universe - James T. Kirk

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It should be noted that the idea of Picard entering an "alternate universe" (thereby implying that all events after Veridian III take place in this alternate universe) is purely conjectural, as there have been examples of self-contained "timeloops" in Star Trek before. Nothing since Generations has ever indicated that an alternate universe was entered.

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One of the reasons that the destruction of the Enterprise-D was written into Generations was because of a concept drawing of a saucer crash produced for the '. Writers Ronald D. Moore, Jeri Taylor, and Brannon Braga saw the drawing and wanted to use a saucer crash as a sixth-season cliffhanger episode for the TV series, but were unable to do so because of a limited budget and resistance from producer Michael Piller. Moore and Braga later decided on using the scenario for Generations. The destruction of the Enterprise-D also proved a cost-saver for the upcoming ' television series, as the existing sets could be refurbished to become the USS Voyager, just as the motion picture Enterprise sets became those of the Enterprise-D eight years prior.

Related Topics:
Ronald D. Moore - Jeri Taylor - Brannon Braga - Michael Piller - USS ''Voyager'' - Motion picture ''Enterprise''

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In an alternate timeline featured in the TNG finale episode "All Good Things...", the Enterprise-D is shown to be intact twenty-five years later. In this alternate future, the ship is commanded by Admiral William Riker, has a third warp nacelle and other modifications. This timeline arose from the temporal anomaly that reversed and mixed up time so much that Picard's analysis of the situation potentially wiped out human origins on Earth, when interference from the anomaly prevented initial protein formation. This came after the Q Continuum (represented by John De Lancie's "Q" character) deemed humanity unfit for existence in the universe. This was corrected when Picards from the three timelines (past, present, and future) ordered their respective Enterprises to enter the anomaly to "patch" it, thereby saving humanity from non-existence, and appeasing Q.

Related Topics:
Finale - All Good Things... - Admiral - Warp - Nacelle - Protein - Humanity

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