Star Trek: 10 Secrets Of The Enterprise D You Need To Know

2. It Was Originally Designed For Kirk

The design of the Galaxy-Class starship wasn't just plucked out of thin air. It had actually existed as a concept since well before plans for The Next Generation were even first spoken about, as the ship was originally sketched in the aftermath of Star Trek: Phase II - the abortive attempt at a revival Star Trek series in the late 1970s.

The look of the ship was conceived by legendary sci-fi artist Andrew Probert, who created it as an example of how would redesign the original Enterprise if he had been allowed to break with the basic plan he'd been given for the previous project. Years later, when he was rehired to work in the Star Trek: The Next Generation art department, he hung that exact painting office, bringing it to the attention of Gene Roddenberry who insisted they use it for the show.

While it was never likely to be commanded by James Kirk, that the genesis of the idea started way back in the 1970s during pre-production for one of his adventures is one of Star Trek's best sliding doors moments. Interestingly, one of the other designs for Phase II (above) ended up being a near-exact template for the USS Discovery.