Stasis

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Janeway and Chakotay wake up from stasis pods
Interior of a stasis ship

Stasis refers to a complete cessation of movement within an area.


If used when referring to lifeforms, it is also known as suspended animation and denotes the limiting of bodily functions, inducing a prolonged sleep, in order to slow down the the aging process. Most often this is accomplished through cryogenic stasis.


Individuals put into stasis are usually placed in a unit specially fitted for stasis, and can result in being successfully suspended for hundreds of years, while being less susceptible to environmental hazards. Pre-warp civilizations sometimes use "sleeper ships" equipped with stasis technology for long-range transport of personnel, usually as colony vessels.


Suspended animation was also known to be employed as a security measure. Before the Cardassians abandoned their space station Empok Nor in 2372, they left behind three soldiers in stasis. Their stasis tubes, having been programmed to revive them should power be restored to the station, attempted to kill a Star Fleet salvage team sent from Deep Space 9 in 2373.


Stasis has also been used in the medical setting. In 2371, following the Kai election, Vedek Bareil joined Kai Winn as her key advisor in negotiating the Bajoran-Cardassian Treaty. Just before the signing of the treaty, he was injured in a plasma explosion on board a Bajoran Transport vessel. Dr. Julian Bashir told him that he should be placed in stasis for an undetermined period of time so his injuries could heal.


Another known application of stasis is to prevent a Changeling from altering its form, by use of a quantum stasis field.


In a starship's sickbay, the morgue is typically equipped with stasis fields to preserve dead bodies until they can be buried or until a postmortem is performed.


Fun Facts

  • Some years prior to 2372, Star Fleet did use artificial environments for people held in stasis on long deep space voyages. This technology held the mind inside a mental landscape to keep it active.
  • During the Dominion War, it was learned that the Dominion shipped Jem'Hadar infants in stasis chambers. This was discovered 2371 when Quark inadvertently purchased a Jem'Hadar infant in a stasis chamber that was included in salvage.