Challenger (NX-03)

For other uses, see Challenger.

For other uses, see NX-03.

Challenger
Class:	NX-class cruiser/light cruiser
Registry:	NX-03
Affiliation:	United Earth, Starfleet (2150s); Federation, Starfleet (2410s)
Commander:	Roy Dunsel
Launched:	August 2155
Status:	destroyed (10 March 2156), active (2410)

Challenger (NX-03) was a 22nd century United Earth starship, an NX-class cruiser in United Earth Starfleet service in the 2150s decade. The Romulans called it Ch'lenjer in their language. Its commanding officer was Captain Roy Dunsel. (ENT novel: Kobayashi Maru, ENT - The Romulan War novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

Service history and disposition

As of Thursday, 22 May 2155, Challenger was still under construction in the skies above San Francisco. On that date, while on an assignment to patrol Earth Cargo Service trade routes, Captain Jonathan Archer of Enterprise quipped whether he might be able to persuade Starfleet Command to rush Challenger into service, re-christening it Sisyphus, to take on his less than engaging mission. (ENT novel: Kobayashi Maru)

Challenger was launched around August 2155, alongside Discovery NX-04. (ENT - The Romulan War novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

This ship shares its registry with Excalibur (NX-03), which is also implicated to be the third NX-class ship built.

Sometime after, Challenger was part of a task force alongside Enterprise NX-01 and Columbia NX-02. The three ships left ion trails in a nebula as they soared towards Romulan space. At the time, Challenger was configured with a smaller deflector dish that matched the NX-01's, rather than the larger model of Columbia. (ST reference: Ships of the Line)

On 10 March, 2156, it was destroyed in the Battle of Andoria, when Captain Roy Dunsel activated the ship's self-destruct and rammed the Romulan warbird ChR Dhivael in a successful effort to prevent it from attacking Andoria and take control of Challenger. All hands were lost. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

With the relaunch of the NX- and Columbia-classes in the early 25th century, Challenger re-entered active duty in the year 2410. Challenger became the default representative for NX-class light cruisers in Starfleet's shipyards, including Earth Spacedock. (STO - Klingon War mission: "Welcome to Earth Spacedock")

It is unestablished if the new Challenger is a replica, reconstruction, or a version of the original that was never destroyed.

Crew manifest

• commanding officer:
  • Captain Roy Dunsel
• first officer:
  • Lieutenant Commander Estelle Granger
• tactical officer:
  • Lieutenant Rubin
• communications officer:
  • Ensign Hendricks
• helmsman:
  • Ensign Kaye

Appendices

Appearances

• ENT episode: "Fortunate Son" (indirect mention)
• ENT novel: Kobayashi Maru (mentioned only)
• ST reference: Ships of the Line (partially visible)
• ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing

External link

• Challenger (NX-03) article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.

ENT novel: Kobayashi Maru

STO - Klingon War mission: "Welcome to Earth Spacedock".

ENT - The Romulan War novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing.