Perhaps the most important feature ofStar Trekis Starfleet, the exploratory fleet of spaceships that was originally commissioned by United Earth to chart the galaxy. Every series and movie in theStar Trekfranchise has had Starfleet at the front and center of their stories, and for good reason. Starfleet permits its officers to pursue thediplomatic aspirations of the United Federation of Planets, and within the Prime timeline, it has done so for almost a thousand years. It’s a hallmark of the collaborative future shared by hundreds of sentient species, and its successes are the result of many years of effort.
Starfleet has its origins on Earth, which accounts for the largely human-centric crews that tend to populate its ships. Starfleet Headquarters and Starfleet Academy are also based on Earth, and its partner organization, the United Federation of Planets, was founded there as well. Yet during the thousand years Starfleet has been operational, theFederation expanded to accommodate almost four hundred planets, and presumably integrated their diverse cultures into its armada. Starfleet represents the best of the Federation and its member worlds, including the triumphs and tragedies that have occurred over the millennia it has been in service.
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Starfleet is considerably older than the Federation, created as the natural successor to NASA once the deeper realms of space were opened up by Zefram Cochrane’s warp drive. As seen with the wayward Earth probe inStar Trek: VoyagerS7 E21, “Friendship One,” Starfleet began as the United Earth Space Probe Agency. This organization was designed to facilitate human beings’ exploration of the galaxy in the late 21st century. Its function was to build on Cochrane’s innovations and tomatch the Vulcans’ scientific acumen. However, such success wasn’t achieved until multiple planets agreed to participate in the Federation. UESPA transitioned to what audiences will recognize as Starfleet in the 22nd century, and its birthplace of San Francisco ended up becoming the heart of the Federation.
Starfleet developed exponentially along with its capability for warp travel. InStar Trek: EnterpriseS1 E1, “Broken Bow,” audiences are shown Jonathan Archer’s new ship, the NX-class Enterprise, which is in possession of a warp five engine. The ship was designed by Captain W.M. Jefferies, Henry Archer (Captain Archer’s father), and Zefram Cochrane himself. He was the one who first proposed Starfleet’s famous mantra: “To seek out new life forms and new civilizations” and to “go boldly where no man has gone before.” Starfleet, which was only a decade or so old duringthe events ofStar Trek: Enterprise, devised this superior version of warp without help, and it allowed the organization to fulfill its goals of interstellar discovery. This encouraged further discussion about interplanetary collaboration, and expanded Starfleet to include even more alien races.
When Starfleet came under the authority of the United Federation of Planets, it had to change how it operated. Most branches of Starfleet were absorbed into the Federation, though some were made redundant or secret. Earth’s Military Assault Command Operations unit was dissolved due to its use of military tactics unsuited to exploratory missions, and the espionage group known as Section 31 became alesser known part of Starfleet Intelligence. Starfleet has ties to old Earth navies, as hinted with hierarchal titles such as Captain, Admiral and Lieutenant. Yet, it was the mandate of every starship crew to approach new peoples as diplomats and messengers, not soldiers.
During times of war, however, Starfleet was able to create a significant display of force by organizing into fleets of ships that would attack and defend under one admiral or captain. This was seen most clearly inStar Trek: Deep Space NineS6 E5, “Favor the Bold.” In this episode, a massive fleet made up of Starfleet ships and the Klingon Defense Force challenged the onslaught of the Cardassian military.
Starfleet’s development from the 22nd to the 24th centurycan be seen in its ships. These vessels go from Archer’s NX-class Enterprise to Picard’s behemoth Enterprise-E, a Sovereign-class ship that makes its maiden voyage inStar Trek: First Contact. Starfleet possesses dozens of starship classes seen throughout each movie and series, and which vary in modern iterations ofStar Trekstories. Picard’s original ship, the Enterprise-D, was a Galaxy-class, the most advanced during the time of his crew’s first missions. The Intrepid-class Voyager lasts many years in the Delta Quadrant under Captain Janeway. Meanwhile, the scrappy California-class Cerritos carries the crew ofStar Trek: Lower Decksthrough considerable chaos.
Starfleet maintains its status quo for much of its on-screen history, but in thetime travel escapades ofStar Trek: Discovery,audiences see how much can change over a thousand years of space travel. In S3 E1, “That Hope Is You, Part 1,” protagonist Michael Burnham, closely followed by the rest of the Discovery’s crew, makes landfall in the 32nd century, traveling almost a thousand years into the future. They receive a lukewarm welcome, and are surprised by the scarcity of Federation resources.
The skeleton crew learns of a 31st century incident called ‘The Burn,’ a tragedy in which every active warp core exploded simultaneously, destroying most Starfleet ships and their crews. According to Starfleet’s commander-in-chief inStar Trek: DiscoveryS3 E7, “Die Trying”, this reduced theUnited Federation of Planets from 350 member worldsto 38, and destroyed the Federation as a galactic superpower. This season of the series displays advanced technology and many unknown species. It shows how Starfleet has evolved since its conception in the 22nd century, but also demonstrates that it suffered incalculable losses.
Starfleet began as a space-faring splinter of the United Earth Space Probe Agency, but rapidly made a reputation for itself among other known sentient species. Its relatively humble beginnings have brought it from the mind of Zefram Cochrane to the distant reaches of the galaxy, and even transgressed temporal barriers. Thesimple NX-class that could barely scratch warp fivehurtled through the centuries. It advanced and grew, managed to stay afloat the entire time.
As seen inStar Trek: Discovery, Starfleet goes through unimaginable tragedy as it crosses the threshold of the fourth millennium. The fact that Starfleet and the Federation both survive The Burn is a testament to the enduring power of Starfleet’s goals, and to the devotion of its people to its aspirational ideals. Starfleet’s ships and technology evolves over the centuries, but its message of exploration and cooperation doesn’t need to.
