star trek ship explosion

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Star Trek: Picard: What Happened to Romulus?

Confused about this fabled supernova that destroyed the Romulans referenced in Star Trek: Picard? We have the answers.

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This article contains massive Star Trek: Picard spoilers.

One of the most essential pieces of the Star Trek: Picard  puzzle actually happens off-screen, and to fully understand it, you have to travel back in time about ten years. In the first episode of Star Trek: Picard — “Remembrance” — a lot of folks are talking about the Romulan Supernova; a galactic cataclysmic event which changed everything. But what the heck was the Romulan Supernova and why is it so important not just to Jean-Luc Picard, but to the entire galaxy? The short answer is: the Romulan Supernova is J.J. Abrams. Here’s the long answer:

Famously — or infamously — the 2009 J.J. Abrams-directed Star Trek is a film reboot insofar as it created a parallel universe in which Captain Kirk became blue-eyed Chris Pine, Spock became Zachary Quinto, and the architecture of the 23rd century looked like it had been designed by Steve Jobs. But in a move straight out of Biff’s playbook in Back to the Future Part II , the Abramsverse exists because of time travel meddling. At the start of the film, a Romulan ship called the Narada — captained by a Romulan named Nero (Eric Bana) — emerges from a time vortex and destroys the USS Kelvin in the year 2233. Later, after waiting around for quite awhile , Nero and the Narada causes a lot of trouble for the reboot crew in the year 2258. But, if you’ve seen the 2009 reboot film, this is old news, right? Well, yes and no. One thing you may have forgotten is exactly where and when Nero and his Romulans came from when they popped out of that time vortex. Because although we connect those Romulans with the reboot film, and therefore the 23rd century, the fact is, from a non-linear, but strictly canonical point of view, Nero comes from Picard’s 24th century specifically, the year 2387.

So when Jean-Luc is getting interviewed in the first episode of Picard on the anniversary of the Romulan Supernova, this is the exact same event from the 2009 reboot. In that movie, we got all the information from Old Spock, who, like Nero and the angry Romulans, also had time traveled from the late 24th century. But now, about 11 years after the reboot movie, we’re essentially rejoining the future that Old Spock left behind when he time traveled into the past. Only now it’s the year 2399, and the Romulan Supernova is history — recent history — but still history.

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read more: The  Next Generation  Episodes to Watch Before  Picard

Prior to the launch of Picard , it was generally assumed that the destruction of the Romulan home planet, Romulus, would be discussed in the series, but the Picard premiere reveals that this event is pivotal to the backstory of the show. Jean-Luc himself had planned to lead a rescue armada to help evacuate the entire Romulan Empire, but because Mars was suddenly attacked by rogue Synths (synthetic lifeforms) in 2385, the plans for the rescue armada for Romulus were called off, and, clearly angry and heartbroken, Picard resigned from Starfleet. So essentially not only did the Romulan Supernova create the backstory to the Kelvin Universe of the reboot films, it’s also the prologue to everything that happens in Picard .

On top of all that, Picard has also neatly fixed a plothole in the J.J. Abrams Star Trek , which has been lingering since 2009. In that film, Spock was acting alone to help the Romulans avoid total destruction, which is why he was trying to inject experimental “red matter” into the supernova. Because J.J. Abrams movies move really fast, upon first viewing in 2009, we didn’t have a lot of time to ask why Old Spock was all on his own, and now we know; the Federation planned to help the Romulans, but then, after getting attacked by rogue Synths, decided to pull the plug on Picard’s plan. Which is why Old Spock was totally alone in his quest to stop the supernova with his tiny spaceship and goofy red matter.

Shockingly or not, the producer of Star Trek: Picard , and one of the show’s co-creators is Alex Kurtzman, the co-writer of both Star Trek  (2009 ) and Star Trek Into Darkness   (2013). So in terms of connecting the slightly confusing mythologies between the reboot films and the Prime timeline (which is where Picard happens, to be clear) Kurtzman was uniquely suited to juggle this complicated event. In other words, if anyone in the Picard writers’ room asked: “Where was Picard while Spock was getting high on red matter?” Kurtzman would know, because he’s the guy who exploded this whole champagne Romulan supernova in the first place.

read more: Short Treks — How  Children of Mars  Sets Up  Picard

In fact, Kurtzman’s involvement could also explain why one bit of left-over Star Trek apocrypha from 2009 has resurfaced in a slightly different way for Picard . Before the 2009 reboot hit theaters, IDW published a four-part comic book miniseries (co-written by Kurtzman) called Star Trek: Countdown , in which it was revealed that the Narada was outfitted with reverse-engineered Borg technology. In the final moments of “Remembrance” it comes clear that the Romulans are in possession of a Borg cube, which suddenly makes this small non-canon detail from the original Countdown  comic, true. (The rest of it, including Data as Captain of the future- Enterprise and Picard an ambassador to Vulcan, really doesn’t work, however.)

Right now, IDW has published two issues of a 3-part series called Star Trek: Picard: Countdown , which — you guessed it — outlines exactly what Picard was going to prep for the Romulan rescue before everything went to hell on Mars. The first two issues have already been published, and the final issue is expected out on January 29. So, far, this series has firmly established why Jean-Luc’s Romulan housekeepers in the new series — Laris and Zhaban — got involved with Picard in the first place. And, yes, it essentially because they had nowhere to go after the supernova, but also, because they left the Tal Shair (the Romulan secret service) in disgrace for helping Picard.

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read more: Where  Star Trek: Picard  Fits in Federation History

Finally, curious as to why there are dual rings in Romulan space? Well, that might be the remains of the Romulan supernova. Nobody says “Hobus Supernova” in Picard , numerous sources (like Star Trek: Online , and the Star Trek maps book Stellar Cartography: The Starfleet Reference Library ) call the star that exploded the “Hobus star.” But because we see two ominous rings in Romulan space right at the end of the episode, were there two Hobus stars? Was this binary star system that blew up? One Geoff Mandel illustration from  Stellar Cartography  (map 10, specifically) seems to depict Hobus as a double star. This hasn’t been confirmed in on-screen dialogue, but those double rings are pretty serious, right?

If the Hobus system was a binary system, that means the Romulan Supernova was a Star Trek explosion so good, they decided to make it a double.

Star Trek: Picard  is now streaming on CBS All Access.

Ryan Britt is a longtime contributor to Den of Geek! He is also the author of three non-fiction books: the Star Trek pop history book PHASERS…

Screen Rant

Star trek: how every uss enterprise was destroyed (& which weren't).

Star Trek has a long history of great starships called the Enterprise — and an equally long history of blowing those ships to smithereens.

• The USS Enterprise is the most iconic starship in Star Trek and has been destroyed on-screen multiple times.
• Different generations of the Enterprise served as the primary starship in Star Trek series, but they often met explosive endings.
• Not every Enterprise was destroyed, some were decommissioned, but each one has a story worth telling and represented the Federation's idealism.

Star Trek features plenty of iconic starships, but it really does all come back to the USS Enterprise, which has been destroyed on-screen more than once. More often than not, Star Trek revolves around the adventures of Starfleet's flagship vessel, whether the Enterprise Captain be James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), or Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). If Star Trek has a non-human protagonist, it's the various iterations of the Starship Enterprise .

In Star Trek: The Original Series , Star Trek: The Next Generation , and Star Trek: Enterprise, the different generations of the USS Enterprise served as the primary starship in the series. Unfortunately, ships called Enterprise tend to experience explosive endings . More often than not, the Enterprise goes down in a blaze of glory, a sign that things have taken a truly dire turn. Not every Enterprise suffered a fiery end in Star Trek — some of them were simply decommissioned after long runs — but every single one has a story worth telling, and successfully traversed the final frontier on behalf of the Federation's idealism.

Star Trek: Every Captain of the Enterprise

Enterprise nx-01, star trek: enterprise.

The first starship to bear the name Enterprise, the NX-01 was commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) in the 22nd century, and was the first Earth spacecraft to explore the depths of deep space. The first Warp 5-capable Starfleet ship, the NX-01 took its share of poundings but is one of the few ships named Enterprise to survive its run relatively unscathed . According to the controversial Star Trek: Enterprise series finale "These Are The Voyages...", the NX-01 was retired in 2161 to make way for more advanced starships.

Star Trek: Picard season 3 established the refitted NX-01 Enterprise is on display at the Fleet Museum on Athan Prime.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701

Star trek: the original series, star trek: the animated series, star trek: the motion picture, star trek ii: the wrath of khan, star trek iii: the search for spock, star trek: strange new worlds.

The ship first seen in Star Trek: The Original Series had a long, eventful life. Commissioned in 2245, it saw several Captains, most notably Robert April (Adrian Holmes) , Christopher Pike, and James T. Kirk, and boldly went where no one had gone before for decades. The Enterprise enjoyed at least two refits during its 40 years of service, including the sleek, iconic look introduced in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. After the ship was decommissioned following the events of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , Admiral Kirk and his crew stole the Enterprise in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock .

En route to the Genesis Planet to find the resurrected Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Kirk and friends ran afoul of some Klingons intent on unlocking the destructive power of Genesis. After the ship took severe damage — and the Klingons executed Kirk's son — the Enterprise's auto-destruct was activated as Kirk and the crew escaped to the Genesis planet and the Klingons boarded the ship. The gambit worked — the Klingons were defeated and Kirk and crew lived to fight another day and save Spock — but the cost was high.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds depicts the voyages of the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701 (Kelvin Timeline)

Star trek (2009), star trek into darkness, star trek beyond.

The USS Enterprise of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies may be the most abused of any of the Federation ships called Enterprise . It took heavy fire from the time-displaced Romulan mining ship commanded by the crazed Nero (Eric Bana), and it survived even more serious damage from the USS Vengeance, a ship controlled by Section 31's Admiral Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller). The Enterprise survived both of those encounters but swiftly fell in Star Trek Beyond , decimated by the Swarm ships under the command of the mysterious Krall (Idris Elba). At the end of Star Trek Beyond , Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) was given command of the Kelvin Timeline's USS Enterprise-A.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A

Star trek iv: the voyage home, star trek v: the final frontier, star trek vi: the undiscovered country.

After some time-travel shenanigans to save Earth in the classic Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , a brand new Constitution-class starship is assigned to the newly demoted Captain Kirk, the USS Enterprise-A . Visually identical to the refitted USS Enterprise , the NCC-1701-A spends most of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier malfunctioning, much to the chagrin of Scotty. The ship gets a more serious sendoff in the final TOS film, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , where after a pitched battle with a group of Klingons who oppose making peace with the Federation, the damaged ship is ordered back to base to be decommissioned.

The USS Enterprise-A is also docked in the Fleet Museum at Athan Prime as seen in Star Trek: Picard season 3.

5 Times Enterprise Wasn’t Ready For Its Star Trek Mission

Uss enterprise ncc-1701-b, star trek generations.

The Excelsior Class USS Enterprise-B was launched in 2293 under the command of Captain John Harriman (Alan Ruck) . The only adventure audiences got to see of the ship was its inaugural cruise featuring Captain Kirk, Scotty (James Doohan), and Chekov (Walter Koenig) as special guests. The ship would end up being called into emergency action, forced to rescue a group of El-Aurian refugees who were fleeing the Borg after the destruction of their planet. Captain Kirk seemingly died during this mission, though he was actually sucked into an alternate reality energy ribbon known as the Nexus. Little is known about the fate of the Enterprise-B beyond its maiden voyage, but it was said to have served for many years with distinction in the tie-in novels before it was decommissioned.

The USS Enterprise-B's helmsman was Ensign Demora Sulu (Jacqueline Kim), the daughter of Kirk's former Enterprise helmsman, Captain Hikaru Sulu (George Takei).

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-C

Star trek: the next generation.

The USS Enterprise-C was commanded by Captain Rachel Garrett (Tricia O'Neil) . The Ambassador Class starship infamously traveled through a wormhole and ended up two decades into its own future in the classic Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Yesterday's Enterprise." The Enterprise-C was fated to come to the rescue of a Klingon ship under attack from Romulans, but when it was displaced in time it radically altered the timeline, creating a reality where Captain Picard and crew were engaged in a brutal war with the Klingons. Rather than stay in the new reality, the Enterprise-C went back to their own time — with Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) in tow — to sacrifice themselves and set the timeline back to the way it was supposed to be.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D

Star trek: the next generation, star trek generations, star trek: picard season 3.

The iconic Federation flagship featured in Star Trek: The Next Generation , the beloved Galaxy Class USS Enterprise-D was the crown jewel of Starfleet in the mid-24th century. The massive, powerful ship took on everything from diplomatic missions to Borg attacks under the watch of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. The Enterprise-D met an untimely demise in Star Trek Generations when Klingons Lursa and B'Etor found a way to penetrate the Enterprise's shields, stunning the ship's crew and inflicting serious damage before the Enterprise was able to destroy the Klingon vessel.

Despite their victory, too much damage was taken by the Enterprise; the crew evacuated to the saucer section just moments before the drive section exploded, sending the saucer hurtling into the atmosphere of a nearby planet. The majority of the crew survived the crash landing, but that was the end of the line for the Enterprise-D. Many fans were shocked to see the Enterprise-D meet such a sudden end, but almost 30 years later, Star Trek: Picard season 3 resurrected the mighty USS Enterprise-D to save the galaxy from the Borg.

The main bridge of the Enterprise-D was a standing set that had been living on the studio lot for the previous eight years during TNG 's television run. The set had to be struck to make way for the next TV show's bridge, Star Trek: Voyager . So, in a way, Voyager destroyed the Enterprise.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E

Star trek: first contact, star trek: insurrection, star trek: nemesis.

The SovereignM Class USS Enterprise-E was designed as a battleship specifically to take on the threat of the Borg , which it did in style in Star Trek: First Contact . The E took a beating during the three Star Trek: The Next Generation movies in which it was featured, most notably in Star Trek: Nemesis , where it rammed the Romulan Praetor Shinzon's (Tom Hardy) ship, the Scimitar, smashing the front of the saucer section. The Enterprise-E was never destroyed onscreen, but Star Trek: Picard season 3 revealed Captain Worf (Michael Dorn) took command after Jean-Luc Picard's promotion to Admiral. The Enterprise-E was subsequently lost in a mysterious event that Worf claims was not his fault.

USS Enterprise NCC 1701-F

Star trek: picard season 3.

The Odyssey Class USS Enterprise-F originated in the Star Trek Online video game but was officially made canon by its appearance in Star Trek: Picard season 3. Under the ceremonial command of Admiral Elizabeth Shelby (Elizabeth Dennehy) , the Enterprise-F was due to be decommissioned in 2401 following Starfleet's Frontier Day celebration . Tragically, the Borg assimilated every Starfleet Officer under age 25, and Shelby was killed during the takeover of the Enterprise-F. The Odyssey Class starship wasn't destroyed on-screen, but it was retired to make way for the next Starship Enterprise.

USS Enterprise NCC 1701-G

Star trek: picard season 3.

The newest Starship Enterprise, the USS Enterprise-G, is the rechristened USS Titan-A . The Neo-Constitution Class starship was formerly commanded by the late Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick), who posthumously recommended Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) for a promotion to Captain. In recognition of her heroism during Star Trek: Picard season 3's Frontier Day disaster, Seven of Nine became Captain of the USS Enterprise-G, the next generation of Star Trek 's greatest starship, which will hopefully voyage for many years before it is ever destroyed.

Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: The Original Series movies and Star Trek: The Next Generation movies are available to stream on Max.

Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness, and Star Trek Beyond are available to stream on Paramount+.

Dailymotion

Star Trek: 10 More Behind The Scenes Decisions We Can't Forgive

Posted: April 8, 2024 | Last updated: April 8, 2024

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Published Apr 9, 2024

From Ensign to Commander Ro: The Essential Ro Laren Watch List

How Ro Laren saved Starfleet by breaking the rules.

StarTrek.com

The Bajoran Ro Laren earned the admiration of Star Trek: The Next Generation viewers by speaking candidly. Without asking for permission.

Born in the year 2340 on Cardassian-occupied Bajor, Ro Laren's earliest memories are of personal and cultural loss. At seven years old, she was forced to watch her father die by interrogation. She spent almost 10 years in and out of refugee camps. Ashamed by what she perceived as Bajoran weakness, Ro Laren grew desperate. Anything was better than watching her people suffer. So, she joined Starfleet.

Ro Laren beams aboard the Enterprise-D, "Ensign Ro"

Ro rose in rank from Ensign to Commander with well-documented authority issues that include a body count and a court martial record. People lived, and died, by her decisions. But despite an open contempt for rank, and her one-time defection to the Maquis, Starfleet command was her natural path. Transformation is one of Ro's attributes.

In honor of the serially disobedient ensign, here are some of Ro Laren’s defining moments on her climb towards Commander.

" Ensign Ro ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 5, Episode 3)

Classic Ro Laren vibes, "Ensign Ro"

You know you’re a Star Trek legend when your debut episode is your name.

Ensign Ro reported for duty on the U.S.S. Enterprise -D under orders from a shifty Admiral Kennelly. Kennelly needed Captain Jean-Luc Picard's help with a revolutionary Bajoran named Orta who was causing trouble for the Cardassians, and now Starfleet, following a recent attack on Federation colony Solarion IV. A diplomatic approach to engage Bajor was suggested, and Kennelly had just the Bajoran for the job. 

Enter disgraced ensign Ro Laren whose name instantly draws anger from Picard. In infamous Starfleet history, Ro's disastrous away mission on Garon II is the stuff of nightmares. According to Starfleet records, eight crew members of the U.S.S. Wellington died because she failed to follow orders. Still, Kennelly insists on Ro's appointment aboard the Enterprise . Guess she’s seriously reformed....

Jean-Luc Picard and Ro Laren at a refugee camp on Valo II, "Ensign Ro"

"Ensign Ro" demonstrates Ro Laren’s greatest asset. Her complete disdain for Starfleet formality means that she has no qualms telling Picard the true score of the Cardassian Occupation. She suggests, forcefully, that Starfleet's "diplomatic" efforts would be better spent in the camps on Valo II. And by episode's end, Ro's authenticity rises to the surface. She is compassionate to Bajor. And she tells the truth, even when it is against protocol or dangerous to do so. 

After Kennelly's underhanded deal with Cardassia is exposed, Ensign Ro tells Picard that she’ll, actually, maybe, stick around. But only if she is allowed to break uniform code by wearing a Bajoran earring .

" Disaster ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 5, Episode 5)

Ro Laren reacts to scenario on the disabled bridge, "Disaster"

Wherein everything that can go wrong, goes wrong. When a catastrophic phenomenon leads to a hull breach and a rapidly deteriorating containment field, only three Enterprise -D crew members are on or near the bridge — highest-ranking officer Counselor Troi, Chief Miles O'Brien, and Ensign Ro. 

Cut and dry Ro recommends a full separation from the Enterprise 's saucer section. Brutal, but hear her out; since no life signs or survivors were detected in the breached area of the ship, a separation maneuver would ensure that the rest of the vessel doesn't imminently combust. Ro Laren — strategist for a disaster.

" The Next Phase ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 5, Episode 24)

Ro Laren and Geordi La Forge touch hands, "The Next Phase"

Ro Laren inhabits the spirit of teamwork in this version of a ghost story. 

After being beamed away during an explosion aboard a Romulan ship, Ensign Ro and Geordi La Forge discover that they are no longer "with the living." Instead, they’re out-of-phase transporter ghosts whose patterns are no longer detectable to the Enterprise crew. While stuck in dematerialized limbo, Ro introduces the idea of them being Borhya , the Bajoran concept for a "spirit." When La Forge offers a scientific solution for their non-state, Ro is quick to problem solve, carrying out an investigation alongside Geordi and Data on the "other side."

By episode end, a corporeally-realized Ro admits that she's been pushed into another way of thinking about life after death. Or, life after traumatic transporter accident.

" Rascals ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 6, Episode 7)

Guinan and Ensign Ro, in their kid form, peek around the corner, "Rascals"

Who knew the Ro Laren watch list includes two transporter accidents?

When Captain Picard, Ro, Guinan, and Keiko O'Brien are regressed to the adolescent ages of 10-12, the scenario is inconvenient. Or… a therapeutic exercise? With a little nudge from Guinan, Ro is able to reclaim the part of her past she described as "long" and "depressing." She even draws a portrait of her mother in crayon.

" Preemptive Strike ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 7, Episode 24)

Ro Laren cries over Macias' death, "Preemptive Strike"

Ro Laren, the traitor?

Ro's sympathies to the Maquis, a resistance group opposed to the Occupation, led to her defection from Starfleet in this monumental episode.

Ro's redemptive path under Starfleet had been fought and hard won, and a single, undercover mission alongside a Maquis leader named Macias led to a crisis of faith. While Picard couldn’t recognize her motivations, we understood why Ro defected. She had met a parental figure in Macias, a proud Bajoran who loved spicy hasperat like her dad and had the same appreciation for playing Klavion . Inspired by this leader, Ro reclaimed an identity worth fighting for, like her father once fought for. So, she left for that same cause.

Her only regret, Riker conveyed, was that she had let her captain down. 

" Imposters ," Star Trek: Picard (Season 3, Episode 5)

Ro Laren and Jean-Luc Picard have a frank discussion, "Imposters"

AKA, "How the hell is Ro Laren back in Starfleet?!"

Always capable of a comeback, Ro Laren wore the pips again, this time as a commander in Starfleet Intelligence.

Commander Ro's sacrifice in Star Trek: Picard "Imposters" is a full restoration of her heroic status. True to her nature, she acts boldly and with conviction, engendering trust through uncomplicated honesty. When Ro confides to Admiral Picard that a Changeling infiltration has permeated Starfleet's highest level, he has no choice but to believe her.

There is still a depth of feeling in their relationship, after all — Picard's disappointment over Ro's betrayal, Ro's anger at Picard's righteousness. It's a stalemate of spurned hope, but the important fact remains; Commander Ro’s intelligence, hidden on her signature Bajoran earring , saves Starfleet from what’s to come.

Ro moments before the Changeling bomb is detonated, "Imposters"

"Imposters" is a fittingly complicated end to the life of Ro Laren. To some, she is Starfleet's persona non grata, a habitual rule-breaker whose brashness had led to casualties. To others, her ability to stand and die for a fighting chance, either with Starfleet or the Maquis, makes her a strong contender for best in command.

And her final act is a trademark. After discovering that a Changeling bomb was planted on her shuttle, Admiral Picard orders Ro to turn her vessel around so that she can be beamed to safety.

Commander Ro refuses.

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Robyn Belt is a writer, editor, and journalist (Startrek.com, Marvel.com) who loves thinking about the real and speculative science of Star Trek. DS9, TNG, SNW super-fan. Find her on Twitter @robyn_belt or Threads @robynbelt_.

In addition to streaming on Paramount+ , Star Trek: Picard also streams on Prime Video outside of the U.S. and Canada, and in Canada can be seen on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave. Star Trek: Picard is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

10 Times Star Trek Reused Footage And Hoped You Wouldn't Notice

1. that explosion - star trek vi/star trek: generations.

The explosion so nice, they used it twice. This Klingon Bird-of-Prey had such an iconic exit in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, that one would assume it could never be reused. There is a difference in showing a beautiful panning shot again, as those are almost timeless. Showing the destruction of a ship tends to be a unique moment, and it very much should have been when it came to this.

In The Undiscovered Country, Chang's Bird-of-Prey is discovered thanks to a doctored torpedo. It hones in on the ship's tailpipe, thus giving away the ship's location. Combined fire from the Enterprise-A and the Excelsior soon put an end to it.

Exactly one film later, the Enterprise-D is facing off against another Bird-of-Prey, this one commanded by the Duras Sisters. After triggering the ship to cloak, its shields drop and Riker gives the order to fire. This torpedo does the job all on its own, obliterating the Klingon ship, shot for shot, exactly the same way as Chang's had been. It's painfully obvious, to the detriment of the film.

This moment, the granddaddy of all reused shots in Star Trek, is a fine example of when the filmmakers should have left well enough alone.

Writer. Reader. Host. I'm Seán, I live in Ireland and I'm the poster child for dangerous obsessions with Star Trek. Check me out on Twitter @seanferrick

Ship explosions

Adm. Zaxxon wrote: This is because of the High quality of the ships.  You can see in more detail if you use Storm 3D.  Sadly I don't think it can be helped.

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A lifeboat hatch aboard the refit USS Enterprise

In spacecraft classification , an escape pod (also known as an evacuation pod , evacuation shuttle , life boat , life craft , life pod , or rescue pod ) was a type of auxiliary space vessel found aboard most starships used in the event the crew needed to leave the ship, particularly in an emergency.

• 1.1 21st century
• 1.2 22nd century
• 1.3 23rd century
• 1.4 24th century
• 1.5 32nd century
• 2 Escape pod types
• 4.1 Appearances
• 4.2 Background information
• 4.3 External links

Noted uses [ ]

21st century [ ].

Escape pods were not limited to spacecraft . When the submarine HMS Clement sank beneath an ice shelf after striking a mine , her crew managed to make use of escape pods, owing in part to the sacrifice of Malcolm Reed 's great uncle , who remained in her engine room to keep her reactor online. ( ENT : " Minefield ")

In April 2063 , when the USS Enterprise -E was occupied by Borg after traveling back in time , her auto-destruct sequence was engaged, and her escape pods launched toward Earth . ( Star Trek: First Contact )

22nd century [ ]

In 2143 , upon surviving the destruction of the NX-Alpha , Commander A.G. Robinson made Starfleet record books for being the first to deploy an escape pod at warp , remarking that the pod itself would "make a nice addition to the Starfleet Museum ." ( ENT : " First Flight ")

In August of 2151 , Shaw suggested using an escape pod from aboard the Earth Cargo Service freighter ECS Fortunate to get rid of the Nausicaan prisoner , but Matthew Ryan was concerned the prisoner could be picked up by the other pirates and warn them to alter their shield modulation . ( ENT : " Fortunate Son ")

Later that year, T'Pol noted that Klingons considered the use of escape pods to abandon ship cowardly, and some Klingon starships , such as the Raptor class , lacked them. ( ENT : " Sleeping Dogs ") However, other contemporary Klingon vessels, such as Goroth's , and subsequent ones, such as the K'Vort class , did possess them . ( ENT : " Bounty ", DS9 : " Penumbra ", " Strange Bedfellows ")

In 2152 , Charles Tucker III and Kaitaama utilized an escape pod to flee a Retellian freighter , and landed on an oceanic planet . Tucker compared the size of the pod to that of his first car . ( ENT : " Precious Cargo ")

In 2154 , Commander Shran ordered the crew of the Kumari to the escape pods, after the vessel was critically damaged by a Romulan drone ship posing as a Tellarite vessel. ( ENT : " Babel One ")

In 2155 , the crew of the ISS Enterprise was forced to use the ship's escape pods, after it was trapped in a Tholian web in the mirror universe . ( ENT : " In a Mirror, Darkly ")

23rd century [ ]

In May 2256 , at the Battle of the Binary Stars , personnel of both the USS Europa and the USS Shenzhou evacuated their severely damaged starships in escape pods. ( DIS : " Battle at the Binary Stars ")

In 2263 of the alternate reality , Captain James T. Kirk ordered the remaining crew on board the damaged USS Enterprise to use the escape and Kelvin pods to flee the damaged ship before it crash landed on Altamid . ( Star Trek Beyond )

In 2265 , when the USS Enterprise located a disaster recorder near the galactic barrier that had been ejected from the SS Valiant two hundred years previously , Spock noted that it wasn't even large enough to be a lifeboat. ( TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ")

Location of the lifeboat hatches on the Enterprise -B

In 2293 , the location of lifeboat hatches was labeled on the MSD of the USS Enterprise -B . ( Star Trek Generations )

24th century [ ]

After the Federation freighter Odin was disabled by an asteroid collision in 2357 , three of her rescue pods carried four crewmembers at sublight speed for over five months before reaching Angel I . One of the survivors, Ramsey , described the duration as "an eternity." ( TNG : " Angel One ")

In 2366 , Roga Danar used an escape pod from a stolen Angosian police shuttle , in an attempt to elude the USS Enterprise -D . ( TNG : " The Hunted ")

Later that year, " John Doe " used a Zalkonian vessel to flee persecution for his slow transformation to a higher being, departing the ship in an escape pod before it was destroyed by his pursuers. ( TNG : " Transfigurations ")

During the Battle of Wolf 359 , Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Sisko , his son , and others evacuated the doomed USS Saratoga in escape pods . ( DS9 : " Emissary ")

In 2367 , the crew of the Arcos used escape pods when they abandoned their ship above Turkana IV . ( TNG : " Legacy ")

In 2368 , when the USS Enterprise -D was trapped in a temporal causality loop , Commander William T. Riker ordered all hands to emergency escape pods after the ship was clipped by the USS Bozeman . The order ended up being repeated several times with each iteration of the loop, until it was broken. ( TNG : " Cause And Effect ")

In 2369 , a Bajoran transport carrying the Bajoran criminal Ibudan conducted a lifeboat drill on stardate 46383, according to a personal calendar file reviewed by Odo while conducting an investigation into Ibudan's murder . ( DS9 : " A Man Alone ")

In 2370 , Ensign Sito Jaxa was reportedly killed in a Federation evacuation pod, when she tried to return to the USS Enterprise -D after her mission – to bring back the Cardassian Joret Dal , who previously came aboard the ship in an escape pod – succeeded. ( TNG : " Lower Decks ")

In 2371 , when the USS Olympia was disabled by a metreon radiation surge, Captain Lisa Cusak and Commander Gatsby evacuated in an escape pod. However, it was torn open on impact, and Gatsby was killed. ( DS9 : " The Sound of Her Voice ")

That same year, when the USS Defiant was attacked by the Dominion and boarded by Jem'Hadar soldiers , her crew apparently readied her escape pods and prepared to abandon ship. ( DS9 : " The Search, Part I ") In fact, they were captured while still aboard, put through an elaborate simulation on the Founders' homeworld , and eventually returned. ( DS9 : " The Search, Part II ") The escape pods would later be used, this time in actuality, when the vessel was destroyed by the Breen in 2375 . ( DS9 : " The Changing Face of Evil ")

In 2374 , several crew members from the USS Honshu used escape pods to leave the ship when it was being attacked by Cardassian forces. At least three pods detached from the Honshu before its destruction. ( DS9 : " Waltz ")

Later that year, the USS Valiant deployed four escape pods before being destroyed by a Jem'Hadar battleship . Only one of the pods survived. ( DS9 : " Valiant ")

The following year, after the IKS Koraga was destroyed by a Jem'Hadar patrol , the IKS Rotarran recovered six escape pods from the vessel. Another pod, carrying Worf , drifted into the Badlands , eventually being found by the USS Gander . Ezri Dax suggested that the acoustics in the pod would have been favorable to singing , and Worf reluctantly admitted that he had indeed passed the time by singing the Klingon opera Gav'ot toH'va . ( DS9 : " Penumbra ", " Strange Bedfellows ")

In 2376 , during a survey of a class T cluster designed to provide away mission experience to a number of junior USS Voyager crew members, Crewman Mortimer Harren deliberately piloted an escape pod from the Delta Flyer so as to lure away dark matter lifeforms that had been pursuing the Flyer . ( VOY : " Good Shepherd ")

In 2377 , a corrupted holographic representation of Reginald Barclay unsuccessfully attempted to abduct Seven of Nine , on behalf of Ferengi led by Nunk , by flying one of the USS Voyager 's escape pods into a geodesic fold . ( VOY : " Inside Man ")

Later that year, while trying to fend off a Quarren attack, Harry Kim came up with an ingenious plan to mask the life signs of the remaining crew in the briefing room, ejecting three escape pods which actually contained photon torpedoes. When the Quarren ship tractored them in, these were detonated, and the Quarren ships were disabled. ( VOY : " Workforce, Part II ")

32nd century [ ]

In 3189 , after Tal's ship collided with an asteroid , the survivors evacuated the ship aboard an evacuation shuttle. One of the survivors was Adira who had been implanted with the symbiont Tal before she departed from the ship. The shuttle was found by a rescue ship . ( DIS : " Forget Me Not ")

Escape pod types [ ]

• Andorian escape pod – Kumari
• Angosian escape pod
• Cardassian escape pod
• Hauze's ship escape pod
• Kantare escape pod
• Kelvan life craft
• 22nd century escape pod – Goroth's starship , Bird-of-Prey
• K'Vort -type escape pod – IKS Koraga
• NX-type escape pod – Enterprise , ISS Enterprise
• Constitution -type escape pod (2263) – USS Enterprise
• CR-721 type escape pod
• Kelvin pod – USS Enterprise
• Nimitz -type escape pod – USS Europa , USS Shenzhou , USS Cabot
• Antares type escape pod – Arcos
• Intrepid -type escape pod – USS Voyager , USS Defiant , USS Valiant
• Delta Flyer escape pod – Delta Flyer attached to USS Voyager
• Retellian escape pod
• Tesnian escape pod
• V'draysh escape pod
• Xindi-Aquatic escape pod
• Zalkonian escape pod
• Zibalian escape pod

See also [ ]

• Lifeboat station

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " The Hunted "
• " Transfigurations "
• " Emissary "
• " Valiant "
• " Penumbra "
• " The Changing Face of Evil "
• " Basics, Part II "
• " Year of Hell "
• " Good Shepherd "
• " Inside Man "
• " Workforce "
• " Workforce, Part II "
• " Precious Cargo "
• " First Flight "
• " In a Mirror, Darkly "
• Star Trek: First Contact
• Star Trek Beyond
• DIS : " Battle at the Binary Stars "
• ST : " Calypso "
• LD : " Kayshon, His Eyes Open "
• " Starstruck "

Background information [ ]

According to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual (p. 174), escape pods were also referred to as "Autonomous Survival and Recovery Vehicles", or ASRV, on Starfleet and Federation spacecraft. It was also stated that the cube-shaped escape pods of the Galaxy -class starship were capable of docking together to form large arrays in order to pool resources, though this design and feature was never seen on screen.

External links [ ]

• Escape pod at Wikipedia
• Escape pod at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 3 Ancient humanoid