- See Tanaka for other articles with titles that contain, either by relationship or by coincidence, this character's surname.
Hounslaw Tanaka was a 23rd century Human man. He served in Starfleet as chief communications officer aboard the Federation starship USS Enterprise under the command of Captain James T. Kirk in the 2260s.
History[]
Tanaka was an experienced mountain climber. Prior to 2264, Tanaka achieved 15 successful ascents, including Olympus Mons. He wore environmental suits for the duration of that one-week climb.
In 2264, Tanaka headed the communications department aboard the Enterprise. He was also an able shuttle pilot.
Tanaka was on duty when the Enterprise entered the Mandylion Rift in search of a warp 15-capable starship believed to have come from the Large Magellanic Cloud. When Norinda proposed a mountain-climbing contest — with the prize being the extra-galactic starship — Tanaka was chosen to compete against Lord Commander Kaul of the IKS Vengeance. Per contest rules, Tanaka piloted Galileo alone to Mandylion V, then began a 300-meter climb in an environmental suit. While monitoring the ascent, Spock detected an unusual white powder on the rocks that would eventually puncture the climbers' EV suits. Kirk brought Tanaka emergency oxygen and repair patches without violating contest rules by executing an orbital skydive. Before Kirk could get close enough, however, Kaul killed Tanaka on the mountainside.
Kirk recovered Tanaka's body and returned in Galileo to the Enterprise. (TOS novel: Captain's Peril)
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| USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) communications personnel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| under Robert April | Daron • Hall • Sanawey • Van Fleet | under Christopher Pike | Dabisch • Garrison • Nano • Nicola • Uhura • Vincent • Zacharia |   
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| under James T. Kirk & Spock | Alden • Aronsen • Ashcraft • Auberson • Azuela • Bryant • Czyzak • DeLeon • Dezago • Dominico • Dunhill • Farrell • Ferat • Fletcher • Goldstein • Granger • Hodge • Jolley • Josephs • Kerasus • Krelidze • Laysa • Leaming • Lin • Mahásë • Martine-Teller • Mendez • Miraskin • M'Ress • Mueller • Muir • North • Nyssa • Osik • Palmer • Parker • Peretz • Pilar • Putman • Riley • T'zeela • Talliflores • Tanaka • Uhura • Vehau • Vigelshevsky • Wittering • York | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| see also: Personnel roster • administrative personnel • engineering personnel • medical personnel • pilots & flight control personnel • security & tactical personnel • sciences personnel • senior staff • unnamed (2240s and 2250s • 2260s • 2270s and 2280s) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
