First contact

First contact is a term used to describe the initial meeting between two alien races.

One of the most historically significant first contacts was that between the Humans of Earth and Vulcans, in 2063. This meeting lay the foundation for what would eventually become the United Federation of Planets.

Misunderstandings are common in first contact situations, and can lead to unintended and tragic results. Such was the reason for the institution of Starfleet's Prime Directive, which generally forbade contact with races that had not yet developed warp drive. Decisions on initiating first contact were generally made by Starfleet's First Contact Office. 

In the late 23rd and 24th century, alien races believed to be on the brink of developing advanced technologies would often be observed by Federation specialists in order to better understand the cultures in advance of first contact. These observations were conducted by nearby bases in system, from duck blind posts or by placing surgically-altered observers within the local population. 

It should be noted that first contact does not necessarily represent an actual first encounter so much as the opening of relations (or, in the worst case, hostilities). For example, Earth and Federation Starfleet ships had several rogue encounters with the Ferengi prior to formal first contact in 2364. Another example was the case of exiled Cardassian poet Iloja of Prim, who eventually settled on Vulcan decades before the Federation and the Cardassians first started to interact.

Starfleet Captain McCoullough had written revised first contact procedures for Starfleet prior to 2369. 

First contact scenarios were the subject of the book The Ripple Effect by former Starfleet Captain Rixx. 

1925

 * The Orions and Tholians make first contact with each other.

1934

 * The Andorians and Orions make first contact with each other.

2022

 * The Andorians make first contact with the remains of the mysterious Vegan Tyranny. (FASA RPG)

2030

 * The Rigellians and the Tellarites make first contact with each other. (FASA RPG)

2053

 * The Vulcans make first contact with the Arkonians.

2063

 * Vulcans make first contact with humans following Zefram Cochrane's warp flight.


 * Numerous sources offer different explanations on Vulcan's first contact with Earth. FASA states that Earth was already exploring space when one of their Franklin series probes discovered a Vulcan colony whilst Strangers from the Sky states that the UNSS Amity discovered a disabled Vulcan craft near the orbit of Neptune which became the source of first contact between the two races.

2072

 * The Orions make first contact with the Klingon Empire. (FASA RPG)

2073

 * Humans make first contact with the Tellarites. (FASA RPG)

2151

 * Humans make first contact with the Klingon Empire and the Suliban.
 * The Enterprise NX-01 makes first contact with the Axanarri.
 * The Enterprise makes first contact with the Xyrillians.
 * The Enterprise (NX-01) makes what Jonathan Archer described as first contact with the lost human colony of Terra Nova.
 * The Enterprise NX-01 makes first contact with the Fazi and the Hipon on the planet Fazi.
 * The Enterprise makes the first human contact with the Andorians on the Vulcan world, P'Jem.
 * Spock's World states that Humanity first encountered the Andorians before the Vulcans which allowed Earth to lose some of its xenophobia but this was overridden by canon.


 * The Enterprise makes first contact with the Akaali.
 * The Enterprise makes first contact with the Valakians.
 * The Enterprise makes first contact with the Eska.
 * Unofficially, the Enterprise makes first contact with the Ferengi.

2152

 * The Enterprise makes first contact with the Tandarans.
 * The Enterprise makes first contact with the Kreetassans.
 * Unofficially, the Enterprise makes first contact with the Romulan Star Empire.
 * The Enterprise makes first contact with the Shisali. (SS ENT (You Are Not in Space))
 * The Enterprise makes first contact with the Takret.

2153

 * The Enterprise makes first contact with the Vissians.
 * The Enterprise makes first contact with the Xindi.

2162

 * Starfleet makes first contact with the Nisaaren.

2164

 * The Federation makes first contact with the inhabitants of the Delos system.

2167

 * The USS Archon (NCC-189) makes first contact with the Betans of Beta III.
 * The USS Horizon (NCC-176) makes first contact with the Iotians.

2217

 * The USS Valiant (NCC-1223) makes first contact with the Eminians of Eminiar VII.

2252

 * The Bolians make first contact with the Federation.

2254

 * The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) makes first contact with the Talosians.
 * The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the Calligar.

2258

 * The USS Hood (NCC-1703) makes first contact with the Rey from the planet Gullrey.

2264

 * The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the Trelorians.

2266

 * The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the First Federation.

2267

 * The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the Gorn.
 * The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the Horta.

2268

 * The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the inhabitants of Triskelion.
 * The USS Exeter (NCC-1672) makes first contact with the Yangs and the Kohms on Omega IV.
 * The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the Melkotians.
 * The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the Fabrini.
 * The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the Petraw.

2270

 * The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the Mercans.

2302

 * The Federation makes first contact with the inhabitants of Angel I.

2364

 * The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) makes first contact with the Star-jellies and the Q Continuum.
 * The USS Enterprise-D makes the official first contact with the Ferengi.
 * The USS Enterprise-D makes first contact with the Edo.

2365

 * The Enterprise-D makes first contact with the Dremans.
 * The Enterprise-D makes the "official" first contact with the Borg.

2366

 * The USS Enterprise-D makes first contact with the Mintakans.
 * The USS Enterprise-D makes first contact with the Zalkonians.

2369

 * Tosk
 * Wadi

2367

 * The USS Enterprise-D makes first contact with the Paxans.
 * The USS Enterprise-D makes first contact with the Malcorians.
 * The USS Enterprise-D makes first contact with the Cytherians.

2371

 * The USS Defiant (NX-74205) (I) makes first contact with the Founders of the Dominion and the Meridians.

2373

 * The USS Voyager (NX-74656) makes the Federation's first contact with the Drayans. ({{e|VOY|Innocence)

2376

 * The USS Defiant (NX-74205) (II) makes first contact with the Vahni Vahltupali in the Gamma Quadrant.
 * The USS Voager (NCC-74656) makes first contact with an unnamed species on the tachyon core planet.

2380
The USS Io makes first contact with the Trinni/ek. 

2402

 * The USS Voyager (NCC-74656) makes first contact with the Lorians.

unknown date

 * An unknown Starfleet vessel makes first contact with the Tarkannans.