Spoilers Starship Design in Star Trek: Picard

[Timo]

We know the Cardassian War lasted for a decade or so at least - DS9 "Tribunal" refers to major fighting taking place in 2362 still. So Captain Picard meeting them in 2355, the same year he lost the ship, would not be out of place; the guess at Memory Alpha is 2354.

Conversely, we don't really know when the Cardassian War started. O'Brien's meeting with them in 2347 wasn't it yet - this was a peacetime incident. So we can give the war something between eleven and nineteen years (it's over in 2366, it hasn't started in 2347). Picard himself doesn't appear to have been personally touched by it much.

The ship looks like it's from 2280, inside and out. You could've had the Stargazer in one of the early TOS Films and it wouldn't have looked out of place. Right down to the bridge being the same set. So, I think that in Picard's experience, the Stargazer was old to begin with.

The "to begin with" part is the interesting one in this respect. Does it refer to young Ensign Picard first setting foot on the tub? Or to middle-aged Commander Picard first setting foot on her? We still don't know at which rank he first encountered that vessel. If we could argue that a ship looking externally more or less like those eternally young Mirandas will only become geriatric in the 2350s, we gain evidence in favor of the latter rank. If we say the antique interiors make her hopeless in the 2320s already, we do not learn anything much.

As for the Reliant award, it looks like something presented to a former crewmate who made good - that is, is currently called Captain Picard. The ceremony where Jean-Luc gets that one could well take place in 2364, even if his distinguished service aboard the ship happened in 2328 at Ensign rank instead.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Lord Garth]

We know the Cardassian War lasted for a decade or so at least - DS9 "Tribunal" refers to major fighting taking place in 2362 still. So Captain Picard meeting them in 2355, the same year he lost the ship, would not be out of place; the guess at Memory Alpha is 2354.

Conversely, we don't really know when the Cardassian War started. O'Brien's meeting with them in 2347 wasn't it yet - this was a peacetime incident. So we can give the war something between eleven and nineteen years (it's over in 2366, it hasn't started in 2347). Picard himself doesn't appear to have been personally touched by it much.



The "to begin with" part is the interesting one in this respect. Does it refer to young Ensign Picard first setting foot on the tub? Or to middle-aged Commander Picard first setting foot on her? We still don't know at which rank he first encountered that vessel. If we could argue that a ship looking externally more or less like those eternally young Mirandas will only become geriatric in the 2350s, we gain evidence in favor of the latter rank. If we say the antique interiors make her hopeless in the 2320s already, we do not learn anything much.

As for the Reliant award, it looks like something presented to a former crewmate who made good - that is, is currently called Captain Picard. The ceremony where Jean-Luc gets that one could well take place in 2364, even if his distinguished service aboard the ship happened in 2328 at Ensign rank instead.

Timo Saloniemi

I think it would be "old" in the 2320s. The Stargazer -- as we saw it -- would've looked a "little old" in TUC. Both the Enterprise-A and the Excelsior looked more advanced. In 2293. Let's not even get into 30 years later.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Another timeline, but the Stargazer was leaving Yorktown just after the Enterprise arrived in Star Trek Beyond in 2263.

It would fit well with the Disco fleet.

 

[Timo]

I think DSC does a good job at showing that Starfleet never has just one generation of ships in operation. Two or three distinct families of nacelles, half a dozen distinct hull styles... Perhaps there was a slight streamlining effort soon thereafter, to generate a fleet mostly featuring Mirandas, Connie refits, Constellations and Sydneys, all closely related. But probably not - we saw so little of Starfleet in the TOS movies (and never saw the Constellations and Sydneys there, and did see the Oberths and Excelsiors and one Crossfield lookalike) that the fleet off camera may have been at least as diverse as in DSC, only probably with even more diverse nacelles. And TNG then (that is, before!) establishes a well-mixed fleet, too.

"Fitting in" is not an in-universe requirement at all... Although it would be fun if certain looks did denote certain originating eras, so that we could identify the hero ship as "old" or "new" for dramatic purposes. Kirk's always was supposed to be old; DSC helps make the case that it also "looks old", but it doesn't close that case.

...I wonder if the eventual ships of PIC will help make the case that the E-D "looks old" in the context. It's not blatantly obvious that the E-E has newer looks than the E-D, say; might be the Sovereign design is an older one, less elegant than the Galaxy one. But the designers do have the power to establish the looks of "old" and "new", and may choose to wield that.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[fireproof78]

I think DSC does a good job at showing that Starfleet never has just one generation of ships in operation.

I agree. While I appreciate and fan love the idea of all Constitution style nacelles, a la Franz Josephs, the Federation is big. There are a lot of member worlds all contributing in some way. It would make sense to have multiple generations, multiple hull styles and the like as each member adds their own aesthetic and value.

 

[XCV330]

But again, that’s not what I meant. Think: The Akira turned upside down, given a different paint job, and slightly tweaking minimal surface features to create a ship 200 years its junior. That’s like taking a Ford Model T, changing some features to it, and calling it a new 2020 Ford Mustang but keeping the same overall basic shape.

Or some company using the basic shape of a VW Beetle from WWII until now and calling it a Porsche 911.

 

[Lord Garth]

It's not blatantly obvious that the E-E has newer looks than the E-D, say; might be the Sovereign design is an older one, less elegant than the Galaxy one. But the designers do have the power to establish the looks of "old" and "new", and may choose to wield that.

It's funny you mention that. I was thinking the same thing earlier today. All the new designs from First Contact, IIRC, all had registries in the 50000s, while all the "new" ships in TNG, DS9, and VOY had registries in the 70000s. The registries don't all move in order, but there seems to be a pretty clear division. The Sovereign looks closer to the Excelsior, even though it looks like a cross between the Excelsior and Voyager. I don't know if the Sovereign itself is older, so much as it's hearkening back (because it has Voyager elements, I think it's newer than the Galaxy Class), but the other new FC designs don't have anything that would suggest they were older or newer than the Galaxy Class. Just different. So they could be older.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

Or some company using the basic shape of a VW Beetle from WWII until now and calling it a Porsche 911.

Maybe it's the case that the generic Starfleet design is needed for e.g. warp travel. After all, the general shape of sea-faring ships hasn't changed in thousands of years, because of the medium in which they navigate. Also, compare WWII era battleships to those of today. Externally, there's not much difference, even after 80+ years (the difference between TOS and TNG eras).

 

[Ronald Held]

Could Picard have had a temporary emergency command between losing the Stargazer and taking command of the E-D?

 

[BillJ]

Could Picard have had a temporary emergency command between losing the Stargazer and taking command of the E-D?

He could've had multiple assignments over the course of nine years.

 

[Admiral Picard]

I think the console has some decent LCARS design to offer. Right?

 

[Henoch]

And soft Corinthian leather.

 

[Mondragon]

And soft Corinthian leather.

LOL! They should have named Rios' ship the Cordoba, and played the ^ Concierto de Aranjuez during flybys.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[DaveyNY]

The concept of Picard being married to the Stargazer at an early age IMHO paints the character as a loser, a tragic figure like Kirk who is prisoner to his fame. Except Picard got no fame at that early age: the "required reading" he is remembered for came quite literally during the last minute of him commanding the vessel.

Little in the onscreen material suggests early adventures aboard the Stargazer. It is an era to be explored, but I can't see PIC doing that exploring, except through minimalist event-drops that don't even amount to anecdotes.

I wonder whether the Stargazer was considered a hopeless relic back around Picard's graduation in the 2320s, early 2330s already - or only in the 2350s when he got the command at the latest?

Timo Saloniemi

Wasn't there a novel or two about that time period?
I've lost track with so many being published.


My first car was a used 1982 Cordoba.
It had 99K miles on it and lasted four months before the engine finally quit on me.


(I paid $3200.00 for it back in 1990)

 

[Mondragon]

My first car was a used 1982 Cordoba.
It had 99K miles on it and lasted four months before the engine finally quit on me.

The 75 kinda looks like La Sirena

I would die if Rios takes a puff of his cigar, looks into the camera then indicates the faux leather seats to picard.

 

[cooleddie74]

I think the console has some decent LCARS design to offer. Right?

Those definitely have a TNG Era feel to them! They are recognizably Okudagram in design with a hint that they're evolving into a 25th century aesthetic. I'm glad they seem to be sticking so closely to the look of this period while still making changes to reflect the passage of 20 years.

 

[fireproof78]

I think the console has some decent LCARS design to offer. Right?

That chair looks super uncomfortable.

 

[DaveyNY]

I think the console has some decent LCARS design to offer. Right?

I really hate when some of us guys get older, our eyebrows turn us into this guy...

(course, that would be a bag or two of peanutbutter cups all over my mouth)

 

[NCC-73515]

He could've had multiple assignments over the course of nine years.

He transferred dozens of times before the D

 

[Lynn Minmay]

Y’all seen that new Federation starship that was shown after the first episode?