Registry: USS Enterprise / NCC 1701 D
First Seen On: Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV series: 1987-1994)
For those whose first contact with Star Trek universe was The Next Generation, this ship is the real Enterprise. Designed by Andrew Probert (who also created the Enterprise for the first Trek movie), this elegant, slightly top-heavy ship would be on TV screens for a full seven years — and on movie screens for an additional seven.
Its appearance changed somewhat throughout its run: starting off smooth and crisp, it eventually became textured and bulky (this was down to the production crew switching to a larger shooting model) and by 1996’s Star Trek Generations, it was downright moody-looking, with dark, almost noir-ish interiors.
During its many missions, the ship once came across an infinite number of parallel universe versions of itself, a never-to-be alternate timeline refit with three warp engines, and eventually crash landed on a planet after being attacked by rogue Klingons. While many fans bemoaned its loss, Kirk-era ship designer Matt Jeffries might not have mourned: he once compared the Enterprise D bridge to the “lobby of the Hilton.”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCgDaKOL9FQ]