Star Trek/Enterprise "First"

[James Staley]

I have a question (or questions) about a lot of things that Star Trek and the starship Enterprise were first in doing or accomplishing, a lot of things that are taken for granted nowadays. Everyone please feel free to chime into this and put your 2 credits worth in to make this list more complete, or to correct something if it's wrong.

Star Trek was the first series EVER where the spaceship/starship did NOT look like a V-2 rocket! The Enterprise actually DID AWAY with the concept that a rocketship/starship should be streamlined. The Enterprise was the first space-going vessel where the engines were actually mounted OUTSIDE of the hull of the ship.
Star Trek was the first series to introduce the idea or concept that the ship was part of a "series" or "class" of ships just like earth military vessels are today. And that class was called the "Constitution" class and that there were 12 ships in it.
While aliens from other worlds was hardly a new concept, Star Trek introduced the Vulcans, a race of people that were devoted to the peaceable pursuit of "logic" above all else.
The Communicator, a device that would allow a person on a plant to communicate with the ship in orbit and was small enough to fit in your pocket or carry on a belt. And the tricorder, a small device that would give you scientific information.
The Transporter. A way to travel quickly and safely from the ship to the planet (&vice-versa) by breaking down matter and then putting it back together again (hopefully in the same order!), leaving out the need for a shuttlecraft or other physical transport.

 

[Tosk]

Star Trek was the first series EVER where the spaceship/starship did NOT look like a V-2 rocket!

I don't think so. Jupiter II and the TARDIS both beat it, and there are probably heaps of other obvious ones I'm forgetting right now.

 

[MacLeod]

I'm certain Thunderbird 3 had it's engines mounted outside of the main hull of the ship, yes it was a SSTO rocket.

Whilst ST might have brought some ideas more in to the mainstream I don't think it has as many firsts as some might think, take PADD's for example, from memory we see something similar in the film 2001

 

[The Wormhole]

Star Trek was the first series to introduce the idea or concept that the ship was part of a "series" or "class" of ships just like earth military vessels are today. And that class was called the "Constitution" class and that there were 12 ships in it.

Actually, in TOS it was just called "Starship class." The term Constitution class wouldn't be thought up until Franz Joseph's stuff in the 70s and wouldn't make it on screen until TNG.

The Communicator, a device that would allow a person on a plant to communicate with the ship in orbit and was small enough to fit in your pocket or carry on a belt. And the tricorder, a small device that would give you scientific information.

I'm finding it very hard to believe Star Trek was the first sci-fi series to think up communications or scanning devices.

 

[Shawnster]

Actually, in TOS it was just called "Starship class." The term Constitution class wouldn't be thought up until Franz Joseph's stuff in the 70s and wouldn't make it on screen until TNG.

I'm finding it very hard to believe Star Trek was the first sci-fi series to think up communications or scanning devices.

Constitution Class appears on the Phaser graphic Kahn is looking at in Space Seed. It may not have been visible on a TV in the 60s, but it was thought up prior to Franz Joseph.

 

[Tuskin38]

Constitution Class appears on the Phaser graphic Kahn is looking at in Space Seed. It may not have been visible on a TV in the 60s, but it was thought up prior to Franz Joseph.

It was also called Constitution class in one of the Episode scripts.
Might have been Space Seed as well.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Star Trek was the first series EVER where the spaceship/starship did NOT look like a V-2 rocket! The Enterprise actually DID AWAY with the concept that a rocketship/starship should be streamlined.

Other non "V-2" ships have appeared on film and TV prior to Star Trek. The C-57D from Forbidden Planet comes to mind.

The Enterprise was the first space-going vessel where the engines were actually mounted OUTSIDE of the hull of the ship.

Ships with external engines weren't uncommon either

tar Trek was the first series to introduce the idea or concept that the ship was part of a "series" or "class" of ships just like earth military vessels are today. And that class was called the "Constitution" class and that there were 12 ships in it.

I'm sure there were precedents in literary SF.

While aliens from other worlds was hardly a new concept, Star Trek introduced the Vulcans, a race of people that were devoted to the peaceable pursuit of "logic" above all else.

Yes, Vulcans are unique to Star Trek. But I don't think logic oriented aliens are.

The Communicator, a device that would allow a person on a plant to communicate with the ship in orbit and was small enough to fit in your pocket or carry on a belt. And the tricorder, a small device that would give you scientific information.

Forbidden Planet also had belt mounted communicators.

The Transporter. A way to travel quickly and safely from the ship to the planet (&vice-versa) by breaking down matter and then putting it back together again (hopefully in the same order!), leaving out the need for a shuttlecraft or other physical transport.

The transporter/teleporter has been a staple of SF almost as long as there has been SF.