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Constitution-Class Canon
"There are only 12 like it in the fleet."
Thus spoke Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) episode "Tomorrow Is Yesterday." "It," of course, refers to his starship, the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701.
Over the years, there's been mild controversy and conjecture among fans as to the definitive identities of Enterprise's 12 sister ships of the Constitution class. In their reference tome, "The Star Trek Encyclopedia" (TSTE), Mike and Denise Okuda listed the names of the starships we actually saw in TOS, plus other names based on Gene Roddenberry's memoranda and on assumption.
When it comes to Star Trek "canon," however, if it ain't on the screen, then it ain't part of the scene. Here's Lord Edzo's definitive list of Star Trek's Constitution-class starships:
U.S.S. Constellation NCC-1017: Appeared in "The Doomsday Machine" as utterly wrecked, and later destroyed.
U.S.S. Defiant NCC-1864: Appeared in "The Tholian Web" as a "shimmering starship" on the verge of being swallowed up in a spatial interphase. It reappeared in the alternate universe of Star Trek: Enterprise, in the two-part episode "In a Mirror, Darkly."
U.S.S. Excalibur NCC-1664: Appeared in "The Ultimate Computer" and was wrecked during a war games "simulation" gone awry. The naval construction contract (NCC) number is conjecture, posited first in TSTE and then presumably "incorporated" into the "remastered" version of "The Ultimate Computer," but not seen clearly onscreen.
U.S.S. Exeter NCC-1672: Appeared in "The Omega Glory," abandoned in orbit of planet Omega-4. The NCC number became canon in the remastered version of this episode.
U.S.S. Hood NCC-1703: Appeared in "The Ultimate Computer" war games disaster. The NCC number is conjecture, posited first in TSTE and then presumably incorporated into the remastered version of the episode, but not seen clearly onscreen.
U.S.S. Intrepid NCC-1631: Previously only mentioned in "Court-Martial" and "The Immunity Syndrome." In the remastered version of the former, the starship appears in orbit of Starbase 11 and its NCC number is clearly identifiable.
U.S.S. Lexington NCC-1709: Appeared in "The Ultimate Computer" war games disaster. The NCC number is conjecture, posited first in TSTE and then presumably incorporated into the remastered version of the episode, but not seen clearly onscreen.
U.S.S. Potemkin NCC-1657: Appeared in "The Ultimate Computer" war games disaster. The NCC number is conjecture, posited first in TSTE and then presumably incorporated into the remastered version of the episode, but not seen clearly onscreen.
Thus, we have eight confirmed "sightings" of Constitution-class starships in TOS, for a total of nine when you include the Enterprise. So what are the names of the last four ships?
U.S.S. Constitution NCC-1700: Although she never appeared onscreen, she's an accepted "given" because the entire starship class was named for her. The NCC number, however, is conjecture, never having appeared clearly onscreen.
U.S.S. Farragut NCC-1647: Mentioned in "Obsession" but never seen onscreen. The NCC number is conjecture. Kirk served on this ship as a lieutenant.
U.S.S. Republic NCC-1371: Mentioned in "Court-Martial" but never seen onscreen. The NCC number, however, is canon because it was named in dialogue by Kirk, who served on the ship as an ensign. However, Kirk recalled that his friend, Benjamin Finney, had once left open the circuit to the Republic's atomic energy pile, which could have destroyed the ship. Something similar happened aboard the U.S.S. Antares in "Charlie X." Charles Evans made a warped baffle plate on its energy pile disappear, resulting in that ship's destruction. The Republic may have been of the same class as the Antares, given their similar engineering technology. In addition, in the remastered version of "Charlie X," the Antares finally appeared onscreen, but not as a Constitution-class starship.
U.S.S. Yorktown NCC-1717: Mentioned in "Obsession" and in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, but never seen. The NCC number is conjecture.
So, when we include the U.S.S. Constitution, we have a total of 10 Federation starships of that class. The three final names are unknown. That's just the way it is.
Posts
But--there are *12* at least. (And that's if you take Kirk's line as serious, given it was to a 1960s USAF pilot--much like "200 years" dating line to Sgt. Fellini, which has been amended as merely a joke, not accurate. Or if you take it as premature, including later destroyed ships whose replacements would top 12.)
ReplyDeleteSo--what CAN the other 2+ be?
In lieu of aired canon, the best to go for now to are the 14 AMT decal model kit names, which were in turn taken from the final of a series of DC Fontana/GR/Bob Justman memos... which postdate the cherished but early TY dialog--concepts evolve, as is seen in TOS, TNG & etc. especially in light of the direct Stephen Whitfield (Poe) link between GR and to AMT. (Yes, the Defiant is not on there, but that was 3rd season, under Freiberger and without DCF; as I often saw firsthand in TNG, DS9 and especially Voyager, turnover brings a break in "corporate memory." Defiant is definitely on-screen canon, twice used--but was likely named in a vacuum, from the list of 14.
For newbies, the list of 14 beyond the Edzo's list above only adds the Kongo and, oddly, the Valiant--which flies in the face of all, even more than the Republic vagueness--but it was on the GR/DCF final staff list and used as such for years, though falling out of favor in licensing circles--one lone example of the worst idea to use from these neo-canon sources.
Should be noted that BJ was pulling for Russian, Japanese, French, etc etc name, plus a Vulcan. Didn't happen til TMP and especially TNG.
Hi, Larry. Thanks so much for reading this! I'm very honored.
ReplyDeleteExcellent comments all. Thanks for filling me in on some of the behind-the-scenes info that I never knew.
I remember building the AMT Enterprise in the 70s, and I surely can't forget all those decals. I also recall that Valiant and Kongo were two of the names, but I always thought they were taken from Franz Joseph's "Starfleet Technical Manual," which, as you know, was filled with the names of other Constitution-class starships ... a veritable "super-Starfleet."
As for B.J.'s (Bob Justman's) desire to have Federation starship names from non-Western cultures, you've put me to the test here, but, from TNG, I remember the Tsiolkovsky (Russian) and the Yamato (Japanese). In DS9, there was the Yangtze Kiang (Chinese) and the Ganges (Indian subcontinent)
B.J. also got his wish for a Vulcan-named Federation starship in DS9 ... the Sarek fought under Sisko's command in one of the final battles of the Dominion War.
Thanks again, Larry, and happy holidays.