It's the Enterprise! Starfleet's Finest Flagships

With its depiction of intrepid Starfleet crews heroically exploring our galaxy, Star Trek has ensured that history will never forget the name 'Enterprise.'

From the earliest exploits of Captain Jonathan Archer's Enterprise NX-01 to the alternate reality adventures of the Kelvin Timeline's U.S.S. Enterprise, the Enterprise lineage has left an indelible mark on civilizations across multiple quadrants, centuries, and dimensions.

A comprehensive account of every Enterprise would fill volumes, so let us instead examine some of their exciting escapades and the episodes and films in which those events transpired.

Enterprise NX-01

The Enterprise legacy extends to a time before the Federation was formed, when an emergent Starfleet dispatched Captain Archer and the Enterprise NX-01 on a mission to return a wounded Klingon to Qo'noS in 's "."

Earth's early forays into deep space were fraught with unforeseen dangers, as demonstrated by what seemed to be an innocuous automated repair facility in "." The station's advanced technology made quick work of the NX-01's damaged components, but as it turned out, it also harvested crew members from the vessels it repaired. Enterprise nearly succumbed to the drydock's grip, but well-placed torpedoes allowed it to escape from the superstructure and go on to have a distinguished career.

The NX-01 was eventually retired to the Fleet Museum, where it still resided in 2401.

U.S.S. Enterprise

Captained by legends such as Robert April, Christopher Pike, James T. Kirk, and Spock, the U.S.S. Enterprise solidified its place in Federation lore on countless occasions, though one particular endeavor set the stage for the U.S.S. Discovery to leap into the distant future.

In 's "," the Enterprise extended evacuation corridors across the void to allow Discovery's personnel to disembark so that the Crossfield-class ship — and the Sphere data it contained — could be destroyed. When that plan fell through, the two vessels took a bold stand against a Section 31 armada that had been commandeered by Control. Covering fire from Captain Pike's Enterprise granted Michael Burnham and the Discovery the opportunity to travel through time, guaranteeing that Control would never evolve to the point of being able to wipe out all sentient life in the galaxy.

U.S.S. Enterprise-A

Though it did not serve nearly as long as its predecessor, the U.S.S. Enterprise-A helped to shape interstellar policy when it defended the Khitomer Conference from General Chang's renegade Bird-of-Prey in .

Commanded by Captain Kirk, the Enterprise-A joined Captain Hikaru Sulu's U.S.S. Excelsior in a desperate bid to slip past Chang's ship and save the Federation president's life. The coordinated tactical effort prevailed, as the Bird-of-Prey was destroyed and the Federation president's survival secured a lasting peace between his government and the Klingon Empire. A new era for Federation-Klingon relations fostered cooperation and understanding between the two powers, and the Enterprise-A ultimately earned a berth at the Fleet Museum.

U.S.S. Enterprise-B

The U.S.S. Enterprise-B made an immediate impact upon its departure from Earth orbit in , as Captain John Harriman responded to a distress call from two ships ensnared in an energy ribbon that would come to be known as the Nexus. James T. Kirk, Montgomery Scott, and Pavel Chekov were also aboard the ceremonial voyage, and the trio assisted Harriman as he managed his way through the Enterprise-B's first crisis.

Although the two transports were destroyed, the Federation vessel succeeded in saving 47 El-Aurian refugees, a group that included Guinan. Sadly, this mission became notorious for the apparent death of Captain Kirk, though the fabled officer actually lived on within the Nexus itself.

U.S.S. Enterprise-C

Captained by , the U.S.S. Enterprise-C engaged four Romulan warbirds that had targeted the Klingon outpost at Narendra III, resulting in a vicious battle which inadvertently opened a temporal rift in 's "."

The Enterprise-C went through, traveling over two decades into the future and coming face-to-face with its successor, the U.S.S. Enterprise-D. However, the excursion altered the timeline, plunging the Federation and Klingon Empire into a devastating conflict that should not have occurred. Though certain death awaited the Enterprise-C, the starship valiantly returned to its original era, mounting an honorable defense against the Romulans that impressed the Klingons. In turn, the Empire's appreciation for the Enterprise-C's aid proved vital in averting the catastrophic conflict that had plagued the alternate future.

U.S.S. Enterprise-D

Perhaps the most venerated starship to bear the name Enterprise since Kirk's era, the U.S.S. Enterprise-D experienced a wealth of first contacts and mysterious anomalies throughout its tenure in Starfleet.

Propelled into unknown territory by Q in The Next Generation's "," the Enterprise-D was thrust into the path of the Borg Collective. The Federation's formal introduction to the Borg did not go well, as the Cube attempted to assimilate its flagship, going so far as to extract a section of its hull. That fateful run-in would have repercussions for the Federation (and future Enterprises) for decades to come.

Although its stardrive section was destroyed above Veridian III, the Enterprise-D's saucer was salvaged and restored at the Fleet Museum. By 2401, the starship had been paired with the secondary hull of the U.S.S. Syracuse, a configuration which afforded the Enterprise-D the chance to end the Borg threat for all time.

U.S.S. Enterprise-E

Entering service in the wake of its predecessor's destruction, the U.S.S. Enterprise-E became the new home of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his devoted senior staff.

When a Borg Cube set its sights on Earth in , the Enterprise-E defied orders and proceeded to Sector 001, a maneuver which turned the tide against the Collective. The starship then followed a Borg sphere back in time, preventing the Borg Queen from assimilating Earth before the Federation was ever founded.

The Enterprise-E's enigmatic fate remains elusive to this day, yet regardless of the flagship's status, we can be sure that whatever befell the Sovereign-class vessel was not Worf's fault.

U.S.S. Enterprise-F

Commanded by Admiral Elizabeth Shelby in 's "," the soon-to-be-retired U.S.S. Enterprise-F participated in the festivities of 2401.

The Borg Queen scuttled the fond farewell, as a new form of assimilation spread among the ship's youngest crew members. The Enterprise-F was assimilated along with the rest of the assembled fleet, which targeted its entire arsenal on Earth Spacedock. Only an intervention helmed by Admiral Picard, Commander Seven of Nine, and their comrades prohibited the Borg Queen from assimilating Earth, though the hectic battle left starship wreckage strewn throughout local space.

U.S.S. Enterprise-G

Previously commissioned as both the , the U.S.S. Enterprise-G entered service with a monumental lineage to live up to.

Having been instrumental in foiling plots orchestrated by rogue Changelings and the Borg Queen, the Enterprise-G needed to honor the Titan-A's history while making its own name for itself as the latest in a long line of Enterprises. The Constitution III-class vessel departed spacedock under its new designation in Picard's "," and with , the ship appeared destined to start etching its own exceptional accomplishments into the Starfleet history books.

U.S.S. Enterprise-J

Okay, we may have skipped a couple letters here. When introduced Captain Archer to the 26th-Century U.S.S. Enterprise-J in 's "," he was showing the NX-01's commanding officer a potential future in which the Federation defeated the Sphere Builders at the Battle of Procyon V. Daniels emphasized the importance of humanity's survival, as they played a key role in founding the same Federation that would go on to drive the Sphere Builders back into their trans-dimensional realm.

Hoping to convince Archer to make peace with and avoid sacrificing himself in the process, Daniels informed the captain that Xindi served aboard the Enterprise-J. This knowledge was essential to Archer in his efforts to convince the Xindi not to attack Earth with their planet-killing weapon.

U.S.S. Enterprise (Kelvin Timeline)

With Captain Pike taken prisoner by Nero and the Narada prepared to destroy Earth in , the U.S.S. Enterprise welcomed James T. Kirk as its acting captain and before warping to intercept the enemy vessel.

After concealing itself near Saturn, the Enterprise beamed Kirk and Spock over to Nero's Romulan mining ship in a daring away mission that led to Pike's rescue. Now equipped with Prime Spock's personal craft, Kelvin Spock severed the Narada's drill and prevented it from enacting its apocalyptic strategy. The Enterprise then dealt a final blow to the Narada, firing a volley of photon torpedoes that tore into the mining ship as it was enveloped by a black hole.

The Enterprise's intervention delivered Earth from harm and stopped Nero from turning his destructive sights on other Federation worlds.

U.S.S. Enterprise-A (Kelvin Timeline)

Following the U.S.S. Enterprise's destruction in , Captain Kirk and his crew witnessed their new starship being constructed at Starbase Yorktown.

Not long thereafter, the U.S.S. Enterprise-A was launched and set a course into the unknown. We have yet to see the vessel in action, but the fact that it bears the name Enterprise bodes well for the likelihood that its future endeavors will be historic.