Star Trek: 10 Starships That Went Missing
In honour of the 30th anniversay of Voyager, we're looking at other missing ships.
Star Trek: Voyager turns 30 in 2025, immediately making half of our lower backs twinge. But this milestone is more than just the anniversary of Star Trek's fifth television iteration, as well as the birth of the UPN. It also marks thirty years since the Federation lost another ship in the galaxy.
When the Caretaker whisked the USS Voyager to the Delta Quadrant, he wasn't just plucking a group of new officers out of their normal trade routes. He was sliding the ship into a long and growing list of ships that vanished without a trace. Starfleet is many things, though a ship minder may not be high on its CV.
When the news came in that the Intrepid-class vessel was gone, spouses and parents mourned, allies lowered their flags to half-mast, and the Starflet C-in-C presumably added another tick to the list.
Why does Starfleet have this reputation? Well, they need to step up their game when it comes to keeping track of their fleet - and it's not a new phenomenon, either!
10. USS Enterprise-B
To date, the USS Enterprise-B has only appeared in Star Trek: Generations, not including those models on the D and the E. However, to say that its maiden voyage was its only voyage would be to do it a disservice. Most Trek fans will know the name of Captain John Harriman, but how many know of Captains William George and Demora Sulu?
For the Enterprise-B's fate, one must turn to Beta Canon. TrekCulture has already explored the ramifications of the Tomed Incident in detail, depicted in the novel Serpent Among The Ruins by David R. George III. This event took place in 2311, leading to Harriman's departure from the ship. He had stepped aside after the maiden voyage and was replaced by Captain William George, named in honour of the author. Though Harriman returned, by 2315, Sulu had become captain.
The ship continued to serve as part of Starfleet for another fourteen years, aiding fleeing Bajorans after their world's annexation by the Cardassians. According to Iron And Sacrifice from the Tales From The Captain's Table anthology (also by George), in 2329, the ship became infected with an 'unknown infection.' The ship was then reported as lost, presumed destroyed.
This is but one sad fate for the famous ship and, as it has never been shown on screen, may be taken with a pinch of salt. The fate of the Enterprise-B remains a mystery.