First Look @ USS ProtoStar in ST:Prodigy | TrekYards

[Deks]

I think it was sent just before Endgame and failed to return when recalled…looking beached on that crevice. The second ship?
Who knows? Same model, but recalled. Older but suffering com failure and still in transit?

Prodigy is set in 2383. That's 5 years after Voyager returned home. At the moment, there's no reason to think the Protostar wasn't launched after the events in VOY 'Endgame' and testing experimental technologies that SF cooked up from Voyager's database.

The ship itself could be older (aka built shortly after Voyager was taken to the DQ as the registry indicates its was about 2200th ship after Voyager to be built - which could have easily been done in the first 2 years since VOY was lost if the UFP builds about 1000 new ships every year during peace-time) and one of several other NX class ships which are used as testbeds for new technologies.
The Protostar could have been one of several other NX class ships equipped with technologies VOY brought back which had a malfunction and ended up in the DQ by mistake.
In-universe wise, I'm sure they could say that SF lost the ability to track the ship and with severed contact, SF couldn't retrieve it, and with Protostar being potentially damaged as a result, it couldn't return on its own (that is if it was unmanned... and if it wasn't then the crew might have abandoned the ship or they died in transit).

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

The one design aspect that bothers me the most is the damn JJ-verse Warp Nacelles.

Other than that, I generally like the design.

 

[Deks]

The one design aspect that bothers me the most is the damn JJ-verse Warp Nacelles.

Other than that, I generally like the design.

I noticed that as well at the very start.
The nacelles look out of place for the era they were supposed to have been built in.
Its the 24th century after all... not the 23rd... therefore, design wise, the prime-universe would have no idea of the differences in ship designs between theirs and JJ-verse.

Although there are... possibilities.
UFP might have discovered what happened to Spock in Admiral Janeway's timeline some time after the Romulan star went Nova (which occurred in 2387, whereas Admiral Janeway travelled from the year 2404)... and this info could have been in admiral Janeway's shuttle.

If she downloaded that database into Voyager's before leaving the ship to enact the final mission (which would make sense to me), then the only way I can see prime-universe timeline knowing about JJ-style 100 year old nacelle design would be through that database.
They might have decided to try out a different nacelle design which would be integrated on the Protostar after Voyager returned home... trying it out as part of new FTL propulsion system (for all we know, the Protostar didn't have those nacelles originally).

Though that scenario creates another set of problems.
SF didn't use the deployable armor or transphasic torpedoes after Voyager returned home (the Enterprise-E certainly didn't use either).. and I think they might also be reluctant about using the future database too... though in fairness, as far as they are concerned, that future would not come to pass because Voyager came back a lot sooner, so we don't know what decision they would use in that regard (or the Department of Temporal Investigations may have confiscated the database - in which case, they probably wouldn't have been able to use the information anyway).

So, in that regard, the nacelles are indeed an oddity.

Although, they may have also told a computer to run an algorithm and come up with the best possible design for FTL on the Protostar, and it may have come up with something like that.
From their perspective, it would certainly be 'new' and different. Nothing says the nacelle design of the 24th century would have to be 'better' than the JJ universe one (might also explain why ships are so fast in the JJ universe).

 

[saddestmoon]

My feeling is that the nacelle choice is very deliberate - and I’m hoping it does relate to the Kelvinverse - in some tangible manner.

 

[Deks]

My feeling is that the nacelle choice is very deliberate - and I’m hoping it does relate to the Kelvinverse - in some tangible manner.

Oooh... what if the Protostar is a 24th century Kelvin timeline starship (built shortly after VOY was lost)?
We already know the SF uniforms from that timeline's 24th century are the same as those on TNG... that could imply that a lot of what happened in the prime timeline of the 24th century could have happened in the Kelvin timeline as well regardless of Narada's actions (some events would happen again).

VOY could have still been pulled to the DQ, and the Protostar (after VOY return) could have been equipped with experimental technologies and ended up in the prime universe when testing some of them.

That could explain the older nacelle design. Its a Kelvin timeline ship... and it might also explain why Janeway's hologram is still a captain when we know she was promoted to Admiral practically immediately after Voyager's return (almost 2 years after Voyager got home, she issued orders to Picard to go to Romulus in ST: Nemesis - which takes place on stardate 56844.9... VOY returned to the Federation on stardate 54973.4 - or closer to 55000 if you take into account that they still had to plan how to destroy the TW hub).

If the Protostar is a prime timeline ship... then I stick by previous answer and Admiral Janeway's shuttle database having the nacelle designs after her SF discovered what happened to Spock).

 

[matthunter]

Technically, we have no idea WHAT rank the Janeway hologram holds, if any. She may appear with pips, but Starfleet (even in the Prime timeline) was reluctant to acknowledge the Doctor's rights, and we're only 5-6 years on. I doubt they've allowed holo-Captains in the interim, especially in the more... reactionary... Kelvin timeline.

STO is not canon, of course, but there it took a good few decades before the Doctor won full rights (including Starfleet not confiscating the mobile emitter for study) and ended up with the rank of Lt. Commander.

I believe the original statements about Prodigy (once it was revealed Janeway would be present) were that the hologram is intended as a training/advisory tool for lost Starfleet crews. So likely not programmed to act exactly as the "take charge" original would.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

At least Captain Janeway is forever immortalized like the EMH was.

 

[Deks]

Technically, we have no idea WHAT rank the Janeway hologram holds, if any. She may appear with pips, but Starfleet (even in the Prime timeline) was reluctant to acknowledge the Doctor's rights, and we're only 5-6 years on. I doubt they've allowed holo-Captains in the interim, especially in the more... reactionary... Kelvin timeline.

The Prodigy interviews thus far have said that its Captain Janeway as a hologram.
Also, Voyager crew made the EMH the ECH in case of emergencies and it was a success. I don't think Starfleet would shy away from allowing Captain Janeway hologram (who already has command experience and is based on the real Janeway) to take charge if its really needed in the same manner the ECH did.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it wasn't Starfleet which was reluctant to acknowledge the Doc's rights, it was the judge.
If anything, Starfleet (aka his Voyager crew) and Barclay in the AQ who advocated for him, backed him up... and while he may not have been recognized as a person by the judge at the time, he was given the ability to control his work.
5-6 years is a long time... and I doubt some more progress wasn't made in that regard (at least as far as the Doctor goes).
Also, the judge's decision likely wouldn't have had much of an impact on Starfleet itself. So if SF wants to grant a holo captain to take charge if its necessary... then it will be able to.

Also, STO is not canon, so there is no reason to use an example from there.

What does Kelvin timeline have to do with being more 'reactionary'? How is it more reactionary? Genuinely asking as I'm a bit confused with the wording here.

Thus far, we've only seen a small portion of the 23rd century in that timeline... not the 24th. Holograms like the doctor weren't exactly common place in the 23rd century... so a lot could have changed in 100 years on AI front and SF's stance on using holograms for assisting the crew or taking over even in case of emergencies.

I believe the original statements about Prodigy (once it was revealed Janeway would be present) were that the hologram is intended as a training/advisory tool for lost Starfleet crews. So likely not programmed to act exactly as the "take charge" original would.

Yes, it was stated she's a training hologram... but (again) with a rank of 'captain'.
However, I don't see why she couldn't take charge of the Protostar like the ECH took command of Voyager.
Janeway holo is based on her after all, and as such would likely been programmed with command experience... especially if a ship is full of teens who have limited or no idea of how a real starship works - although SF ships are really easy to use through verbal computer interfaces.

The rank is odd to me as I would have thought the hologram of Janeway would have used her latest rank.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I'm gonna say they're using Kelvinprise nacelles for one simple reason: They look good. And that's why everything in Trek, ever. The end.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

They look good

That's incredibly Subjective to the eye of the beholder.

 

[Timo]

I'd say credibly subjective...

...but era-specificity or era-identity is something we can't credibly judge. Basically, as per DSC, everything we see of the Protostar here is smack on for a 2250s starship: the large windows of the bridge, the flat interfaces, the curves of the furniture, the hull exterior detail and, yes, the nacelles!

Timo Saloniemi

 

[fireproof78]

I'm gonna say they're using Kelvinprise nacelles for one simple reason: They look good. And that's why everything in Trek, ever. The end.

Yup.