20 Incredible Star Trek Concept Art Designs You Need To See
6. USS Iowa – Star Trek (2009)
Before the name was changed to honor director JJ Abrams' grandfather Henry Kelvin, Star Trek (2009) was originally going to open with the Narada attacking and destroying the USS Iowa.
As James T. Kirk was supposed to be born during the battle, the film's writers named the ship as a nod to the line from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home in which Kirk tells Dr. Gillian Taylor that he's from Iowa. As the film evolved, cooler heads prevailed and the name was changed to Kelvin, but early versions of the ship still bear the name Iowa.
Designed by Ryan Church, the Iowa aka the Kelvin was intended to reflect the Prime Universe aesthetic and early illustrations utilized TOS-style hull coloring and livery, even the golden deflector dish. The Kelvin as it appeared on screen would end up with a far more weathered and paneled hull, but the simple shapes of the ship still reflect the 1960s-era Starship Enterprise.