m (→Registry numbers and prefixes: fm) |
Pseudohuman (talk | contribs) m (→Registry numbers and prefixes: nash note as anomalous) |
||
| Line 255: | Line 255: | ||
|} |
|} |
||
| − | Aside from the registry prefixes, Starfleet at one time also used letters ''after'' the main registry prefix to further define specific types of craft. This was seen in the [[freighter]] {{USS|Huron}}, with its registry of NCC-F1513 and the {{ShipType|Antares}} ships with the registry [[NCC-G1465]]. ({{TAS|More Tribbles, More Troubles|The Pirates of Orion}}) |
+ | Aside from the registry prefixes, Starfleet at one time also used letters ''after'' the main registry prefix to further define specific types of craft. This was seen in the [[freighter]] {{USS|Huron}}, with its registry of NCC-F1513 and the {{ShipType|Antares}} ships with the registry [[NCC-G1465]]. ({{TAS|More Tribbles, More Troubles|The Pirates of Orion}}) |
| + | |||
| + | The first Earth ship to have warp drive installed, [[Bonaventure (10281NCC)|''Bonaventure'']], had an anomalous arrangement of the registry numbers, 10281NCC. ({{TAS|The Time Trap}}) So did {{USS|Nash}}, with the registry NCC-2010-5. ({{DS9|Trials and Tribble-ations}} |
||
Shuttlecraft assigned to starbases and other installations were given registries indicating their origin. Such vessels were the ''[[da Vinci]]'' SB4-0314⁄2 from [[Starbase 4]] and the ''[[Picasso]]'' SB11-1201⁄1 from [[Starbase 11]]. ({{TOS|Court Martial|Let That Be Your Last Battlefield}}) The shuttlecraft ''[[Verne]]'' assigned to [[Relay Station 47]] was simply given the registry RS-47. ({{TNG|Aquiel}}) |
Shuttlecraft assigned to starbases and other installations were given registries indicating their origin. Such vessels were the ''[[da Vinci]]'' SB4-0314⁄2 from [[Starbase 4]] and the ''[[Picasso]]'' SB11-1201⁄1 from [[Starbase 11]]. ({{TOS|Court Martial|Let That Be Your Last Battlefield}}) The shuttlecraft ''[[Verne]]'' assigned to [[Relay Station 47]] was simply given the registry RS-47. ({{TNG|Aquiel}}) |
||
Revision as of 06:42, 29 March 2011
AT: "xx"
The USS Enterprise-D's registry number on the underside of its primary hull
A registry was a place to record or register information. One such registry is the Vulcan Genome Registry. (ENT: "The Forge")
Vessels were often registered by agency. They may record a vessel's name, registry number, history, and basic ship information. (TOS: "The Ultimate Computer")
Ship registries were used as early as the 19th century. In 1893, after overhearing a time-lost Data mentioning a starship, Samuel Clemens asked, "What registry is that!?" (TNG: "Time's Arrow")
In the 23rd and 24th century, Starfleet vessels were able to check both historical registries from Earth and Vulcan as well as the Starfleet Registry. (TOS: "Space Seed", "The Ultimate Computer"; TNG: "Unification I")
Between the late 23rd and 24th century registry numbers skyrocketed from the NCC-1701 of the USS Enterprise to the NCC-75633 of the USS Sao Paulo.
The SS Botany Bay was not listed in any registry, although this might have been a result of the lack of unfragmented records in that era. (TOS: "Space Seed")
Registry numbers and prefixes
In some governments and agencies, a ship entered into a registry received a prefix that was placed before the vessel's name. This prefix was used to easily identify the vessel as belonging to that agency.
A registry prefix should not be confused with a ship's prefix code.
Vessel prefixes include:
† With Earth's national prefixes (British HMS and Russian VK) still in use up to the founding of the Federation, it is probable that USS still meant United States Ship in the same time-frame, but we only have one example to look at.
Items listed in a registry generally had a number or code to help identify the specific entry.
In some registries, the registry number was preceded by an abbreviation as well:
Aside from the registry prefixes, Starfleet at one time also used letters after the main registry prefix to further define specific types of craft. This was seen in the freighter USS Huron, with its registry of NCC-F1513 and the Template:ShipType ships with the registry NCC-G1465. (TAS: "More Tribbles, More Troubles", "The Pirates of Orion")
The first Earth ship to have warp drive installed, Bonaventure, had an anomalous arrangement of the registry numbers, 10281NCC. (TAS: "The Time Trap") So did USS Nash, with the registry NCC-2010-5. (DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations"
Shuttlecraft assigned to starbases and other installations were given registries indicating their origin. Such vessels were the da Vinci SB4-0314⁄2 from Starbase 4 and the Picasso SB11-1201⁄1 from Starbase 11. (TOS: "Court Martial", "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield") The shuttlecraft Verne assigned to Relay Station 47 was simply given the registry RS-47. (TNG: "Aquiel")
Starfleet would sometimes use sequential lettering after a registry number was repeated to honor a former vessel. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)
Examples of this include:
| Starship | Registry number | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| USS Dauntless | NX-01-A | 2374 |
| USS Enterprise-A | NCC-1701-A | 2286–2293 |
| USS Enterprise-B | NCC-1701-B | 2293 |
| USS Enterprise-C | NCC-1701-C | 2344 |
| USS Enterprise-D | NCC-1701-D | 2363–2371 |
| USS Enterprise-E | NCC-1701-E | 2372–2379 |
| USS Enterprise-J | NCC-1701-J | 26th century |
| USS Relativity | NCV-474439-G | 29th century |
| USS Yamato | NCC-1305-E | 2365 |
Appendices
Background information
The most famous registry number, of course, is NCC-1701 of the original USS Enterprise. It was chosen by Matt Jefferies, who was a pilot before joining the Star Trek staff, and based the registry number on 20th century aircraft registration codes. In the early 20th century, the letter "N" indicated a United States origin, and the letter "C" indicated a civilian aircraft. Jefferies arbitrarily added a second "C" for aesthetics. In a sketch of the Enterprise, drawn by Jefferies, he states the numbers "1701" stand for the 17th cruiser design, serial number #1.
Based on usage – VK Yuri Gagarin and VK Velikan – it is probable that the VK prefix means a Russian ship in Star Trek. In the real world, the Russians do not use prefixes for their ship names.
- In the book The Hunt for Red October, the primary Alfa-class attack sub is named V.K. Konovalov, in honor of Vladimir Konstantinovich Konovalov. This suggests that the use of VK as a Russian prefix is either an error on the part of the Star Trek writers or an homage to Tom Clancy.
- VK might also be used by the Star Trek writers to mean an acronym for Военный Корабль (Military Ship, Voenny Korabl) which is not used in the real world either, but at least makes some sense.
Apocrypha
- According to the novels of Diane Duane and Peter Morwood, Klingon starships use a "KL" registry number prefix. Diane Duane's Rihannsu novels give the prefix ChR for Romulan starships.