USS Prometheus (NX-59650)

The USS Prometheus (NX-59650) was a Federation  starship in service to Starfleet during the 23rd century. The vessel was commanded by seven captains, including Robert April, Christopher Pike, and the most famous of them all, James T. Kirk. When construction began on the Enterprise in 2242, the ship was designated NX-0002.

The Enterprise remained in service for forty years, engaging in numerous first contacts, military engagements, and time travel missions. She eventually gained everlasting fame during her five-year mission, under the command of Captain Kirk. Enterprise underwent a massive refit in 2270, engaged V'Ger in 2273, and self-destructed over the Genesis Planet in 2285. The Enterprise would go on to become one of the most famous Federation starships in history; so famous in fact that when Earth and Starfleet had been saved by Kirk and his crew in 2286, the Federation Council and President decided to thank them by recommissioning another starship, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A), and assigning them to it. The Enterprise would also be known as the Federation flagship through her service life.

Over the years, the Enterprise crew represented a wide diversity of races and cultures, including some non-humanoids and a variety of humanoid species, including Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, Tellarites, Lirin, Caitians, Betelgeusians, Kelyans, Zaranites, Saurians, Argelians, Rhaandarites, Sulamids, Triexians, Gallamites, Deltans, Tanians and even representatives of reclusive non-aligned cultures, such as a Klingon, Gorn and a Horta.

History

 * For a complete chronology of the Enterprise's activities in this period see: The Early Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701).



Construction and shakedown
The Enterprise was the first Constitution class vessel to be authorized and construction began at Starfleet Division, San Francisco Fleet Yards, Earth on July 16, 2242. Originally proposed to be named the USS Constitution NCC 1700, due to numerous alterations in design and power it was redesignated NCC 1701. Overseeing the construction was Captain Robert April, after being appointed by Commodore van Anling, who worked closely with naval architect Lawrence Marvick, chief construction engineer Franz Joseph IV, and their team, which included Bernice Hart and Montgomery Scott. When construction began, the Enterprise had not yet been named, with the intention that the ship would be named upon completion. 


 * In the, April states that he took command of the ship shortly after the completion of construction at the Utopia Plantia Yards. In the , the commissioning date of the Enterprise is given as in 2245.


 * The William Shatner states that the vessel was capable of saucer separation.

Construction on the vessel proceeded well, and 2243 saw the introduction of the prototype duotronic computer system developed by Dr. Richard Daystrom. The introduction proved vital to the ship later the following year, when the half-complete ship was ordered on a top secret mission into the Romulan Neutral Zone to rescue the stricken Federation colony ship SS Rosenberg without attracting the Romulans' attention. Captain April, with the help of acting first officer, Commander George Samuel Kirk, Sr., managed to rescue the colonists, and make it back to Federation space with the help of t'Cael Zaniidor Kilyle, Field Primus of the Second Imperial Swarm, and commander of the Imperial Swarmbird ChR. During this time, April chose the name Enterprise for the new ship, after being convinced to do so by George Kirk Sr.

During a shakedown cruise under the command of Admiral Charles Rasmussen, Klingon agents who had replaced various Starfleet Academy cadets attempted to steal the Enterprise. The plan was defeated thanks to Rasmussen, who sacrificed his life to save the ship. 

Construction of the Enterprise was completed by early 2245, and the Enterprise was officially launched on July 4, 2245 by Federation President Samuel Solomon Qasr, and attended by former President Jonathan Archer, who had been the commander of the United Earth ship Enterprise (NX-01) nearly a century earlier. Following the launch ceremony, the Enterprise began shakedown cruises under the command of Captain April. The shakedown cruises went well and the Enterprise was finally commissioned on January 3, 2246 and began its first five-year mission of exploration. 


 * In the, the ship's launch date was April 11, 2245.

The first five-year mission
In October 2246, the Enterprise was the first Federation ship to reach Tarsus IV with food and supplies for the famine-stricken colony; however, interference from the Klingon warship meant that the Enterprise was too late to stop the execution of 4,000 colonists at the hands of Kodos the Executioner. (SS TOS (Though Hell Should Bar the Way))

In 2249, the Enterprise welcomed back George Samuel Kirk Sr. and his 16-year-old son James T. Kirk, as the starship transported them to a newly discovered archaeological site on the planet Faramond. 

Kirk's five-year mission
 * For a complete chronology of the Enterprise's activities in this period see: The Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) (2264 to 2270).

In 2264, command of the Enterprise was passed on to James T. Kirk, the youngest captain at that time, when Pike was promoted to fleet captain and assigned overall control of Constitution-class starship operations. The Enterprise's first mission under Kirk wasn't a deep-space exploratory mission or a mission of importance, but to transport the Warp-Speed Classic Vaudeville Company around the Federation Phalanx to Starbase 13. Although Kirk was very reluctant to this first assignment, Admiral Kimitake Noguchi, thought he needed the time to work out his command, and ordered him to do it or lose the Enterprise. The voyage was far from uneventful, however, after encountering the rebel Klingon Bird-of-Prey Quundar, and encountering a generational vessel. 


 * The USS Enterprise Owners' Workshop Manual reference book gives 2263 as the year in which Kirk was given command of the ship.

Following several other adventures, the Enterprise was finally dispatched on a five-year mission, in which the ship's primary mission was to seek out and contact alien lifeforms. Beyond this primary mission, the Enterprise was also charged with defending Federation territory from aggression, aid member worlds in crisis, and provide support for scientific expeditions and colonies that were working in the Enterprise's patrol area. 

Discoveries
Over the course of the five-year mission, the Enterprise visited many different planets and encountered representatives from dozens of different species. On many occasions the Enterprise made first contact with beings that hadn't been encountered by the Federation before, including stellar neighbors, voyagers from outside the Milky Way, and powerful non-corporeal entities.

An experimental prototype Starfleet vessel that was designed for deep space and tactical based assignments. The first of the Prometheus class vessels was built at the Beta Antares Shipyards and launched on Stardate 50749.5 and at the time was the most innovative and fastest vessel in the Fleet. 

Around Stardate 51462, the Prometheus was hijacked by a group of Romulans who wanted to return the ship to Romulus so that the Tal Shiar could learn the latest Starfleet tactical secrets. Using the vessel's multi-vector assault mode the Prometheus was able to overcome the USS Bonchune, and the hijack appeared to have been successful.

Fortunately, the Doctor from the USS Voyager had been transmitted to the Prometheus via a relay network from the Delta Quadrant. With help from the Prometheus's Emergency Medical Hologram, they were able to slow down the Romulans by venting a knock-out gas into the ship's life support systems, and hold off a Romulan assault until a relief force of Federation starships arrived. 

In 2377, the Prometheus was part of a fleet which destroyed Sphere 634. 

In 2381, the Prometheus was part of a forty ship fleet defending Vulcan from the Borg. In the battle, it was one of the four surviving ships including the USS Exeter (NCC-26531), USS Atlas, and USS Kearsarge (NCC-57566). It promptly destroyed the Borg over Vulcan with the other surviving ships. 

Following the invasion, the Prometheus reported to Starbase 22, where station's counselor, Brian Ellis, counselled the Prometheus medical staff.