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Published Aug 23, 2023

The Starfleet Insignia Explained

No Star Trek symbol captures the eye or imagination quite like the delta.

Starfleet Insignia Explained

StarTrek.com

"The Starfleet Symbol." "The Arrowhead." "The Delta."

star trek logos history

Star Trek uses symbols to convey a lot of things, but none captures the eye or imagination quite like the delta. In the years since The Original Series first aired, fans have tried to determine the meaning behind the various insignia shapes we see in the show. To most, it seems that the iconic delta shape is some sort of ship assignment patch meant to represent the U.S.S. Enterprise .

Some arrive at this conclusion because they see various Starfleet personnel wearing a number of different insignia. However, like any puzzle without a key, it’s impossible to precisely interpret the meaning of these other insignia.

The hidden key to the puzzle was finally uncovered a few years ago. The discovery was a memorandum written by producer Robert H. (Bob) Justman to  costume designer William Ware (Bill) Theiss . The subject? STARSHIP EMBLEMS.

A copy of that memorandum has been digitized from the Gene Roddenberry  Star Trek  Television Series Collection (held in the Library Special Collections division of the Young Research Library at UCLA in Irvine, California) and is shown below:

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This memo, written during the production of the episode "The Omega Glory," and referencing Captain Ron Tracey, nullifies the long-held assumption that Starfleet assigned different insignia shapes to starships during TOS. Theiss’ inclusion of an alternate insignia for the  Exeter 's captain and chief medical officer, unfortunately, downplays how genuinely ubiquitous the delta insignia is within the  Star Trek  universe. As a result, fans of the series are left with conflicting visual information regarding the meaning of the insignia worn throughout the original series.

Nearly 50 years after Bob Justman wrote his memo, we now have the opportunity to clarify the use of each and every Starfleet uniform insignia used in   TOS. With a wee bit of Scotty's ingenuity, and a pinch of Vulcan logic, the complete picture of what Gene Roddenberry envisioned for the delta insignia should snap into focus.

There are six Starfleet duty insignia used in The Original Series:

  • Starship Duty Insignia (Fleet personnel emblem)
  • Spacecraft Duty Insignia (Auxiliary Fleet/ Merchant Marine personnel emblem)
  • Outpost Duty Insignia (Outpost and Colony personnel emblem)
  • Cadet Duty Insignia (Starfleet Academy student emblem)
  • Starbase Duty Insignia (Headquarters,  Space stations, Drydocks, and Ground installation personnel emblem)
  • Fleet Command Insignia (Senior field commander personnel emblem)

In the  Star Trek  universe, the delta emblem is a direct descendant of the vector component of the old NASA (and later UESPA) logos in use during Earth’s space programs of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Those symbols were worn by some of the first space explorers and adorned uniforms and ships during humanity’s first steps into the final frontier.

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United Earth Space Probe Agency integrated with Starfleet as the leading United Earth space exploration service.

The delta insignia was first drawn in 1964 by costume designer William Ware Theiss with input from series creator Gene Roddenberry. The delta — or “Arrowhead” as Bill Theiss called it — has evolved into a revered symbol and one that's synonymous with  Star Trek  today.

The delta also conveys information about the wearer’s duties aboard ship using a series of division symbols. When paired with a distinctive, elongated “star,” the insignia represents someone assigned to the Command division aboard ship. When it displays the “planet” symbol, it represents the Sciences division, a stylized “e” stands for Engineering (later Operations), and a red “Swiss Cross” is worn by starship personnel assigned to the Nursing Corps.

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Captain James T. Kirk wearing the Starship Duty Insignia, Command Division.

Let’s continue our study of  Star Trek ’s insignia with personnel assigned to other starships that are wearing the delta insignia.

Before we knew about this memo, we assumed that each ship had its own unique insignia, but there are problems that theory doesn't account for. For instance, does it bother you, or at least seem odd to see the surly guys in Starbase 11’s Officer's Club (in the episode "Court Martial") giving “their captain” a hard time over the presumed death of their mutual friend Ben Finney? Or, to see deceased crew members aboard the  U.S.S. Defiant  (in the episode "The Tholian Web") wearing the delta insignia?

If different starships had different symbols, why weren't they wearing them? Simple. The memo makes it clear that those Starfleet officers are not assigned to the  Enterprise ; they are simply wearing Starfleet’s standard-issue Starship Duty Insignia.

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Non-Enterprise Starfleet personnel in Starbase 11’s Officer’s Club in Court Martial, and Below: Deceased U.S.S. Defiant crew member wearing the Starship Duty Insignia in "The Tholian Web."

By now, you might be saying, “What about U.S.S. Exeter ’s Captain Ron Tracey and his chief surgeon, Dr. Carter?” As these two insignia patches are the error being addressed in the memo, they need no further explanation. They alone are the anomaly (an anomaly Theiss never repeated), which led to the misconception that every ship has its own assignment insignia.

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Above: Captain Ron Tracey of the U.S.S. Exeter, and Below: his CMO, Dr. Carter.

As you can see here, Theiss thoughtfully, if erroneously, provided both officers with unique assignment insignia patches, and in keeping with his fastidious reputation, insured both patches included their appropriate division symbols.

Early in TOS, we get our first look at non-delta insignia. In the episode "Charlie X,"  Antares ’ Captain Rampart and his first officer are wearing the Spacecraft Duty Insignia, which indicates that they are assigned to an auxiliary spacecraft serving in Starfleet's Merchant Marine Corps — just as Justman points out in his memo. 

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Antares' Captain Rampart, and his XO wearing the Merchant Marine Spacecraft Duty Insignia.

Not long after that, we get a look at another new insignia. The Outpost Duty Insignia is worn by Starfleet personnel assigned to outposts on the very edge of Federation space, the frontier. This emblem is characterized by a gold spikelet against a black background. Warning: Do not put yourself in a situation where this insignia goes on your uniform. Personnel wearing this badge never seem to live happily ever after.

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Outpost Crew from "Balance of Terror" & "Arena" pictured wearing the Outpost Duty Insignia.

A few episodes later, the Enterprise takes shore leave and Kirk reminisces about his days at the Academy. Worn by students attending Starfleet Academy, the Cadet Duty Insignia is characterized by a pewter colored, smaller version of the Starbase Duty Insignia.

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Second Class Midshipman Finnegan wearing the Cadet Duty Insignia.

First seen in "The Menagerie," the Starbase Duty Insignia is worn by personnel assigned to Federation Starbases, which include Starfleet Headquarters, space stations, drydocks, and other ground installations. The emblem, which is devoid of any departmental symbol, is a stylized representation of an “Evening Starflower” (a flowering plant native to the western hemisphere of Earth).

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Above: Admiral James Komack of Starfleet Command - Sector 9, and Below: Admiral Fitzpatrick.

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Miss Piper, assistant to Commodore Mendez, and Lt. Areel Shaw Starbase 11 JAG Officer wearing the Starbase Duty Insignia.

So how does Commodore Wesley in "The Ultimate Computer," or Commodore Decker in "The Doomsday Machine," fit into the spectrum of Starfleet insignia?

Well, let’s talk about commodores for a moment. A commodore is a flag officer rank, one position above captain. A starship captain usually commands a single vessel, but a commodore ordinarily commands more than one ship. Usually, commodores command a group of ships (either close to their flagship or distant), or in the case of TOS, they normally command a starbase.

In charge of evaluating the operational performance of the M5 computer while it's in total control of a starship, Commodore Wesley sits in temporary command of the  U.S.S. Lexington  to lead a battle fleet in war games against the  Enterprise . Throughout the episode, Commodore Wesley continues to wear his Starbase Duty Insignia, while the  Lexington  crew would have been wearing the delta.

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Commodore Bob Wesley in the transporter room briefing Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock about the M5 computer.

Finally, we come to one of my favorite characters ever — Commodore Matt Decker in "The Doomsday Machine." We saved him for last because we could only properly discuss his insignia and what it means after we talked about Starfleet’s other symbols first.

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William Windom as Commodore Matt Decker

Unlike Commodore Bob Wesley, who was only in temporary command of the  Lexington , Matt Decker is a Flag Officer with permanent field command of a starship. In fact, he's the only Flag Officer we see in  Star Trek  with a field command. As a consequence of Commodore Decker's rank and status as Commander of the  U.S.S. Constellation  (his flagship), he wears the Fleet Command Insignia denoting his status as a Flag Officer in the field. If we had seen Commodore Decker's crew (may they rest in peace), we would have seen the delta shape insignia in use on their uniforms. Commodore Decker's own first officer would have held the rank of Captain and worn the Starship Duty Insignia.

It should be noted that "The Doomsday Machine," which was filmed early in Season 2, is not referenced in Bob Justman’s memo. Some speculate that Decker’s absence from the memo is further indication of the inconsistent use of emblems in  Star Trek , but that presupposes that the production staff missed that detail. However, the very existence of the Justman memo, and a whole forest of others just like it, demonstrates that the opposite is true.

The production team of  Star Trek  worked diligently to ensure that every aspect of the future they were busy creating held up under scrutiny. Gene Roddenberry was notoriously rewriting scripts himself to ensure no less than exactly what he wanted ended up on-screen, and that fastidious nature permeated the entire production staff. That Decker’s unique emblem is not mentioned in the production memo indicates that his particular insignia isn't an error at all; but represents something else.

Check out Commodore Decker's insignia. Remember that when Theiss created the insignia for Captain Ron Tracey, he went out of his way to ensure it was emblazoned with a Command Star department symbol. Commodore Decker has no such departmental symbol in his insignia patch, which places it in the same design lineage as the Starbase Duty Insignia, which is also devoid of any departmental symbol.

At this point in  Star Trek , we’ve seen a number of flag officers; but they have all worn the Starflower shape, which indicates assignment to a starbase, while Matt Decker alone in TOS series serves as a flag officer in permanent command of a starship. He is wearing an insignia that conveys his unique status, the Fleet Command Insignia, and if you look closely, you'll see that Matt Decker’s emblem is visually related to the Starbase Duty Insignia. Decker’s insignia is a stylized representation of an individual petal from the same “Evening Starflower” emblem that comprises the starbase symbol. This insignia isn't mentioned in the production memo because it's not an error at all.

Hopefully, by now, you can see how consistent the  Star Trek  costume department really was in their use of insignia, and that Bill Thiess never repeated the error he made during "The Omega Glory" after it was pointed out by the memo.

Returning to the delta, Roddenberry and Justman intended it to be a very special symbol that communicates something important. The insignia worn on Starfleet uniforms is the equivalent of the badges worn by U.S. Service members — to show how they serve, not where they serve. Both men served with distinction in World War II. Roddenberry was an Army Air Corps pilot and Justman was a radio operator in the Navy. In the air and at sea, they understood the value of visual communication. In uniform, they themselves carried those values on their chests, on their collars, and on their sleeves. Twenty years after they wore their own various insignia, they helped to create something new — a symbol to inspire others. In the 1960s, the Starfleet delta had far more in common with the golden pin awarded to a NASA astronaut than a simple mission patch, and it was intended to equal that proud emblem in both use and sentiment.

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The NASA Astronaut Pin. There are two versions of this pin, a silver pin awarded to those who complete their training, and a gold pin awarded only to astronauts who have flown in space.

The delta proclaims that the person wearing it has achieved the goal of every cadet entering the Academy, and the dream of many a devoted fan — to serve aboard a starship and set sail in an endless sea of stars.

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Starfleet Insignia Badge, Command Division from Star Trek Discovery

They used to say if man could fly, he'd have wings. But he did fly. He discovered he had to.

Captain James T. Kirk

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I am grateful to have an experienced and learned group of expert Star Trek fans who helped with the research on this article — Steve Fronczek, Creative Services Manager, ANOVOS; Lieutenant Commander Michael J. Quigley, United States Navy; and Dayton Ward, Star Trek author.

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This article was originally published on October 7, 2018

John Cooley is a lifelong Star Trek fan.

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Who Created The Star Trek Logo & What Do Its Variations Represent?

Captain Picard talking

"Star Trek" has some of the most recognizable iconography in all of sci-fi, from the hulking image of the Starship Enterprise to the pointy ears of the Vulcans. Even just one look at the "Star Trek" logo — that basic arrowhead-esque shape containing a star with one elongated point inside — is enough to conjure countless memories of the adventures seen throughout the franchise. In fact, it's such an iconic component that some fans may have never stopped to wonder where exactly it comes from and what it's supposed to represent.

The "Star Trek" logo that everyone knows and loves — also commonly referred to as the "Delta" — was created in 1964 by the costume designer for the original series, William Ware Theiss. Theiss contributed a lot to the look of early "Star Trek," and his development of the "Delta" insignia to denote members of Starfleet on their uniforms quickly became the franchise's most enduring symbol. In the years since, the insignia has evolved and shifted into several distinct variations, each of which carry their own in-universe meaning.

There are a couple major Starfleet insignia variations

While the exact look of the Starfleet insignia has changed with just about each new entry into the "Star Trek" canon, it has just about always retained its core arrowhead shape. However, even dating back as far as the original series from the 1960s, the symbol contained within each variation of the arrowhead has actually been used to denote the specific division of Starfleet that the corresponding individual is a part of.

Of course, the most popular variation and the one most commonly seen today is the logo with the star inside. This version is commonly used to denote a Starfleet employee who is a member of the command division. Most of the major characters who make up the crew of various starships, from Spock to Captain Picard, are part of the command division, hence why it's the most common variation.

"Star Trek: The Original Series" further introduces three other major variations. The one with two overlapping circles signifies a member of Starfleet's sciences division, the one with a spiral inside represents the operations division, and, finally, the one with a red cross contained inside belongs to medical personnel. Other "Star Trek" projects have introduced the occasional new variant, but these four comprise the most well-known versions in canon.

The Starfleet insignia takes inspiration from a surprising place

It's been established that William Ware Theiss developed the Starfleet logo for "Star Trek: The Original Series," but some fans may still be wondering about its canonical origin. Where did the arrowhead symbol come from in-universe and why does it represent Starfleet? As it happens, the in-universe history of the Starfleet symbol and some of the pieces of inspiration Theiss drew from in the real world are one and the same.

The bulk of the "Star Trek" timeline that fans see takes place far into the future beyond the real-world present day. As such, it's frequently suggested that Starfleet as an organization grew out of Earth's space-based initiatives and programs from our real-world history. Indeed, there's a clever link between NASA and Starfleet in terms of their logos. Simply take the NASA logo and focus solely on the diagonal-pointing red "V" shape. Adjust it slightly so that the "V" is pointing upwards, and the resulting shape resembles the basic outline of the Starfleet symbol. To make this connection stronger, the franchise's United Earth insignia hews even closer to the NASA design in terms of composition.

The History Of Star Trek Logos

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With the recently released redesign of the Star Trek logo, TrekMovie has put together a short video retrospective of the history of Star Trek title logos, beginning with the original 1960's television series, and concluding with the new JJ Abrams film.

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The Evolution of the Klingon Emblem

by Bernd Schneider, Jörg Hillebrand and Brad Wilder

Obscure TOS Emblem Colorful Emblems Monochrome Emblems Conclusion

Klingons could be seen in more than 450 Star Trek episodes or movies. Even if we discount the appearances of the series regulars Worf and B'Elanna Torres, there are still well over 100 episodes with other Klingons. In most of these episodes we can see members of the race who act on behalf of their empire, and so its emblem is visible in some fashion. Klingon emblems appeared in several more episodes, even without direct Klingon participation. The now familiar trefoil emblem, however, wasn't the first Klingon symbol to appear in TOS. And the trefoil emblem itself, as simple as it is, comes in dozens of different color combinations.

With the exception of a few tiny logos that are hardly recognizable, this article summarizes all variations of the Klingon emblem that ever appeared in canon Star Trek. Strictly speaking, it doesn't outline an evolution of the Klingon emblem, as that would be practically impossible because of the random color changes. Due to its already mentioned simplicity it was very easy to create a new variation whenever one was deemed useful, with common resources such as plywood, cardboard, adhesive tape or felt. Still, some of the variants are far more common than others, and some that are popular in fandom are surprisingly uncommon.

Obscure TOS Emblem

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A similar symbol can also be found as a badge on Kor's sash. Kang wears the same sash in "Day of the Dove", and finally it is part of Worf's uniform throughout the first season of TNG. The only difference to the TOS Klingons is that Worf wears his sash on his right shoulder.

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The familiar Klingon emblem appears for the first time in "Elaan of Troyius". However, we can still see the old one from "Errand or Mercy" on one occasion in the episode. Kirk is holding up a Klingon silver-golden communicator whose lid is adorned by the emblem. Actually, Kor was using such a communicator already in "Errand of Mercy", we just couldn't recognize the emblem that was probably already there.

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Colorful Emblems

Original pale emblem.

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Regarding the colors of the emblem, the reconstructions usually show a red/blue/green trefoil on yellow ground. In "Elaan of Troyius", and still in the remastered version, however, it looks more like red, dark teal and pale teal on pale yellow. The same colors can be seen on photos of the D7 model. We may come to the conclusion that these pale colors are the authentic ones at the time of TOS.

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Original red/blue/green/yellow emblem

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The K't'inga-class cruisers in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" have the colorful version of the logo, but now pointing forward (which corresponds to "upward" when shown on a wall). Also, the colors are much more vivid than they used to be on the D7. Both changes may have been influenced by the look of the emblem in The Animated Series that had been produced a few years earlier.

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Colorful emblem with blue and green switched

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This rare variation also shows up in ENT: "The Augments"

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Red/blue/blue/green emblem

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Michael Okuda tells us about the colorful variations in modern Star Trek, and specifically about the one on the mug:

"I tended toward single-color uses of the emblem for reasons of production practicality, but sometimes went back to the colors used in the AMT kit, or the big yellow triangle seen in ST3."

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Monochrome Emblems

Red decorative emblems on gray or with yellow ring.

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"Yes, I did all the control panel graphics and the signage in the Klingon ship in ST4. I did not design the physical control panels or the video displays in that set, but did all the static backlits and the signage." I did make an effort to maintain consistent use of the Klingon emblem art from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, as this seemed to be the highest quality art that I could find at Paramount when I started on Star Trek. That version appears to have been drawn specifically for use on the wings of the Klingon battle cruisers in that film. I tended toward single-color uses of the emblem for reasons of production practicality, but sometimes went back to the colors used in the AMT kit, or the big yellow triangle seen in ST3. I did do some early variations on the ST:TMP art, mainly simplifying the outlines around the background circle. Again, this was largely for production practicality, but also for visual clarity."

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Some colors are more common than others, especially on the central symbol, the trefoil. This element is customarily red whenever it appears as a floor or wall decoration, on flags or as an official seal on a viewscreen, usually on a solid white or gray circle that sometimes has a black outline. In DS9: "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges" and "When It Rains", we can see symbols with a yellow outline of the trefoil. The same variation appears on (Cardassian) monitors of the Dominion-Cardassian Alliance. On the viewscreen logos in TNG: "Redemption I" and in DS9: "Broken Link", as well as on the wall emblem in ENT: "Judgment", the circle is not solid, but appears as a yellow ring.

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TNG-style red illuminated emblem

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Red/solid yellow emblems

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As already mentioned, the red/yellow color combination can also be found on the hull of the Negh'Var but is barely recognizable on screen. Furthermore, we may see red emblems on yellow in DS9: "Blaze of Glory" and "Time's Orphan". These two are pale yellow and might actually be white, but they seem to be inspired by the colors used on the Negh'Var and Ty'Gokor. Finally, another emblem in these colors shows up in ENT: "Sleeping Dogs".

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A banner seen in ENT: "Broken Bow" and "Unexpected" is possibly red on yellow as well, rater than red on white.

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Red/orange emblem

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Red/red emblem

Red/yellow display emblems.

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All-red emblems appear infrequently, not only on monitors such as in TNG: "Yesterday's Enterprise", but also notably on the floor on K'mpec's ship in TNG: "Reunion". Interestingly, we can see all-red emblems on two different occasions in DS9: "Soldiers of the Empire", although they are otherwise rare in DS9.

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Yellow emblems

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Black "Star Trek VI" emblems

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Michael Okuda on a possible significance of the color choice in "Star Trek VI" or of other variations:

"No, we did not have an intentional pattern for variations on the color of the Klingon logo. At least, I didn't."

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Other black emblems

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Neutral emblems

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The Federation as well as the Cardassians use basically the same variations of Klingon symbols on their monitors as the Klingons themselves. But in the sixth and early seventh season of DS9, we can see strangely colored Cardassian variants on a couple of occasions. It appears that the Cardassians adapted the enemy emblem (just like the Starfleet and Romulans ones) to their pastel color palette.

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An all-green variation can be seen on a monitor in TNG: "Conspiracy", surrounded by text and graphics that are the same color.

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Plain metal emblems

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The Order of the Bat'leth that can be seen in DS9: "Apocalypse Rising" has the trefoil painted black on the otherwise plain metal, also without the ring. The badge, the Star of Kahless, that Martok receives in DS9: "When It Rains" is adorned by a black emblem without the ring likewise.

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Unusual emblems

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In DS9: "Apocalypse Rising", Gul Dukat can be seen wearing a strange Klingon shoulder patch just after he has boarded his Bird-of-Prey. It is a white emblem, whose central spike is widened and is blunt on the bottom.

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The emblem appears upside down on Kahless's throne in TNG: "Rightful Heir" (obviously put together from three red and one gray pieces of felt). In VOY: "Barge of the Dead", we can see an upside-down emblem at the gate of Gre'thor, here with a specific reason as it symbolizes the Klingon hell. The sequence takes place in B'Elanna's imagination, but she must have seen depictions of Gre'thor, so the orientation may be authentic.

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Mirror Universe emblems

More on a side note, the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance in the Mirror Universe is symbolized by the combination of a Cardassian with a Klingon emblem, as first seen in DS9: "Crossover". On this emblem the Cardassian component is clearly dominant, both in terms of size and of the style and color choice.

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Abramsverse emblems

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Discoverse emblems

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Discovery Klingons don't seem to be fond of showing off their emblem. It appears in this function on just two occasions in the first season. The first time is on the spacesuit of the Torchbearer in DIS: "The Vulcan Hello" where Burnham's computer identifies it as "Klingon" and highlights it in red. The emblem also appears on the hull of a Klingon "Bird-of-Prey" in "Will You Take My Hand?" (and curiously not on any ship in any previous episode of the series). The color combination (black trefoil with white outline on red circle) on the Discovery BoP is the one previously used on the standalone emblems (without flag) in "Star Trek VI". As already mentioned, this canonically uncommon variation has been very popular in fandom well before "Will You Take My Hand?" was released. It may have been chosen for Discovery by picking the most common result for "Klingon logo" returned by Google.

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In the second season, the emblem appears on L'Rell's uniform.

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We can see a similar embossed emblem on L'Rell's lectern in "Point of Light". A stylized version with just the trefoil can be spotted on the abdication document in the same episode.

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Other than that, the logo shows up on a snack bar on Qo'noS in "Will You Take My Hand?" and on the T'Sang game board in the same episode.

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The emblem can also be seen in the Mirror Universe, on a fuel canister in DIS: "The Wolf Inside".

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Summary of the variations

The proportions of the familiar Klingon trefoil emblem as first seen in "Elaan of Troyius" have remained unusually consistent in all incarnations of Star Trek (the only exceptions being the distorted one inside the Bird-of-Prey in "Star Trek III" and B'Elanna's inaccurate hallucinations in "Barge of the Dead"). Since "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", also the orientation (with the long tip pointing upward) is almost always the same, although other orientations may have a specific meaning such as "upside down" represents Gre'thor, the Klingon concept of "hell".

The emblem is usually red for official use such as in government buildings but the color may have no significance in Klingon culture. The background definitely doesn't. Red may have been chosen for the trefoil most of the time simply because it looks most impressive. On ship hulls, we can sometimes see more colorful emblems, in red and yellow and sometimes with blue and green too. The latter, colorful variation is usually attributed to the 23rd century but can be repeatedly observed in the 24th century as well.

In TOS: "Errand of Mercy" we could still see a different emblem, even on the official Klingon proclamation. But it is not far-fetched to assume that it is the emblem of the House of Kor or some kind of military medal (considering that Kang and Worf, who wear the same symbol, rather don't belong to the House of Kor).

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History [ ]

Originally, Star Trek was a product of Desilu Studios as created by Gene Roddenberry in a first draft series proposal " Star Trek is... ", dated 11 March 1964 .

Beginning with a single pilot episode, " The Cage ", filmed in 1964, Star Trek was not placed on the schedule of the NBC network until a second pilot episode, " Where No Man Has Gone Before ", was produced in 1965 .

Star Trek officially went into production on April 21, 1966 and ran for three seasons until it was canceled in 1969 . Four years later, the series returned to NBC as a Saturday morning animated series which ran from 1973 to 1974 .

No new production of Star Trek took place until 1979 , when Star Trek: The Motion Picture took the franchise into feature films , which have continued to be produced periodically since. Star Trek did not return to television until 1987 with the debut of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Following three more spin-off productions, the 2005 – 2006 TV season was the first since 1987 without a new Star Trek series being broadcast, though all series remain in syndication.

As a result of a 2005 split between the former Viacom and CBS , Star Trek television productions fell under the umbrella of CBS Studios . During this period, films continued to be produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures under a licensing agreement. A thirteenth film was released in 2016 . CBS and Viacom were reunited and merged under the name ViacomCBS in late 2019 , reuniting the film and television branches of Star Trek . In 2022 ViacomCBS rebranded itself as Paramount Global , or simply Paramount.

After 12 years off the air, the franchise returned to the airwaves with its first streaming series, Star Trek: Discovery , which premiered in the fall of 2017 . This also saw the franchise expand into companion series, like the aftershow After Trek , which premiered right after the Discovery .

Currently, licensees of Star Trek products ( reference works , novels and collectibles ) include Art Asylum toys, Pocket Books , and IDW Publishing . Older licenses for previously produced material belong to numerous companies.

Conception and setting [ ]

"Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms."
"We believed that the often ridiculed mass audience is sick of this world's petty nationalism and all its old ways and old hatreds... and that people are not only willing but anxious to think beyond those petty beliefs that have for so long have kept mankind divided."
– Gene Roddenberry

The stories in Star Trek mostly revolve around the experiences and adventures of the Humans and aliens who serve under Starfleet Command , the space-borne peacekeeping, exploratory, and humanitarian armada of the United Federation of Planets .

Many of the conflicts and political dimensions of Star Trek are allegories of contemporary cultural realities. Star Trek: The Original Series addressed social-political issues of the 1960s, just as later spin-offs have confronted issues of their respective decades. [1] Issues depicted in the various series include war and peace , personal loyalty, authoritarianism, imperialism, economics, racism , religion , human rights , sexism , and the role of technology . [2]

Roddenberry intended the show to have a progressive political agenda reflective of the emerging counter-culture and the civil rights movement of the 1960s, [3] though he was not fully forthcoming to the networks about this. He wanted Star Trek to show a future of what humanity might evolve to become, if it would learn from the lessons of the past, most specifically by ending violence. An extreme example is the alien race known as the Vulcans , who suffered a violent history but learned to finally achieve peace by suppressing their emotions and by adopting the guiding principles of logic . Roddenberry also placed great emphasis on an anti-war message in Star Trek , depicting the United Federation of Planets, a vast interstellar alliance founded on the enlightened principles of liberty , equality , justice, progress, and peaceful co-existence, as an idealistic version of the United Nations . [4] (X) His efforts were opposed by the network because of concerns over marketability; as they opposed Roddenberry's insistence that the USS Enterprise have a racially diverse crew.

Production history [ ]

The original series [ ], spin-off series [ ].

Star Trek films

  • Paramount, 1979–1991
  • Producers: Gene Roddenberry, Robert Sallin , Harve Bennett , Steven-Charles Jaffe , Ralph Winter
  • Directors: Robert Wise , Nicholas Meyer , Leonard Nimoy , William Shatner
  • Paramount, 1994–2002
  • Producers: Rick Berman
  • Directors: David Carson , Jonathan Frakes , Stuart Baird
  • Paramount, 2009–2016
  • Producers: J.J. Abrams , Damon Lindelof
  • Directors: J.J. Abrams, Justin Lin
  • CBS Television Studios/Paramount+

Aftershows [ ]

  • CBS Television Studios/CBS All Access, 2017–2018

The Ready Room

  • CBS Television Studios/ Facebook Live , 2019–

Podcasts [ ]

Engage: The Official Star Trek Podcast

  • CBS Television Studios, 2016–2018

Star Trek: The Pod Directive

  • CBS Television Studios, 2020–

Unproduced projects [ ]

  • See: Undeveloped Star Trek projects

Overseas adaptations [ ]

Star Trek has been aired around the world throughout its run of television and film series. Most often, it has been dubbed into the native language of the larger population countries in question, while other, smaller population countries subtitled the productions and kept the original language tracks. During this time, the titles, characters, and so forth have been changed as they move from language to language.

Licensed media [ ]

30 Rock gift shop floor

Floor tile in the NBC gift shop at 30 Rock

  • Blu-ray Discs
  • Collectibles
  • Reference works

Related topics [ ]

See also [ ].

  • Star Trek parodies and pop culture references
  • Star Trek documentaries and specials
  • Star Trek corporate history
  • Star Trek birthdays
  • Star Trek deaths
  • TOS directors
  • TAS directors
  • TNG directors
  • DS9 directors
  • VOY directors
  • ENT directors
  • DIS directors
  • ST directors
  • PIC directors
  • LD directors
  • PRO directors
  • Film directors
  • Cast members who directed
  • Guest performers
  • Regular cast
  • Performers considered for roles
  • Performers whose scenes were cut
  • Recurring characters
  • Star Trek auctions
  • Star Trek fonts

Other topics [ ]

  • Bottle show
  • Design patents filed for the Star Trek franchise
  • I'm a doctor, not a...
  • Shakespeare and Star Trek

External links [ ]

  • StarTrek.com , the official Star Trek website
  • The official Star Trek YouTube channel  at YouTube
  • Star Trek at Wikipedia
  • Star Trek spin-off fiction at Wikipedia
  • Star Trek at BBC.co.uk
  • 2 Hoshi Sato
  • 3 Broken Bow (episode)

US Space Force explains why its logo isn’t a Star Trek ripoff

Similar symbols have been in use long before the tv show.

By Jon Porter , a reporter with five years of experience covering consumer tech releases, EU tech policy, online platforms, and mechanical keyboards.

Share this story

star trek logos history

An official logo and motto for the United States Space Force have been revealed , following the announcement of its official seal back in January , and flag in May . The organization’s motto is “Semper Supra,” which is Latin for “Always Above,” while the logo itself is based around a delta shape that’s been the focus of some mockery thanks to its similarity to Starfleet’s logo from Star Trek.

Defenders of Space Force’s seal were quick to point out that its actual inspiration appears to be the shield for Air Force Space Command . The official US Space Force Twitter account points out that the shape has been been in use by space organizations as far back as 1961. Star Trek, meanwhile, debuted in 1966. 

So what about the other elements of the logo? The star in the middle is meant to symbolize Polaris, otherwise known as the North Star, the core values and guiding light for the organization. The two spires are meant to look like a rocket launch, while the four beveled elements at the bottom represent the four armed forces supporting the space mission. Around the edge there’s a silver border, signifying “defense and protection,” and the black background is the blackness of space, obviously. 

“The black area embodies the vast darkness of deep space,” Space Force’s official Twitter account cheerfully notes , “Some feel fear and dread but we prefer to be inspired and stand up to the challenge.”

A diagram released by Space Force explains its logo’s various elements.

Space Force is the sixth branch of the US military alongside the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

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Star Trek Minutiae: Exploring the Details of Science Fiction

Star Trek Logos: Starfleet Ships and Stations

Artwork by Kris Trigwell

Logopedia

  • Paramount Television Studios
  • Defunct television programs of the United States
  • 1990s television programs
  • 2000s television programs
  • Shows premiered in 1995
  • Shows ending in 2001
  • Action television series

Star Trek: Voyager

  • View history

1994 (prototype) [ ]

Star Trek Voyager Prototype logo

This logo only appeared in a Playmates toy catalog in 1994. The prototype logo resembles the logo from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

1995–2001 [ ]

Title card

  • 2 Nickelodeon

IMAGES

  1. A collection of many logos, symbols, badges, and banners from the Star

    star trek logos history

  2. The History Of Star Trek Logos

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  3. Download High Quality star trek logo uss enterprise Transparent PNG

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  4. Logotipo SVG de STAR TREK archivos de corte de Star Trek

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  5. Star Trek Logo

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  6. Star Trek Logo

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VIDEO

  1. Star Trek (2009) Opening Logos With Commentary

  2. Opening Logos Star Trek X: Nemesis (NCI Described Media)

  3. Star Trek The Motion Picture revamped Main Titles

  4. FANMADE =/\= STAR TREK Legacy Intro =/\=

  5. 01. Logos (Star Trek: Into Darkness Complete Score)

  6. Star Trek Promo Orlando, Florida 1980's

COMMENTS

  1. The Starfleet Insignia Explained

    In the Star Trek universe, the delta emblem is a direct descendant of the vector component of the old NASA (and later UESPA) logos in use during Earth's space programs of the 20th and 21st Centuries.Those symbols were worn by some of the first space explorers and adorned uniforms and ships during humanity's first steps into the final frontier.

  2. Star Trek

    Star Trek. This article is about the franchise in general. For the original 1966 TV series, see Star Trek: The Original Series. For the first film of the cinematic reboot saga, see Star Trek (2009 film). For other uses, see Star Trek (disambiguation). This page only shows primary logo variants.

  3. Starfleet insignia

    The Starfleet insignia or Starfleet delta was an asymmetrical, arrowhead-shaped emblem used by Starfleet. This symbol was used on every Starfleet badge and was displayed on starship hulls, installations, uniforms, and equipment, such as screws and screwdrivers. This arrowhead shape has roots in history, beginning with a basic form on the logo used NASA in the 20th and 21st centuries, the ...

  4. Who Created The Star Trek Logo & What Do Its Variations Represent?

    The "Star Trek" logo that everyone knows and loves — also commonly referred to as the "Delta" — was created in 1964 by the costume designer for the original series, William Ware Theiss.

  5. Star Trek Logos and Symbols, Artwork by Kris Trigwell

    Stories. The talented Kristian Trigwell (aka "Reverend") spent many months researching hundreds of logos, insignia, and symbols seen in every Star Trek series and movie, and then faithfully reproduced them as vector artwork. He also included a few original designs of his own. Do you wonder what the governmental emblem of Angosia III looked ...

  6. The History Of Star Trek Logos

    The History Of Star Trek Logos. By Peter Sciretta / March 15, 2009 7:07 pm EST. With the recently released redesign of the Star Trek logo, TrekMovie has put together a short video retrospective of ...

  7. Emblem-atic

    Nothing symbolizes Star Trek like the insignia worn by its Starfleet characters as seen on TV from 1964-present day. Midyear 2020 brought it to the forefront when the official US Space Force emblem was unveiled to historically naïve cries that it "rips off" the Star Trek emblem. ... 2021-10-11 Added the Flying A Service logo image and ...

  8. Star Trek logo history

    Credit goes to Sagan Blob Enterprises for capturing the logos from the first 10 Star Trek movies.Since Star Trek Beyond is coming out on July 22, I decided t...

  9. Category:Star Trek logos

    Star Trek Deep Space Nine.svg 832 × 322; 52 KB. Star trek der film.svg 286 × 50; 43 KB. Star Trek Discovery logo.svg 791 × 256; 4 KB. Star Trek First Contact logo.jpg 768 × 312; 72 KB. Star Trek First Contact logo.png 800 × 310; 47 KB. Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan logo.png 621 × 310; 233 KB.

  10. Star Trek Logos, Starfleet Organizations » Star Trek Minutiae

    Federation Outpost Insignia. Advanced Starship Design Bureau. Starfleet Transport Command (ca. 2253) Starfleet Transport Command (ca. 2370) Starfleet and Space Agency Logos. Return to the Index. A collection of many logos, symbols, badges, and banners from the Star Trek universe. Artwork by Kristian Trigwell.

  11. Star Trek Logos: Federation and Member Worlds

    Federation Member: Bajor (Banner) Federation Member: Berengaria. Federation Member: Bolarus IX. Federation Member: Cetacean Embassy. Federation Member: Deneva Colony (Flag) Federation Member: Star Empire of Epsilon Indi (Seal) Federation Member: Star Empire of Epsilon Indi (Standard) Federation Member: Earth. Federation Member: Sol System Flags ...

  12. Star Trek Logo, symbol, meaning, history, PNG, brand

    Website: startrek.com. Star Trek is an iconic sci-fi media franchise. It was created by Gene Roddenberry, writer, and producer. It was based on a television series that debuted in 1966 and aired for three seasons on NBC. In developing the original plot, the author drew inspiration from literary and television classics.

  13. Starfleet division

    Starfleet divisions were specialized organizational structures within Starfleet. In various editions of the Starfleet uniform, three main divisions (and the cadet division or crew support, in some issues) were identified by a departmental color, and sometimes a patch insignia. Some uniforms showed organization by different means, like collar or insignia color, and with different meanings than ...

  14. Ex Astris Scientia

    The familiar Klingon logo also shows up in "Star Trek Into Darkness", here somewhat unusually as a uniform chest badge. Emblem in "Star Trek Into Darkness" Discoverse emblems. The Klingon emblem of Star Trek Discovery is basically the same monochrome emblem that we know from the 22nd as well as from the 24th century of classic Star Trek. It ...

  15. Star Trek

    Star Trek is a science fiction franchise comprising twelve television series, thirteen films, four companion series, numerous novels, comics, video games, reference works, podcasts, role playing games, along with thousands of collectibles. Originally, Star Trek was a product of Desilu Studios as created by Gene Roddenberry in a first draft series proposal "Star Trek is...", dated 11 March 1964 ...

  16. Star Trek Logos, Major Galactic Powers » Star Trek Minutiae

    Romulan Star Empire, Tal Shiar. Dominion. Terran Empire (Mirror Universe, ca. 2155) Terran Empire (Mirror Universe, ca. 2268) Terran Empire (Mirror Universe, ca. 2268) Klingon-Cardassian Alliance (Mirror Universe) Starfleet Ships and Stations. Return to the Index. A collection of many logos, symbols, badges, and banners from the Star Trek universe.

  17. US Space Force explains why its logo isn't a Star Trek ripoff

    Jul 23, 2020, 1:46 AM PDT. An official logo and motto for the United States Space Force have been revealed, following the announcement of its official seal back in January, and flag in May. The ...

  18. Star Trek

    Star Trek is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon.Since its creation, the franchise has expanded into various films, television series, video games, novels, and comic books, and it has become one of the most recognizable and highest-grossing media franchises ...

  19. Star Trek: The Original Series

    This title-card was only used in the pilot epsiode "The Cage". For the first two seasons, the show's title is in yellow. For the 3rd and final season, the show's title is in blue. Following the series conclusion, the show began to be referred as "The Original Series" so it wouldn't be confused with any of its sequels. A logo with this label has been used in home media releases (as well as in ...

  20. Star Trek Logos: Starfleet Ships and Stations

    Rigel class Development Project Patch. Sequoia class Development Project Badge. Sequoia class Development Project Patch. Work Bee Development Project Patch. Deep Space Nine Outpost Emblem. Earth Spacedock One, 2192-2273. Earth Spacedock One, 2273-2385. 40 Eridani-A Shipyards. Copernicus Shipyards.

  21. Star Trek: The Next Generation

    This prototype logo only appeared on the announcement of Entertainment Tonight in the summer of 1987. This prototype logo resembles the logo from Star Trek: The Original Series. Star Trek: Picard

  22. Star Trek: Voyager

    1995-2001. Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted. This logo only appeared in a Playmates toy catalog in 1994. The prototype logo resembles the logo from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.