star trek enterprise battle bridge

How ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Resurrected an Iconic Set

By Scott Mantz

Scott Mantz

• ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Team Built a ‘Museum Quality’ Enterprise D to Make Things as ‘Cinematic as Possible’ 11 months ago
• How ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Created the High-Tech Bridge of Its Newest Starship 1 year ago
• How ‘Babylon’s’ Cocaine-Snorting Opening Sequence Came Together 1 year ago

SPOILER ALERT:   This story discusses major plot developments in Season 3, Episode 9 of “ Star Trek: Picard ,” currently streaming on Paramount+.

All season long, the producers of “ Star Trek: Picard ” have boldly pulled out all the stops to make the third and final season one for the books. To that extent, it seemed like only a matter of time until we finally got to see the Enterprise — that is, the Enterprise-D, the Galaxy-class starship that made its first appearance in 1987 with the premiere episode of “ Star Trek: The Next Generation .”

Popular on Variety

Executive producer Terry Matalas went through hoops to make sure history never forgot the name Enterprise. Speaking with Variety, and sharing photos of “The Next Generation” cast on the ship, Matalas says, “Everyone tried to talk us out of doing this, because financially it’s a nightmare, and the timing was tight. To the moment we started filming, we were still gluing pieces together. But you can’t have a ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ reunion without one of its major characters, which is the Enterprise.”

As for how it was even possible for the Enterprise-D to exist after it was virtually destroyed in 1994’s “Star Trek: Generations” (only the top saucer section was still intact after crash-landing on the planet Veridian III), it turns out Geordi La Forge took it upon himself to completely restore it for the Starfleet Museum.

However, despite the prominent presence of the Enterprise-D bridge on seven seasons of the TV series that ran from 1987 to 1994 (as well as the 1994 “Generations” feature film), construction guidelines were scarce for production designer Dave Blass and art director Liz Kloczkowski, who spearheaded the project.

Blass pivoted to another invaluable resource when he recruited “Star Trek” legends Mike Okuda and Denise Okuda (from Herman Zimmerman’s “Next Generation” production design team) as consultants.

“The Enterprise from ‘The Next Generation’ was the first Enterprise on which I was the principal graphic designer,” Okuda says. “I got to work with [‘Star Trek’ creator] Gene Roddenberry on making that bridge come to life.”

But even with that deep-dive knowledge and experience, finding the source materials to reconstruct the bridge still proved to be a daunting challenge.

“The first thing we did was to go in the garage and dive into boxes and see what we still had,” Okuda says. “We had some original drawings and art, but large chunks of it disappeared. You realize you’re going to have to reconstruct a lot of this from scratch.”

It took three months and a team of around 50 people to completely rebuild the bridge, which was a physical build and not done on a green screen or in VFX. It measured exactly the same as the original set: 50 feet wide and 100 feet long.

All this work was in addition to every other set built for Seasons 2 and 3, which were shot back to back. “We were doing all the interiors of the starship Titan – like the bridge, the transporter rooms, the crew quarters, the hallways and sickbay – as well as [the enemy ship] the Shrike, Daystrom Station and the Borg,” says Blass. “So, all that all on top of each other.”

The goal was to re-create the look of the LCARS panels, as closely as possible to their appearance in “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”

“We took advantage of the huge advances in real-world computer display technology to make a few subtle upgrades to the displays,” Okuda says. “In a scene where one of our officers is using the science equipment, if the director wanted to show the scan itself, we would have had to insert the animation in post-production, back in the day. Now, it’s easy to do the animation and have it play back on the set, so the cast could see it in real-time.”

When it came to challenges, Blass says, the wood archway was one of the hardest pieces to recreate. “It’s a complex curve that arches and changes thickness,” he explains. “You can only get so much information off a blueprint. The construction team printed out a full-size paper plan to lay it out and then used a number of templates to shape the final piece.”

The chairs were another set piece in recreating the Enterprise-D that needed to be taken into consideration. “We had to sculpt the right shape based on the basic form, then do a deep dive on the right materials that have the right color and texture,” Blass says. “Each chair has four different materials.”

Blass adds that the infamous carpet, referenced by Patrick Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard in the episode, “was very hard to find as it’s a pattern that has been out of stock for decades.”

“That was tricky because you’re talking about lighting that was much more intrinsic to the 1990s,” Matalas says. “Now we have different cameras in a different cinematic style to the show. We had to find a hybrid of the old style and the new with our director of photography, John Joffin, and I think we found a really great sweet spot.”

When the cast saw the bridge for the first time, they got right down to business.

“This season was so ambitious, and we only had two days to shoot on this thing,” Matalas says. “It was literally, like, get everybody on, you got your four minutes of nostalgia, and then we have to boogie. But it was all very natural for them. It was like being back on Stage 8 at the Paramount lot. Patrick Stewart even did the ‘Picard maneuver,’ which he was very proud of.”

And what of the ship today?

Their work remains intact. “There were lots of interested parties who wanted to save the set,” Blass says. “Luckily it has a home in the Star Trek archives.”

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Make it so: how three guys got most of the enterprise-d bridge, trio of tng fans launch a fundraising campaign to restore bridge from junkyard..

Cyrus Farivar - Aug 28, 2012 11:15 pm UTC

Three Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) fans are on a mission to restore a " fully functional " official replica of the Enterprise-D bridge. The group calls itself " The New Starship ," and it's set to launch an IndieGoGo fundraising campaign on Wednesday. TNS seeks $175,000 to bring the bridge to life—complete with a viewscreen, the captain's chair, and even operational touchscreen computers.

As most Trekkies will remember, the original bridge used in the filming of TNG was actually destroyed during the filming of Star Trek: Generations , where the Enterprise crash-lands onto the surface of Veridian III. Following the conclusion of the show and the related films, three replicas were made with construction overseen by the show's set designers, Herman Zimmerman and Michael Okuda.

This bridge, currently in pieces, is one of those replicas built for Star Trek: The Experience , a theme-park in Las Vegas that was  closed  in 2008 after a 10-year run. SEE Global Entertainment , the Los Angeles-based company behind the Experience , did not respond to requests for comment.

"$175,000 will get the bridge completely restored and will give us a place to put it," Huston Huddleston, one of the group’s founders, told Ars on Tuesday. "That will get us at least a few of the computers going. And up until now, everybody’s been doing everything for free—I don't want people going broke on this. Fandom is fandom, but people have to eat and live."

The group says its "prime directive" is to "take what we have and restore it to the closest recreation of the TV [set] as possible, with the help of our highly skilled group of Hollywood professionals, and make it open to the public for meetings, movie showings, fundraisers, tours, filming, anything!"

CBS, which owns the rights to the Star Trek franchise , also did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

A durable replica

Huston Huddleston, one of the three members of The New Starship, explained that this bridge was made of fiberglass and plexiglass, rather than wood.

"The bridge was made right after the original bridge was blown up and they made three bridges—two for Vegas Experience and ours," he said. "The ones in Vegas, they made out of all wood roofs, it was made to stay, not to move."

"Ours was made of fiberglass and plexiglass and metal, and it [was designed] to be taken apart and put back together," Huddleston  added.

"They put it on display in Hollywood for a very short time. Then in the early 2000s, they brought it to Hyde Park in London, and then they made a second one. That one went to Singapore , and [was later] destroyed. Ours went back to Hollywood. It was at this warehouse for who knows how many years—five at least. It was just on the side of the building. They didn’t even care to shelter it. All the pieces, including the chair, the consoles, everything was trashed."

Devotion to detail

Huddleston, a self-described "total Star Trek geek," said he knew someone who used to work at Paramount, Star Trek ’s home production studio. Sometimes, they would supply him with various pieces of Trek gear such as starship model blueprints.

"One day he told me he was leaving and I said: ‘Crap, now I’ll never get to turn my living room into the bridge of the Enterprise.’ And he said: ‘Be careful what you wish for,’" Huddleston recalled.

Last year, Huddleston arranged to "rescue" the set from a Los Angeles-area warehouse. He's spent the bulk of the last year getting blessings and permissions from the Star Trek family, including former cast members and  Rod Roddenberry , the son of original Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. He launched the group’s Facebook page about two weeks ago.

"I paid money to just have it shipped to my house—it was two full moving vans worth of stuff," Huddleston said. "It’s not just the ceiling pieces, it’s the metal that holds it up, the wall. It took at least a couple days to move it all here."

The bridge, when fully assembled, is quite large: 35 feet long, 22 feet wide, and 11 feet tall. But upon further inspection, Huddleston realized that there were some pieces missing.

"I had to get pieces from Vegas, when that closed," he added. "Riker’s and Troi’s chairs were long gone. I got those ones, mint condition from the Vegas Experience ."

But as any detail-obsessed TNG fan will recall (including yours truly), there weren’t three chairs in the center of the bridge, even though that’s how Star Trek: The Experience portrayed it. In fact, on the show, there were a total of five seats , with the two supplemental seats on the edge rarely used.

"I can tell you one thing—we are not just restoring the bridge as it was on display, as there are a couple pieces that were altered," he said. "There were chairs to the side of Riker’s and Troi’s chairs."

A bridge on tour

Huddleston added there are other details that he and his colleagues would like to make more precise.

"Worf’s panel [at the tactical station] was a bit shorter, and the [floor rise] was shorter [than on the actual show], and we’re extending it to make it more like the original bridge," he said.

But, he explained, the real coup de grâce will be making the wall-mounted computers touch-interactive, and ideally, to give those computers voice recognition. That way, fans could channel their inner Captain Picard.

"It will be an actual interactive bridge," Huddleston added. "The captain can put the bridge on red alert—then all the panels will blink."

Conceivably, the restored bridge with its viewscreen could also allow for fans to experience interactive simulations, ranging from the classic Kobayashi Maru scenario to Romulan or Borg attacks.

"Anything would be possible," he remarked. "It’s so beyond my comprehension. It would be the ultimate geek dream."

The Los Angeles-based fan said that it may take as long as 18 to 24 months for the bridge to be fully restored.

"[In the meantime], we’re going to have pieces of it going to different conventions, to show that we’re not full of it, [to show] that we’re actually doing this and when we’re completely done it will be on display, and we can take the entire thing to a convention."

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‘Star Trek’ Fans Can Now Virtually Tour Every Starship Enterprise Bridge

An interactive web portal explores the vessel’s evolution over nearly six decades

Daily Correspondent

For decades, many “ Star Trek ” fans have imagined what it would be like to work from the bridge of the starship  Enterprise , the long-running franchise’s high-tech space-exploring vessel. Through various iterations and seasons of the series, created by  Gene Roddenberry in the ’60s, the bridge has remained a constant, serving as the backdrop for many important moments in the show’s 800-plus episodes.

Now, die-hard Trekkies and casual watchers alike can virtually roam around the Enterprise’s bridge to their heart’s content, thanks to a sophisticated and highly detailed new  web portal that brings the space to life.

The site features 360-degree, 3D models of the various versions of the Enterprise , as well as a timeline of the ship’s evolution throughout the franchise’s history. Fans of the show can also read detailed information about each version of the ship’s design, its significance to the “Star Trek” storyline and its production backstory.

Developed in honor of the “Star Trek: Picard”  series finale , which dropped late last month on Paramount+, the portal is a collaboration between the Roddenberry Estate, the Roddenberry Archive and the technology company OTOY. A group of well-known “Star Trek” artists—including Denise and Michael Okuda , Daren Dochterman, Doug Drexler and Dave Blass—also supported the project.

“Through new technology, we can bring audiences back in time as if they were there on set during the making of ’Star Trek,’ providing a window into new dimensions of the ‘Star Trek’ universe,” says Jules Urbach, OTOY’s CEO, in a  statement .

The voice of the late actress  Majel Roddenberry , who played the Enterprise ’s computer for years, will be added to the site in the future. Gene Roddenberry  died in 1991 , followed by Majel Roddenberry  in 2008 ; the two had been married since 1969.

The portal’s creators also released a short video , narrated by actor  John de Lancie , exploring every version of the Enterprise ’s bridge to date, “from its inception in  Pato Guzman ’s 1964 sketches, through its portrayal across decades of TV shows and feature films, to its latest incarnation on the Enterprise-G , as revealed in the final episode of ‘ Star Trek: Picard ,’” per the video description. Accompanying video interviews with “Star Trek” cast and crew—including William Shatner , who played Captain Kirk in the original series, and Terry Matalas , a showrunner for “Star Trek: Picard”—also explore the series’ legacy.

The interactive, 3D bridge models contain a surprising level of detail, right down to the consoles and turbolifts. The site, however, has so far been hit or miss for users, suggesting that the team behind it may still be working out a few of the technical kinks, reports the  Verge ’s Sean Hollister. And as Kyle Barr writes for  Gizmodo , one big downside is that the models don’t contain any “Star Trek” characters, who he says are “the beating heart of the show and its ideals.”

“Sitting in the captain’s chair, with all the stations empty beside you,” he writes, “is enough to make one wistful.”

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Sarah Kuta | READ MORE

Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.

The Evolution of the Enterprise-E Bridge

by Tadeo D'Oria and Bernd Schneider

Changes on Screen Addendum

The bridge of the Enterprise-E appeared in the three movies "Star Trek: First Contact", "Star Trek: Insurrection" and "Star Trek Nemesis". It was slightly modified for each of the two latter appearances. Our article tracks the changes to this set, including the introduction of seatbelts at the end of "Nemesis" that were cut from the movie.

Changes on Screen

Star trek: insurrection.

The black stripes were removed from all consoles. After their removal, we can see that the surface of the consoles includes engravings that were accentuated by the black paint.

Also the labels on consoles were switched from dark lettering on bright ground to the inverse combination.

The small consoles used by the XO and counselor were removed.

The dedication plaque location changed from one of the turbolift alcoves (port) to the other (starboard). It's not identifiable in the movie, but purportedly the plaque itself was changed as well to a new version.

Silver metallic lines were added between the padded wall segments in the forward area of the bridge.

A static, classic viewscreen replaces the former holographic screen.

Four vertical stripes of shiny tape were added to all doors exiting the bridge. They are congruent with the already existing slight engravings in the doors.

The keypads for both observation lounge doors were removed.

The keypads located on the columns between the wall consoles were likewise removed.

Lighting during red alert changes. All regular lights stay on, and red alert is simply indicated by flashing the red lights.

The arguably best-known change to the Enterprise-E bridge is the steering column with the joystick that pops up in the center of the bridge during the battle with the Son'a ships in "Insurrection". This is not a permanent change, however, as the column is normally invisible (and could have been there already in "First Contact"). Yet, this may be one reason for the removal of the XO/counselor consoles, although the new console is still well in front of their former locations.

Star Trek Nemesis

The XO/counselor consoles were returned, with convenient handles.

The wall facing consoles had handles added below the keyboard area.

The LCARS screens were changed to a new, mostly blue color combination.

The standing consoles next to the XO/counselor chairs were given a big screen in the middle, changing the shape of the console

The shiny vertical stripes on the doors were removed.

The keypads next to the observation lounge doors were brought back.

The keypads between the wall consoles were restored as well.

The small carpeted circles under the work station chairs were removed.

Lighting during red alert changes once again, going back to the "First Contact" style, except for the overhead lights turning red.

More changes

Photos of the set from the time of "First Contact" and from "Nemesis" reveal two more changes. It is not certain when they actually happened.

A circular support was added to the ceiling, separating the lit areas in an inner and an outer one.

Also, the carpets were renewed, not only with a darker color combination, but also with a slightly different pattern. The lighter carpet stripe that accentuates the contours of the consoles is thinner around the helm/ops consoles.

Changes for deleted scene

A deleted final scene from "Nemesis" would have shown that while the Enterprise was in drydock, it received a new captain's chair, outfitted with seatbelts . "It's the Mark VII, captain. State-of-the-art ergonomics, command interface..." - "Well, let's give it a try... Feels good." - "Try that button, sir." Picard pushes the button, and the seatbelts unfold. He smiles. "About time."

The new command chair finally appeared in the fourth season of Star Trek Enterprise on Enterprise NX-01.

Changes for the Valdore

The Valdore bridge is visible for a few brief moments in "Star Trek Nemesis". It was created by modifying the Enterprise-E bridge set. The chairs are taken from USS Voyager.

Galleries - Starfleet Bridge Illustrations

Galleries - Bridge Photos

Most screen caps from TrekCore .

https://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/inconsistencies/enterprise-e-bridge.htm

Last modified: 18 Jun 2021

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This website is not endorsed, sponsored or affiliated with CBS Studios Inc. or the Star Trek franchise.

Fleet Yards

Saucer separation

• View history

Saucer separation , or starship separation , was an emergency or tactical maneuver performed by some Federation starships involving the complete disconnection of the primary hull and the secondary hull .

• 2.1 Preparation
• 2.2 Separation event
• 2.3 High-warp situations
• 2.4 Emergency landing of saucer section
• 3.1 Tactical uses
• 3.2 Emergency uses
• 4.1 Background information
• 4.2 Apocrypha

History [ ]

USS Prometheus entering multi-vector assault mode

During the 23rd century , hull segment separations were dangerous, last-resort maneuvers, used in the event of a catastrophic emergency. ( TOS : " The Apple ")

By the 24th century , separations were designed to be more routine, with some classes being designed with reconnection abilities. Both components contained essential systems, allowing each to be independently operable for extended periods. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ") The Galaxy -class and Prometheus -class starships were designed to routinely separate into two or more components. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint "; VOY : " Message in a Bottle ")

Booker's ship disassembles in mid-flight

By the 32nd century , starship separation was even more routine. Techniques had been invented to allow ships to function at higher effeciency through the separation of their warp nacelles from the hull, and the 23rd century USS Discovery was retrofitted to take advantage of this. ( DIS : " Scavengers ") Cleveland Booker's courier ship was capable of swiftly disassembling into numerous components during high-speed maneuvering and reassembling in various configurations, for tactical and collision avoidance purposes. ( DIS : " There Is A Tide... ")

Separation sequence [ ]

Preparation [ ].

On the Galaxy -class, saucer separation was primarily designed as a way for the civilian and nonessential crew complement to escape in the saucer section , while the senior staff and essential personnel engaged a threat or entered a potentially dangerous situation in the stardrive section . When a starship was required to separate, due to these circumstances, the separation command was issued by the commanding officer from the main bridge . The commanding officer, along with most of the senior staff , then transferred to the battle bridge on the stardrive section via a dedicated emergency turbolift , while a junior officer was typically left in command of the saucer module. The saucer was almost always given the directive to seek safety by retreating to a starbase or other allied territory. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " The Arsenal of Freedom ")

The docking clamps connecting the ship were prepared for release, power was re-routed to primary hull sources. ( TNG : " Hollow Pursuits ") Evacuation of nonessential personnel from the stardrive section was conducted by security staff. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ") Audio warnings were given to the crew to alert them of the pending event and how much time was remaining to vehicle separation. ( Star Trek Generations )

Separation event [ ]

Docking latches

During the actual separation event, the docking latches , on the stardrive side of the ship, collapsed and retracted into the hull of the stardrive section. An auto-separation was generally used to separate the two components of the ship, although a manual option was also available. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ", " Encounter at Farpoint ") The separation was monitored from the main bridge and battle bridge by the conn officer and operations officer . ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " The Arsenal of Freedom ") Staff in engineering could also provide support during a separation. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ")

The drive section, which contained the ship's warp drive and the majority of weapons systems, was then free to confront danger without endangering the lives of nonessential crew.

Following the crisis, the two sections could rendezvous and rejoin. Connection was generally the reverse process of separation, again with automated and manual options.

In the alternate reality , separation aboard Constitution -class starships could only be executed manually, via activation of a three-pronged control system. Once the release system was extracted from its wall panel, each lever was folded outward and rotated clockwise to an open position, after which final confirmation was required via associated control panel.

Once confirmed, an airlock door automatically closed at the ship's separation point, and the saucer would automatically separate from the secondary hull. ( Star Trek Beyond )

High-warp situations [ ]

Dangerous, high-warp separation

Though highly inadvisable, it was possible to separate the saucer from the stardrive section at high-warp velocities. Used by Jean-Luc Picard during the first encounter with Q , the saucer was separated at a warp speed of 9.6. According to Data , it was highly impractical but possible, with no margin for error. The slightest mishap would have made this attempt deadly. It was also required to clear the saucer section from the stardrive section to ensure safety, because as soon as separation was over, the saucer section would start to lose speed, posing a danger to the stardrive section. However, Picard was able to successfully separate the saucer in order to protect the families of the Enterprise from the immense power of Q. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ")

Emergency landing of saucer section [ ]

The saucer module of the USS Enterprise -D , crashed on Veridian III

The saucer sections of many starship classes were designed to make planetfall on a suitable planetary surface, preferably class M . The saucer was required to make a level approach, heading towards the ground at a shallow angle. The area chosen for landing had to be smooth and relatively free of obstruction. However, unless there were landing struts or similar equipment available, the vessel would generally be disabled beyond repair. ( Star Trek Generations )

Examples of separation [ ]

Tactical uses [ ].

The USS Enterprise -D used saucer separation as a way to confront the Q entity on its first mission in 2364 . Captain Picard left Lieutenant Worf in charge of the saucer section. The separation was the first to be conducted at high warp.

Enterprise -D stardrive orbiting Deneb IV

During the reconnection of the ship, Picard ordered new first officer William Riker to conduct the docking manually. The members of the bridge crew were somewhat apprehensive about the plan, but Riker performed well. He safely rejoined the two sections without any automated assistance, proving his command ability to Picard. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ")

Commander Riker suggested a saucer separation shortly before the Enterprise was sent to investigate a possible Romulan attack on the freighter Batris later that year, although Picard felt it was too premature to justify such an action.

The Klingon criminals Korris and Konmel , inadvertently rescued from the Batris by the Enterprise , were fascinated by the stardrive section of the Enterprise and were excited at the prospect of hijacking it for their own use in battle. They attempted to get Worf to assist them in accessing the battle bridge and separating the ship, but fortunately, Worf was loyal to the Enterprise crew. ( TNG : " Heart of Glory ")

Also that year, Geordi La Forge separated the ship to return and fight the automated weapons drones on planet Minos . Chief Engineer Logan was ordered to take command of the saucer section and take it to Starbase 103 . ( TNG : " The Arsenal of Freedom ")

Saucer firing antimatter spread

In 2366 , Commander Shelby suggested separating the ship and using the saucer to create a distraction for the Borg . Commander Riker rejected the idea, feeling the extra power from the saucer's impulse engines would be of use in the battle. Shelby briefed Picard on her plan despite Riker's objections. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ") Later, Riker used Picard's knowledge of the plan to his advantage during a rescue attempt to retrieve Picard, assimilated as Locutus . Following the devastating Battle of Wolf 359 , the Enterprise caught up to the Borg cube , then engaged the vessel and separated. As expected, the Borg focused their attack on the stardrive section, ignoring the saucer module. This allowed the saucer to launch a shuttlecraft , masked in an antimatter spread , towards the cube. Lieutenant Commander Data and Lieutenant Worf successfully transported from the shuttlecraft to the cube and abducted Locutus, which was a crucial event leading to the defeat of the Borg in orbit of Earth . ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ")

Tactical uses of saucer separation such as these were perhaps inspiration for the multi-vector assault mode of the USS Prometheus , launched in 2374 . ( VOY : " Message in a Bottle ")

Emergency uses [ ]

The Constitution -class was capable of a similar emergency maneuver when trapped in orbit. By discarding the nacelles , the ship was better able to rocket back into space under impulse power.

The remains of the alternate Enterprise secondary hull drifts away after separation

In 2263 of the alternate reality , the USS Enterprise suffered major damage in the Battle of Altamid , including the loss of her warp nacelles and most of her secondary hull. Due to earlier jury-rigging, the impulse engines were still attempting to draw power from the warp core so a saucer separation had to be performed if the ship was to draw power from auxiliary generators. Captain James T. Kirk chose to perform the separation himself, but was intercepted by Krall before he could finish. Having realized Kirk was in trouble, Lieutenant Nyota Uhura finished the separation herself.

Following the successful saucer separation it was determined that while they had impulse engines again, the saucer had been caught in the gravitational pull of Altamid and could not pull out. The remaining crew members abandoned ship and the saucer crashed on Altamid, damaged beyond repair. ( Star Trek Beyond )

In 2267 , Captain James T. Kirk considered a plan wherein chief engineer Montgomery Scott would discard the warp drive nacelles and escape with the main section when the original USS Enterprise was threatened by Vaal at Gamma Trianguli VI . Ultimately, the separation was never ordered. ( TOS : " The Apple ")

Kirk attempted to order Scott to disengage nacelles, and jettison if possible, in 2269 , while the ship was in orbit of Excalbia , but the transmission was cut-off before the order was received. ( TOS : " The Savage Curtain ")

The use of a saucer separation for a Galaxy -class starship was a way to ensure crew safety.

In 2365 , saucer separation was considered in order to quarantine the cargo bay of the Enterprise -D when it was feared that a plasma plague strain had escaped a containment facility. ( TNG : " The Child ")

When Ansata terrorists planted an implosion device on the warp core of the Enterprise -D during an attack in 2366 , Captain Picard ordered preparations to be made for a saucer separation. Fortunately, Commander La Forge was able to remove the device and beam it into space before it detonated. ( TNG : " The High Ground ")

Also that year, the Enterprise 's warp propulsion system became contaminated with invidium , causing a physical jam of the matter / antimatter injectors . The ship began to lose structural integrity as it rapidly accelerated out of control, and a saucer separation was considered by the bridge officers in order to save the crew. However, uneven warp plasma flow to the nacelles would have caused the warp field to rupture upon separation, destroying the saucer section and rendering the maneuver useless. ( TNG : " Hollow Pursuits ")

Saucer separation could be used as a means to prevent individuals from seizing control of a ship. Such a case occurred in 2367 when Dr. Noonien Soong used a signal to temporarily cause Data to use any means necessary in order to return to Soong's home planet. He caused an environmental system failure on the bridge, then locked himself on the bridge and severed all command functions. Data then plotted a course to Soong's planet at high warp. Picard and the senior staff, in main engineering, attempted to separate the saucer in order to restore computer control to the stardrive section. The plan was to then incapacitate the saucer with a tractor beam once the separation was complete. However, Data was able to discover the separation command and cancel it before it could be carried out. ( TNG : " Brothers ")

The Enterprise struck a quantum filament in 2368 , disabling most of the ship's systems and causing a gradual failure in antimatter containment . Ensign Ro Laren pushed for a saucer separation to protect survivors in the saucer section, but doing so would condemn those in the stardrive section to certain death when the core breached. Deanna Troi , the senior officer on the bridge at the time, decided to delay separation and use power from the bridge to activate crucial displays in engineering. Commanders Riker and Data saw the displays right before the ship was to separate, averting the containment breach. ( TNG : " Disaster ")

Unfortunately, the Enterprise -D was required to separate for the same reason three years later, in 2371 . Serious damage was inflicted to the ship as a result of an ambush by the Duras sisters , and the warp containment system was critically damaged causing the coolant leak . The entire ship's complement was evacuated to the saucer and it reached safety just as the drive section exploded. The shock wave from the blast knocked the saucer section completely disabled out of orbit and into the atmosphere of the planet Veridian III , where the ship was forced to make a crash landing . There were only light casualties; however, the Enterprise -D saucer was damaged beyond repair. ( Star Trek Generations )

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

While on-screen only a nacelle separation was mentioned in "The Apple" and "The Savage Curtain", a saucer separation was also described as a possibility in the writer's guide for Star Trek: The Original Series , The Star Trek Guide (third revision, page 15 of the supplement). In the guide, the saucer-like section is described to be " in fact a completely self-sustaining unit which can detach itself from the galaxy drive units and operate on atomic impulse power for short range solar system exploration. " leethomson.myzen.co.uk/Star_Trek/1_Original_Series/Star_Trek_TOS_Writer's_Guide.pdf ( links )

The first visualization of a saucer separation was conceptualized by Ralph McQuarrie , as he worked on the pre-production of the abandoned 1976-1977 Star Trek: Planet of the Titans project. He stated, " I had devised a concept for the end of the film... Some alien form has designed a way to use the power of a black hole's gravity to form a spherical shroud around the black hole. If you have a dense enough material, gravity cannot penetrate it. There are two openings in the shroud that they would use to pull ships in. The saucer of the Enterprise (which was detachable) ends up in the shroud. They meet the aliens and had a dramatic finale. These two images are of the Enterprise saucer in the shroud [...] The disc of the Enterprise would separate from the rest of the ship to land on the surface of planets. " [1] The sketches McQuarrie referred to, of the independently operating saucer section, were published in The Art of Ralph McQuarrie (pp. 124-129).

TMP saucer separation concept

A year later, a saucer separation involving the Constitution II -class Enterprise (NCC-1701) was storyboarded by Andrew Probert for a possible scene at the end of Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Features such as a separation line were intentionally designed into the filming model by Probert, and were good indications that the ship can separate just like its earlier form. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D Blueprints )

Gene Roddenberry would have preferred if, in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , the Enterprise 's saucer section had been blown up, rather than (as happens in the film) the entire ship. " If the saucer had been blown up, at the end of the picture, " speculated Roddenberry, " we [could have] had a new saucer come down and reunite the two. Symbolic of the end of the story. They preferred to do it the other way. " ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 47)

For the refit Enterprise , Andrew Probert purposefully designed landing gear into the saucer, hidden behind the four square panels located on the saucer's concave underside. The panels were also carried over to many TMP-era designs, including the USS Reliant and USS Excelsior . Probert had intended to place landing gear on the Enterprise -D saucer as well, but became distracted by other elements and never returned to the landing gear concept. As he recalled several years later, the ship eventually paid the price for that oversight. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D Blueprints ; Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 16 )

The Enterprise -D was not originally intended to separate into two distinct components; the "battle section" was originally conceived as a small "D" shaped vessel which detached from the upper part of the saucer section. Probert did not learn that the producers wanted the entire saucer to separate until late in the design stage of the Enterprise -D, and had to work out how the ship would separate while keeping the already-approved overall shape of the ship. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 16 )

Saucer separation was planned as a regular feature during the early days of Star Trek: The Next Generation . Several story lines, including a B-plot for " When The Bough Breaks ", were to use saucer separation. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 50)) However, budget limitations at the time did not allow for extensive footage of the separated components to be shot and for the battle bridge set to be rebuilt. It was also felt that separation slowed the progress of the story. ( Star Trek Encyclopedia  (2nd ed., p. 431)) Unfortunately, this meant that the Enterprise was sent into a number of dangerous situations with saucer separation never being mentioned as an option.

The Enterprise -D saucer landing sequence was conceived in 1991 for the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual . Writers Ronald D. Moore , Brannon Braga , and Jeri Taylor were inspired by that information and wanted to use a crash as a cliffhanger for the sixth season of TNG, but producer Michael Piller did not like the idea. Furthermore, it would have been too costly to film on a television budget with the VFX technology available at the time. Moore and Braga later wrote the scene into Generations . ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 309); The Art of Star Trek [ page number? • edit ] ) Various storyboards for the saucer separation in that film were illustrated by Bill George , who drew the sequence with pencil during planning discussion with John Knoll , and by Ronald B. Moore . ( The Art of Star Trek , p. 284; Star Trek: The Next Generation Sketchbook: The Movies , p. 18) As depicted on-screen, the sequence involved the creation of particles similar to those seen in NASA film of actual separation stagings. ( Cinefex , No. 61, p. 74)

It's noteworthy that none of the other Galaxy -class starships seen in action against the Dominion or the Borg employed saucer separation. ( DS9 : " The Jem'Hadar ", " Call to Arms ", " Favor the Bold ", " Sacrifice of Angels ", " Tears of the Prophets ", " What You Leave Behind ", VOY : " Endgame ")

According to Ronald D. Moore , the USS Defiant did not have a detachable saucer section, but he believed USS Voyager and the USS Enterprise both did. ( AOL chat , 1997 )

The Excelsior -class may be capable of separation; docking latches and a battle bridge were seen on the USS Enterprise -B master systems display , and the yoke of the ship has several potential separation lines. ( Star Trek Generations , production art ) Similarly, the miniature of the Ambassador -class shows striping between its saucer and engineering hull similar to that of the Constitution II -class. [2]

Design sketches John Eaves produced for Star Trek: First Contact seem to imply that the Sovereign -class has routine saucer separation capabilities. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 11 ) In addition, separation lines plus a battle bridge were evident on the master systems display on the USS Enterprise -E bridge. ( Star Trek: First Contact ) However, the separation abilities have not been mentioned in dialogue; in fact, the ship was referred to as being incapable of saucer separation in the first draft script of Star Trek Nemesis . Furthermore, no impulse engines are identifiable on the MSD or production blueprints. According to Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise , the original Enterprise had landing gear stored underneath the two triangle-shaped hatches on the ventral side of the saucer. A third leg popped out from the cavity where the secondary hull connected to the saucer. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 16 ) Similar shapes were placed on the saucer of the Enterprise -E as an homage to the original ship, although designer John Eaves did not realize the fandom history behind those objects. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Sketchbook: The Movies )

Apocrypha [ ]

Saucer separation in " Shinsei Shinsei ".

The Pocket TOS novel Black Fire involved a saucer separation, after a bomb exploded on the Enterprise bridge causing severe damage to ship and crew. The ship was reconnected at a starbase facility.

The Star Trek: The Lost Years novel A Flag Full of Stars depicts the original Enterprise undergoing refit with the saucer section on Earth planetside and the engineering section in orbital drydock.

The DC Comics graphic novel Debt of Honor showed James T. Kirk and T'Cel ( β ) separating the saucer of the Constitution -class USS Farragut when the ship comes under attack by interdimensional beasts while returning home shortly after the encounter with the dikironium cloud creature and the death of Captain Garrovick . This allowed the bulk of the crew to escape in the saucer, while T'Cel and Kirk make for an escape pod to escape the stardrive before it self-destructs .

A TNG novel, Rogue Saucer , dealt with saucer separation as a main theme to the story, with Starfleet trying to design a Galaxy -class saucer section that would still be salvageable after landing.

The novelization of Star Trek Generations showed Captain Hikaru Sulu conducting an emergency drill aboard the USS Excelsior when he received news of Kirk's death from Pavel Chekov . The ship had just completed an emergency saucer separation when the communication was received.

The story "'Til Death" in " Shinsei Shinsei ", the first volume of Star Trek: The Manga , showed the Enterprise undergoing saucer separation.

The novelization of Encounter at Farpoint indicated that Commander Riker had completed manual docking of the saucer section on the USS Hood and before that, the USS Yorktown .

The novel Preserver by William Shatner , Judith Reeves-Stevens and Garfield Reeves-Stevens suggested that the USS Enterprise -E was capable of separating. The TNG relaunch novel Resistance explicitly mentions the separation of the Enterprise -E as part of measures to rescue Captain Picard from the Borg during the events of the novel.

The video game Star Trek Online allows players to perform saucer separation with a number of starship classes, namely the "Exploration Cruiser Retrofit" Class (based on the Galaxy -class ) and the "Multi-Vector Advanced Escort" (based on the Prometheus -class ). Their Fleet variations can also do this. As well, the game-original Odyssey -class has a variation of this called "Chevron separation", which is still the same as saucer separation. Since the "Galaxy Overhaul" the Galaxy-X Dreadnought is also capable of saucer separation. The Romulan Haakona -class warbird battlecruiser, designed based on information acquired when the Romulan Star Empire stole USS Prometheus , can similarly split into two sections to fight.

Redesigning the Enterprise Bridge for the Silver Screen

Matt Jefferies, the designer of the original Enterprise bridge, was intimately involved in recreating the set for what would become Star Trek: The Motion Picture .

In the summer of 1977, Jefferies was working as a technical advisor on the planned second Star Trek television series, Phase II . He revisited Pato Guzman’s very first proposal for the Enterprise bridge, which he had rejected more than a decade earlier as impractical to built. The idea was to put the crew around a single table — an idea Andrew Probert would explore another decade later , when he designed The Next Generation bridge.

Jefferies and Art Director Joe Jennings decided against such a radical overhaul, however. It was Mike Minor’s more modest proposal that was accepted for Phase II . It clearly marked an evolutionary step between The Original Series and what would become The Motion Picture .

When it was decided in late 1977 that Star Trek would after all continue as a motion picture, Harold Michelson was hired by Director Robert Wise as production designer, replacing Jennings as head of the Art Department. He didn’t like the fact that almost all the bridge stations were facing the wall.

“Every section looks too much like every other,” he told Starlog magazine. “To make the set more interesting to the camera, we turned Chekov’s station 90 degrees from the wall,” which put him in line with the viewscreen. “Chekov’s cubicle does a lot toward breaking up the scenes — and there are lots of them — shot on the bridge.”

Another change Michelson made was to the chairs, from the simple pedestal swivel seats reminiscent of The Original Series to girdle clad, multifaceted, ergonomic seats with automatic, switch-operated bracing devices.

Busy, but not too busy

Lee Cole was already working on the set when Michelson joined the production. She had been working with Minor and Jennings on the bridge consoles. She later told Star Trek: The Magazine that one of the things the Art Department did was give the new version of the bridge fully animated screens.

When I was designing the bridge, they were just going to do static things with backlit negatives and a few little mechanical devices that moved. I said, “You know, I just don’t think that’s going to do it. I think we’re going to have to project some things here.”

Cole put 23 screens on the bridge, and film was projected onto them from behind. At the time, she had no idea how much work she was making for herself.

About a week or so before filming, when we were walking the sets, they said, “Well, Lee, we can’t wait to see what you’re going to put on those screens.” I had no idea I was going to do that!

Gene Roddenberry didn’t want the consoles to look too busy, though. Cole remembered him saying, “I want it really plain to try to be futuristic. Cut out all this detail and simplify things.”

“We did that,” she told Star Trek: The Magazine , “but it got a little too plain, I think.”

Darker colors

For Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , many of Cole’s original plans made it back as Director Nicholas Meyer’s thinking ran opposite to Roddenberry’s. He didn’t have the budget to construct a new set but recalled, “The least I thought we could do was revamp the bridge and make it twinkle.”

Meyer also had the bridge painted in darker colors, giving the set a more dramatic look. This was reverted back to a bright color scheme in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier .

13 comments

The animated film screens caused problems in production. To do another take of a scene, the film(s) would have to start over and play all the way through again, and the take would then have to be picked up at the point in the film where they left off. By the time The Wrath of Khan was made, the films were transferred to video, and the film screens converted to video screens, making retakes easier and simpler. Instead of playing the films from the beginning, the crew would just need to rewind the video back to the point where they left off and pick up from there.

Also, the film projectors for the bridge displays made a lot of noise, requiring the dialogue to be looped at a later point in time.

Matt Jeffries’ full name was Walter M. Jeffries. Sometimes he gets confused with automotive designer Dean Jeffries. According to the Reeves-Stevens book about Phase II , Jeffries was on loan from the TV series Little House On The Prairie . Series producer Michael Landon had no problem with him working on Trek, but when one interfered with the other, Jeffries would have to make a choice as to which series he would stay with.

What did the Phase II corridors look like before the movie transformation? Anyone know?

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture. But they must have been similar to the TMP look.

They were dreadful from the behind-the-scene photos that Richard Taylor shared with me. I have one of the photos up from those shots , in part of an interview I did with him recently, where he talks about how bad the Phase II sets were.

Dreadful? Looks like a re-creation/update of the original corridor, and the photo you posted shows it unfinished and unpainted.

If you’re talking about the article at the link, you’re distorting the gist idea the article.

Not looking to thread-jack, but I interviewed Richard Taylor, the lead designer with Robert Abel and Associates, who were the original effects team on TMP. He actually handsome design inout on the bridge sets (since they were involved in doing the practical lighting gag of the energy probe, and did the wormhole effect scene before Robert Abel and Associates was fired for the project). It was actually his suggestion and perseverance to get Roddenberry to accept the seat restraining devices being built into the seats. There were also a ton of suggestions from touch screen interfaces to a single wrap-around screen/wall that Taylor proposed of the bridge, which were rejected by Roddenberry . There is a lot of good stuff in the six-part interview, which begins here .

I wasn’t born when TMP or even TWOK came out, but I can honestly say I loved both bridge concepts with the exception of the chairs. The chairs were terrible, but I guess expected from the Aqua Net era of big fluffy things.

I wonder if there is any information on the design work undertaken by Frank Israel ? I seem to recall reading some years ago that he contributed to (among other things) the design of the TMP bridge, but I cannot find that source now and I may be incorrect.

There are a number of errors on this page. 1. The Jefferies concept art on blue appears to be from Roddenberry’s Starship proposal, as the spherical side compartment matches the external feature on on the side of the nose of that ring ship (seen in the rec deck illustrations of vessels called Enterprise ). 2. The photo captioned “ Star Trek: The Motion Picture floor plan” is the TWOK floor plan (note where Spock’s station has been moved). 3. The photo captioned “Bridge set during production of Phase II ”… um, there was no production of Phase II ; the series was snuffed several weeks before shooting was to commence. Only tests were shot. Furthermore, that’s Robert Abel on the set, who was hired for TMP, so it’s TMP pre-production, regardless of whether or not the announcement had been made.

Hi, Maurice, thank you for your comments! 1. I’m not sure you’re right. The Hollywood Auction site where I found the sketch and Memory Alpha both claim it was a Phase II design by Jefferies, based on Pato Guzman’s. Another website claims it was a design for The Original Series , but I don’t think that’s right. 2. You’re right here. Good catch! I’ll change the caption. 3. I don’t know the date this photo was taken, but judging from the uniforms and the console I’d say it must have been from when they were still officially making Phase II , not TMP. (You may know, the decision to make a motion picture was made several months before the production was officially changed. This photo could be from that period — but in that case, the people building that set were officially working on Star Trek: Phase II .)

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Enterprises battle bridge

Discussion in ' Star Trek: The Next Generation ' started by at Quark's , Jun 14, 2015 .

at Quark's Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

Just 'bumped in' on a mention of the ent-D's battle bridge, which got me thinking, and now I've got some questions about it: 1) Why even have one ? I mean, I understand that the Enterprise could separate, the saucer section with all inhabitants to go into hiding somewhere safe while the drive section could go to 'do battle'. Apart from the question whether going into battle with the drive section alone would be a tactically better option (I could imagine that having less area and less civilians to defend would be a tactical advantage), why not simply build the primary bridge in the driver section, and a much smaller separate secondary command centre that would only need basic navigation in the saucer section ? Wouldn't that have been far more efficient, also in terms of having to relocate fewer senior officers in a hurry in case of unexpected heavy battle? Is there any paramount tactical reason for building the primary bridge in the saucer section that I'm unaware of ? Or is it also for show? I mean, the ent-D was expected to ferry many foreign dignitaries and make first contact every now and then, hence an impressive bridge on the "beautiful" part of the ship (saucer section) would be useful to impress when showing your guests around, whereas the battle bridge would be utilitarian only ? 2) I believe that the battle bridge is used only a few times in the entire series (in three eps?) -out of universe- Was this the idea from the beginning, showing that the Enterprise was a ship of peace primarily, but could do serious battle occasionaly when needed as well ? Or was the battle bridge (and the saucer separation, for that sake) just one of those "cool ideas" from the pilot that was largely forgotten as TNG went on, only to be used extremely sparingly in later episodes? -in universe- So, was this a room that was almost never in use by the crew, yet packed with expensive equipment? Or would there have been a complement of officers in everyday situations, too, taking advantage of some some of the equipment there ? I know, a lot of questions. It's just that I got wondering about it ...  

Mage Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

I always understood that, even going back to TOS, the saucer is the actual main part of the ship, housing just about everything. The secondary hull (it's already in the name really) houses the engines, and shuttle bay for some ships. Everything else is basicly in the saucer. That design linage even goes back to the NX-class, where the ship is basicly only a saucer, with two nacelles that house the fieldcoils that create the warpfield. So yes, to me, it makes sense that the main bridge is in the part of the ship that is actually 'the ship'.  

Mage said: ↑ I always understood that, even going back to TOS, the saucer is the actual main part of the ship, housing just about everything. The secondary hull (it's already in the name really) houses the engines, and shuttle bay for some ships. Everything else is basicly in the saucer. That design linage even goes back to the NX-class, where the ship is basicly only a saucer, with two nacelles that house the fieldcoils that create the warpfield. So yes, to me, it makes sense that the main bridge is in the part of the ship that is actually 'the ship'. Click to expand...

CorporalCaptain Fleet Admiral Admiral

I can't cite anything at the moment, but the fairly well-known TOS design legend is that the nacelles (i.e., the engines) were placed as far away as possible from the main habitable area of the ship because of radiation. The idea was to minimize exposure. So, that's basically why the ship is divided into a primary hull and an engineering hull. Therefore, the bridge, i.e. the main control deck where the top officers spend most of their time, is on the saucer, the primary hull. All other hero ships (DS9's Defiant excepted) follow this pattern for the layout, even if not for that reason in-universe.  

The only thing the saucer adds to the equation is the huge phasers banks, and perhaps sensors. IIRC, everything else is in the drive section. Generators, torpedolaunchers, an impulse engine in the neck.  

Timo Fleet Admiral Admiral

It's pretty much a case of "mission module" vs. "support module", as long as one considers fighting a "support" activity. Although it's not a NASA-clean division where the support section would be all machinery and only the mission section would be crewed. I think the battle bridge concept offered a lot of story potential that never got used because it was the wrong sort of story potential. Splitting the heroes in two spacecraft engaged in two separate but intertwined adventures must have sounded cool - and for that, two distinct bridges would definitely be required. But if there's only about half an hour for that plot, and then some mandatory filler plus commercials to round out the hour, it's damned difficult to pull off. Two-parters could split the crew (as in "Gambit", say), but a regular episode would have been a complicated write indeed if there was to be a crew and ship split. And there would be extra minutes spent on the VFX of showing the ship separate and reattach - not that those should be dramatically needed in general, if separation were a weekly maneuver, but if it were any rarer than that, the audience might feel the need for the visual cues. Or the director would think that the audience needed the cues, which would be equally bad. Timo Saloniemi  

Lance Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

My feeling was that 'Battle Bridge' is just a fancy new name for what TOS called 'Auxilary Control'.  

F. King Daniel Fleet Admiral Admiral

Because it seemed cool to someone in charge. And indeed it is cool, when we see Riker in the dimly lit badass battle bridge in "Best of Both Worlds". Unfortunately, it was too much fuss to do on a weekly basis when someone started shooting so barely ever happened. I think the only time the saucer's impulse-only abilities ever mattered was in DC comics' first TNG miniseries.  

As others have intimated up thread, I think there were definitely potential stories that could've used it, but the average length episode isn't one of them. It could've been employed in the two-parters, and if stories like "01001001" or "Starship Mine" had've seen the intruders stealing away only the drive section or the saucer, leaving the other half of the ship to the regular cast to give chase. Stuff like that could've been a rich vein to mine. So I don't think it was that much of a problem from a *writers* point-of-view. I reckon its lack of use was more to do with the fact that they would've needed to get out the old season one Enterprise from storage again to do all the new model shots required, as that was the only one that could be physically seperated. And that model was so big and unwieldy they just figured it was more trouble than it was worth.  

Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

CorporalCaptain said: ↑ I can't cite anything at the moment, but the fairly well-known TOS design legend is that the nacelles (i.e., the engines) were placed as far away as possible from the main habitable area of the ship because of radiation. The idea was to minimize exposure. So, that's basically why the ship is divided into a primary hull and an engineering hull. Therefore, the bridge, i.e. the main control deck where the top officers spend most of their time, is on the saucer, the primary hull. All other hero ships (DS9's Defiant excepted) follow this pattern for the layout, even if not for that reason in-universe. Click to expand...

Keith1701 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

Mr. Laser Beam said: ↑ CorporalCaptain said: ↑ I can't cite anything at the moment, but the fairly well-known TOS design legend is that the nacelles (i.e., the engines) were placed as far away as possible from the main habitable area of the ship because of radiation. The idea was to minimize exposure. So, that's basically why the ship is divided into a primary hull and an engineering hull. Therefore, the bridge, i.e. the main control deck where the top officers spend most of their time, is on the saucer, the primary hull. All other hero ships (DS9's Defiant excepted) follow this pattern for the layout, even if not for that reason in-universe. Click to expand...

JirinPanthosa Admiral Admiral

The original intention seemed to be that the drive section has more of the practical parts of the ship and the saucer section has all the residential parts of the ship, and every time there's a forseen dangerous situation the ship separates. Unfortunately the ship designers were not informed of this until after they'd already finished the design do the only logical place for the ship to separate made the drive section ugly as f*** without the saucer.  

JirinPanthosa said: ↑ ... the only logical place for the ship to separate made the drive section ugly as f*** without the saucer. Click to expand...

On the subject of the geography of the ship, I've always thought it was a bit much how often we saw the captain turning up in engineering in person, especially from TNG onward. It seemed silly to me that they'd hold these meetings in the middle of the engine room with all the command staff present, or that we'd see the captain ''checking in'' personally with Geordi about whatever the problem-of-the-week was. It never seemed to me that in TOS we saw Captain Kirk wandering down to the engine room as much as Picard or Janeway later did, he usually just communicated with them via the intercom, which is of course closer to how such a ship would operate in real-life (and infers the greater sense of distance the engine room would be from the command center.) TNG kind of started out with this in mind, like in "Skin of Evil" where the captain is bemused to say the least by his intercom communications with Leyland T. Lynch, or when in "Encounter At Farpoint" the fact that Worf has the schlep all the way back and forth from the bridge to engineering with messages is spoken of as being quite the journey that it would be. But it just seemed to me that later on, it wasn't uncommon for the captain to just pop around the corner and say, "Hey Geordi, whassup my man?"  

Marc Fleet Admiral Premium Member

Mytran Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

Lance said: ↑ On the subject of the geography of the ship, I've always thought it was a bit much how often we saw the captain turning up in engineering in person, especially from TNG onward. ... It never seemed to me that in TOS we saw Captain Kirk wandering down to the engine room as much as Picard or Janeway later did, he usually just communicated with them via the intercom, which is of course closer to how such a ship would operate in real-life (and infers the greater sense of distance the engine room would be from the command center.) Click to expand...

Richard Baker Commodore Commodore

I would have liked to see the Battle Bridge look much more optimized for combat- multiple viewscreens with tactical displays and weapons consoles like we saw on TMP K'Tinga. What we got was a low budget redress of the old Refit set. The Main Bridge is an environment which seems to be designed more for casual supervision. It is more functional that the early concept sketches but it is still very passive- most of the work stations do not even have anybody at them most of the time. Being on top of the saucer is just one of those things Roddenberry wanted so the viewer could relate to when looking at the ship, they tried to put it inside the saucer but he vetoed that. Located inside the cobra head would have been about the same thing. Worf described to the Klingons in 'Heart of Glory' that the Enterprise, once shed of the mass of the saucer section can become a formidable warship. The intended use of the separation capability was curtailed once the show was in production which I hated- they could have found a way to do it without stopping the story so we could watch the procedure over and over again. BTW- those visits to Main Engineering in 'Encounter at Farpoint' were written just so there would be an engineering set built. Originally the ship was to be so automated that the set was not going to be there at all.  

tharpdevenport Admiral Admiral

Well, my theory for tie Bridge being on top goes as follows: Tradition. Aisde from the fact the original Enterprise (I mean TOS, don't even mention the prequel series) had it there and every subsequnet Federation starship that I recall, there's ancient tradition. It's not secret that while the Federation has its own versions of command style, many military ideas have worked their way in inclouding some command structure, NCC being on ships (while never an in-verse explination, it could be Naval Construction Contract), and a JAG officer in one TNG episode. What do you see on naval ships today and of yesteryear? The Bridge atop the ship. I don't think the battle Bridge was necessarily not needed it rather just added complications which for some reason never occured on-screen. Why try to over take the Bridge of a ship? Why not take the battle Bridge (especailly on occassions when commands were re-routed)? Why not sperate the saucer and ditch the main staff (aside from Geordi) and take command there on the stardrive section? If things are re-routed or cut off on the main Bridge, then what about the battle Bridge -- does one have to necessarily go to Engineering every time in every varying situation?  

Leviathan Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

why not simply build the primary bridge in the driver section, and a much smaller separate secondary command centre that would only need basic navigation in the saucer section Click to expand...

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Lost Original USS Enterprise Model From ‘Star Trek’ Returned To Gene Roddenberry’s Son

| April 18, 2024 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 104 comments so far

We have a nice update on a story from late last year about what appeared to be the original model for the USS Enterprise showing up in an online auction after being lost for decades. That model has now been authenticated and returned to the Roddenberry family.

Star Trek mystery solved

In 1977, the first shooting model of the U.S.S. Enterprise from Star Trek: The Original Series went missing. The 3-foot model used for the first Star Trek pilot (and for the credits used for the entire series) had been given to Roddenberry after it was replaced by an 11-foot model. That larger model is in the Smithsonian, but the 3-foot model sat on Roddenberry’s desk until it went missing after being loaned to an effects house during the making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture .

The model appeared to have gone up for auction on eBay late last year, but was quickly taken down. At that time Eugene Roddenberry Jr. was working to get the model authenticated and returned to the family. And that has now happened.

The model sat on Gene Roddenberry’s desk for years

The model’s return was facilitated by Heritage Auctions. Last fall, an individual discovered the long-lost model and brought it to Heritage for authentication. Heritage then reached out to Roddenberry Jr. to coordinate the return of the Enterprise. “Once our team of experts concluded it was the real thing, we contacted Rod because we wanted to get the model back to where it belonged,” Maddalena says in a statement. “We’re thrilled the Enterprise is finally in dry dock.”

Last Saturday, Heritage Auctions Executive Vice President Joe Maddalena returned the 3-foot-long model Gene Roddenberry’s son. The handoff occurred at Heritage Auctions’ Beverly Hills location, where the Enterprise was stored for safekeeping.

Joe Maddelana of Heritage Auctions with Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry (Josh David Jordan/Heritage Auctions)

“After five decades, I’m thrilled that someone happened upon this historic model of the USS Enterprise. I remember how it used to adorn my dad’s desk,” said Rod Roddenberry, CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment. “I am tremendously grateful to Heritage Auctions for facilitating the return of this iconic piece of Star Trek history to my family. I can’t wait to figure out how we are going to share it with my extended family, Star Trek fans around the world. We look forward to making that announcement.”

The returned model of the USS Enterprise (Josh David Jordan/Heritage Auctions)

Trek vets authenticated the model

Like the one housed at the Smithsonian, this is a key piece of Star Trek history. The authentication team included Star Trek design vets Doug Drexler, Denise Okuda, Mike Okuda, and Daren Dochterman. Drexler shared a photo of their work on Facebook (see below).

Mike Okuda also shared a pic of himself with Denise, Doug, and the model on Twitter/X…

Doug, Denise, and Mike checking out the very first Starship Enterprise. After having been lost for decades, it is wonderful that this treasure is finally voyaging home. pic.twitter.com/oBrM7nVGEF — Michael Okuda (@MikeOkuda) April 18, 2024

Heritage Auctions has shared more images of the returned model so you can get a closer look…

For more details on the model and its history, check out our original article .

Find more  Star Trek history at TrekMovie .

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Shouldn’t this have the taller bridge, bigger deflector dish, and spikes on the end of the nacelles?

Not if you look at the picture of the original model that sat on GR’s desk.

I wonder if it was modified after the pilot/intro were filmed.

From the book “The Enterprise NCC 1701 and The Model Maker” about the builder of the model Richard Dayton (written by his children), when discussing the condition of the model after it was completed in December of 1964: “I don’t believe it received any major damage nor do I recall repairing it except for the modifications made to resemble the same modifications made on the eleven-footer.”

So we’re looking at a new bridge dome, dish and nacelle domes but, as we know, the 11 footer was modified once the show was picked up so there are still going to be some subtle differences between the two.

Yes, some subtle differences, but generally changes to the 11 footer were repeated on the little brother. Here’s more from Datin: “It was updated along with the eleven-footer after the first pilot and again before the regular series episodes, and before the second season .” (BTW, its Datin, not Dayton, spelled it wrong earlier.)

All good, UFP!

ITS A FAKE!

Well played my friend… well played!

Darn Garak screwed up again.

Glad to hear it! That ship is firmly wedged into my heart, and the hearts of millions of fans.

not mine the 60’s designs are all trash un futuristic and dated

This is a lost artifact, now found. Is it possible to just enjoy the moment, even if it’s not your thing?

It’s not possible for trolls to enjoy aything.

i am not a troll i just don’t like tos or most of tng the new star trek series are my favorite trek shows dsc,snw,pic,lds,pro and enteprise was my first trek series but for me star trek is just another sci-fi franchise i enjoy along side b5,the 3 stargate series,andromeda ,warehouse 13,EUReKA,and star wars and doctor who

By itself, there’s nothing wrong with having a preference for Trek that origonated after TNG. Everything you enjoy for broadcast Sci-Fi (except Dr. Who, which started about the same time as TOS) wouldn’t be if it wern’t for that piece of ‘trash’ you’re so casually dismissive of. Roddenberry is right, this belongs in the Smithsonian along side the eleven foot model currently on display, your feelings aside. The word trash is inflammatory in this context. You may not have set out to troll, but that was the result.

is crap or garbage or cheep and cheesy unfuturistic looking low grade excuse for good sci-fi any better As for doctor who I only like modern doctor who I don’t like any 60’s and 70’s sci-fi and tng is boring as hell except for the borg and q episodes and a few other which are more normal sci-fi stuff happening cause it is all talk no do and the humans are all unrealistically perfect no conflicts between them at least the tng films and ds9 and voyager and ent somewhat fixed those isssues but the new trek shows fully fixed those issues also warehouse 13 and EUReKA and the 3 stargate series and Star Wars and b5 would have happened even without the original Star Trek as they have nothing to do or even simular to it and ds9 would not have happened with out b5 as the series bible was givin to berman to use to make ds9

also the only live action tv shows that started in the mid 60’s and early 70’s are non sci-fi shows like gilligan’s island and mchale’s navy and hogan’s heroes and Hawaii five-0 and m*a*s*h and the monkees

Oh classic Doctor Who is always fun to watch.

But to refer to it as trash is a bit over the top and rude.

You’re talking to a child, don’t waste your time.

Clearly the only taste you have is for the magic nose sculptures you eat off the bottom of your night table. I’m sure your only measure of scifi is for the sparkly effects and weak story lines that are easy to follow and predict just by the episode preview.

If you look at michelle’s other posts, that doesn’t seem even remotely possible.

I, on the other hand, share your excitement and enthusiasm.

Jeez, what a buzzkill.

no it is beaing realistic and not treating inatimate objects like they are to be worshiped and idolized i also don’t get nosolgic over anything unless it has a personal connection in my life not stuff outside my control and no connection to

Quick, find a Tribble and put it up to Michelle to see whether she is a klingon or just a human with execrable taste. Guessing you’re no fan of Saarinen or Eames or Frank Lloyd Wright either?

it is just a model when it breaks badly enough you can’t fix or it gets lost during a move you buy and build a new one i know cause i build models i got shelves full of Star Trek ship models i built and car models i built and alsorts of other types of models i have built

You have shelves full of everything except punctuation, apparently, you being able to construct anything save a proper sentence in English.

Sure, the original design is dated. But if that design didn’t exist then neither would the designs for the shows you obviously prefer. That designates the model as an object of some proper pop-historical significance, if not fan-worship.

Scotty says, “Lassie, don’t you think you ought to rephrase that?

Ok how about the 60’s design of the enterprise is dumb looking and does not fit visually between the nx-01 design and the tmp refit/constitution ll class design

…that’s not the fault of the original design. Rather…the crappy Enterprise TV show

The refit is different, but it was for a movie and it also looks awesome

Agreed, Corylea. Absolutely.

There’s just something so beautiful about that ship!

the visual retconed design from dsc and snw looks way better compared to the 60’s design which look looks horrible

I should have scrolled down first. Yeah, you’re trolling.

Right with you, I feel like I wasted time even responding.

No trolling this is just how I feel about the design of the every in tos

The carrot peeler nacelle struts, squished proportions, slag metal finish, and ridiculous bridge window?

The nx had a gun metal grey finish with aztecing and nacelle bussard clamps just like the dsc/snw enteprise has and the dsc/ snw enterprise has the same shape nacelle pylons and secondary hull shape and even neck hight and shape minus the torpedo launcher collar that the tmp refit does so it works better with the refit that took place unlike the 60’s design which does not fit visually between either and the bridge having a window with a heads up viewscreen display makes so much sense if the viewscreen sensors go out they can still see what is going on outside and do not have to rush to another bow facing window on another deck and relay what’s going on outside back to the bridge

Try punctuation, Michelle, it works a charm. Also try being less of a wet blanket.

no one asked you to repeat an already unpopular opinion. To quote the original Star Wars (which you probably ALSO find boring and dated)… “Move along. Move along.”

Not to agree with her but a lot of people cr@p on new Star Trek on here and no one gets all hot and bothered over that.

I’ve watched plenty of people getting plenty hot and plenty bothered by people crapping all over new Star Trek on here.

Taking a steaming dump on a steaming dump probably doesn’t really affect the smell.

You haven’t been reading the same comments as I have then.

I have only ever seen the final edited versions of the ot Lucas put out after prequels and prior to selling to Disney that had scenes replaced and edited and everything model and cheep spfx and vfx replaced with cgi and I love all 9 films of the skywalker saga equally as well as the two anthology films and the new live action series except for book of boba fett cause I never liked the character and think he was the most over rated character ever I only watched the episode with grogu and din djarin and Luke and Ahsoka in it as it connected to the mandalorian and now the Ahsoka series as well as the skywalker saga films and seasons 1-7 of the clone wars and Star Wars rebels I also love the bad batch and tales of the Jedi and can’t wait for the new Rey skywalker movie

Funny you should bring SW up … I was just on youtube to look at the end battle in the ‘despecialized’ version, which opens with two wonderful model shots of the rebel fleet instead of the horrible BABYLON-5 looking CG that replaced it, I guess so that the camera could do a sweeparound. Pretty sad looking ‘improvement.’

Your preference for the DSC Enterprise does not negate someone else’s preference for the TOS version.

To each their own. Love the 1701, no bloody A, B, C or D (or E, F, G for that matter).

Aye. A real beauty and a credit to her name.

Nice when something significant like that finds its way back to its ‘family.’ Good little story, heartwarming.

Due to its renewed fame, the model has reportedly decided to get a nacelle lift.

Ha, I never realized the nacelles weren’t quite parallel with the saucer!

Nice to see it found its way home. Kudos to all involved…

I was wondering about this- Thanks!

Nice to have some good news for a change.

I was thinking the same. There’s not enough of that out there these days.

Great this has been finally found and authenticated.

Don’t let Paramount+ use it at one of their pop-up promotional things; they don’t seem to care about Star Trek anymore.

This is wonderful news. Only a Vulcan or Android could fail to understand being sentimental about this.

I never knew the nacelles on the original were at that angle!

Hope Roddenberry gets this a top notch restoration and more people get to see it in person.

They weren’t at that angle (just look at the photos of Roddenberry examining the newly-completed model on the set of “The Cage” or the actors holding it for publicity stills). The nacelles have just sagged over the years — the bane of the design even for professional model makers, apparently.

I had to do some hefty triage to get them to stay upright when building those AMT models.

Gravity’s a b**ch, what can I say….

At 65, I can’t say much. And I’m just a guy. . .

I’m only a couple years behind you, but was horrified/amazed to find I’d shrunk nearly a 1/2 inch in the last year, so I’m under 6’2″ now. Gravity’s a bastard too.

I’m breaking my cardinal rule about offering up some unsolicited advice, it might not be a bad idea to get a checkup on dropping that half inch. Bone density issues can lead to a higher risk of fractures in the future.

That’s what my wife thought too, you’re right to put it out there. But it was my primary doctor’s nurse who took the measurement before an in-person visit, yet nobody in the office seemed concerned.

I just now got up and had my wife measure me against the apartment front door and she came away with 6′ 2-1/4″ — so no height loss after all. Guess they may not be making nurses like they used to.

Then again, the whole medical community seems to have fallen apart in the last few years. My wife had to wait more than 18 months just to get some special ‘important’ testing during the pandemic, not because Kaiser lacked doctors and lab techs, but because they lacked schedulers . If they’d just been able to put the request into the system in a different way, like most typical appointments, she could have scheduled an appointment herself online and gotten in within a couple months instead of nearly waiting 2 years. All because she had to wait for them to call her to schedule.

In the first year after the death of my wife of 30 years, I had become so exhausted from all the changes from bookkeeping and other paperwork (my wife had just retired from 40 years teaching higher math and being an administrator in high schools and community college, this she was the keeper of the books for our 30 years together) that I began having multiple balance issues and repeated falls. Apparently no bones were broken in those falls, but I did manage to maintain my 5’11.5″ height, and began to lose 100+ lbs. weight over the first year without trying (due to my cooking perhaps). I had been a type 2 diabetic, as well as other bad health signs, but am now (four years after my wife’s death) considered back to pre-diabetic, due to dropping weight, blood sugar, and a1c numbers. I feel as if my wife’s death, in a damnable twist of fate, took her from me, but gave me new life. Yet I would stay heavy and ill just to have her back for a year. Years before, she told me “If anything happens to me, I want you to be happy, to enjoy life, and find someone to love again.” Yet I just can’t. Not yet. Oh, I tried dating last year for a short time, and hated it and myself. My heart was not in it. She was the one love of my life, and likely shall be…

I feel ya, Kev. We got a piece of good news that Christina’s weird thyroid growth has only a 1% chance of being cancer, which is a real break given she isn’t fully over the surgery/chemo combo for the ovarian cancer last year. We know the ovarian type she has will absolutely return so it is a kind of death sentence, but there is a possibility of some years yet, even though the chemo pushed her a1c numbers up into diabetic zone, gave her extreme neuropathy and cost her most of her hearing.

On a decidedly lighter note, I was thinking ‘Count Plasma and the Platelets ‘ would be a good band name, if you ever decide to make another Count Plasma movie and wanted to include musical numbers.

I have made some headway on the formation of ILM script at last, and hope to actually finish it and get an agent again this year. Maybe then, with that monkey off my back and hopefully out to market in time for a 50th anniversary SW tie-in, I can start writing about stuff that is of more personal interest again, like spaceship-bound stuff where the characters say ‘shoot’ instead of ‘fire’ because the latter means ‘something is burning on the ship.’ Getting my a1c down to 6.5 and keeping it there seems to be doing sporadic wonders for my long-gunked-up creative juices.

I’m keeping good thoughts and positive vibes for Christina, and for you as well. My latest a1c was 5.9, but I blame that on my lust for a weekly pint or two of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. I was down to 5.7 not long ago. Each time I get on the scale I’m down another 2 to 5 lbs. but it’ll be a while ’til I get under 175 again. I’m busting my you-know-what to shoot some digital video again on my film project, but I have a couple of interesting actors, and keep hoping for cool enough days to shoot desert exteriors. And I’m glad to learn that you are working on that script, as I vaguely recall some mention of it in a recent year or so. I’m making use of an AI assist on mine to help me fill in some blanks to get mine finished. Normally I’d wing it, but my friends are anxious to see a finished script. Though I’d be happy as a clam making the whole thing hand-held and improvised, ’70s-’80s style! ;) Certain lines come to mind: “Oh Jerry, come down off your ivory….tower?”

For me, the stuff I remember being most excited about is mostly the ones we didn’t get to do … I wrote an MTX: GOBI ZONE opener on spec for you, based on your admiration for the TMP transporter malfunction scene, and I had the voice of the soon-to-be-demised-transportee coming across on the radio after the initial successful teleport ,checking in with, ‘I claim this for all the queens in England.’ (years later, you were thinking of a different take on teleporation, something more like THE OUTER LIMITS’ ‘The Mice,’ and I remember messing with a story for that too, but I don’t know what happened with it.)

Plus there was that Arthur Pierce WORLD AND ANTI-WORLD project, which would have been the most epic super-8 project anybody ever tried (way beyond Lew Place!)

But for the most part, I really wish we’d gotten to do that whole contemporary MASTER OF THE WORLD film, instead of just the denouement where I washed ashore in Monterrey. Mainly just because I LOVED the idea of you shooting a oner for the ‘landing in helicopter and getting out wearing a business suit’ intro you had planned for the San Fran opening, which was wholly within my Bond-obsessed vibe. Y’know, I still haven’t seen the Vincent Price/Charles Bronson film after all these decades!

I’m sorry to read of your wife’s health issues, but glad that she is currently doing well, which is all any of us can count on. Just yesterday I was outside doing nothing more challenging or life-threatening than weeding my yard when a sudden, stupid mishap brought me within a quarter-inch of losing my right eye. We are all so, so fragile.

Yes, she is indeed due and well deserving of some TLC.

Funny, when I built the AMT model of the Enterprise back in the 70s, it too wound up having droopy nacelle issues. Now I can retcon my memories to say I was imitating the original model. :D

Seriously, I do hope that they do some restoration on the model. It’s dirty, the “Enterprise” on the top of the saucer is in bad shape, and while I can see them squeezing the aft ends of the nacelles closer together to facilitate forced perspective, I don’t thing they look as droopy on Gene’s desk. It’s in good hands now.

A couple of news stories reported that it will be restored and put on display. Details to follow.

Yes, it’s in good hands now.

And because Paramount can’t get their hands on it, they won’t be able to auction it off.

The droop is proof that the Enterprise was always meant to only operate in space, not in a gravitational field.

Perfect design. Love that ship

Nacelle droop and misalignment; a worry, to be sure….

Every lady has her own charm, despite “nacelle droop” and “misalignment”, even the Enterprise… :D

So long as it doesn’t get any hot flashes. It is made of wood, after all…

Too many innuendoes… not enough time… does not compute… does not… COMPUTE… ERROR! ERROR! Dooooooes noooooot…. [explodes like Landru, M-5, and countless other outsmarted AIs]

Reading that made me think of some arcane little tidbit from TAS, specifically THE TIME TRAP, where one of the other ships caught in that dimension/plane/nexus/whosiwhatsis is reported to be made of wood.

I don’t recall if it was in the aired episode or just the AD Foster novelization. I suppose I should pop the DVD set in — it came in a cute plastic container similar to the TOS tricorder-looking dvd clamshell sets that I keep my TOS blurays — to see.

That was my favorite TAS episode when I was a kid, back when it first aired. The thought of a hidden graveyard of spaceships was fascinating to me.

TIME TRAP and JIHAD were my faves as a kid, along with MAGICKS OF MEGUS TWO, which I’m pretty sure my catholic saturday school catechism teacher decried to be heretical. That was around the time my little league career ended and I started making up excuses to get out of all church activities for ever !

Pretty sure that was an ADF addition, but it’s been decades in both cases, so don’t hold me to it.

I love a happy ending.

You just know this long strange journey is going to make a fun documentary

I really hope it is a documentary! I would support that kickstarter!

Do we know what happened to the “owner”? Did they get any money?

I believe it was mentioned somewhere that the individual who purchased the storage locker was compensated. I doubt it was anything near the millions they would have gotten for it at auction, though.

Millions, I don’t know. The TMP and TNG Enterprises went for less than a million, and those were models with modern detailing, working lights, etc. Of course, this model was literally the first based upon Jeffries’ design ever built (aside from a four-inch balsa prototype forever lost to time), so it has considerably more historicity, but millions’ worth? I doubt it.

That said, it would’ve been a nice payday for someone.

‘treat her like a lady and she will always bring you home…’

I have friends who worked on TNG through Enterprise, and later PICS3. Another friend was involved with TMP 4K remaster. They were all brought it to authenticate it’s the actual model. It’s authentic. I hope it ends up at the Star Trek Set Tour in Ticonderoga NY.

I’d be up for it being displayed at the Smithsonian, personally….

Either way would be great! The Galileo is at The Set Tour. I think the owner of the tour has a relationship with Roddenberry. We’ll see…

It would be awesome if they put it up with the 11 footer in a huge shadowbox, so that if you looked at them from the right angle (and added some kind of fiberoptic pulse lighting between the two models), you could get a ‘Picard maneuver’ effect live right at the museum, like the little ship jumped to warp and came out right in your face.

That’s assuming they match the paint jobs up, of course.

I doubt that they will, though. When both models were updated for the regular series the three-footer didn’t get the “weathering” treatment of its larger sibling. My guess is that any restoration will be to get the ship back to its condition on Roddenberry’s desk, which in itself will be a reasonable curation and a lot of work.

…Was discovered amongst a stack of documents at Mar-a-Lago

They’re lucky to get it back – I’d have kept the thing

Really? What would you have done with it, hang it off the ceiling in your garage?

But seriously, I’ve seen this happen on Antiques Roadshow, where someone comes in with something they think is worth a couple hundred bucks, and it turns out to be worth hundreds of thousands, or even millions. They couldn’t afford to keep it because of the cost of insurance alone.

Simply the most beautiful starship design ever to grace the screens of any size. It’s perspective sculptural perfections allows it to be filmed from every angle makes it a powerful looking ship moving forward. Restorations to bring it back to what’s seen on Gene Roddenberry’s desk is a natural direction to go.

I’m glad it was returned…

but please fix those crooked nacelles before my head explodes!

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Long-lost first model of the USS Enterprise from ‘Star Trek’ boldly goes home after twisting voyage

The first model of the USS Enterprise is displayed at Heritage Auctions in Los Angeles, April 13, 2024. The model — used in the original “Star Trek” television series — has been returned to Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, the son of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, decades after it went missing in the 1970s. (Josh David Jordan/Heritage Auctions via AP)

Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions, left, and Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, the son of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, shake hands over the recently recovered first model of the USS Enterprise at the Heritage Auctions in Los Angeles, April 13, 2024. The model — used in the original “Star Trek” television series — has been returned to Eugene, decades after it went missing in the 1970s. (Josh David Jordan/Heritage Auctions via AP)

Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions, left, and Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, the son of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, view the recently recovered first model of the USS Enterprise at Heritage Auctions in Los Angeles, April 13, 2024. The model — used in the original “Star Trek” television series — has been returned to Eugene, decades after it went missing in the 1970s. (Josh David Jordan/Heritage Auctions via AP)

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DALLAS (AP) — The first model of the USS Enterprise — used in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series — has boldly gone back home, returning to creator Gene Roddenberry’s son decades after it went missing.

The model’s disappearance sometime in the 1970s had become the subject of lore, so it caused a stir when it popped up on eBay last fall. The sellers quickly took it down, and then contacted Dallas-based Heritage Auctions to authenticate it. Last weekend, the auction house facilitated the model’s return.

Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment, said he’s thrilled to have the model that had graced the desk of his father, who died in 1991 at age 70.

“This is not going home to adorn my shelves,” Roddenberry said. “This is going to get restored and we’re working on ways to get it out so the public can see it and my hope is that it will land in a museum somewhere.”

AP AUDIO: Long-lost first model of the USS Enterprise from ‘Star Trek’ boldly goes home after twisting voyage.

AP correspondent Margie Szaroleta reports on the return of the original model of the USS Enterprise from the TV show “Star Trek.”

Heritage’s executive vice president, Joe Maddalena, said the auction house was contacted by people who said they’d discovered it a storage unit, and when it was brought into their Beverly Hills office, he and a colleague “instantly knew that it was the real thing.”

They reached out to Roddenberry, who said he appreciates that everyone involved agreed returning the model was the right thing to do. He wouldn’t go into details on the agreement reached but said “I felt it important to reward that and show appreciation for that.”

Maddalena said the model vanished in the 1970s after Gene Roddenberry loaned it to makers of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which was released in 1979.

“No one knew what happened to it,” Rod Roddenberry said.

The 3-foot (0.91-meter) model of the USS Enterprise was used in the show’s original pilot episode as well as the opening credits of the resulting TV series, and was the prototype for the 11-foot (3-meter) version featured in the series’ episodes. The larger model is on display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

The original “Star Trek” television series, which aired in the late 1960s, kicked off an ever-expanding multiverse of cultural phenomena, with TV and movie spinoffs and conventions where a fanbase of zealous and devoted Trekkies can’t get enough of memorabilia.

This USS Enterprise model would easily sell for more than $1 million at auction, but really “it’s priceless,” Maddalena said.

“It could sell for any amount and I wouldn’t be surprised because of what it is,” he said. “It is truly a cultural icon.”

Roddenberry, who was just a young boy when the model went missing, said he has spotty memories of it, “almost a deja vu.” He said it wasn’t something he’d thought much about until people began contacting him after it appeared on eBay.

“I don’t think I really, fully comprehended at first that this was the first Enterprise ever created,” he said.

He said he has no idea if there was something nefarious behind the disappearance all those decades ago or if it was just mistakenly lost, but it would be interesting to find out more about what happened.

“This piece is incredibly important and it has its own story and this would be a great piece of the story,” Roddenberry said.

Thankfully, he said, the discovery has cleared up one rumor: That it was destroyed because as a young boy, he’d thrown it into a pool.

“Finally I’m vindicated after all these years,” he said with a laugh.