Enterprise (NX-01)
Encyclopedia
The Enterprise is a fictional starship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....

 in the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...

 Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...

. It is commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer
Jonathan Archer
Jonathan Archer is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise. He is the protagonist of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, where he is played by Scott Bakula...

.

History

Commissioned in 2151, Enterprise was the first starship of the NX class, with a crew complement of 86. Enterprise was Starfleet
Starfleet
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet or the Federation Starfleet is the deep-space exploratory, peacekeeping and military service maintained by the United Federation of Planets . It is the principal means by which the Federation conducts its exploration, defense, diplomacy and research...

's first long-range exploration vessel with a theoretical top speed of warp
Warp drive (Star Trek)
Warp drive is a faster-than-light propulsion system in the setting of many science fiction works, most notably Star Trek. A spacecraft equipped with a warp drive may travel at velocities greater than that of light by many orders of magnitude, while circumventing the relativistic problem of time...

 5.2 by the fourth to last episode of the 4th season, considerably faster than any other Human
Human (Star Trek)
In the Star Trek science fiction universe, Humans/Terrans are one of the races undertaking interstellar travel. Human beings were instrumental in the founding of the United Federation of Planets...

 vessels of the era.

Captain Archer made first contact
First contact (science fiction)
First contact is a common science fiction theme about the first meeting between humans and extraterrestrial life, or of any sentient race's first encounter with another one....

 with the Suliban
Suliban
The Suliban are a starfaring race in the fictional Star Trek universe, seen throughout the series Star Trek: Enterprise. A Suliban sect known as the Cabal served as the show's primary antagonists in the first and second seasons....

, Tholian
Tholian
Tholians are a fictional starfaring and extremely territorial race in the Star Trek fictional universe. The Tholian home nation is the Tholian Assembly, which inhabits an area of space in the Alpha Quadrant, near the Cardassian Union and the Badlands....

s, Klingon
Klingon
Klingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...

s, and Xindi, among others, although few of these encounters were peaceful. Enterprise established Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

's presence in previously uncharted regions of space, bringing together the Andorian
Andorian
Andorians are a fictional race of humanoid extraterrestrials created by D. C. Fontana for the Star Trek universe. They are native to the icy M-class moon Andoria , which orbits a blue, ringed gas giant. Definitive traits include their blue skin, a pair of cranial antennae, and white hair...

s and Vulcan
Vulcan (Star Trek)
Vulcans, or sometimes Vulcanians, are an extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek universe who evolved on the planet Vulcan, and are noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion. They were the first extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek...

s—two species who had been on the verge of war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...

 for years.

Enterprise was pivotal in defending Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

 from a dangerous alliance of five alien races from the planet Xindus known as the Xindi in 2153 through 2154. The ship suffered severe damage several times during the mission and the crew suffered heavy casualties, but managed to return home after an unexpected detour to an alternate version of 1944 in which Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...

 had conquered much of the eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 ("Storm Front"); although the vessel did not land during that mission, it was brought within tens of meters from the ground in order to help restore the timeline.

Technology

The NX-01 utilizes the dual-nacelle
Nacelle
The nacelle is a cover housing that holds engines, fuel, or equipment on an aircraft. In some cases—for instance in the typical "Farman" type "pusher" aircraft, or the World War II-era P-38 Lightning—an aircraft's cockpit may also be housed in a nacelle, which essentially fills the...

 design that was first employed by Zefram Cochrane
Zefram Cochrane
Zefram Cochrane is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe. Created by writer Gene L. Coon, the character first appeared in the 1967 Star Trek episode "Metamorphosis", in which he was played by Glenn Corbett. James Cromwell later played Cochrane in the 1996 feature film Star Trek: First...

's Phoenix from the film Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact is the eighth feature film in the Star Trek science fiction franchise, released in November 1996, by Paramount Pictures. First Contact is the first film in the franchise to feature no cast members from the original Star Trek television series of the 1960s...

.

It was originally armed with pulse cannons, which were only used once during the pilot episode "Broken Bow", and Triton-class spatial torpedoes. The ship was protected by polarized hull plating.

Later upgrades saw the Enterprise fitted with more powerful weapons, with plasma cannons being replaced by three phase cannons rated for a maximum power output of 500 giga joules and the spatial torpedoes with photonic torpedoes. These new weapons systems were still in the experimental stage. Unlike vessels in other versions of Star Trek, Enterprise was not equipped with defensive energy shielding
Force field
A force field, sometimes known as an energy shield, force shield, or deflector shield is a concept of a field tightly bounded and of significant magnitude so that objects affected by the particular force relating to the field are unable to pass through the central axis of the field and reach the...

 (shields were still in development). Instead, Enterprise added to the defensive power of the (fictional) duranium hull through electromagnetic polarization, a form of reactive armor. This defensive system was upgraded by Starfleet during the NX-01's refit following the Xindi attack on Earth ("The Expanse").

The front of the saucer section is equipped with a "deflector" that protects the ship from space dust and other particles that would otherwise cause significant damage at impulse, or even cruising speeds.
A grappling hook
Grappling hook
A grappling hook is an anchor with multiple hooks , attached to a rope; it is thrown, dropped, sunk, projected, or fastened directly by hand to where at least one hook may catch and hold. Generally, grappling hooks are used to temporarily secure one end of a rope. They may also be used to dredge...

 was used for purposes more commonly served by a tractor beam
Tractor beam
A tractor beam is a device with the ability to attract one object to another from a distance. Since the 1990s, technology and research has labored to make it a reality, mostly at microscopic level. Less commonly, a similar beam that repels is called a pressor beam or repulsor beam...

 in other science fiction series.

The Enterprise carried two shuttlepods named Shuttlepods One and Two. It also had a 22nd century version of Star Trek's signature transporter
Transporter (Star Trek)
A transporter is a fictional teleportation machine used in the Star Trek universe. Transporters convert a person or object into an energy pattern , then "beam" it to a target, where it is reconverted into matter...

 authorized for biological transportation; however, it was used sparingly in the first two years of the ship's mission due to crew fears over the dangers of its use. The transporter came into more common use during and after the mission to the Delphic Expanse.

Subsequent developments

According to the episode "Fortunate Son", three additional NX class ships were planned as of 2151 after the NX-01. A second warp 5
Warp drive (Star Trek)
Warp drive is a faster-than-light propulsion system in the setting of many science fiction works, most notably Star Trek. A spacecraft equipped with a warp drive may travel at velocities greater than that of light by many orders of magnitude, while circumventing the relativistic problem of time...

 starship, Columbia (NX-02)
Home (Star Trek: Enterprise)
"Home" is the name of the 79th episode from the television series Star Trek: Enterprise.It is the third episode from the fourth season of the series. Home initially aired on October 22, 2004 on the American television network UPN...

, was launched in November 2154, commanded by Captain Erika Hernandez, and came to the aid of the NX-01 when it was sabotaged by Klingon
Klingon
Klingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...

s in the episode "Divergence".

In the time period following the conclusion of Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...

 and the founding of the United Federation of Planets
United Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets, also known as "The Federation" is a fictional interplanetary federal republic depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures...

, development of Warp 7-capable ships rendered the NX class obsolete and, in 2161, Enterprise was decommissioned soon after the signing of the Federation Charter. The reason for the decommissioning of Enterprise was not stated, and it is not known if her sister ship Columbia or the other two planned NX vessels were also retired at the same time.

According to the "Shatnerverse", a Star Trek timeline where Captain James T. Kirk still lives after the events of Star Trek Generations, written by William Shatner and co-written by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, the NX-01 was sent to a museum on Pluto after its decommissioning, upon reminiscence by Captain Picard in Captain's Glory.

Warp 5 limit

Enterprise is unable to maintain its top speed of warp 5
Warp drive (Star Trek)
Warp drive is a faster-than-light propulsion system in the setting of many science fiction works, most notably Star Trek. A spacecraft equipped with a warp drive may travel at velocities greater than that of light by many orders of magnitude, while circumventing the relativistic problem of time...

 for an extended period of time and normally travels at warp 4.5. The vessel achieved warp 5 for the first time during the first season episode "Fallen Hero
Fallen Hero
Fallen Hero is the 22nd aired episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise.-Official Synopsis:Archer is ordered to transport Vulcan Ambassador V'Lar from a planet where her integrity has been called into question....

". In the fourth season episode "Babel One", Enterprise exceeded Warp 5 for the first time, achieving warp 5.06 thanks to newly-installed injectors; in the later episode "Affliction", a maximum speed of warp 5.2 was achieved.

Alternate timelines

In one alternate timeline seen in the third season episode "Twilight", the Enterprise failed to prevent the Xindi from building a superweapon capable of destroying entire worlds. Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

 and all its colonies were destroyed while Starfleet waged a desperate, hopeless war to protect them. The ragtag wagon train of survivors made their final stand on Ceti Alpha V, shepherded by three remaining Starfleet vessels: Enterprise, Intrepid, and Sydney. Enterprise was lost with all hands during the final stand; however, this timeline was negated.

In another alternate timeline seen in the episode "E²", Enterprise encountered an anomaly that threw her back in time more than a century, to the year 2037. Unable to return to Earth, the vessel became a generation ship
Generation ship
A generation ship is a hypothetical type of interstellar ark starship that travels across great distances between stars at a speed much slower than the speed of light...

, eventually falling under the command of Lorian, the son of T'Pol
T'Pol
Commander T'Pol is a fictional character played by Jolene Blalock in Star Trek: Enterprise. She is a Vulcan who serves as the science officer aboard the starship Enterprise.-Concept and creation:...

 and Charles Tucker III
Charles Tucker III
Charles "Trip" Tucker III , played by Connor Trinneer, is a fictional character in the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, which is the last generation of the Star Trek seriesTucker was the chief engineer on the Enterprise, and also briefly served as chief engineer aboard...

, who eventually intercepted Captain Archer and prevented the NX-01 from being sent back in time.

Mirror Universe

A Mirror Universe
Mirror Universe (Star Trek)
The Mirror Universe is a fictional parallel universe in which the plots of several Star Trek television episodes take place...

 version of the NX-01, called the ISS Enterprise, appeared in the fourth season two-parter, "In a Mirror, Darkly". This version of the vessel had different markings, including yellow markings on the dorsal surface of the saucer section, but was essentially identical to the NX-01, with the exception that it was equipped in 2155 by the mirror Charles Tucker III with a cloaking device obtained from the Suliban
Suliban
The Suliban are a starfaring race in the fictional Star Trek universe, seen throughout the series Star Trek: Enterprise. A Suliban sect known as the Cabal served as the show's primary antagonists in the first and second seasons....

. In terms of speed, it is not known whether this version of the Enterprise was capable of higher speeds than the normal NX-01, although dialogue suggests that its maximum speed was less than Warp 7. As this Mirror Universe was more hostile, that Enterprise was better armed than the normal one. It was also equipped with a tractor beam
Tractor beam
A tractor beam is a device with the ability to attract one object to another from a distance. Since the 1990s, technology and research has labored to make it a reality, mostly at microscopic level. Less commonly, a similar beam that repels is called a pressor beam or repulsor beam...

.

The ISS Enterprise was under the command of Captain Maximilian Forrest until Commander
Starfleet ranks and insignia
Starfleet ranks and insignia are fictional titles and badges that form the hierarchy of Starfleet in the Star Trek television shows and movies.-Overview:...

 Jonathan Archer led a mutiny and assumed command of the ship. Forrest, with the help of the mirror T'Pol, soon regained control of the vessel, but it was destroyed by Tholian
Tholian
Tholians are a fictional starfaring and extremely territorial race in the Star Trek fictional universe. The Tholian home nation is the Tholian Assembly, which inhabits an area of space in the Alpha Quadrant, near the Cardassian Union and the Badlands....

s soon after, along with most of its crew. The only survivors were a limited number of people in escape pod
Escape pod
An escape pod is a capsule or craft used to escape a vessel in an emergency, usually only big enough for one person. An escape ship is a larger, more complete craft also used for the same purpose...

s who were not destroyed by the Tholians. The surviving crew, initially led by Archer and later "Empress" Hoshi Sato
Hoshi Sato
Hoshi Sato , played by Korean American actress Linda Park, is a fictional character in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise....

, subsequently took over the USS Defiant, a United Federation of Planets Starfleet vessel that was transported to the Mirror Universe in the Star Trek (TOS) episode "The Tholian Web".

Appearance in computer games

So far there are three commercial computer games in which the Enterprise (NX-01) is featured: Star Trek Online
Star Trek Online
Star Trek Online, often abbreviated as STO, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Cryptic Studios based on the popular Star Trek series created by Gene Roddenberry. The game is set in the 25th century, 30 years after the events of Star Trek Nemesis...

, which is a MMO available on PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...

, Star Trek: Legacy
Star Trek: Legacy
Star Trek: Legacy is a video game released by Mad Doc Software for Windows-based PCs and Xbox 360. The game, a strategy/action and space combat game, was published by Bethesda Softworks...

, which is available to PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...

 and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

, and Star Trek: Encounters
Star Trek: Encounters
Star Trek: Encounters is a video game set in the Star Trek fictional universe., which was released on October 4, 2006, for the Sony PlayStation 2 console...

 for PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...

. In addition, there are several models available for Bridge Commander, the Armada Series, Starfleet Command III and there are mods available for Microsoft's Freelancer.

Senior Officers

  • Commanding Officer – Captain Jonathan Archer
    Jonathan Archer
    Jonathan Archer is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise. He is the protagonist of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, where he is played by Scott Bakula...

  • First Officer / Science Officer – Sub-Commander T'Pol
    T'Pol
    Commander T'Pol is a fictional character played by Jolene Blalock in Star Trek: Enterprise. She is a Vulcan who serves as the science officer aboard the starship Enterprise.-Concept and creation:...

    ; she later accepted a Starfleet commission as a Commander
  • Chief Engineer/ Second Officer – Commander
    Starfleet ranks and insignia
    Starfleet ranks and insignia are fictional titles and badges that form the hierarchy of Starfleet in the Star Trek television shows and movies.-Overview:...

     Charles Tucker III
    Charles Tucker III
    Charles "Trip" Tucker III , played by Connor Trinneer, is a fictional character in the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, which is the last generation of the Star Trek seriesTucker was the chief engineer on the Enterprise, and also briefly served as chief engineer aboard...

     / Commander Kelby
  • Chief Medical Officer – Doctor Phlox
    Phlox (Star Trek)
    Phlox is a fictional character in the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, played by John Billingsley.Dr. Phlox is the chief medical officer aboard the starship Enterprise.-Overview:...

  • Chief Security and Tactical Officer – Lieutenant
    Starfleet ranks and insignia
    Starfleet ranks and insignia are fictional titles and badges that form the hierarchy of Starfleet in the Star Trek television shows and movies.-Overview:...

     Malcolm Reed
    Malcolm Reed
    Malcolm Reed, played by Dominic Keating, is a fictional character on the television series Star Trek: Enterprise. He is often confused with Martin Short, with whom he shares an uncanny appearance....

  • Helm Officer – Ensign
    Starfleet ranks and insignia
    Starfleet ranks and insignia are fictional titles and badges that form the hierarchy of Starfleet in the Star Trek television shows and movies.-Overview:...

     Travis Mayweather
    Travis Mayweather
    Travis Mayweather is a fictional character, played by Anthony Montgomery, in the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, serving as a navigator and helm officer aboard the starship Enterprise. He holds the rank of Ensign, and is in the command division...

  • Communications Officer – Ensign Hoshi Sato
    Hoshi Sato
    Hoshi Sato , played by Korean American actress Linda Park, is a fictional character in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise....

  • MACO Commander – Major Hayes (2153–54)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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