Different writers, directors and plot points paint Starfleet as multiple and occasionally conflicting things. Both a military and exploratory force, there’s many layers to the fleet and how it operates. Handling everything from border defence to mapping unknown territories, even the most mundane mission in peace time can be a risky one. Especially as not every new person you meet will want a cup of tea and a chat, and accidentally dropping into someone’s back garden doesn’t always go down well.
So when the shooting starts, you have to be ready to defend yourself, and in a world of weaponry that could burn an entire planet into ashes, sticking some armour on your hull just isn’t going to cut it.
One of the most vital systems always ready on stand by, deflector shields help to keep a ship and it’s crew safe from harm. Working alongside other components such as structural integrity fields, the shields can be raised at any time whether it’s a crisis or a time for caution. Forming an energy barrier around the ship, the shields aren’t quite a magical force that stops all incoming damage, but a bubble that can absorb and deflect incoming attack.
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[Treknology] Shields Up! Red Alert!
Different writers, directors and plot points paint Starfleet as multiple and occasionally conflicting things. Both a military and exploratory force, there's many layers to the fleet and how it operates. Handling everything from border defence to mapping unknown territories, even the most mundane mission in peace time can be a risky one. Especially as not every new person you meet will want a cup of tea and a chat, and accidentally dropping into someone's back garden doesn't always go down well.So when the shooting starts, you have to be ready to defend yourself, and in a world of weaponry that could burn an entire planet into ashes, sticking some armour on your hull just isn't going to cut it. One of the most vital systems always ready on stand by, deflector shields help to keep a ship and it's crew […]
Behind the Viewscreen: Gene L Coon
As it's creator, the name Gene Roddenberry is part of the Star Trek legend. But when it came to shaping what the show was, and forming it's foundations, there was another Gene behind the scenes who help build on and refine the shows concepts into the world we know today. Originally brought into the fold in August 1966, Coon was hired to handle day to day production and script revisions during the shows first season, with his first credit appearing on the first seasons eighth episode, Miri. Beyond that day to day production, as well as his creative relationship with Roddenberry, Coon's efforts would help shape the shows identity, helping to form it's unique blend of science fiction, drama and political commentary and in shaping the shows moral compass that would be a keystone of the Star Trek experience. Giving […]
Across The Universe: A Trio of Spocks, 60th Anniversary Goodies and More!
Celebrating 60 years of Star Trek, our September News recap spotlights new goodies for fans to mark the landmark year, new missions for STO fans, and more! Spocktember in Star Trek Online Long running MMO Star Trek Online joined in the anniversary fun by bringing back a legendary character to their September release. On it's original launch STO utilised the vocal talents of Leonard Nimoy as he introduced players to the wider galaxy. In the latest release, archived dialogue from Nimoy has been used to bring Spock back into the new ongoing story.https://youtu.be/Da9UohgplIg?si=pAtm5D1bTSIXxREOAlongside Piotr Michael, who voiced Spock in Star Trek Resurgence, adding new lines as his version of Spock, and introducing Strange New Worlds star Ethan Peck in his own version of the character, all three era's of the iconic Vulcan come together thanks to the Guardian of Forever. […]
[For The Uniform] Generational Upgrade: 2350’s-2370’s
After solidifying a formal military style with stiff dark reds and heavy duty fabrics through the latter half of the 23rd century, the 'Monster Maroons' defined Starfleet as a more serious, more robust organisation. With minor tweaks the look stayed strong for almost 80 years when suddenly Starfleet decided they needed a dramatic change. It's not uncommon. Starfleet goes through uniforms faster, and in more rapid evolutions than any other organisation in history.Maybe it's because of the constant evolution of the Federation? Bringing in new members, new styles, new sensibilities and adapting to their needs. Maybe the MonsterMaroonians joined the Federation and would only absorb their navies into Starfleet if they adapted to their style, and it took eighty years for another species to come in and make fashion related demands. Maybe a new Admiral became Commander in Chief and […]
[Treknology] Clearing The Way: The Deflector
Over the decades the technologies of Star Trek have become so popularised and well known that even someone who's never seen an episode knows what a phaser is, or that warp drive goes really, really fast. Even if someone couldn't tell you what a transporter does, “Beam Me Up” is still a phrase you can say and people will just know what it means.But when you look at ships like the Enterprise, there's one big feature built into every design since that might not be as well known as the saucer, the bridge or the glowing warp nacelles, but is one of the most vital parts of any and all starships flying from planet to planet. When you think of space, you imagine this big empty void of nothingness. But while there is a huge expanse of distance between locations […]
Them From That Thing: Sally Kellerman
Building an eclectic career with over sixty years in film, television, music and theatre, Sally Kellerman is fondly remembered by a whole generation as the original Hotlips Houlihan in the film adaption of MASH. Her part in the world of Star Trek helped introduce the world to the little sci fi show that began it's own franchise of entertainment. Starting her acting career in the late 50's after turning down a contract with Verve Records, Kellerman was a familiar face on television by the time Star Trek came around. With appearances on Bonanza, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and the Twilight Zone among others, Kellerman was able to gain a wide range of experience that helped establish an adaptability that would carry her career forward in playing anything from a glamorous and sophisticated character, to intense and eccentric parts. Kellerman’s appearance […]
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[Treknology] Yes Captain, I can Hear You! The Universal Translator.
Communication has always been a vital part of Star Trek. It's foundational to finding peaceful coexistence and basic common ground between hundreds of worlds and civilisations across the galaxy with different cultural norms, traditions and an uncountable variation of foreheads. But with an infinite number of ways to evolve, learn and construct a way to communicate, every language is different. Even here on Earth we have places like Nigeria and Papa New Guinea with hundreds of language variations and even discounting the multiple local dialects and slang within the United Kingdom, we're always a short flight away from a wildly different national language. Within a wider galaxy of influences and evolutionary origins, the difference between Gaelic and Hangul will seem inconsequential to a Vulcan stuck in a lift with a Cardassian. For all the might of phasers, the wonders of […]
[Treknology] Clearing The Way: The Deflector
Over the decades the technologies of Star Trek have become so popularised and well known that even someone who's never seen an episode knows what a phaser is, or that warp drive goes really, really fast. Even if someone couldn't tell you what a transporter does, “Beam Me Up” is still a phrase you can say and people will just know what it means.But when you look at ships like the Enterprise, there's one big feature built into every design since that might not be as well known as the saucer, the bridge or the glowing warp nacelles, but is one of the most vital parts of any and all starships flying from planet to planet. When you think of space, you imagine this big empty void of nothingness. But while there is a huge expanse of distance between locations […]
[Treknology] Tea On Demand. The Replicator.
Trekking across the universe needs powerful engines to traverse the vastness of the Galaxy, devastating weapons to survive perilous territory, and all the trinkets to explore every inch of the unknown while making new friends among new civilisations. But the future Star Trek creates isn't just shaped by the tools of the trade for Starfleet and it's various allies and enemies. Some of the more incredibly technologies come from the mundane day to day necessities. Unlike a lot of Trek tech, the Replicator took a while to develop. In the original series food synthesisers were a simple hole in the wall system. Put a card in, open the door and it's dinner time! By the time the Next Generation took over, the hole in the wall had a more appealing visual look and functions that would carry through nearly every […]
[Treknology] Beam Me Up!
Step into the transporter and with the touch of a few buttons and sliders you're whisked away to an alien landscape ready to explore. As synonymous to the Star Trek lore as phasers and tricorders, the transporter is one of the most vital tools within Starfleet, letting officers and crew travel instantaneously between environments without the need for time consuming shuttle trips or finding a starship-sized parking space to land in. Developed as a narrative tool, the transporter lets the story move along swiftly without breaks in the action and in a budget friendly manner. All you need to film is someone stepping into the large chamber, paste over some special effects, then pick up in another filming location. Aside from the creative benefits, it also showed the enhanced technological nature of the 23rd century. How it works is fairly […]
[Treknology] The Holodeck
An immersive experience in itself, the Holodeck is one of the many creature comforts that help bring comfort and entertainment within the life of a starship years from home that not only acts in creating a live action gaming environment, but as a useful tool for educational simulations, experiments and the occasional Hirogen nightmare! The holodeck is a complex device. Essentially a simulated environment generator, the holodeck is usually a vast room that used a combination of forcefields, matter replication and visually manipulative holographic systems to create an immersive environment that one or multiple people can use to not only see and hear, but physically interact with. Able to replicate anything from historical settings to an entirely original landscape, the holodeck ios Knightmare in ultra high resolution without a headset or guide, but a physical interaction with a created world […]
[Treknology] Tricorders: The Essential Starfleet Companion.
As essential tool in the world of Starfleet, the tricorder is a multi-functional handheld instrument used to scan, analyse and record data to aid in a number of tasks or duties. Another of the iconic pieces of equipment in the Star Trek Universe, the compact tricorder would come in many forms over the years as an all in one tool for data gathering and analyse whether you were trying to understand your surroundings on an alien world or in need of a guided breakdown of pats during a tricky repair. Star Trek Picard Model Originally designed by artist and designer Wah Chang, the Tricorder was first introduced in Star Trek's debut episode The Man Trap and has been a staple of Starfleet tech ever since. The original was a boxy design with a small display and hidden compartments for full […]
