USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

USS ''Enterprise'' (NCC-1701) is a fictional starship in the '' Star Trek'' media franchise. It is the main setting of the original ''Star Trek'' television series (1966–69), and it is depicted in films, other television series, spin-off fiction, products, and fan-created media. Under the command of Captain James T. Kirk, the ''Enterprise'' carries its crew on a mission "to explore strange, new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before." The 2022 series '' Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'' depicts the ''Enterprise'' under the command of Kirk's predecessor, Captain Christopher Pike.

Matt Jefferies designed the ''Enterprise'' for television, and its core components – a saucer-shaped primary hull, two offset engine nacelles, and a cylindrical secondary hull – persisted across several television and film redesigns. After the ''Enterprise'''s destruction in the third franchise film, the production model was refurbished and depicted as its successor starship, the USS ''Enterprise'', NCC-1701-A.

Initially a vision of the potential for human spaceflight, the ''Enterprise'' became a popular culture icon. The vessel influenced the design of subsequent franchise spacecraft, and the model filmed for the original ''Star Trek'' TV series has been on display for decades at the National Air and Space Museum. The ''Enterprise'' has repeatedly been identified as one of the best-designed and most influential science fiction spacecraft.

Development and production

Concept and initial design

Pato Guzman was the original art director assigned to ''Star Trek''; Matt Jefferies, his assistant, took over when Guzman left the project. Jefferies, who was not a science fiction fan, was the ''Enterprise'''s primary designer and he based his work on concepts from series creator Gene Roddenberry. Roddenberry did not have any ideas about what the ship should look like, but he laid out several parameters:

Roddenberry further specified that the ''Enterprise'' would have a crew of 100–150 and be incredibly fast. Jefferies and Roddenberry did not want the ''Enterprise'' to look like any of the rocket ships already used by the aerospace industry or in popular culture; many designs were rejected for being "too conventional". To meet Roddenberry's requirement that the ship look believable, Jefferies tried "to visualize what the fourth, fifth or tenth generation of present-day equipment would be like". Jefferies' experience with aviation let him imbue his designs with what he called "aircraft logic". He imagined the ship's engines would be too powerful to be near the crew, requiring them to be set apart from the hull. While Jefferies initially rejected a disk-shaped component, worried about the similarities to flying saucers, a spherical module eventually flattened into a disk.

During a visit to Jefferies, Roddenberry and NBC staff were drawn to a sketch of the ''Enterprise'' resembling its final configuration. Jefferies had created a small model of this design that, when held from a string, hung upside-down – an appearance he had to "unsell". He kept the hull smooth, with a sense that the ship's components were serviced from inside. He designed the Klingon starship seen in the third season by rearranging and changing the shape of the ''Enterprise''s basic modules: a main body, two engine pods, and a neck with a head on it. Some of Jefferies' rejected design concepts – such as spherical hull sections and warp engines that encircle a ship – inspired future ''Star Trek'' vessel designs.

The ''Enterprise'' was originally going to be named ''Yorktown'', but Roddenberry was fascinated by the aircraft carrier ''Enterprise'' and had "always been proud of that ship and wanted to use the name." The ''NCC-1701'' registry stems from ''NC'' being one of the international aircraft registration codes assigned to the United States. The second ''C'' was added because Soviet aircraft used ''C''s, and Jefferies believed a venture into space would be a joint operation by the United States and Russia. Jefferies rejected ''3'', ''6'', ''8'', and ''9'' as "too easily confused" on screen; he eventually reasoned the ''Enterprise'' was the first vessel of Starfleet's 17th starship design, hence ''1701''. ''The Making of Star Trek'' explains that ''USS'' means "United Space Ship" and that "''Enterprise'' is a member of the Starship Class". Licensed texts, on-screen graphics, and dialogue later describe the ship as a ''Constitution''-class vessel.

Filming models

The first miniature built from Jefferies' drawings was a scale model. Desilu Studios, which produced ''Star Trek'', hired Richard C. Datin to make a pre-production model. Datin used a subcontractor with a large lathe for major subcomponents and otherwise worked on the model for about 110 hours in November 1964. The model was made mostly of pine, with Plexiglass and brass details. Datin made minor changes after Roddenberry's review, and he submitted the completed model – which cost about $600 – to Desilu in December 1964.

Desilu then ordered a larger filming model, which Datin contracted to Volmer Jensen and Production Model Shop in Burbank. Datin supervised the work and did detailing on the model, which was constructed from plaster, sheet metal, and wood. When completed, it was long, weighed , and cost $6,000. The model was delivered too late to be used much for the initial pilot, " The Cage". When Roddenberry was approved to film the second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (1966), various details of the 11-foot model were altered, and the starboard windows and running lights were internally illuminated. When the series went into production, the model was altered yet again, and it was regularly modified throughout its active filming. Most of the fine details on the large model were not visible to television viewers. Wiring for the interior lighting ran into the model on its left side, so the model could only be filmed from the right; for shots requiring the other side of the ''Enterprise'', the footage was either flipped or filmed using the 33-inch model. Because of this, some of the fine details added to the model were added only to its left side.

The 11-foot model was initially filmed by Howard Anderson. Anderson's team struggled to film the model in a way that suggested it was moving at tremendous speeds, as the producers wanted to avoid the cliched look of a spacecraft drifting through space. Anderson could not keep up with the filming and special effects needs for regular production, so producers hired several other studios to contribute effects and additional footage. Motion control equipment was too expensive, so the ship was filmed with stop motion. Filming was often delayed by the heat generated by the studio and model's lights. Special effects were produced as cheaply as possible. Most third-season footage of the ''Enterprise'' was reused first- or second-season footage. Animators for '' Star Trek: The Animated Series'' (1973–75) rotoscoped ''Enterprise'' footage to recreate the ship's movements, contributing to the impression of the animated series being a fourth season of the original. The animated show's limited color palette could not accommodate all of the ship's various colors, so the ''Enterprise'' was depicted as a consistent gray.

For the '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' episode "Trials and Tribble-ations" (1996), Greg Jein created an ''Enterprise'' model exactly half the size of the 11-foot original'','' and it was the first production model of the starship to be built in more than 30 years. A CGI ''Enterprise'' makes a cameo appearance at the end of the ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' series finale, " These Are the Voyages..." (2005). Artists creating another CGI ''Enterprise'' for the remastered original series had to ensure the model was not so detailed that it was incongruous with the overall 1960s production.

Sets, sounds, and fixtures

The ''Enterprise'' was meant to serve as a familiar, recurring setting, similar to Dodge City in '' Gunsmoke'' and Blair General Hospital in ''Dr. Kildare''. Reusing sets also helped address Desilu's budget concerns. As production continued, standing sets like the engine room and bridge became increasingly detailed. The bridge was monochromatic for "The Cage", but it was redecorated for "Where No Man Has Gone Before" because of the increasing popularity of color televisions. Roddenberry described the ship's hallways as "Des Moines Holiday Inn Style". To keep the ship from looking too sterile, Roddenberry hired Mike Minor to create several paintings that were hung in Kirk's quarters, the recreation area, and the upper rim of the bridge. The ship's chairs were manufactured by Burke of Dallas and similar to the original tulip chair designed by Eero Saarinen. At Roddenberry's direction, sound effects designer Doug Grindstaff created sounds for different parts of the vessel: console sound effects were often created with a Hammond electric organ or other musical instrument, and engine sounds were created in part with a noisy air conditioner. The production staff used the term "Jefferies tube" as an inside joke referencing Matt Jefferies to describe the ship's maintenance tunnels, and the term is used in dialogue to describe similar crawl spaces in spinoffs. Although the interior in ''The Animated Series'' was largely recreated from the live action series, a second turbolift was added to the bridge in response to Roddenberry being asked, "What do they do if the ne turbolift'sdoors get stuck?" Franz Joseph designed full ''Enterprise'' interior deck plans in 1974 with approval from Roddenberry.

The ''Enterprise'' bridge was partially recreated for the ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode "Relics" (1992). The original set had long been torn down, and producers initially planned to use the film-era set. Ultimately, recreations of the captain's chair, navigation console, and engineering console were rented from fans, and the rest filled in with archival footage and greenscreen technology. The bridge was again partially recreated, with other parts added digitally, for the ''Deep Space Nine'' episode "Trials and Tribble-ations" (1996). Mike Okuda used a computer to recreate the graphics seen on the ''Enterprise'' sets, and others were drawn by artist Doug Drexler. Set designer Laura Richarz's biggest challenge was finding Burke chairs to populate the ship: she found just one, which the production team used to make molds to create more.

1970s redesigns for television and film

Shortly after the animated ''Star Trek'' went off the air, pre-production began on '' Star Trek: Planet of the Titans''. Ken Adam and Ralph McQuarrie designed a new ''Enterprise'' with a triangular hull that later inspired the appearance of the eponymous ship in '' Star Trek: Discovery.'' ''Planet of the Titans'' was dropped in favor of a return to television with ''Star Trek: Phase II'', for which Jefferies designed a new ''Enterprise''.' He began with the original design and identified components, such as the engines, that would have been upgraded. Some components, like the sensor dish, would move inside the ship to be more easily serviced. Abandoning ''Phase II'' in favor of producing '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' (1979) necessitated additional ''Enterprise'' redesigns because the film medium would resolve more detail than television, and one of the most difficult challenges facing the film producers was recreating the ''Enterprise'' for film. Roddenberry told ''Cinefantastique'' that the changes to the ''Enterprise'' would be explained within the story as the outcome of a major refit.

When Jefferies left the project, art director Richard Taylor wanted to start over with designing the ''Enterprise''. However, Roddenberry convinced him to continue working with Jefferies' design. Taylor brought on Andrew Probert to work with him on refining the ship's details. Probert added items such as phaser banks, control thrusters, and hatches for saucer section landing gear; Taylor redesigned the edge of the saucer and elements of the warp nacelles. Art director Joe Jennings and conceptual illustrator Mike Minor added additional details. David Kimble created diagrams and deck plans for the updated ''Enterprise'' that were provided to model makers, toy companies, and other licensed product manufacturers.

Jim Dow was in charge of building the model. Paramount Pictures subsidiary Magicam spent 14 months and $150,000 building the , model. An arc-welded aluminum skeleton ensured parts of the ship would not sag, bend, or shake when moved. While the original ''Enterprise'' model was seen in only 17 poses, the new model had five articulation points and could be shot from any angle. Paul Olsen painted the "Aztec" hull pattern to provide an additional level of detail and to suggest the presence of interlocking panels providing strength. The effect is made possible by small particles of mica in the paint, which alters its apparent color. However, the paint created light flare that made it hard to discern the edge of the ship against a dark background, and bluescreen light reflected by the pearlescent paint also complicated filming. Effects supervisor Douglas Trumbull relit the ship as if it were an ocean liner, "a grand lady of the seas at night", because there would be no external light source in deep space. A model was used for long shots.

Production designer Harold Michelson was responsible for the ship's interior design. The ''Enterprise'' interiors were designed to be distinct from the film's Klingon ship, and certain support structure designs were used throughout the ''Enterprise'' sets to convey a shared motif. A new bridge had been designed and partially built for ''Phase II'', and Michelson largely retained the design and its consoles. Chekov's console was rotated 90 degrees to break the monotony of stations facing the wall. Designer Lee Cole brought logic and function to the console designs, though Michelson wanted to remain focused on "drama, spectacle and beauty" over accuracy and logic. Rear projection films for bridge displays came initially from Stowmar Enterprises. When production exhausted the films faster than Stowmar could supply them, production designers manufactured their own from oscilloscopes, medical imagery, and an experimental computer lab.

Set designer Lewis Splittgerber described the engine room set as the most difficult to realize. Through forced perspective and small actors, the set was depicted as a engineering space. Corridors were initially a straight-wall design similar to the television series, and Michelson changed them to an angular design with light radiating upward. Director Robert Wise wanted the corridors to be narrower than on the television series, and mirrors gave the impression that they were longer than they actually were. Wise was also responsible for the ship's drab interior color scheme: the muted colors were meant to be comfortable across a five-year journey.

Sequel film adjustments, destruction, and return

''The Motion Picture''s model was slightly refurbished for '' Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'' (1982), with its exterior shine dulled and extra detail added to the frame. Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) staff found the ''Enterprise'' difficult to work with: it took eight people to mount the model and a forklift to move it. Illustrator Mike Minor described the ship as a "sculpture" with an "aerodynamic shape," requiring careful filming so that its movements did not appear "silly".'''' ILM developed techniques to depict damage to the ''Enterprise'' without actually harming the model.

The budget required the reuse of existing sets, but they presented challenges in realizing director Nicholas Meyer's desire for a "livelier" tone. The ''Enterprise'' was given a ship's bell, boatswain's call, and more blinking lights and signage to match the nautical atmosphere Meyer wanted to convey. Rear-projection systems for bridge displays were replaced with monitors looping taped material created by graphic designer Lee Cole at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The bridge set was "unbuttoned" so segments could be removed to better accommodate filming more dynamic action, though filming on the 360-degree set was still challenging. Further complicating the set was that it served three roles: the ''Enterprise'' bridge, the ''Reliant'' bridge, and the Starfleet bridge simulator. The production crew made several "plugs" to cover consoles and alcoves, and pyrotechnics could destroy the plugs during combat sequences without damaging the underlying set. The torpedo bay set is a redress of the Klingon bridge from ''The Motion Picture.'' Kirk's quarters were redressed with more personal items and a more naval appearance, and the same set depicted Spock's more monastic quarters.'''' David Kimble's deck plans from ''The Motion Picture'' influenced how previously unseen interior arrangements like the torpedo bay were depicted in ''The Wrath of Khan''.''''

Recognizing the plot of '' Star Trek III: The Search for Spock'' (1984) was otherwise predictable, producer Harve Bennett decided to have the ''Enterprise'' destroyed. Though he meant for the event to be kept secret, news leaked. Visual effects supervisor Ken Ralston hated the ''Enterprise'' model and reveled in its destruction. Rather than damage the large and expensive original model, several less expensive miniatures and modules were created and destroyed. One of the destroyed models had been created by Brick Price Movie Miniatures for ''Star Trek Phase II''. A new ship designed for the film, the USS ''Excelsior'', was meant to make the ''Enterprise'' "look old and out of date". Model maker Bill George tried to imagine what the ''Enterprise'' would look like if it were designed by the Japanese, and he used that impression as the basis for his refinement of the ''Excelsior'' model.

Ralston had hoped the ''Enterprise''s destruction in ''The Search for Spock'' would lead to a new ''Enterprise'' design for sequels, but the producers of '' Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home'' (1986) decided to have the crew assigned to a duplicate of their previous ship. It took ILM more than six weeks to restore and repaint the model to appear as the new USS ''Enterprise'', NCC-1701-A. After visiting ILM, Majel Barrett