Star Trek XI (2009); Enterprise Starship Concept

I found these pictures on the new Star Trek Movie fan-page on Facebook. It's the new concept for the Enterprise starship for the latest silver screen rendition of the never-ending space trek According to Trek time-line, the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 was launched in 2245. A Constitution Class starship and she would see 2 captains before the iconic Capt. James T. Kirk, she would be the most famous 5-year mission starship Starfleet will ever have.

The saucer section doesn't look like much different from the original classic Enterprise, but the "streamlined" deflector dish assembly and "aero-dynamical" warp nacelles are the most prominent changes on the new movie Enterprise concept. The deflector dish looks more clunky as opposed to the simple dish-with-an-antennae designed on its predecessor in the 60s. The warp nacelle pylons are slightly widened at the ends and the stardrive section fuselage looks very reminiscent of the re-fitted USS Enterprise in 2272 (just before the V'Ger Crisis).

The spinning Bussard ramscoops are still there. Reminiscent of the original series startship. Of course, as discussed in my earlier posting, it's Roddenberry's 3rd Rule that both warp nacelles must be fully visible from the front.

One thing about her warp nacelles are the visible, dorsal warp coil vanes, which was not seen in the original series. The conspicuous blue glow on the engines is a hallmark of any Starfleet warp-capable starship. Cool. Makes the ship's engines look 'energized', I guess.

According to the Star Trek TNG Technical Manual, the blue light emitting from the warp nacelles is a result of a conversion of subspace fields from the inner surface of the warp coils (made out of, amongst others, verterium cortenide) exiting the outer surface of the coils and radiates away from the nacelles and a certain amount of field energy recombination occurs at the coil centerline and appears as a visible light emission.

STXI is said to be 'under construction' and is due to be out on the silver screen in May 2009. I was slightly disappointed to learn that it wouldn't be out this Christmas as initially planned, but it had to make way for some stupid movie by SonyPictures.