Star Trek: Every Starfleet Starship Class Ranked Worst To Best

The Constitution class vessels were the backbone of Starfleet for much of the second half of the 23rd century. Designed by Matt Jefferies for the original pilot The Cage, the USS Enterprise set the template for almost every vessel that followed - introducing the idea of the saucer section rising above the drive section, with the warp nacelles swept up away from the ship.

This enduring image lasted for the entirety of the Original Series and, though heavily redesigned, returned for the movies, beginning with The Motion Picture in 1979. The Enterprise-A would be the last Constitution class vessel shown on-screen for many years - even with that drive hull shown in the wreckage of Wolf 359.

For its appearance in Star Trek: Discovery, John Eaves beautifully re-imagined the classic, bringing it more in line with the current aesthetic of Star Trek, while still honouring the Matt Jefferies original concept.