Pluto is a planetary body in the Sol star system.
The original Enterprise (NX-class) has for centuries orbited Pluto as a celebrated museum. (TOS novels: Captain's Glory, Academy: Collision Course)
Specifics[]
Star system image.
From 1930 to 2006, Pluto was considered the 9th planet in the Solar System, at which point it was reclassified as a dwarf planet. Pluto's status among astronomers would shift between planet and dwarf planet several times between the 21st and 24th centuries (TNG novel: Before Dishonor).
The planet was named after the Roman god of the underworld. The planet was approximately a fifth of the size of Luna, and was comprised mainly of rock and ice. It had an eccentric orbit that brought it closer to the Sun than the planet Neptune for a 20-year period during its revolution around the Sun.
History[]
Pluto was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930 and had a surface covered with frozen methane. (Fact Files Issue 47: "File 3 Card 3Y, Alpha Quadrant")
In 1969, after performing a slingshot maneuver around Sol, the time traveling USS Enterprise shot past Pluto before initiating breaking maneuvers to arrive in the year 2267. (TOS episode: "Tomorrow is Yesterday")
In the 22nd century, Aaron Stiles and Dan Hagedorn once used a memorable maneuver near Pluto to flank a small group of ships. (ST novel: Starfleet: Year One)
On reference stardate 0/8508, an unknown disease that had an exceptionally high mortality rate spread through the Pluto Research Base stationed there and killed its 200 Human and Alpha Centaurian personnel, leaving no survivors. The "Pluto Plague" was later linked to a souvenir contaminated with mutant strain of the Omega Virus, sold by a visiting Orion trader to one of the researchers. This left tense relations between the Terrans and the Orions. (FASA RPG modules: The Federation, The Romulan War; ST references: Spaceflight Chronology, The Worlds of the Federation)
In 2152, T'Pol likened the Andorian settlement of Paan Mokar to the Klingons establishing a colony of their own on Pluto. (ENT episode: "Cease Fire")
In January 2246, according to official records, James T. Kirk was inoculated for space travel and then a year later went on a school trip to Pluto for a week. The records were planted by the Bureau of Colonial Affairs to protect Kirk’s identity, that he had been on Tarsus IV during the famine. (TOS novel: Academy: Collision Course)
In 2273, Nyota Uhura adjusted the gravity to Pluto level, about 0.06 standard, in the USS Enterprise’s variable-gravity gym. She considered it challenging to function in what deceptively felt like zero gravity. (TOS novel: Ex Machina)
In 2293, the flight plan for USS Enterprise-B’s christening flight was to travel past Pluto, then return to Spacedock. (TNG movie: Generations)
In 2359, Sergeant Roger Tang joked to William T. Riker that the first model of his shoulder-mounted phaser cannon had exploded during field testing on Pluto, wiping out half the surface. (TNG novel: Imzadi)
The USS Galaxy spent some time in orbit around Pluto, and sent updates on the performance of her systems to the USS Enterprise-D—which was undergoing her shakedown cruises—during this time. (TNG reference: Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual)
In 2363, en route to christening ceremonies for the USS Enterprise-D, Orfil Quinteros took a civilian shuttle to Pluto, then boarded a ferry to Titan, then traveled to Utopia Planitia. (TNG short story: "Meet with Triumph and Disaster")
Pluto LaGrangian colonies mined comets for water. In 2371, one of their expeditions discovered the battle-damaged USS Defiant frozen in a comet, having been there for nearly 5,000 years. (DS9 - Invasion! novel: Time's Enemy)
The Starfleet Archives Annex was on Pluto. It was chosen as a long-term secure location for keeping historical data because Pluto's frozen core precluded geologic activity and it would survive after Sol went nova in the distant future. In 2374, the Mirror Universe James T. Kirk penetrated security there to access Captain James T. Kirk’s logs from his first five-year mission. (TOS novel: Dark Victory)
By the late 24th century, there were only twelve geologists living on the surface. (Last Unicorn RPG module: A Cadet's Guide to Sector 001 Earth)
First Splinter timeline[]
In mid-2380, Pluto and its moon, Charon, were absorbed by a Borg Cube. (TNG novel: Before Dishonor, ST - Destiny novel: A Singular Destiny, NF novel: Blind Man's Bluff)
In the early 25th century, however, Pluto was unharmed and Jake Sisko had no recollection of it ever having been consumed. Former DTI Agent Dulmer, however, recalled its destruction. This clear inconsistency was possibly a result of a temporal incursion, possibly caused by the Undine. (STO novel: The Needs of the Many)
In fiction[]
In the fictional 20th century sci-fi serial The Adventures of Captain Proton, Pluto was inhabited. Captain Proton fought a Rankel beast in the Pit of Souls there, his penalty for breaking one of Pluto's sacred laws. (The Adventures of Captain Proton episode: "The Ultimate Price")
Shortly after the adventurers visited the Plutonium cloud mines, Proton disappeared. (The Adventures of Captain Proton episode: "Where's Proton?")
Points of Interest[]
- Enterprise (NX-class) museum
- Pluto LaGrangian colonies
- Pluto Station
- Project Pluto Research Station
- Starfleet Archives Annex
Moons and Satellites[]
Appendices[]
Connections[]
| Planets visited by Captain Proton | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Planet X • Thyrion VI • Azkam • Pluto • Luna • Queen Fems' planet • Epsey Second Prime • Troon homeworld • Core • Grayhawk II • Earth • Mind-Sucker Ant Creature homeworld • Red Mountain • Mercury • Alpha Centauri • Soltair planet • Mars • Zatonia • Andromeda Prime • Planet X • Earth | |||
Appearance[]
References[]
- ST reference: Spaceflight Chronology
- TOS novel: The Galactic Whirlpool
- FASA RPG modules: The Federation, The Romulan War
- TOS novel: Strangers from the Sky
- TOS novel: How Much for Just the Planet?
- TOS novel: Time for Yesterday
- ST reference: The Worlds of the Federation
- TOS novel: Doctor's Orders
- TNG reference: Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual
- TNG novel: Imzadi
- TNG movie: Generations
- DS9 - Invasion! novel: Time's Enemy
- Last Unicorn RPG module: Starfleet Academy
- Last Unicorn RPG module: A Cadet's Guide to Sector 001 Earth
- VOY video game: Elite Force
- TOS novel: Dark Victory
- ST novel: Starfleet: Year One
- ENT episode: "Cease Fire"
- TOS novel: Ex Machina
- TOS novel: Captain's Glory
- ENT novel: The Good That Men Do
- TOS novel: Academy: Collision Course
- TNG - The Sky's the Limit short story: "Meet with Triumph and Disaster"
- STO novel: The Needs of the Many
- NF novel: Blind Man's Bluff
- DS9 - Department of Temporal Investigations novel: Watching the Clock
- ST video game: Klingon Academy
- ST video game: Infinite
External links[]
- Pluto article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Pluto article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.