# Do all Star Trek ships go through the same thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 14, 2004, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149 "2004-02-14T02:48:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/21 "2004-02-14T14:49:24Z")
Many Starfleet vessels are destroyed or lost in The Original Series. The M-5 computer destroyed one, the USS Excalibur, during war games, The USS Defiant was shifted out of our universe near Tholian space, Charlie destroyed one by telekenesis, Kirk’s space amoeba ate one full of Vulcans, USS Intrepid, the Planet Killer ate another, the USS Constellation and there are all the previously lost vessels from before Kirk’s time. A heavy toll, especially when all the named vessels are Constitution class, Starfleet’s frontline vessels. It can only be assumed that other races lose as many, or else the Federation would be overrun quite rapidly 🙂 > [@Hosiah](#): > > I have a better (ok, maybe only more intrigueing for me) Star Trek question: Why are the ships always shown “right side up”? Because, there’s no up or down in space, but the ships are always right-side-up, if two ships meet in space, they always tend to be oriented identically…and when the ship is turned around, it always makes a neat U-turn like a car does. Vessels are usually armed with most fire power concentrated at the front of the vessel. So when two opponents meet each other it must be face to face to ensure noone is vunerable. And I guess looking at a ship at a funny angle must be disorientating so everyone meets orientated to face each other. My Treksplanation for ya 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/22 "2004-02-14T16:03:51Z")
It’s because the other ships are out cataloging gaseous anomalies. (That always bugged me about ST:TUD. Sulu’s ship _Excelsior_ was the one coming back from cataloging gaseous anomalies, yet to destroy the cloaked Klingon ship Uhura suggested they rig a torpedo since they had all that equipment to catalog gaseous anomalies on board. Hello, the _Enterprise_ wasn’t doing that, it was _Excelsior_!) ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/23 "2004-02-14T16:09:30Z")
Dammit. I dangled my participle or split my infinitive or something. I’m always doing that. _Equipment on board to catalog gaseous anomalies_ is what I meant. Although when Kirk or Archer get going sometimes, there could be some gaseous anomalies on board… ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/24 "2004-02-14T17:01:53Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > I imagine they work 9-5 replicating all sorts of cogs, sprockets, doohickies, and thingamajigs for all those starships. They don’t grow on trees, y’know. And just what do you think Sulu was growing in the hydroponics bay in _The Man Trap_, hmmm? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/25 "2004-02-14T17:28:58Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > It’s because the other ships are out cataloging gaseous anomalies. > > (That always bugged me about ST:TUD. Sulu’s ship _Excelsior_ was the one coming back from cataloging gaseous anomalies, yet to destroy the cloaked Klingon ship Uhura suggested they rig a torpedo since they had all that equipment to catalog gaseous anomalies on board. Hello, the _Enterprise_ wasn’t doing that, it was _Excelsior_!) Which brings us to the “Why do they have one of their best ships off cataloging gaseous anomalies? Don’t they have less important ships for that?” questions. This would be like the Pentagon sending the carrier group Enterprise off to check out a thunderstorm. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/26 "2004-02-14T20:57:14Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > (That always bugged me about ST:TUD. _Star Trek: The Uhura Dialogs_ ? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/27 "2004-02-14T21:00:55Z")
_The Undiscovered Country._ Or is it just _Undiscovered Country_? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/28 "2004-02-14T21:24:05Z")
> [@BraheSilver](#): > > …all we know is that in the future, there will be robots and tight pants and lasers. What more do you need to know? That’s reason enough for me! > [@Hosiah](#): > > I have a better (ok, maybe only more intrigueing for me) Star Trek question: Why are the ships always shown “right side up”? Because, there’s no up or down in space, but the ships are always right-side-up, if two ships meet in space, they always tend to be oriented identically…and when the ship is turned around, it always makes a neat U-turn like a car does. I do believe Enterprise has had a few encounters where they show some ships orienting themselves so that they come together, face to face. Maybe it’s a holdover from this era where they have to be aligned to dock since transporters aren’t effective yet? > [@TheLongRoad](#): > > Which brings us to the “Why do they have one of their best ships off cataloging gaseous anomalies? Don’t they have less important ships for that?” questions. This would be like the Pentagon sending the carrier group Enterprise off to check out a thunderstorm. Starfleet is a military institution but it’s an exploaration arm of the Federation first and foremost. Would you rather them have taken a defenseless and slow \*Oberth \* class vessel to a region of space so close to the Klingon homeworld that they could feel the subspace shockwave from Praxis’ explosion or a science vessel that doubles as a battleship? > [@ivylass](#): > > The Undiscovered Country. Or is it just Undiscovered Country? It’s _The Undiscovered Country_ or _TUC_. You had _TUD_. _The Unintelligible Darmok_? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/29 "2004-02-14T22:38:42Z")
I actually have a good reason as to why ships are always (or, almost always) orientated in the same direction. Our galaxy is a disc shape. And while it is 3-D, it’s length and width are much greate than it’s height, so it can appear more liek a 2-D flat surface. So, thefore, it is logical to assume that the ships orientate themselves so that their top is the same as the galaxy’s top, so to speak. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/30 "2004-02-14T22:59:46Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > Starfleet is a military institution but it’s an exploaration arm of the Federation first and foremost. Would you rather them have taken a defenseless and slow \*Oberth \* class vessel to a region of space so close to the Klingon homeworld that they could feel the subspace shockwave from Praxis’ explosion or a science vessel that doubles as a battleship? I was typing up a nice reply to this but then I realized your post is so goddamn nerdy I can’t bring myself to put anything objective down. Have a great weekend. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/31 "2004-02-14T23:04:01Z")
I entertain myself by watching Star Trek whereas you amuse yourself by pestering me and people like me. I might be nerdy but your behaviour is just pathetic. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/32 "2004-02-14T23:08:39Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > It’s _The Undiscovered Country_ or _TUC_. You had _TUD_. _The Unintelligible Darmok_? Maybe it really **is** supposed to be abbreviated “TUD”. Sorta like how Phencyclidine is abbreviated “PCP”, even though there’s only one “P” in Phencyclidine. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/33 "2004-02-14T23:13:22Z")
> [@The Long Road](#): > > I was typing up a nice reply to this but then I realized your post is so goddamn nerdy I can’t bring myself to put anything objective down. > > Have a great weekend. [J.T. Kirk] We… meanyouno… harm. Please take this post as a… message… of good willandpeace, from… our… nerdy realm…to… yours. We hope that… someday… your people and ours can live… in peaceful coexistance… but until that… day… _ **Mr. Scott, fire phasers!** _ [/J.T. Kirk] ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/34 "2004-02-14T23:20:41Z")
The only time you hear about another starship doing anything interesting is when something goes horribly awry. Like the USS Pegasus in the TNG ep “The Pegasus” in which a phased claoking device was being tested. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/35 "2004-02-14T23:58:21Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > I entertain myself by watching Star Trek whereas you amuse yourself by pestering me and people like me. I might be nerdy but your behaviour is just pathetic. You’re the one commenting on the “defenseless and slow Oberth class vessel”. I’m not pesting you. You don’t like it, you shouldn’t have started throwing all the nerdy BS into the discussion. The last think I do is go out of my way to have anything to do with you and people like you. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/36 "2004-02-15T00:13:03Z")
You wanna use my disrupter, **Aes**? Or would a phaser cutting phaser be the weapon of choice for this duel? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/37 "2004-02-15T00:15:18Z")
You’re the one who asked the question about “one of the fleet’s best ships” so it was you, not me, that started the “nerdy BS” by qualifying the Excelsior, a \*\*\*fictional \*\* \* vessel, as the premier ship of Starfleet by comparing it to the US Navy’s _Enterprise_. What is it that you expect when you come into a thread wherein the OP is asking questions about Star Trek? A discussion about the Super Bowl, Janet Jackson’s breast, and all things “macho”? We know we’re nerds and most of us, myself included, revel in our nerdiness and we don’t need people like you commenting to our discussions to tell us what we already know. Also, can you tell me how it is you’re “avoiding people like me” when this is at least the second thread in as many weeks where you’ve posted only to trash the series? If this is avoidance, you must never leave your friends’ sights. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/38 "2004-02-15T00:21:13Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > You wanna use my disrupter, **Aes**? > Or would a phaser cutting phaser be the weapon of choice for this duel? Forget the hand weapons. Ready a full spread of Quantum torpedoes! (Or plain old Photon torpedoes, if we’re talking about the Enterprise-D or earlier. Or the Enterprise-E in _Nemesis_. Geez, did Bermanaga completely forget about Quantum torpedoes after _First Contact_?!) ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/39 "2004-02-15T00:26:02Z")
Do you still have your Vorlon T disruptor, **NCB**? And **tracer** , they probably just didn’t have a compliment aboard after using them all in some offscreen altercation or somethin’. Most ships carry both photorps and quantums too. The latter has a higher yield and causes more destruction so photons are kept around for more “delicate” uses. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149/40 "2004-02-15T00:37:04Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > Do you still have your Vorlon T disruptor, **NCB**? Yipper, I’m a wanted man. I have the death penalty in 7 systems! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-star-trek-ships-go-through-the-same-thing/229149.md?page=3)