The USS Enterprise is a legacy that spans the full breadth of Star Trek's timeline, from Starfleet's first steps into the galaxy in Star Trek: Enterprise's 22nd century to the distant 32nd century of Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. There are many versions of the USS Enterprise, and the venerable starship is often identified as the flagship of the United Federation of Planets. Yet Star Trek's history also includes gaps where Starfleet has no Starship Enterprise warping through the galaxy.
Star Trek: Section 31, the first major story set in Star Trek's early 24th century "lost era," is also the first Star Trek movie not about the crew of the USS Enterprise. While the Enterprise isn't seen in Michelle Yeoh's Star Trek streaming movie, it's likely the USS Enterprise-B is the Federation flagship at that time. Meanwhile, Section 31 includes Lieutenant Rachel Garrett (Kacey Rohl), who is destined to command the Starship Enterprise before Starfleet enters a 20-year gap without the flagship of the Federation.
Star Trek Had No Enterprise For 20 Years Before TNG Begins
The USS Enterprise-C Was Destroyed In 2344
Star Trek has no USS Enterprise in service for 20 years before the start of Star Trek: The Next Generation. TNG kicks off in 2364 with "Encounter at Farpoint," which introduces Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the USS Enterprise-D. The Galaxy Class Enterprise-D is brand new when TNG begins, and Picard is still assembling his full crew complement, including picking up his new Number One, Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) at Farpoint Station.
The USS Enterprise-D replaced the previous starship by that name, the USS Enterprise-C, which was destroyed in 2344. Under the command of Captain Rachel Garrett (Tricia O'Neill), the Ambassador Class Enterprise-C was lost defending a Klingon base against Romulans at Narendra III. In Star Trek: The Next Generation's season 3 episode "Yesterday's Enterprise," Captain Picard's Enterprise-D met Captain Garrett's Enterprise-C when the latter was caught in a time loop.
Interestingly, the Enterprise-C was not referred to as the Federation flagship.
Star Trek Also Has Another Long Gap With No Enterprise
Captain Archer's NX-01 Was Decommissioned In 2161
Star Trek had an even longer gap where Starfleet lacked a Starship Enterprise. Captain Jonathan Archer's (Scott Bakula) Enterprise NX-01 was retconned as the first Starship Enterprise when Star Trek: Enterprise was created as a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series. Archer's NX-01 traveled the galaxy for 10 years, from 2151 to 2161. At some point after Star Trek: Enterprise ended with season 4, the NX-01 was refit and rechristened as the USS Enterprise. Starfleet then went 84 years without a Starship Enterprise.
The NX-01 USS Enterprise is on display in the Fleet Museum on Athan Prime as seen in Star Trek: Picard season 3.
What Was Starfleet’s Federation Flagship Without Enterprise?
Other Starships Carried The Federation's Banner
In Star Trek's revised canon, presumably each incarnation of the USS Enterprise also serves as the flagship of the United Federation of Planets. However, other starships must have carried the Federation's banner in the times when there was no Enterprise warping through the galaxy. Online ancillary materials leading up to Star Trek: Picard season 3 revealed that for a time in the 2290s, the USS Titan commanded by Captain Saavik (Kirstie Alley/Robin Curtis) was the Federation flagship.
There is a USS Enterprise that was never seen in Star Trek: Discovery's 32nd century, but it was never made clear if Enterprise is the Federation flagship in the distant future, or if that honor went to another vessel like the USS Voyager-J. Captain Michael Burnham's (Sonequa Martin-Green) USS Discovery often acted like the flagship.
Star Trek's Next Movie Also May Not Involve The Enterprise
Don't Expect The Enterprise In Toby Haynes' Untitled Star Trek Origin Movie
Just as Star Trek: Section 31 didn't feature the USS Enterprise, the next Star Trek movie reportedly planned for theatrical release also isn't expected to have a Starship Enterprise. In early 2024, Toby Haynes (Black Mirror "USS Callister") was announced as the director of an Untitled Star Trek Origin prequel movie set "decades before" the 23rd century era of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek. Since Star Trek: Enterprise takes place before the Prime and Kelvin timelines diverged, it would be canon in Abrams' saga as well. Further, the USS Enterprise was seen being built in 2255 and launched in 2258 in Star Trek (2009).
A Star Trek theatrical movie with no Starship Enterprise is a big gamble.
