An Enterprising Design

by Simon Plumbe

One thing that Star Trek fans wondered about when Enterprise was first announced was the design of the ship. They knew that it needed to have a retro look in comparison to other shows, but at the same time to try to reflect the design advancements of current space vehicles and not go for the look of the original series. Then, when the first pictures of the ship appeared, confusion ran riot over the look which seemed a bit too modern...

There are two main considerations regarding the look of the new Enterprise. First is the exterior look of the ship and the way it has been designed (which bears more than a striking resemblance to the Akira class ships), and the second covers the internal look including the bridge layout and other aspects of the ship, both of which can be explained quite easily.

First, I'll look at the exterior design. The general look of the nacelles was pretty much established in First Contact with the Phoenix having the two cylindrical nacelles supported on pylons away from the main hull. The look of these was reminiscent of the nacelles on the original series Enerprise and it makes sense that the look of these didn't change for over 200 years from Zefram Cochrane's days until Kirk took to the command chair.

The main question fans asked about Enterprise was the overall design. What prompted Starfleet to design the ship with a saucer section and a main hull, and why is the look of the ship so similar to the Akira class (as I mentioned earlier)? Well, after watching First Contact, I think it's safe to say that Cochrane was not only impressed by his 24th century visitors, but more than a little inspired by them as well. It was from this first test flight that Cochrane's attitude changed and he became the optimistic engineer that he was remembered for.

But where did the design come from? Well, if you remember in First Contact, Cochrane saw the Enterprise E on several occasions - first through the telescope and later on when he saw it close up while on board the Phoenix. To see his technology being used in such an advanced ship must have left an impression on him. So much, in fact, that when the Enterprise was being designed, the idea of the saucer and twin nacelle look immediately came to mind. At the same time, it does make you think where Cochrane's team got the idea for the ship's name from too...!

But what of the Akira class, you ask? Well, granted, the similarities between the two are startling and you have to wonder if it is more than just coincidence or the studio hoping that the fans would never notice! However, sticking the "on-screen" thinking, perhaps the look of the Akira class was influenced by the original Enterprise and not the other way around? It has been established over and over again in Star Trek that significant ship names are carried on down the generations, so why not basic ship designs as well? Since Kirk's days, the basic shape of the various Enterprises has remained the same but with slight changes to reflect the times. Maybe the Akira class was just continuing this trend?

Okay, then we come onto the Interior design. Military vessels and space exploration vessels as we know them today don't have a circular bridge - they are often more of a command post structure, so why did the Enterprise have a circular bridge (not to mention the Ready Room!)? Again, this could be traced back to First Contact which was obviously a massive influence in the formation and much of the thinking taking place with Starfleet.

As you will remember, Cochrane's assistant, Lily Sloane, visited the Enterprise E. During that time, she saw Sickbay, the Shuttle Bay, the Bridge and the Conference Room. Although we don't know how involved Lily was in Cochrane's warp programme after the events in First Contact, it's not unreasonable to assume that she had some say in the look and feel of the ship. That being the case, after seeing how efficient the Enterprise's bridge ran, why not adopt the idea for Cochrane's own ship?

If nothing else, it's also a practical and very functional layout. Everything centres around the Captain, each of the positions on the bridge can be seen easily by the Captain who has a better degree of control than he/she would have if all their crew were lined up against one large control panel. It's also safer from a technological point of view - if one console is damaged, it won't affect other systems on the bridge - something which modern day vessels have to be aware of.

So, as you can see, it's not that far-fetched to explain the design and layout of the Enterprise NX-01. It's unlikely that the studio put any real thought into the design and the look of the ship, but at least there is... as T'Pol would say... a perfectly logical explanation...