Kenneth Mitchell’s Discovery Tribute Has Star Trek’s Newest Warp Drive

Star Trek: Discovery has introduced a brand-new type of warp drive, and it's been fitted aboard the USS Mitchell, namesake of the much-missed actor Kenneth Mitchell. The late Kenneth Mitchell played four roles in Discovery before his death from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis on February 24th, 2024. Mitchell was a beloved member of the Discovery cast, and the 32nd century starship continues his legacy in the Star Trek universe.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, "Erigah", the USS Mitchell was dispatched to deal with the Breen threat. However, the Merian-class USS Mitchell first appeared in Discovery season 4, episode 9, "Rubicon", when it was sent to monitor the Dark Matter Anomaly. Also in season 4, President Laira Rillak (Chelah Horsdal) mentions that Starfleet was trialing an alternative to warp drive. Now, the USS Mitchell and the Pathway drive combine in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 9, "Lagrange Point", written by Sean Cochran & Ari Friedman, and directed by Jonathan Frakes.

Star Trek: Discovery’s USS Mitchell Has A Pathway Drive Like Voyager-J

During crisis talks with Ambassador Saru (Doug Jones) and President T'Rina (Tara Rosling) about the Breen situation, the diplomats discuss options for intercepting Primarch Tahal's Dreadnought. Earlier in the episode, it's confirmed that the Breen travel via transwarp tunnels, so it's decided that the Federation needs a Starfleet ship with a Pathway drive to intercept Primarch Tahal. It had previously been confirmed that only the USS Voyager-J had a Pathway drive, but now Star Trek: Discovery reveals that the USS Mitchell has also been fitted with one following successful tests of Voyager's Spore drive replacement.

Now that Voyager-J's Pathway drive tests have been successful, it will presumably become the standard for warp travel in Star Trek: Discovery's 32nd century, starting with the USS Mitchell. It's still not entirely clear how the Pathway drive works, or how it compares to the traditional warp drive. However, the suggestion of sending the Mitchell to intercept Primarch Tahal does imply that it has the ability to navigate transwarp tunnels like the Breen. More information about the Pathway drive may be revealed in Discovery's finale, as Saru is about to test it out for the first time.

Starfleet Shuttles Now Also Have Spore Drive Replacements

Deciding that sending the USS Mitchell to intercept Primarch Tahal could be percieved as an act of aggression, the idea is abandoned. Instead, Saru suggests taking a former test shuttle from the earlier days of the Pathway program. Believing that a small shuttle, rather than a starship may "force a dialog", Saru suggests leading the mission himself, due to his tactial and diplomatic experiences aboard the USS Discovery, the ship he will also be protecting. Whether Star Trek's new warp drive is fully explained in the course of Saru's mission in the Star Trek: Discovery finale remains to be seen.

Between Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) facing off against Moll (Eve Harlow) for the Progenitors' treasure, and the USS Discovery fighting off a Breen Dreadnought, it doesn't feel like there's much time for a pre-flight safety demonstration of the Pathway drive. While audiences will see the Pathway drive in action in Star Trek: Discovery's finale, they may not get much more information. Instead, the Pathway drive will likely be explained in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, meaning that the legacy of Kenneth Mitchell and his starship namesake will live on in the 32nd century.