Ship details

One of the most important Federation starships in interstellar history, USS Enterprise NX-01, later redesignated the USS Enterprise, was the culmination of the NX Project. The NX-01 was the first NX-class Federation starship, launched by the United Federation Earth Starfleet in 2151.

The USS Enterprise NX-01 established United Earth as a legitimate interstellar power and caused a wholesale revolution in Alpha and Beta Quadrant politics, paving the way for the creation of the Coalition of Planets in 2155, and eventually the United Federation of Planets in 2161.

For Humanity to make space exploration missions possible within a single natural lifetime, Humans had to make themselves capable of traveling faster than warp 1, the speed of light. After Zefram Cochrane made a successful warp test flight in the Phoenix in 2063, the propulsion system he created was further developed. In 2119, several engineers, such as Henry Archer and Cochrane himself, began the work that paved the way directly to the USS Enterprise, at the Warp Five Complex in Bozeman, Montana.

Over the next thirty-two years, warp engine development continued until Humanity's first warp 5 engine was created. This engine was capable of speeds that finally made interstellar travel in more survivable periods possible – that is, in days, weeks or months, instead of years. Consequently, Humanity was able to construct its first warp 5 capable Federation starship, the USS Enterprise NX-01, completed in 2151. Initially, the USS Enterprise had a theoretical maximum speed of warp 4.5.

Aside from its engine, the USS Enterprise was also the first Earth vessel to be equipped with a transporter rated for transporting biological organisms, however, the machine malfunctioned a number of times before the initial bugs were worked out.

Prior to its launch, Captain Gardner was considered for command of the USS Enterprise NX-01, regarded as the most suitable choice by Ambassador Soval. Admiral Maxwell Forrest ultimately narrowed down the candidates for the captaincy to Jonathan Archer and A.G. Robinson instead, though, pointing out that the Vulcan High Command was not in charge of Starfleet's personnel assignments. In 2150, the year her keel was laid, Forrest finally selected Jonathan Archer.