Summary
- The USS Discovery outlasts every version of the USS Enterprise, showcasing its eternal durability and longevity in the Star Trek universe.
- The series finale of Star Trek: Discovery sets up a future where the USS Discovery remains intact for a thousand years, with its final mission shrouded in mystery.
- While many versions of the USS Enterprise have met their demise, the USS Discovery's fate is a lonely but hopeful journey to eventually reunite with its crew centuries later.
Star Trek: Discovery's series finale proved that the USS Discovery is better than every known version of the USS Enterprise in one big way. Written by Kyle Jarrow and Michelle Paradise, and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 10, "Life, Itself", not only concluded the hunt for the Progenitors' ancient technology, but it ended with a coda that wrapped up the entire series. Discovery's finale epilogue jumped ahead over 30 years to show Admiral Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) leading the USS Discovery on its final mission - setting up the events of the 2018 Star Trek: Short Treks episode, "Calypso".
In Star Trek: Short Treks' "Calypso", the USS Discovery and its artificial intelligence, Zora (Annabelle Wallis), have been isolated in a section of galaxy for about a thousand years. Zora rescues Craft (Aldis Hodge), a human soldier, and brings him aboard. The lonely Zora quickly develops feelings for Craft, and they strike up a touching relationship. However, Craft chooses to return to his family on Alcor IV, and Zora lets him go. Since it premiered in 2018, it was questionable whether "Calypso" was part of Star Trek: Discovery's canon, but Discovery's series finale establishes that Zora's final mission is to one day meet Craft so that the events of "Calypso" happen.
Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange", was also an ersatz version of "Calypso", with Zora and the USS Discovery alone in an alternate timeline after the Breen destroyed the United Federation of Planets.
USS Discovery Is Better Than USS Enterprise In One Big Way
Discovery is the eternal starship.
It's clear after Star Trek: Discovery's finale that the USS Discovery is never destroyed, unlike many versions of the USS Enterprise. The USS Discovery was built in the mid-23rd century and will ultimately survive intact for roughly two thousand years. Discovery leaves the 23rd century for good in the year 2258 and arrives in the 32nd century in the year 3189, with the events of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 occurring in 3191. Star Trek: Discovery's finale coda takes place roughly 30 years later, in the 3220s, and Discovery survives nearly a thousand years after that, according to Star Trek: Short Treks' "Calypso". No known version of the USS Enterprise lasts anywhere near that long.
Star Trek: Discovery season 5 established the Mirror Universe's ISS Enterprise survived from the 23rd into the 32nd century, and it's now in storage at Federation HQ.
In contrast, the most beloved versions of the USS Enterprise have famously been destroyed on-screen. The Constitution Class USS Enterprise NCC-1701 was in service for over 40 years but was self-destructed by Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Captain Jean-Luc Picard's (Patrick Stewart) Galaxy Class USS Enterprise-D was destroyed in Star Trek Generations after only 7+ years of service. Other versions of the Starship Enterprise have also been destroyed, while some have lasted and have been displayed at the Fleet Museum on Athan Prime, but it's safe to say no Enterprise can touch the USS Discovery's lifespan.
USS Discovery’s Future In Star Trek Explained
Discovery will return in another thousand years.
Star Trek: Discovery ends with the future of the USS Discovery assured, although it is a lonely and tragic destiny that awaits poor Zora. According to Admiral Michael Burnham, Zora must go on a Red Directive mission to an unknown sector of space and the USS Discovery will be abandoned by its crew. Then, Zora's only function is to "wait" for "Craft" - and Admiral Burnham did not know who or what Craft is. To line up with its appearance in Star Trek: Short Treks' "Calypso", USS Discovery is retrofitted back to its original 23rd century Crossfield Class appearance and given the honor of a full Starfleet sendoff.
There will only ever be one USS Discovery.
However, as Admiral Burnham briefed Zora, after the USS Discovery achieves its mission - however long it takes - it can return to the Federation. Zora will be able to meet the descendants of her original Discovery crew and be of service to Starfleet once more. Star Trek: Short Treks' "Calypso" now establishes that the USS Discovery won't be back until sometime around the 42nd century. By then, if the Federation still exists, it's possible there could have been dozens more versions of the USS Enterprise. But there will only ever be one USS Discovery, Star Trek: Discovery's eternal starship.
