1.2 Design Lineage
Traces the history of the five starships to bear the name Enterprise, from the original Constitution class NCC-1701 to the Galaxy class NCC-1701-D.
The Galaxy class Enterprise maintains Starfleet's tradition of honoring the original starship Enterprise. Like her predecessors, this ship bears the original Starfleet registry number of that illustrious first Enterprise, NCC-1701. In this case, the suffix "-D" indicates this is the fourth successor to the name and number. Few other ships in the Starfleet have been so recognized. So significant were the exploits of this original ship and its crew, that in 2277 the practice of having a separate insignia for each starship was abolished, and the Enterprise emblem was adopted as the official symbol for the entire Starfleet.
The first starship Enterprise was a Constitution class vehicle commissioned in 2245 at Starfleet's San Francisco Yards, orbiting Earth. This ship, first commanded by Captain Robert April, then by Captain Christopher Pike and Captain James Kirk, became a historic figure in Starfleet's early exploration of deep space.
This ship was refitted several times, remaining in active service until 2284 when it was assigned to training duty at Starfleet Academy. It was destroyed in 2285 while defending the Mutara sector against a Klingon incursion.
The second Enterprise, NCC-1701-A, also a Constitution class ship, was commissioned in 2286. Originally named Yorktown, this ship was redesignated Enterprise and assigned to the command of Captain Kirk following an incident in which Kirk and his crew were responsible for saving the planet Earth from the effects of an alien spacecraft. This ship later played a vital role in the success of the Khitomer conference, which had such a profound impact on the political climate of this part of the galaxy.
The third Enterprise, NCC-1701-B, was an Excelsior class ship built at Starfleet's Antares Ship Yards. Although the decision to model this ship on the failed original experimental Excelsior was at the time controversial, the economics of using the existing (and otherwise successful) engineering of the basic spaceframe were compelling. The wisdom of this decision has been borne out by the large number of Excelsior class starships that still serve Starfleet in a variety of capacities. (Indeed, the Excelsior herself ultimately proved to be a distinguished part of the Starfleet.) The third Enterprise was a key figure in the exploration of space beyond the Gourami Sector. This ship and her crew were responsible for mapping over 142 star systems, including first contact with seventeen civilizations.
The fourth Enterprise, NCC-1701-C, was an Ambassador class ship built at the Earth Station McKinley facility. Commanded by Captain Rachel Garrett, this ship was lost in 2344 near the Narendra system while attempting to defend a Klingon outpost from Romulan attackers. The heroism of Captain Garrett's crew was a crucial step leading to the current alliance between the Federation and our former enemies, the Klingon Empire.
The fifth Enterprise, NCC-1701-D, is a Galaxy class starship built at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards above Mars. It was commissioned in 2363, and is currently under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. This latest starship to bear the name Enterprise is Starfleet's flagship and has already distinguished itself in an impressive number of significant missions of exploration, as well as in several crucial incidents defending the security of the Federation.