- This article is about the senior staff position. For information about general scientists in Starfleet, see Starfleet sciences division personnel.
The science officer is the senior staff member aboard a starship or starbase with the broad responsibility of coordinating the science department of the post. (TOS: "Balance of Terror")
Science officer was a standard position aboard space vessels. Starfleet, Arkonian, Klingon, Romulan, and Vulcan vessels all operated with science officers. (ENT: "Dawn", "Impulse"; TNG: "The Next Phase"; DS9: "Soldiers of the Empire") In the Vulcan High Command, the science officer was assisted by a deputy science officer. (ENT: "Impulse") In Starfleet, several junior science officers assisted the science officer. (VOY: "Flashback")
In 2270, James T. Kirk considered Commander Spock to be the best science officer in Starfleet. (TAS: "The Jihad")
Responsibilities
Science officers are responsible for observing and theorizing explanations for strange or seemingly unexplainable circumstances. (TOS: "The Savage Curtain") In the 22nd and 23rd centuries, the science officer was responsible for sensor readings. (TOS: "Spectre of the Gun")
A general survey party requires the direction of the science officer. (TOS: "The Ultimate Computer") In a medical emergency, the findings of the science officer are heavily relied upon. (ENT: "Observer Effect")
The science officer is required to keep sufficient data. (TOS: "The Immunity Syndrome") They are also required to supply the commanding officer with all reports, observations, and speculations that might affect the safety of their vessel. (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before")
According to Jadzia Dax, it was a science officer's job to always have a "better idea." (DS9: "Paradise")
List of science officers
- Adislo, Hars - 2375 (Star Trek: Insurrection)
- Chu'lak - Deep Space 9, 2375 (DS9: "Field of Fire")
- Data - USS Enterprise-D, 2364 (TNG: "We'll Always Have Paris")
- Data was the operations manager of the Enterprise-D and was only referred to as "science officer" once. It is likely that he was acting in that position, as Swenson was later mentioned to be the science officer.
- Dax, Jadzia
- Deep Space 9, 2369-2374 (DS9: "Emissary", "Tears of the Prophets")
- IKS Rotarran, 2373 (DS9: "Soldiers of the Empire")
- Decker, Willard - USS Enterprise, 2273 (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
- Frazier, Riley - USS Roosevelt, 2365-2366
- Kustanovich - USS Livingston, 2350s (DS9: "Invasive Procedures")
- Janeway, Kathryn - USS Al-Batani, 2360s (VOY: "Caretaker")
- Mara - Klingon battle cruiser, 2268 (TOS: "Day of the Dove")
- Masada - USS Constellation, 2267 (TOS: "The Doomsday Machine")
- Mirok - Romulan science vessel, 2368 (TNG: "The Next Phase")
- Sonak - USS Enterprise, 2273 (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
- Spock - USS Enterprise, 2250s-2270; 2273 (TOS: "The Cage"; Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
- Swenson - USS Enterprise-D, 2364 (TNG: "Skin of Evil")
- Syvar - 2372 (DS9: "Shakaar")
- Taitt - USS Enterprise-D, 2370 (TNG: "Descent, Part II")
- T'Pol - Enterprise, 2151-2161 (ENT: "Broken Bow", "These Are the Voyages...")
- Valtane, Dmitri - USS Excelsior, 2293 (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; VOY: "Flashback")
- Vanderweg, Greta - Deep Space 9, 2375 (DS9: "Field of Fire")
- Wildman, Samantha - USS Voyager, 2371 (VOY: "Elogium")
In 2368, Captain Jean-Luc Picard honorably made Jay Gordon Graas an acting science officer during a ship-wide emergency. (TNG: "Disaster") In 2369, acting Captain Beverly Crusher briefly assigned Ensign Taitt as the science officer aboard the bridge. (TNG: "Descent")