A spaceship, space vehicle, or space vessel was any type of manned spacecraft capable of traveling in space, by the means of space normal or warp speeds. Specifically, a spaceship was capable of achieving or leaving a planet's orbit. (ENT: "The Communicator") In the Risan language, the term was translated as "woomar". (ENT: "Two Days and Two Nights")
The term was commonly used during the 19th and 20th centuries to describe any sort of space vessel. (TNG: "Up The Long Ladder", "Time's Arrow, Part II"; VOY: "Future's End, Part II", "Thirty Days"; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)
The Earth-Romulan War, which occurred during the mid-22nd century, was fought, with primitive atomic weapons and in what was later viewed as primitive space vessels that allowed no quarter, no captives, nor ship-to-ship visual communication. (TOS: "Balance of Terror")
In 2254, Captain Christopher Pike referred to his vessel as the "space vehicle Enterprise" when contacting the Talosians. (TOS: "The Cage", "The Menagerie, Part II")
Later in the 23rd century, the term spaceship was generally used to describe non-Starfleet vessels, in which case the term starship was used. (TOS: "Bread and Circuses") Nevertheless, such Starfleet vessels were described as spaceships, in instances where a culture was not familiar with said technology. (ENT: "Storm Front, Part II"; TAS: "One of Our Planets Is Missing"; Star Trek: First Contact)
By the 24th century, the term "starship" was colloquially used to describe most space vessel types, whereas shuttles would be referred to as auxiliary space vessels. (TNG: "Unnatural Selection")
External links[]
- Spaceship at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- Spaceship at Wikipedia