Memory Alpha
Register
Advertisement
Memory Alpha

The Aurora (NC-17740) was a Federation Class J starship. It was a civilian craft in operation during the mid-23rd century, also described as a "space cruiser".

In 2269, the Aurora was stolen by Dr. Sevrin and his followers in search for the mythical planet Eden. Consequently, it was pursued by the USS Enterprise.

When the Aurora approached the Romulan Neutral Zone in an attempt to evade pursuit, Captain Kirk deemed it necessary to tractor in the ship. In response, the crew of the Aurora pushed the ship to its limit, causing its engines to seriously overheat. The vessel was destroyed as the Enterprise transported the vessel's compliment of six aboard. (TOS: "The Way to Eden")

Appendices

Background

The studio model used in the original edition of "The Way to Eden" for the Aurora was a modification of the Tholian starship that previously appeared in "The Tholian Web". The modifications between the new design include the addition of warp nacelles to the model, taken from the AMT USS Enterprise model kit, which were attached to the main body via nacelle pylons taken from the AMT D7 class model kit, with the completed model finally being flown in "reverse".

According to Michael Okuda, the Aurora is a slight modification of the Class J CGI model, with larger engines and new windows. The registry number NC-17740 on the nacelles, illegible on screen, was the tail number from Matt Jefferies’ beloved 1935 Waco YOC biplane. [1]

Apocrypha

An explanation of the strange original version look of the Aurora was attempted in the Star Trek Maps, which stated:

"Space cruisers like the S.S. Aurora have been in use for over a century, and are based on a Vulcan design originally used for interplanetary travel. Essentially a 21-meter-long space yacht, space cruisers have a range of several dozen parsecs and can carry provisions for up to six passengers and crew."

The diagram, appearing on Chart B, depicts the Aurora with a registry of NCC-C1200, and a nacelle-style more akin to those found on a Class F shuttlecraft.

Advertisement