Earth Spacedock
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Earth Spacedock was a gigantic Starfleet facility orbiting Earth. It was built prior to 2285 and was able to harbor numerous starships inside its upper, mushroom-formed, section.
History
In 2285, the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701 returned to spacedock after ending Khan's plan to kill Admiral James T. Kirk for revenge. There, the Enterprise was to be decommissioned. Kirk, with the help of Captain Scott, Commander Uhura, Commander Sulu and Commander Chekov, stole the Enterprise to rescue Spock's body from the Genesis Planet. The USS Excelsior attempted to give chase, but had been sabotaged by Captain Scott, and "stalled" when it attempted to jump to transwarp.
In 2286, an unknown probe disabled the entire starbase when the probe reached Earth orbit. The shutdown happened before any vessels within, including the Excelsior, could be launched, resulting in the shutdown of all vessels inside. When Kirk and his crew had resolved the crisis, he was demoted to captain, but was offered command of the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-A--A , which was waiting at Earth Spacedock.
The Enterprise-A remained at spacedock while Captain Scott worked to resolve design flaws made apparent after the ship's maiden voyage.
The Enterprise-A was kept at spacedock prior to its ill-fated trip to escort Klingon Chancellor Gorkon to a peace conference on Earth in 2293. Kirk ordered an undocking at impulse speed, despite the fact that regulations specified thrusters only. While Lieutenant Valeris, the ship's helmsman, initially questioned the captain's order, she successfully performed the departure and later admitted she "always wanted to try that."
Following the Khitomer Conference, the Enterprise-A was to return to spacedock to be decommissioned.
In an alternate timeline, Harry Kim and Tom Paris stole the runabout USS Yellowstone, NX-74751 from spacedock.
- USS Enterprise approaches Earth Spacedock.jpg
Spacedock upper side
- Earth Spacedock, underside.jpg
Spacedock underside
- Earth Spacedock control booth.jpg
Docking control
- USS Enterprise and USS Excelsior in Spacedock.jpg
Inner docking bay
- Earth spacedock cafeteria.jpg
A lounge on board Earth Spacedock in 2285
Personnel
Appendices
Background
Earth Spacedock was designed by David Carson and Nilo Rodis and first seen in Film 3. The model was built at Industrial Light & Magic. It has been suggested, by Mike Okuda among others, that the spacedock facility was over three miles in height, which gives it the ability to house many different starships in its hull.
The interior of spacedock was represented by a large set. The original from Film 3 was destroyed after the end of filming. The production crew for Film 4 had to rebuild the entire set from scratch.
Footage of Earth Spacedock was re-used more than once in Star Trek: The Next Generation, with the USS Enterprise-D superimposed over the motion-picture Enterprise:
- 11001001 as Starbase 74
- Remember Me as Starbase 133
- Ensign Ro as Lya Station Alpha
- Phantasms as Starbase 84
The enclosure around Drafting Room 5 at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, as seen in Booby Trap, was also quite similar to the interior of this type of spacedock.
It is probable, though unconfirmed, that this facility is either identical to, or a part of, the never-mentioned but all-but-mandated-to-exist Starbase 1.
Apocrypha
In an alternate timeline in Star Trek: Armada, the Borg either destroy or assimilate spacedock.
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