Star Trek: The Next Generationintroduced a new starship feature that the franchise has only used three times since its introduction. Set about 100 years afterStar Trek: The Original Series, TNGused the state-of-the-art USS Enterprise-D to show how Starfleet’s technology had improved since the 23rd century. From more efficient communicators and transporters to improved medical treatments, the United Federation of Planets made a lot of technological progress betweenTOSandTNG. Not only was the Enterprise-D much larger than theEnterprise of Captain James T. Kirk(William Shatner), it also boasted several features that Kirk’s ship never used.
One of the coolest new features of Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s (Patrick Stewart) Enterprise-D was the ship’s ability to separate into two operational halves. If the Enterprise became engaged in a dangerous battle, the ship could separate its saucer and drive sections. The senior officers could then take control of the drive section to fend off the threat, whilethe civilians and families were ferried to safety on the saucer section.TheEnterprise-D’s ability to separatewas put on full display inTNG’spremiere, “Encounter at Farpoint,” but the ship only used the maneuver a handful of times after that incident.
Star Trek Has Only Used The Saucer Separation Three Times Since TNG’s Era
Starships Have Separated In Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek Beyond, & Star Trek: Discovery
Although the Enterprise-D and many subsequent starships were built with the ability to separate, the saucer separation maneuver was reserved for emergencies.Star Trekhas only employed the move on three separate occasionssince the Enterprise-D last employed the move inStar Trek Generations: once each inStar Trek: Voyager,Star Trek Beyond, andStar Trek: Discovery. InVoyagerseason 4, episode 14, “Message in a Bottle,” USS Voyager’s holographic Doctor (Robert Picardo) visits the USS Prometheus in the Alpha Quadrant. A new experimental warship, the Prometheus can separate into three warp-capable vessels to attack enemy ships.
Every Starship Enterprise & Discovery Saucer Separation In Star Trek
As seen in TNG, some versions of Star Trek’s Enterprise can conduct a saucer separation to gain a tactical advantage or flee emergency situations.
Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) is forced to initiate a saucer separation of his Enterprise when Krall (Idris Elba) attacks the ship inStar Trek Beyond. Krall temporarily interrupts the separation sequence, before Lt. Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldaña) manages to complete it.The maneuver comes too late, however, and the Enterprise’s saucer section crash-landson the nearby planet Altamid. Most recently, the USS Discovery demonstrated its ability to separate in theStar Trek: Discoveryseries finale, “Life, Itself.” In a battle with the Breen,Discovery uses a separation maneuverto jump the Breen dreadnought to a distant location using the spore drive.
Star Trek Is Right To Reserve The Saucer Separation For Special Situations
Saucer Separation Is A Bold Move That Is Employed As A Last Resort
Although the ability to separate was built into the Enterprise-D from the beginning, the saucer separation sequence proved expensive to shoot and producers felt it slowed down the story too much. Because of this, the ship rarely employed the maneuver, even in times when it would have been helpful. Still, considering how complex and dangerous the move could be,it makes sense that Starfleet vessels would only employ a saucer separation in particularly unique situations. The sequence also looks great on screen and it would lose some of its appeal if Starfleet ships were separating all the time.
Gene Roddenberry and those who worked onStar Trek: The Original Seriesimagined that Captain Kirk’s Enterprise also had the ability to separate, but this was not seen onscreen untilStar Trek Beyond.
Starfleet vessels are obviously built to work best as a singular unit, so it does not make sense to separate them unless absolutely necessary. It would be unwise to put the lives of the bridge crew in unnecessary danger in the drive section unless it was the only way to save everyone else on the ship. Even inStar Trek: Discovery,Starfleet vessels are not seen separating often despite the more advanced technology of the 32nd century.Star Trek: The Next GenerationshowedStar Trek’sfirst-ever onscreen saucer separation, laying the groundwork for future starships to make use of the maneuver.
