The Altair system, also known as the Alpha Aquilae system or 53 Aquilae system, was an inhabited planetary system in Sector 9, Alpha Quadrant.
This first magnitude star was the twelfth brightest star in Earth's night sky and one of three stars, along with Deneb and Vega, that formed the "Summer Triangle".
Components[]
Stellar system[]
This was a single star system. The primary Altair (the proper name for Alpha Aquilae) was an A-type dwarf. (ENT: "Cold Front")
Planetary system[]
In this system, there were at least six planets, including Altair III, Altair IV, and Altair VI. (TOS: "Amok Time", "Wolf in the Fold"; TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint")
History[]
The personnel file of Darien Wallace
In the mid-23rd century, the Altair system was of strategic importance to the Federation in the mid-23rd century. (TOS: "Amok Time")
This system had been involved in a long interplanetary conflict. The inauguration of the new president on Altair VI in 2267 helped to stabilize the area. The Federation sent three starships, including the USS Enterprise, to this historic event as a demonstration of friendship and strength. This demonstration was intended to cause ripples to the Klingon Empire. (TOS: "Amok Time")
In the 2280s, a freighter could travel in nineteen periods from Altair to reach Gamma Hydra sector, Section 10. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
Darien Wallace was born on Altair IV on stardate 22991.6. (TNG: "Eye of the Beholder")
In the early 2360s, first officer William T. Riker refused Captain Robert DeSoto of the starship USS Hood to beam down to Altair III. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint")
In 2371, Doctor Henri Roget of the Central Hospital of Altair IV was awarded the prestigious Carrington Award for his work in the field of medicine. (DS9: "Prophet Motive")
Landmarks[]
The Southern Vineyard was located on a planet in this system. (TNG: "Datalore")
Products[]
Products made in or associated with this system included the Altairian Grand Premier, Altairian brandy, Altair water, and Altair sandwich. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock;TNG: "Datalore", "Manhunt"; DS9: "You Are Cordially Invited")
Stellar cartography[]
The Altair system was visible from Earth in the constellation Aquila. This system was approximately 17 light years from Sol.
Location of Altair (Alpha Aquilae) on a United Earth star chart, 2154
In the 2150s, this system's position was labeled on an United Earth star chart which was displayed in several crew and guest quarters aboard the Enterprise. (Star Trek: Enterprise, set decoration))
In 2259, the location of Altair was labeled on a stellar cartography chart that was seen on the USS Enterprise's ready room viewscreen. This system's symbol had a blue color, indicating that it was affiliated with the United Federation of Planets. (SNW: "A Quality of Mercy")
On stardate 1292.4, the location of Altair was labeled in a chart used during a Section 31 Alpha Team briefing. (Star Trek: Section 31)
The system's location was labeled in a Federation star chart that was in Fleet Admiral Kirsten Clancy's office at Starfleet Headquarters in 2399 and on the bridge of the USS Titan-A in 2401. Altair was in or near to Federation space. (PIC: "Maps and Legends", "The Next Generation", "Disengage")
In 2401, the location of Altair was labeled on a star chart that was seen on the USS Stargazer's bridge viewscreen. The chart was used to show the location of the combined Starfleet-Borg armada and where it needed to go to face a galactic-level threat. (PIC: "Farewell")
Location of Altair labeled on a star chart (3190)
In 3190, the location of Altair was labeled on a star chart used by Commander Paul Stamets for tracking the movement of the Dark Matter Anomaly through the galaxy. (DIS: "The Examples")
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See also[]
Appendices[]
Background information[]
In the script for the "Prophet Motive", Altair was listed in the pronunciation guide, where the term was pronounced as "AL-tair".
In the first draft of the script for "Amok Time", the two starships that had arrived at Altair were identified as the USS Endeavour and USS Excalibur. [1]
Information on this system was derived from the episodes, from the reference works Star Trek: Star Charts and Stellar Cartography: The Starfleet Reference Library, and from real world sources. The reference works were used extensively in the creation of star charts seen in Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Prodigy, and Star Trek: Lower Decks. The real-world information added to the article was current as of 2025.
Further information on this system could be had from the Star Trek: Star Charts (p. 44, "United Federation of Planets I") and Stellar Cartography: The Starfleet Reference Library ("Federation Historical Highlights, 2161-2385"). The primary of the Altair (Alpha Aquilae) system was classified as an A-class star. In the 22nd century, this system was a stop on Earth and Vulcan trade routes. In 2378, the system was largely independent, with only Altair IV listed as a Federation member.
The Star Trek Encyclopedia, 4th ed., vol. 1, p. 21 named the star Altair (Alpha Aquilae) as the brightest star in the constellation Aquila.
The star chart seen in the series Star Trek: Enterprise made its first appearance in Crewman Daniels quarters in "Cold Front". It was also seen in several other episodes of the series, from 2151 to 2154. (For more information, see Federation star charts#United Earth Alpha/Beta star chart)
Apocrypha[]
In the video game Star Trek: 25th Anniversary, the USS Constellation and the Klingon flagship, IKS K'lirta, engaged in combat at Alpha Aquila VII, before the Organian Peace Treaty.
External links[]
- Altair at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- Altair at Wikipedia
- Altair system at the Internet Stellar Database