NX-class Starship

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After years of testing the warp-five engine by the NX-Program, Earth-Starfleet developed the NX-class Starship.

 

The NX-class was the first class of starship built with the warp-five engine.   This warp-five engine that took over thirty years to develop at the Warp-Five Complex (“Broken Bow, ENT”).

 

The NX-class starships enabled Humanity to explore beyond its neighboring star systems.

 

It would appear that the NX-class starships, set the standard for the over-all design of a starship that would become the norm for Federation starships.  For example; the Access Tubes (later to be known as Jefferies Tubes ) and the dual-nacelle design first employed by Cochrane’s Phoenix; thus putting an end to the eXperimental, ring-shaped nacelles of Enterprise (XCV-330).

 

Serving in the United Earth-Starfleet , the first ship of the NX-class was Enterprise (NX-01), commissioned in 2151, under the command of Captain Jonathan Archer (“Broken Bow, ENT”).

 

The second ship, Columbia (NX-02), was commissioned in 2154, under the command of Captain Erika Hernandez (“Affliction, ENT”).

 

If the before mentioned NX-Program continued to follow the order of the United States’ space shuttle program, the NX-03 and NX-04 would be named Challenger and Discovery respectively.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serving in the United Earth-Starfleet , the first ship of the NX-class was Enterprise (NX-01), commissioned in 2151, under the command of Captain Jonathan Archer (“Broken Bow, ENT”).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second ship, Columbia (NX-02), was commissioned in 2154, under the command of Captain Erika Hernandez (“Affliction, ENT”).

 

 

 

 

 

If the before mentioned NX-Program continued to follow the order of the United States’ space shuttle program, the NX-03 and NX-04 would be named Challenger and Discovery respectively.

Constitution-class Starship

 

A Constitution-class starship is also known as Starship-class.   They were designed for long duration missions with minimal outside support.

 

The Jefferies design first seen abroad the NX-class starships, and the dual-nacelle design first employed by Cochrane’s Phoenix, had become standard for Federation starships.   To be precise, the Constitution-class starships are descendants of the NX-class starships.

 

 

 

The Constitution-class lineage was launched some time prior to 2245, and served as Federation-Starfleet  front-line vessels for much of the 23^rd century.  

 

In 2267 there were around twelve Constitution-class starships in the fleet (“Tomorrow is yesterday, TOS”).

 

The ships were probably decommissioned at the end of the 23^rd century (non-canon).

 

It is probably safe to assume that the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) was the first Federation-Starfleet ship to bear the name Enterprise.

 

Star Trek XI

 

Warp Five Program

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Warp Five Program

The Warp Five program was the name given to a research and development project commissioned by UESPA to develop a warp five engine for Starfleet.  Before the program began, Human ships were limited to a speed just under warp 2. Doctor Zefram Cochrane and Doctor Henry Archer were two of the main scientists involved in the project; they did much of their work at the Warp Five Complex on Earth.  The project was immediately succeeded by the NX program, to develop prototype ships with a working warp five engine.

 

 

Warp Five Complex

Through the hard work and petitioning of Archer and Cochrane, the Warp 5 Complex was opened on Earth in 2119, just a few weeks before Cochrane’s disappearance (ENT novelization: “Broken Bow”).

 

It was located just outside Bozeman, Montana (“Singularity, ENT”).

 

Dr. Henry Archer and Dr. Cochrane at the dedication ceremony; Cochrane makes what would come to be an historic speech:

“On this site, a powerful engine will be built... an engine that will someday help us to travel a hundred times faster than we can today. Imagine it: thousands of inhabited planets at our fingertips. And we'll be able to explore those strange new worlds... and seek out new life and new civilizations. This engine will let us go boldly... where no man has gone before.”

The terminology and phrases Cochrane coined in this speech would be used in Starfleet for centuries to come. The speech would be revisited upon the launch of Enterprise, the first starship to benefit from the Warp Five engine (“Broken Bow, ENT”).

 

 

Warp Five Engine

The warp five engine was the result of many decades of research and development into making faster starships.

 

The NX class was the first Earth starship to utilize the warp five engine.  Unfortunately, by the time his engine was finally used, Henry Archer had died of Clarke’s Disease. However, his son, Jonathan Archer, captained the first NX-class starship, the Enterprise (“Broken Bow, ENT”).

NX Program / Project

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NX Program, early 2140’s

The NX program / project was Earth Starfleet’s effort to develop a starship using the engine designed by the Warp-Five program.  

 

Prior to the NX Program, Human ships were only capable of achieving warp 2.

 

The NX Program was overseen by Commodore Maxwell Forrest from its initial stages in the early 2140’s.

 

In charge of the engineering team for the NX Program was Captain George William Jefferies, a Starfleet engineer.  He began working on the program in 2143.  Charles Tucker was on his team (“First Flight, ENT”).   Captain Jefferies was still working on the NX Program when the Enterprise was launched in 2151 (“Home, ENT”).  

 

According to Enterprise the Series, the Vulcans still possessed much influence over Earth Starfleet and the NX-program.

 

If the NX program continued to follow the order of the United States‘ space shuttle program, the NX-03 and NX-04 would be named Challenger and Discovery respectively.

                          

It is somewhat unclear just how long the NX program remained a unique subdivision of Earth Starfleet.  It is possible that the project proper ended after Enterprise NX-01 was launched.  This is perhaps suggested by the disappearance of the NX Project logo after 2151.  It is notable the Enterprise crew wore only an Enterprise-patch, whereas NX test pilots wore both the project logo and what appeared to be the emblem of their particular vessel on their flight suits. Following that logic, Enterprise crewmembers should have been wearing an NX program logo, had the project still been regarded as an active subdivision of Starfleet.

 

 

Enterprise (NX-01)

The  Enterprise NX-01 was commissioned by Earth Starfleet in 2151, with three more on the drawing board.  It was decommissioned in 2161. 

Enterprise NX-01, launched 2151

This prototype of the NX class was the culmination of 32 years of research and development at the Warp-Five Complex, by Jonathan Archer’s father, Henry Archer, and other scientists inspired by Zefram Cochrane. 

 

It would appear that for Enterprise, the ring-shaped nacelles of Enterprise (XCV-330) were scrapped for the dual-nacelle design that was first employed by Cochrane’s Phoenix. 

 

The Enterprise enabled Humanity’ to take its first steps of exploration beyond its neighboring star systems. 

United Earth Space Probe Agency (UESPA)

 

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Founded mid 2060’s

 

 

United Earth Space Probe Agency (UESPA) was founded in the aftermath of WWIII (c. 2153) and First Contact with Vulcans (2163).   It was the first official agency of a ‘united’ Earth. 

 

UESPA may have also been responsible for the Warp-Five Program that was established in 2119.   The Warp-Five Program was run by Henry Archer, a warp engineer, and Zefram Cochrane.   

 

So it would make sense that UESPA was organization responsible for overseeing the new warp technology with the objective of using warp to explore space. 

 

The Vulcans as we know, for nearly 80 years, were very cautious in allowing the Humans to use their spaceflight technologies.  It would however, makes sense that many ships at this time were hybrids of both Human and Vulcan technologies.  

 

For instance, the Enterprise (XCV-330) may have been such a vehicle (non-canon).   In US Navy usage, “CV” is used to designate aircraft carriers, which could make this an experimental fighter carrier.   ‘X’  also  stands for eXperimental.

 

 

A Timeline of Selected Events

In 2155, the opening conference that discussed a possible “Coalition of Planets” was overseen by both UESPA and Earth Starfleet (“Demons, ENT”).

 

In the 2260’s, UESPA was still a major operating agency working with Starfleet vessels.  In 2266, Captain James T. Kirk reported to UESPA Headquarters after learning of the destruction of the Antares (“Charlie X, TOS”).

 

In 2267, UESPA was an operating authority of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)‘s five-year mission. Captain Kirk informed John Christopher of this after time traveling to the year 1969 (“Tomorrow is Yesterday, TOS”).

 

 

In 2293, UESPA personnel were still involved in construction of Starfleet starships, most noticeably on the USS Enterprise (Star Trek Generations set artwork).

 

International Space Agency (ISA)

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Founded circa 2020’s

 

 

 

The privately funded International Space Agency is formed (ISA) prior to WWIII (2053- ). 

 

The ISA was a cross-national space organization of Earth that worked with NASA.   NASA and the ISA oversaw several pre-warp missions in the early 21^st century (non-canon).  

 

It is suggested that the  OV-101 was launched by the ISA in the early 21^st century.   

 

 

   

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was the designation for an early Human space exploration agency created by the former Earth nation United States of America in 1958. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture). 

 

NASA oversaw the launch of a vast majority of the major spaceflight milestones of the 20th and 21st centuries.

 

 

Time-Line of Selected Events

1958

NASA is formed

 

Late 20^th Century

1990s to ?

NASA participates in the International Space Station project (Star Trek: Enterprise opening credits).

 

1999

The probe Voyager VI is launched (Star Trek: The Motion Picture; Star Trek Chronology)

 

2002

The probe Nomad MK-15c, constructed by Jackson Roykirk, is launched (“The Changeling, TOS”; “Dead Stop, ENT”).

 

 

Early 21^st Century

The space shuttle OV-165 is launched.  The OV-165 was an orbital-vehicle, a type of space shuttle used by the inhabitants of Earth (This ship is seen in the opening titles of Star Trek: Enterprise).

 

The Earth-Saturn probe expedition is conducted by Colonel Shaun Geoffrey Christopher and includes Fontana and O’Herlihy (“Tomorrow is Yesterday, TOS”).  The mission patch was among others displayed in the 602 Club (“First Flight, ENT”).

 

2020’s

NASA collaborates with other space agencies in the International Space Agency (ISA).  The ISA was a privately funded cross-national space organization.  Together they oversaw several pre-warp missions in the early 21^st century (NON-CANON).

 

2032

This collaboration resulted in the Ares IV mission to Mars in 2032.  This mission was commanded by Lieutenant John Kelly.   Rose Kumagawa and Andrei Novakovich make up the rest of the crew.  The diagrams aboard Ares IV read “ISA / NASA” (“One Small Step, VOY”).

 

2037

The spaceship Charybdis is launched as the third attempt to explore beyond the Sol system; the crew include Colonel Stephen G. Richey, Evans, Schmitt and Cernan (“The Royale, TNG”).

 

2053

By the end of WWW III, NASA is eventually phased out leaving the ISA as Earth’s primary operating authority for space flights. 

 

 

 

 

 

Space Flight Programs and Agencies

Pre-Starfleet Space Programs (mid 20^th Century thru ?)

–  National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA (c. 1958-2053)

–  International Space Agency, ISA (c. mid 2020’s – 2064)

–  United Earth Space Probe Agency, UESPA (c. 2064 – )

–  Warp-Five Complex (2119- )

 

Earth-Starfleet (2132-2161)

 –  NX Program (mid 2140’s – )

 

Federation-Starfleet (2161- )

 

 

STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES

Covers the years in Star Trek Universe from 2264-2269.

 

 

Star Trek debuted in the United States on NBC on September 8, 1966. The show, starring William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk (originally James R. Kirk), told the tale of the crew of the Constitution-class, Federation starship the U.S.S. Enterprise (NCC-1701) and that crew’s five-year mission “to boldly go where no man has gone before” (Zefram Cochrane). 

 

In its first two seasons it was nominated for Emmy Awards as Best Dramatic Series. After only three seasons, the show was canceled and the last episode aired on June 3, 1969.

 

The series subsequently became popular in reruns, and a cult following developed, complete with fan conventions.

 

Originally aired as simply Star Trek, it has in recent years become known as Star Trek: The Original Series or as Classic Trek – distinguishing it from its sequels and the franchise as a whole.

 

 Fan Version from Huckbone.

 

For more info check out link at Wikipedia: STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES