Space Rescue Bug 5 was a space bug, an auxiliary craft in service to Starfleet in the 23rd century. The vehicle was assigned to the Federation starship USS Enterprise in the mid-2260s.
Specifics and history[]
Space Rescue Bug 5 resembled a red class F shuttlecraft at a glance, but it was a task-specific space bug customized for personnel rescue operations in combat situations. The vessel had a wide aft hatch so that armed officers could quickly disembark, even while wearing environmental suits in zero gravity. Standing atop the vehicle was a defensible position.
In early 2266, James T. Kirk launched Space Rescue Bug 5 to assist personnel that might have been hurt when the Enterprise disabled an Agonite space eagle. As David Bailey piloted the vessel through a jagged hole in the hull, the space bug was seized by grapplers manned by Agonites. The Enterprise resumed firing at the space eagle to keep the Agonites occupied, while the space bug crew used torches to burn off the grapplers. The team spotted dozens of humanoid captives, and Kirk took immediate action to rescue them. Four crewmen hastily stripped down Space Rescue Bug 5 to create more room, and within four minutes had taken off with the first batch of refugees. (TOS comic: "The Eagles Have Landed").
