Masada was a Starfleet officer, assigned to the USS Constellation as science officer in 2267. When the Constellation encountered the alien planet killer, Masada was beamed down to L-374 III with the rest of the Constellation's complement by Commodore Matthew Decker, and was killed when the device destroyed that planet. (TOS: "The Doomsday Machine")
Background
- According to the Star Trek Encyclopedia, Masada "was probably named for the hilltop fortress where Jews defied Roman legions, eventually committing suicide en masse rather than surrender." (p.291) Based on this reference, some fans have speculated that Masada was an Israeli Jew.
Apocrypha
- The USS Masada was also a hijacked Ptolemy class Federation tug in Interplay's Star Trek: 25th Anniversary (PC).