Star Trek: 10 Secrets Of The USS Shenzhou You Need To Know

In addition to providing them names and brief histories, David Mack's tie-in novel "Desperate Hours" also portrayed an earlier adventure for the Shenzhou crew, depicting them joining forces with Captain Christopher Pike aboard the USS Enterprise to solve an ancient mystery on the planet Sirsa III.

Despite the aforementioned effort to align the creation of the novel's characters with the production of Star Trek: Discovery's premiere episodes, "Desperate Hours" is, like all Star Trek literature, a non-canon adventure. Still, the Shenzhou had one other mission that we know about... but it's complicated.

2018's Short Trek "The Brightest Star" revolves around a young Saru making first contact with Lieutenant Philippa Georgiou who later arrives on Kaminar aboard a Starfleet shuttlecraft labeled SHN 03. This "SHN" registry clearly indicates that the then lieutenant was serving aboard the USS Shenzhou some 16 years before "The Vulcan Hello" thus making the Walker-class starship the first to encounter the Kelpiens.

However, the subsequent Star Trek: Discovery episode "The Sound of Thunder" would go on to retcon this Short Trek, replaying the events of "The Brightest Star" but using footage in which "SHN" is removed from the shuttlecraft's hull. The episode also states in dialogue that Lieutenant Georgiou was serving aboard the USS Archimedes in 2239 removing any indication the USS Shenzhou was involved.