Star Trek: The Next Generation introduced a new starship feature that the franchise has only used three times since its introduction. Set about 100 years after Star Trek: The Original Series, TNG used the state-of-the-art USS Enterprise-D to show how Starfleet's technology had improved since the 23rd century. From more efficient communicators and transporters to improved medical treatments, the United Federation of Planets made a lot of technological progress between TOS and TNG. Not only was the Enterprise-D much larger than the Enterprise of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), it also boasted several features that Kirk's ship never used.
One of the coolest new features of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's (Patrick Stewart) Enterprise-D was the ship's ability to separate into two operational halves. If the Enterprise became engaged in a dangerous battle, the ship could separate its saucer and drive sections. The senior officers could then take control of the drive section to fend off the threat, while the civilians and families were ferried to safety on the saucer section. The Enterprise-D's ability to separate was put on full display in TNG's premiere, "Encounter at Farpoint," but the ship only used the maneuver a handful of times after that incident.
Star Trek Has Only Used The Saucer Separation Three Times Since TNG's Era
Starships Have Separated In Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek Beyond, & Star Trek: Discovery
Although the Enterprise-D and many subsequent starships were built with the ability to separate, the saucer separation maneuver was reserved for emergencies. Star Trek has only employed the move on three separate occasions since the Enterprise-D last employed the move in Star Trek Generations: once each in Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek Beyond, and Star Trek: Discovery. In Voyager season 4, episode 14, "Message in a Bottle," USS Voyager's holographic Doctor (Robert Picardo) visits the USS Prometheus in the Alpha Quadrant. A new experimental warship, the Prometheus can separate into three warp-capable vessels to attack enemy ships.
Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) is forced to initiate a saucer separation of his Enterprise when Krall (Idris Elba) attacks the ship in Star Trek Beyond. Krall temporarily interrupts the separation sequence, before Lt. Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldaña) manages to complete it. The maneuver comes too late, however, and the Enterprise's saucer section crash-lands on the nearby planet Altamid. Most recently, the USS Discovery demonstrated its ability to separate in the Star Trek: Discovery series finale, "Life, Itself." In a battle with the Breen, Discovery uses a separation maneuver to jump the Breen dreadnought to a distant location using the spore drive.
Star Trek Is Right To Reserve The Saucer Separation For Special Situations
Saucer Separation Is A Bold Move That Is Employed As A Last Resort
Although the ability to separate was built into the Enterprise-D from the beginning, the saucer separation sequence proved expensive to shoot and producers felt it slowed down the story too much. Because of this, the ship rarely employed the maneuver, even in times when it would have been helpful. Still, considering how complex and dangerous the move could be, it makes sense that Starfleet vessels would only employ a saucer separation in particularly unique situations. The sequence also looks great on screen and it would lose some of its appeal if Starfleet ships were separating all the time.
Gene Roddenberry and those who worked on Star Trek: The Original Series imagined that Captain Kirk's Enterprise also had the ability to separate, but this was not seen onscreen until Star Trek Beyond.
Starfleet vessels are obviously built to work best as a singular unit, so it does not make sense to separate them unless absolutely necessary. It would be unwise to put the lives of the bridge crew in unnecessary danger in the drive section unless it was the only way to save everyone else on the ship. Even in Star Trek: Discovery, Starfleet vessels are not seen separating often despite the more advanced technology of the 32nd century. Star Trek: The Next Generation showed Star Trek's first-ever onscreen saucer separation, laying the groundwork for future starships to make use of the maneuver.
