I just curious, why there is no planetary defense around Earth in Star Trek : Enterprise, and the only ship they have is NX-1 Enterprise?
the Defenseless Earth
- Thread starter Brainsucker
- Start date
The NX-01 is not their only ship: beginning with the end of the second season, we see older vessels that are comparable to Archer's ship in firepower, but apparently have inferior engines and cannot go to deep space. Since they have to hang around the Sol system or other human assets, we simply don't meet them much when we travel along with Archer.
As for planetary defenses, it may be that the technology does not yet exist for creating meaningful defenses. The plasma cannon that we saw in "Broken Bow" would only have a range of a few kilometers at best, and would be worthless in defending a planet. Phase beams seem to be a new invention, and phase beam fortresses might not yet have been built.
On the other hand, it is possible that the skies around Earth are indeed full of defensive fortresses at the time of ENT. They just happen to be stealthy enough not to be seen, which is a good thing for a space fortress. Say, if there were a million such fortresses around Earth, odds are that the camera would never come close enough to one; a black-painted missile launcher and phase beam satellite half the size of Archer's ship would not be visible from a distance of a kilometer. Even dozens of millions of such satellites might be there to welcome invaders and we would never see one.
As to why the defenses never reacted, we have to remember that there were only two direct threats against Earth in the show. The first was the Xindi satellite from "The Expanse", and it appeared from nowhere, and only fired for a few seconds. The defenses might not have been able to react that fast against such an exotic threat. The second was the full-sized Xindi planet-buster, and it, too, appeared out of thin air. It was then intercepted by a couple of starships, so the defenders of Earth might have held back, not wishing to score any blue-on-blues when the starships had the best odds of success.
Timo Saloniemi
As for planetary defenses, it may be that the technology does not yet exist for creating meaningful defenses. The plasma cannon that we saw in "Broken Bow" would only have a range of a few kilometers at best, and would be worthless in defending a planet. Phase beams seem to be a new invention, and phase beam fortresses might not yet have been built.
On the other hand, it is possible that the skies around Earth are indeed full of defensive fortresses at the time of ENT. They just happen to be stealthy enough not to be seen, which is a good thing for a space fortress. Say, if there were a million such fortresses around Earth, odds are that the camera would never come close enough to one; a black-painted missile launcher and phase beam satellite half the size of Archer's ship would not be visible from a distance of a kilometer. Even dozens of millions of such satellites might be there to welcome invaders and we would never see one.
As to why the defenses never reacted, we have to remember that there were only two direct threats against Earth in the show. The first was the Xindi satellite from "The Expanse", and it appeared from nowhere, and only fired for a few seconds. The defenses might not have been able to react that fast against such an exotic threat. The second was the full-sized Xindi planet-buster, and it, too, appeared out of thin air. It was then intercepted by a couple of starships, so the defenders of Earth might have held back, not wishing to score any blue-on-blues when the starships had the best odds of success.
Timo Saloniemi
I always felt that it was unrealistic to expect one ship to stop the planet buster. From a storytelling point of view it was a very good plot device and made season 3 much better than any of the others. However looking at the dilemma from an earth point of view, I think they would have sent any damn thing that could fly out there.
But it is realistic, in the context of that show, that NX-01 would have been the only damn thing available to Earth that could fly.
The third season would probably have been over already before the Intrepid or any of the other older, significantly slower warships made it to the Delphic Expanse...
Timo Saloniemi
The third season would probably have been over already before the Intrepid or any of the other older, significantly slower warships made it to the Delphic Expanse...
Timo Saloniemi
This still doesn't answer the question of where any kind of support was once the superweapon appeared in the Solar system... Just the defenseless Yosemite station.
That always irked me, especially considering even the Kumari managed to get in on the action. I suppose it's not like Earth had an advanced warning, say with a small probe weapon, OH WAIT! YES THEY DID!
That always irked me, especially considering even the Kumari managed to get in on the action. I suppose it's not like Earth had an advanced warning, say with a small probe weapon, OH WAIT! YES THEY DID!
Yes that's my point. They knew it was coming. They would have had every bit of hardware they possess either out there or pointed out there. The other thing is that even with shielding, there is only one direction the threat was coming from, so the idea that absolutely nothing would have been hanging around on the offchance is laughable.
Uh, HUH? There was no known direction. That was the nature of the Xindi drive system: their ships just popped up where you least expected them. For all we know, Earth's defenses were deployed a thousand kilometers farther out than where the battle actually took place, just because UESF hadn't yet managed to wrap their minds around the idea that the enemy didn't "come from a direction".
At least all the starships would probably be deployed farther out, in order to get a head start at pounding the incoming enemy (on the false notion that the enemy would be "incoming"). And perhaps the Xindi knew perfectly well where the orbital fortresses were, and jumped right between those, far enough from the outer defensive sphere to be immune to its fire.
Yeah, it's a storytelling device - but the nature of the show allows for plenty of excuses for the use of this device. Sure, it would be a nice idea for Earth to be defended. But it would also be a nice idea for Earth to have a fleet of exploration ships. She doesn't, because she is not up to the technological-economical feat, not in the 2150s yet. Just consider: if wishes were anti-ballistic missiles, the United States would be defended by now...
Timo Saloniemi
I think there are too many excuses in this respect. If they can get one starship out and travelling then you can bet they have a lot more local vessels. A LOT more. I also think it's too convenient to say the Xindi knew everything about Earth when the plotlines for the whole season indicated otherwise.
Good point. Although it has to be admitted that the sphere-builders fed the Xindi with all sorts of (typically misleading or outright false) details when it suited them, and might have pointed out this especially weak spot in Earth's already weak defenses.
Also, even if Earth was lacking in starships, or had all of its vessels deployed in the wrong places, wouldn't Vulcan at this point have agreed to provide at least some sort of military assistance? They were rapidly climbing up from the deep asshole of their former attitudes, and they certainly had ships fast and powerful enough to make a difference.
Timo Saloniemi
Also, even if Earth was lacking in starships, or had all of its vessels deployed in the wrong places, wouldn't Vulcan at this point have agreed to provide at least some sort of military assistance? They were rapidly climbing up from the deep asshole of their former attitudes, and they certainly had ships fast and powerful enough to make a difference.
Timo Saloniemi
No, V'Las was still High Command Administrator at that point and was busy revving up for an invasion of the Andorian Empire. His government made it clear in "The Xindi" that they wouldn't be doing anything to help United Earth -- hence T'Pol's resignation from the Vulcan space service.
in the sequence we saw where earth was destroyed it is possibkle the other xindi ships that came with the weapon were keeping the other terran ships busy.
plus remember thanks to the vortex the weapon and the strike force would emerge almost without warning right at earth.
in zero hour i just like to think whatever force sent enterprise back in time was already started and that station may have been seen because it was one of the earliest ones in existance.
that whatever was affecting earth started there and went outward at a certain pace which could be why the strike force and shran's ship were not affected.
of course reality probably is at the end of the season they just didnt have the time and budget to really show a proper defense.
but you get an idea of the fleet that was around at the end of storm front.
plus remember thanks to the vortex the weapon and the strike force would emerge almost without warning right at earth.
in zero hour i just like to think whatever force sent enterprise back in time was already started and that station may have been seen because it was one of the earliest ones in existance.
that whatever was affecting earth started there and went outward at a certain pace which could be why the strike force and shran's ship were not affected.
of course reality probably is at the end of the season they just didnt have the time and budget to really show a proper defense.
but you get an idea of the fleet that was around at the end of storm front.
MeanJoePhaser
Admiral
What about the Mars asteroid deflector ray that Buckaroo Banzai was gonna use against Earth?
The part with Yosemite station was a pointless death tally. Here's a station, let's destroy it...okay. Whatever. I mean, it's gonna blow up when the planet does, but...
The part with Yosemite station was a pointless death tally. Here's a station, let's destroy it...okay. Whatever. I mean, it's gonna blow up when the planet does, but...
Nerys Myk said:
Never a truer word spoken
Now THERE's a good question. Surely Terra Prime would've been keeping a close eye on the Xindi mission.
LOL, Buckaroo Banzai!
Even in TMP(set a whole 120 years after much of ENT)the planet is almost totally defenseless against V'Ger and only---conveniently---the newly refitted Enterprise is able to go out and save the day. You'd think by the 2270s that Starfleet would have enough starships, cruisers, et. al. in Earth orbit and around nearby planets and asteroids to provide an adequate defense ring about the planet.
You'd think by the 2270s that Starfleet would have enough starships, cruisers, et. al. in Earth orbit and around nearby planets and asteroids to provide an adequate defense ring about the planet.
They didn't arrive until the Tuesday after.Even in TMP(set a whole 120 years after much of ENT)the planet is almost totally defenseless against V'Ger and only---conveniently---the newly refitted Enterprise is able to go out and save the day.
