The Federation Starship, 'U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701 D' maybe the third of it's line, but it certainly is not the third to carry it's name![/caption]If you are a Trekkie then you will have wondered at one time or another (at least when the shows and movies first started demonstrating this,) the history of the the name, 'Enterprise' as it relates to the ships of the line that have had this name!
So for you Trek fans, I thought that you guys might enjoy some of the most famous ships with the name of, 'Enterprise' from the real world all the way through the Ships of the line in the world of, 'Star Trek'!
So for the earlest best named one is the sloop, 'H.M.S. Enterprise'.
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This maybe a scene from the TV show, 'Enterprise' but this ship really did exist in the 18th century.[/caption]This ship which was originally a, 'baraca - longa' an 8 gun ship that was part of the Spanish Royal fleet in the 18th century... Now this ship would end up being captured and re-christened, 'H.M.S. Enterprise' and re-classified as a, 'sloop' in the British Navy.
This ship is the most likely ship to be the earliest recognized ship in the ancestral line... The reason being is that the earliest ship did not have any real information about it, but the fact that it was spelled, 'H.M.S. Enterprize' which is another way to spell the name of ship.
There was also a sailing frigate by the name of, 'Enterprise' that also sailed in one of the English speaking Navies in the 18th century... This ship is depicted in a painting that is being displayed in his, 'ready room' on his, 'Enterprise' in the 22nd century.
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The English sailing ship, 'Enterprise' as represented in the drawing that is hanging in Captain Archer's ready room in the TV series, 'Enterprise'.[/caption]And the next one is the U.S. Naval aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Enterprise (CV-6).
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The U.S.S. Enterprise CV-6 would serve in the U.S. Navy during World War 2![/caption]This ship served with distinction in World War 2! This ship would eventually be replaced by the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, the aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Enterprise (CVN-65).
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The U.S.S. Enterprise CVN - 65 would go on to replace the CVN 6.[/caption]The first spacecraft to hold the now historic title of, 'Enterprise' was the NASA Space Shuttle, 'Enterprise' (OV-101).
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The Enterprise OV-101 is the first space craft to be given the title, 'Enterprise'.... Even though it technically never left the, 'Earth.'[/caption]Even though this ship was a test ship and never really made it to space, Benjamin Sisko (Played by: Avery Brooks in: 'Star Trek Deep Space Nine') had a desktop model of the ship as it docked with the, 'International Space Station'.
The next one... And this one is more heavily recognized as being a pre-Federation, post-modern spaceship, and this one is the, U.S.S. Enterprise (XCV 330)... This ship is one of the early truest, 'space craft', and it's representation can be seen all over the TV shows and the movies!
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This ship... Even though technically never seen in the movie or TV series as an actual ship... It is still represented in pictures and what not through the series![/caption]And this one would be the final pre-Federation, but one of the most famous, 'United Earth' Star Fleet ships, the, 'Enterprise' (NX-01). This is the ship that would be Captained by Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula), who would not only go on to be one of great Star Fleet officers of all time, but would also be one of the people who would help in the formation of the, 'United Federation Of Planets'!
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Enterprise NX-01 would go on to be one of the most famous pre-Federation Starships of all time![/caption]As for the first Federation Starship to be named, 'Enterprise' is the U.S.S. Enterprise (NCC 1701).
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The first Federation Starship to be named, 'Enterprise' and one of the most famous![/caption]Now for the original version of this ship, this ship would be commanded by 5 different Captains starting with Rober April, and continuing with: 'Christopher Pike' (Played by: Jeffery Hunter in the show, and Bruce Greenwood in the reboot movies,) then, 'James T. Kirk' (Played by: William Shatner in the show and the original movies, and played by: Chris Pine in the re-boot series!) And after that for a short time, 'Willard Decker' (played by: Stephen Collins in, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)) and then, 'Captain Spock' (Played by: Leonard Nimoy in the original series, and Leonard Nimoy as, 'older Spock' in the remake movies, and by: Zachary Quinto in the remake movies!) and would go on to be one of the most pivitol Consitution-class vessels of all time!
As a side note, this concept drawing was never used, due to the fact that the, 'Star Trek: Phase II' TV series was never launched, we still thought you guys might like this one anyway...
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This is what the new, 'Enterprise' could have looked like if, 'Star Trek: Phase II' had been launched.[/caption]After the destruction of the original Starship, 'Enterprise', a constitution class 'refit' ship would be given the title of, 'U.S.S. Enterprise' (NCC 1701-A), and would be given to Captain Kirk and his crew, and would be the final ship to bare the name, 'Enterprise' that would have a posted Captain Kirk in the, 'Captain's Chair'
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The final ship to bare the name, 'Enterprise' that had Captain Kirk posted to command it...[/caption]The next ship to bare the name of, 'Enterprise' is the U.S.S. Enterprise (NCC 1701-B), and which would be the ship that lost Captain Kirk on it's maiden voyage... and would help with the creation of the plot for, Star Trek: Generations (1994).
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The Enterprise NCC 1701 B as it is about to start it's maiden voyage...[/caption]The U.S.S. Enterprise (NCC 1701-C) is the next ship of the line, and would actually up to the time in which this ship appeared would be the first Federation Starship, 'Enterprise' that would be seen the least of the entire series...
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This ship is probably the least of almost any of the rest of the ships named, 'Enterprise' in the series![/caption]You see this ship would respond to a Klingon distress call, and would come to help the trouble Klingon base, but would ultimately be destroyed... When it was accidentally sent to the future, it would also serve in the creation of the U.S.S. Enterprise (NCC-1701D) and it's arch nemesis, 'Sela', after, 'Tasha Yar' goes back in time with the, 'Enterprise C', so that it can still be destroyed, and Tasha ends up getting pregnant by a Romulan man when she is held captive!
This next, 'Enterprise' we all know and love, that is the, 'U.S.S. Enterprise' (NCC-1701D):
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The Enterprise - D![/caption]This ship would be the central piece of, (Star Trek: The Next Generation)... But would go on to be destroyed in, Star Trek: Generations (1994).
And the last one of the original universe is, 'U.S.S. Enterprise' (NCC-1701 E):
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This would serve to be the last regularly recognized Starfleet vessel named, 'Enterprise' in the series to date.[/caption]Like Captain Kirk, Captain Picard (Played by: Patrick Stewart in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'), would be given a second vessel named, 'Enterprise' when he got the new Sovereign class, 'U.S.S. Enterprise' (NCC-1701E).
As an interesting side note, I was watching a special about the auctions that were being done for a ton of Star Trek memorabilia a few years ago, and it turns out that the model for the, 'Saucer Section' of the Enterprise D, is the same model used for the Enterprise E, it was just turned upside down and made to look a little different!
Now there is an, U.S.S. Enterprise (NCC-1701-J), but since this ship is used in a now destroyed time line from the show, 'Enterprise', I am going to skip that one...
For the mirror universe, 'Enterprises' as well as the alternate versions of this ship... Don't worry, that blog is coming!
