Spoilers Starship Design in Star Trek: Picard

[137th Gebirg]

At least they aren't repurposed DSC shuttles, like the school buses and taxis.

This is actually not without a real-world precedent. Checker Cab was a well-known manufacturer of taxis in New York City throughout most of the 20th century. Its iconic exterior design remained virtually untouched for nearly 40 years between the WWII era and 1982, when fuel economy restrictions finally forced them to upgrade the whole thing, inside and out.

Did PIC reuse DISCO models? Yes.

Are they a 23rd century design considered to be just as iconic as the Checker Cab (they are also yellow, after all) in the late 24th century that they felt the need to preserve it (perhaps for nostalgia's sake), just upgrade the interior to coincide with 24th century technological advancements? Also yes.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

This is actually not without a real-world precedent. Checker Cab was a well-known manufacturer of taxis in New York City throughout most of the 20th century. Its iconic exterior design remained virtually untouched between WWII and 1982, where fuel economy restrictions finally forced them to upgrade the whole thing.

Did PIC reuse DISCO models? Yes.

Are they a 23rd century design considered to be just as iconic as the Checker Cab (they are also yellow, after all) in the late 24th century that they felt the need to preserve it (perhaps for nostalgia's sake), just upgrade the interior to coincide with 24th century technological advancements? Also yes.

No doubt they aren't from Discovery's time, but like you say, they're the same CGI model.

Or if they're in the private sector, maybe they are fairly old.

 

[Racefuel]

Having simple, useful designs being reused for 100+ years isn't that strange in context of what they are.

Hell, the Excelsior class was still in service as late as 2379, having been originally introduced in the early 2280's

 

[BillJ]

It's pretty clear they're setting this up as a "end of life adventure" for Picard.

Probably not, as the show got renewed for a second, and I believe, a third season.

 

[137th Gebirg]

Just looked at the image close up - YES! It does seem we actually see 'Admiral' Picard (still a strange new concept!) in action...

Strange that he accepted the Admiralty, after Kirk told Picard not to ever let them promote him.

 

[Timo]

We see two of the DSC shuttles in the first two episodes, that is, in the second episode. Were both perhaps serving as taxis? The first, behind the windows of SF HQ, wasn't yellow, white and black, but that need not mean much.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Racefuel]

Probably not, as the show got renewed for a second, and I believe, a third season.

I don't mean this season..I mean the show in general.

The slow decay of a hero style thing.

 

[Danlav05]

Strange that he accepted the Admiralty, after Kirk told Picard not to ever let them promote him.

From what we know it was because of the impending destruction of Romulus. He left the Enterprise to lend his expertise to the Romulan people and lead the rescue mission. I t was an extreme circumstance that led him to a new mission rather than vanity.

 

[BillJ]

I don't mean this season..I mean the show in general.

The slow decay of a hero style thing.

I really wish it was a "one season and go out in a blaze of glory" type deal.

 

[Racefuel]

Strange that he accepted the Admiralty, after Kirk told Picard not to ever let them promote him.

But he didn't leave the Enterprise after the promotion, or so it seemed. Admirals were allowed, at least some, to have personal flagships, so it's possible that Picard accepted promotion on the caveat that he be allowed to retain command of the Enterprise.

It's also possible that Starfleet have instituted a similar system to the US military's "up or out" program where you can only refuse promotion so many times before you're forced out, thus why Riker suddenly accepted promotion and command of the Titan.

 

[BillJ]

But he didn't leave the Enterprise after the promotion...

I think the story is that he left the Enterprise in 2381, two years after Star Trek: Nemesis.

 

[DaveyNY]

...So, what's the dirt on the backstory?

Both in- and out-universe, that is. Although I doubt Eaglemoss would know much beyond what we heard in "Brother", there might be a nugget there. Or then not. But learning what the producers told the artists about what they want is precious, too.

Also, oddly for a "landing pod", this one doesn't appear to feature a means of landing! The chute launch utterly hides such means anyway. The door is supposedly on the back somehow, despite the engines being there, too. How does this thing look sitting on the ground (rather than landing in a thousand pieces like when a hero or a redshirt flies one)?

Timo Saloniemi

It doesn't really say how the pilot enters it.
It does have a picture of the thing essentially coming apart in sections for Emergency Escapes while on the fly, but there is no obvious hatch apparent in the booklet pics.
(or on the model)

My guess is since the "Bubble' that surrounds and is attached to the pilot seat at the back, rotates freely within the frame, it probably has a "hatch" somewhere on it that opens kinda like the way their space helmets did and that is how one gets in & out.

 

[Timo]

A transparent sphere was a key element in many of Jeffries' sketches for assorted auxiliaries. Very 1950s. Very doable with advanced materials that might open up without seams, or might consist of nothing but forcefields in the first place. Although considering DSC's choice of how to portray 2250s forcefields, probably not the latter.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Racefuel]

I think the story is that he left the Enterprise in 2381, two years after Star Trek: Nemesis.

Yeah maybe so...I guess we'll get more info eventually maybe? It was kind of vague with the reporter saying "you left the Enterprise to command the fleet" or something like that

 

[Noname Given]

It's pretty clear they're setting this up as a "end of life adventure" for Picard.

^^^
To be continued in Season 2 of course

 

[Racefuel]

^^^
To be continued in Season 2 of course

Well yeah, just not a "1 season" adventure.

My guess is the exploration of Picard aging and struggling with mortality will continue into Season 2, and naturally there's an opportunity for Q to show up as Picard is at the end of his..."trial".

 

[Ronald Held]

Hoping the Discoprise gets refit by 2265 to look like the TOS version.

 

[F. King Daniel]

The (non-canon) TNG Technical Manual once said the galaxy class had an anticipated service life of 100 years..

I think that's a bit generous, but barring any fundamental flaws in the Sovereign class design, I don't see why 50-60 years wouldn't be realistic for such an inherently powerful design as we saw it in FC/Ins/Nem.

The NX01 lasted 100 years in "E2". Discovery lasts 1000 as of "Calypso". I doubt all those Excelsiors, Oberths and Mirandas in TNG/DS9 are new builds, either.

 

[Racefuel]

Hoping the Discoprise gets refit by 2265 to look like the TOS version.

If that were the case they would have shown a refit or such version in Picard.

The most that might happen is it gets a new paintjob

 

[Ronald Held]

If that were the case they would have shown a refit or such version in Picard.

The most that might happen is it gets a new paintjob

Did not have that CG model to use,so the Pike one was shown.