Throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation, Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) was the only android in Starfleet, and that remains true by the end of Star Trek: Picard season 3. Created by Dr. Noonien Soong (Brent Spiner), Data was an incredibly advanced one-of-a-kind android lifeform. While Soong had created other androids, such as Lore and B-4, none were as successful as Data. On the USS Enterprise-D of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Data proved to be one of the crew's most important members, saving the ship on more than one occasion.
After sacrificing himself in Star Trek: Nemesis (and dying again in Picard season 1), Data returned in Star Trek: Picard season 3, with a newly upgraded synthetic body. Now with the ability to experience physical touch and organic emotions, Data finally achieved his lifelong dream of becoming almost human. Although Data's status within Starfleet remains unclear at the end of Picard season 3, there has been no indication of any other androids in Starfleet. Whether in a spin-off of Star Trek: Picard or the far future of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, it's about time another Soong-type android joined Starfleet.
Why Starfleet Had No Androids After Star Trek: TNG’s Data
Just as scientists developed a way to create new androids, the Federation banned synthetic lifeforms.
Starfleet originally found Data abandoned on the planet Omicron Theta, after Dr. Soong and his wife fled the Crystalline Entity that killed the rest of the population. With no memory of his life with Dr. Soong, Data chose to attend Starfleet Academy, eventually ending up on the Enterprise as its operations officer. Although other scientists, like Dr. Bruce Maddox (Brian Brophy), attempted to recreate Data's positronic brain, none were successful during Data's time. Later in life, Maddox (John Ales) joined Noonien Soong's son, Altan Soong, and the two found a way to create new androids.
When Mars was attacked by rogue synths in 2385, the Federation Council banned all synthetic lifeforms. Despite the ban, Maddox and Soong continued their work in secret on Coppelius. Using a single positronic neuron from Data, Maddox and Soong developed a process called fractal neuronic cloning. Maddox created twins Soji and Dahj Asha (Isa Briones) to discover the truth about the attack on Mars, while Soong remained on Coppelius with the rest of the androids they had created. Of course, due to the ban, these androids had to remain secret and had no chance of joining Starfleet.
When the truth came out about the attack on Mars — that it had been orchestrated by the Romulan Zhat Vash — the Federation repealed the ban on synthetic life around the year 2399.
How Another Android Besides Data Can Finally Join Starfleet
Will Soji follow in her "father's" footsteps and join Starfleet?
Whether or not the proposed Star Trek: Picard spinoff, Star Trek: Legacy, ever becomes a reality, Star Trek should continue to tell stories set in the 25th century in some way. If this happens, another Soong-type android should absolutely join Starfleet to carry on Data's legacy. (Data himself could also rejoin Starfleet and pop up in future stories.) Soji Asha has already gone on a diplomatic tour around the Federation to foster goodwill toward synthetics, and she would be a prime candidate for Starfleet. Star Trek could also introduce a completely new android character to follow in Data's footsteps.
A Soong-style android named Fred (J. Adam Brown) appeared in the premiere episode of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, but was killed off. Still, Fred's presence in the 32nd century raises the question of whether any other Soong androids have survived that long. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy now has the perfect opportunity to include an android among the staff or even the students of the newly reopened Starfleet Academy. Whichever direction future Star Trek decides to go, it's time for another android to take their place alongside Data in the pages of Starfleet history.
