Spoilers Star Trek: Prodigy 1x20 - "Supernova, Part 2"

[Macintosh]

In the extreme case, assuming the dates on Memory Alpha are accurate, construction on the Enterprise NCC-1701-A was completed in 2287 (the date of the events of Star Trek V) and it was decommissioned in 2293 (after the events of Star Trek VI) for only a 6-year lifespan.

I have two potential headcanony explanations for that:

• The Enterprise-A was already commissioned as another ship prior to being the Enterprise-A, and it wasn't newly built as of 2287. I like the explanation in Mr Scott's Guide to the Enterprise that it was one of the "second generation" of Constitution-class ships, i.e. it didn't exist in a TOS configuration and it was built from scratch to meet or exceed the 1701's post-refit specs some time in the 2270s. This would explain why, for example, it has noticeably more advanced user interfaces on the bridge and a different model of warp core. Perhaps Starfleet used this "second generation" to test technologies that would be integrated into the Excelsior.

• With the original 1701 having been recently destroyed and the 1701-A still counting as "Kirk's Enterprise", Starfleet had the 1701-A declared of special historical significance on Kirk and crew's retirement even though on paper it still had many years of service left in it.

These aren't mutually exclusive. After all, if the Enterprise-A really were built in the mid- to late-2270s she's still less than 20 years old in The Undiscovered Country, and Constitution-class starships do seem to have remarkable longevity. Aside from the original 1701 herself notching up 40 years of service, there's the Potemkin NCC-1657, which appears onscreen in TOS: "The Ultimate Computer" and is listed on the "Operation Retrieve" plans in TUC, by which point she must be nearly 50 years old.

 

[cooleddie74]

In my head canon the 1701-A was another Connie prior to the Whale Probe Crisis and she was given a fresh lick of paint with a new name and registry number after Kirk and his officers saved the planet, with the rest of the systems upgrades happening over roughly the following year by which time she was in the shape seen in Star Trek V. No way was a late 23rd century Connie constructed, launched and then decommissioned in just seven years' time.

I know the Excelsior-class was the new hot thing by 2293 and was about to supplant the Connies for flagship and top vessel in Starfleet but the 1701-A had to be older than that, possibly a whole lot older.

 

[Tuskin38]

the nacelles on the shuttles may hint at what the Voy-A's warp engines could look like. If Prodigy follows that design tradition.

 

[Oddish]

I’d rather it just be the actual Voyager. No bloody A, B, C or D.
They just need to bring back Ensign Harry Kim. Make sure his rank is lower than the kids.

If they bring back Harry as an eternal ensign, they should do it on "Lower Decks", and the way Garrett Wang himself proposed: after realizing his career is well and truly trashed, Harry leaves Starfleet and opens up a place near Starfleet Academy: Admiral Kim's Bar and Grill. Since Ensigns and below get discounts, it's the perfect place for the lower deckers to hang out. Maybe Garrett will even get to do his imitations.

If they bring back Harry on Prodigy, they should resolve this bit of stupidity, not perpetuate it: Harry should be at least a lieutenant commander.

Has that been said? The ship is just over 10 years old. That’s young for a starship

But it got in a whole lot of fights, with no shipyard to properly repair it. Not to mention assorted anomalies. You put a ship through the pummeling Voyager got, it's likely to retire early. By comparison, Geordi reminds us that a ship like Scotty's Jenolan could easily have been in service after 70 years.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

We may or may not find out about Voyager A in season 2, but that second Protostar class ship could very well be it. It would be a fitting name for a long range ship like that.

 

[Airmandan]

Would SF even allow Janeway to go get Chakotay from the future? If he’s somewhere in the future they generally frown on anything time travel related. I Wonder if the DTI makes an appearance next season.

 

[Dukhat]

We may or may not find out about Voyager A in season 2, but that second Protostar class ship could very well be it. It would be a fitting name for a long range ship like that.

That’s definitely a possibility, but I hope not. I would rather the Voyager-A be a new class.

 

[Oddish]

Maybe Voyager A could be Harry's ship. I said he should at least be a LCDR... but if they want to have him be a captain, that'll be Ok too.

 

[The Wormhole]

Would SF even allow Janeway to go get Chakotay from the future? If he’s somewhere in the future they generally frown on anything time travel related.

Why not? He's in the future, there's no risk of contaminating the timeline. This isn't the 32nd century where all forms of time travel are illegal.

 

[Fateor]

Cool to see the Protostar become a production vessel class, though.

Very much so.

Though... I guess that means Discovery's future has been fully carted off to a different timeline from the main at this point.

 

[cooleddie74]

Or more likely that the spore hub drive has been so deeply buried in Starfleet classified files that it'll be generations or even centuries before anyone else openly speaks of the technology.

 

[Dukhat]

I think what he means is that the Protostar drive conflicts with DSC season 3 where is it stated that no one could find a better alternative to space travel in 800 years than dilithium-powered regular warp drive. So either the Protostar drive is destined to fail, or it was ‘classified’ like the spore drive, or it’s just a continuity disconnect, like the TOS/SNW visuals.

Of course, PRO shows that everyone can seem to cross vast interstellar distances in no time, without any sufficient in-show explanation, so the whole point of planets not being in contact with each other after the Burn seems moot.

 

[fireproof78]

Or more likely that the spore hub drive has been so deeply buried in Starfleet classified files that it'll be generations or even centuries before anyone else openly speaks of the technology.

Eh, even if they looked at it it would still require harvesting the spores, and use/abuse of a tardigrade or genetically modified navigator.

 

[cooleddie74]

And by a future century there might be strict laws against exploitation of such life forms, even for peaceful interstellar travel.

 

[fireproof78]

Especially if the use causes physical harm.

 

[Photoman15]

I have two potential headcanony explanations for that:

• The Enterprise-A was already commissioned as another ship prior to being the Enterprise-A, and it wasn't newly built as of 2287. I like the explanation in Mr Scott's Guide to the Enterprise that it was one of the "second generation" of Constitution-class ships, i.e. it didn't exist in a TOS configuration and it was built from scratch to meet or exceed the 1701's post-refit specs some time in the 2270s. This would explain why, for example, it has noticeably more advanced user interfaces on the bridge and a different model of warp core. Perhaps Starfleet used this "second generation" to test technologies that would be integrated into the Excelsior.

• With the original 1701 having been recently destroyed and the 1701-A still counting as "Kirk's Enterprise", Starfleet had the 1701-A declared of special historical significance on Kirk and crew's retirement even though on paper it still had many years of service left in it.

These aren't mutually exclusive. After all, if the Enterprise-A really were built in the mid- to late-2270s she's still less than 20 years old in The Undiscovered Country, and Constitution-class starships do seem to have remarkable longevity. Aside from the original 1701 herself notching up 40 years of service, there's the Potemkin NCC-1657, which appears onscreen in TOS: "The Ultimate Computer" and is listed on the "Operation Retrieve" plans in TUC, by which point she must be nearly 50 years old.

IIRC, Enterprise-A was originally the USS Yorktown, but rechristened Enterprise (A) because of Kirk & Company saving the universe (yet again).

 

[Fateor]

Or more likely that the spore hub drive has been so deeply buried in Starfleet classified files that it'll be generations or even centuries before anyone else openly speaks of the technology.

I think what he means is that the Protostar drive conflicts with DSC season 3 where is it stated that no one could find a better alternative to space travel in 800 years than dilithium-powered regular warp drive. So either the Protostar drive is destined to fail, or it was ‘classified’ like the spore drive, or it’s just a continuity disconnect, like the TOS/SNW visuals.

Of course, PRO shows that everyone can seem to cross vast interstellar distances in no time, without any sufficient in-show explanation, so the whole point of planets not being in contact with each other after the Burn seems moot.

This. ^^

Though on that note, it's more likely Discovery just takes place in the B timeline where the Protostar was lost and the class/drive never moved past prototype status.

Also, the Dauntless was mentioned as using Slipstream to cross it's vast interstellar distances.

 

[AnimationAdmiral]

Don't know if it's been mentioned, but in the very last scene, Zero has legs in one shot, and no legs in another... Normally I never notice such nitpicky things, but I was wondering if that could not have been fixed in post....?

They’ve shown multiple times in the series that Zero’s legs can retract quickly into their containment suit, like landing struts.

I think what he means is that the Protostar drive conflicts with DSC season 3 where is it stated that no one could find a better alternative to space travel in 800 years than dilithium-powered regular warp drive. So either the Protostar drive is destined to fail, or it was ‘classified’ like the spore drive, or it’s just a continuity disconnect, like the TOS/SNW visuals.

Of course, PRO shows that everyone can seem to cross vast interstellar distances in no time, without any sufficient in-show explanation, so the whole point of planets not being in contact with each other after the Burn seems moot.

They established that the Protostar still requires dilithium to function. They even namecheck the Proto-core’s primary component being “an exotic matter dilithium matrix.”

They also have been hinting in multiple shows (PIC, DIS S3, PRO) that after the Borg were decimated by Janeway in “Endgame”, other species have been using the abandoned transwarp conduits as shortcuts between quadrants, but they are risky.

 

[Dukhat]

They established that the Protostar still requires dilithium to function. They even namecheck the Proto-core’s primary component being “an exotic matter dilithium matrix.”

But the Protostar drive still seems to be a better and more advanced drive than standard warp, regardless of the fact that it still uses dilithium. So why didn’t they continue to use it?

 

[captainkirk]

That was the best first season and the best finale of all the streaming Trek shows and it's not even close.

I didn't get a chance to watch part one last week with preparations for Christmas, so I watched both of them together and as a result, I didn't have any pacing criticisms. It was epic, emotional, and pure Star Trek.

I can't wait for season 2, although I'll miss Hologram Janeway and the Protostar.