Acting captain is a rank and title used by civilizations with manned spacecraft or other types of ships, notably among them the Federation, in which an officer can take command of a ship or vehicle in the absence of a captain who has been permanently and/or officially placed in that position.
Acting captains[]
- Wesley Crusher named himself acting captain of the Federation starship USS Enterprise-D in 2364 when he took over ship's systems from engineering while under the influence of polywater intoxication. (TNG episode: "The Naked Now")
- William Riker, USS Zheng He (2399, PIC episode: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part II")
- Gwyndala, USS Prodigy (2385 PRD episode: "Ouroboros")