Changes: Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual

Latest revision as of 01:40, 13 June 2023

Real world article
(written from a Production point of view)

The Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual is a reference book, ostensibly created as a compilation of material accidentally transmitted by the USS Enterprise during the events of "Tomorrow is Yesterday", and detailing the technology of the 23rd century.

This work is noted as providing the basis for the Star Fleet Universe series of games.

Summary

All sections of the manual except the Introduction have "flysheets" that bear the Enterprise ship badge with various symbols in the centers.

Introduction

Foreword I: 1973 memorandum to Franz Joseph from the US Director of Security Control regarding the computer data from USS Enterprise accidentally dumped at Omaha Air Force Base in 1969.
Foreword II: Stardate 3150.10 (2267) memorandum regarding Star Fleet investigation of the sensitive data given to 20th century Humans. This is described as having been written by Sidre Ael Sardelas, Director of the United Federation Military Staff Committee.

General Section

Articles of Federation
- Declaration
- Chapters 1 – 19 (containing 110 articles)
Statute – Interplanetary Supreme Court of Justice – not printed
Statute Regulating Interplanetary Commerce – not printed
Romulan Treaty of Peace
Organian Treaty of Peace
United Federation of Planets Banner
United Federation of Planets Seal
United Nations Planet Earth, Sol system Flag
United Nations Planet Earth, Sol system Seal
Planetary Confederation of 40 Eridani Banner
Planetary Confederation of 40 Eridani Signat
United Planets of 61 Cygni Shield
United Planets of 61 Cygni Arms
Star Empire of Epsilon Indii Standard
Star Empire of Epsilon Indii Seal
Alpha Centauri Concordium of Planets Pennant
Alpha Centauri Concordium of Planets Arms
Official Type Style – Earth, Sol system – Star Fleet Specification
Official Type Style – Alpha Kentaurus – Star Fleet Specification
Uniform Color Code – Star Fleet Specification

Command Section

Star Fleet Armed Forces – Organization:
- SFAF – Org – Simplified Chart
- SFAF – Org – Mil. Staff Comm./Star Fleet Command
- SFAF – Org – Fleet Operations/Base Operations
- SFAF – Org – Logistics/Inspector General – not printed
- SFAF – Org – Personnel/Judge Advocate General – not printed
- SFAF – Org – Surgeon General/Sciences – not printed
- SFAF – Org – Engineering/Comptroller General – not printed
- SFAF – Org – Technology/Communications – not printed
- SFAF – Org – Nav. Gen/Planetary Rel./Galaxy Exp – not printed
- SFAF – Org – Tactician/Cosmologist/Alienologist – not printed
- The Star Fleet Academy – Organization
Fleet Headquarters:
- SFHQ – External Arrangement
- SFHQ – Typical Cross-Section
- SFHQ – Typical Section Thru Dock
- SFHQ – Typical Long. Section
- SFHQ – Ground Plan – Bays 1 & 2
- SFHQ – Ground Plan – Bays 3 & 4
- SFHQ – Ground Plan – Bays 5 & 6
Uniform Recognition:
- Insignia and Rank – Star Fleet Armed Forces
- Duty Uniform – Male – All SFAF
- N/C (Non-Computerized) Tunic Pattern
- Duty Uniform – Female – Officers SFAF
- N/C (Non-Computerized) Tunic and Panty Pattern
- Duty Uniform – Female – Ensigns SFAF
- N/C (Non-Computerized) Tunic and Panty Pattern
- Duty Uniform – Male – Medical SFAF
- N/C (Non-Computerized) Tunic and Panty Pattern
- Duty Uniform – Academy Cadet – Male – not printed
- N/C (Non-Computerized) Tunic Pattern – not printed
- Duty Uniform – Academy Cadet – Female – not printed
- N/C (Non-Computerized) Tunic and Panty Pattern – not printed
Ship Recognition:
- Fleet Ship Classifications – SFAF – Class I Starships
- Class I Heavy Cruiser – MK-IX
- Authorized Construction
- Class I Destroyer – MK-VIII
- Authorized Construction
- Class I Scout – MK-VII
- Authorized Construction
- Class I Transport/Tug – MK-VI
- Authorized Construction
- Class I Transport Containers – MK-V and MK-III
- Class I Transport Containers – MK-II and MK-I
- Class I Transport Containers – MK-IV Starliner
- Class I Transport Containers – MK-IV Deck Plans
- Class I Dreadnought – MK-X
- Authorized Construction
- Shuttlecraft – 7 person – MK-12B – External Arrangement
- Shuttlecraft – 7 person – MK-12B – Internal Arrangement – only partially printed
- Typical Single Stateroom – Primary Hull – Class I SS
- Typical Double Stateroom – Primary Hull – Class I SS
- Main Bridge – Primary Hull – Class I SS – Deck Plan
- Main Bridge – Primary Hull – Class I SS – Elevations
- Command Module – Main Bridge – Plan & Profile
- Command Module – Main Bridge – Elevations
- Main Bridge – Primary Hull – Helmsman's Station
- Main Bridge – Primary Hull – Navigator's Station
- Main Bridge – Primary Hull – Command Con
- Main Bridge – Primary Hull – Astrogator
Security Section – Primary Hull – Class I SS (This actually depicts the main brig.)
Defense & Weapons Station – Main Bridge – not printed
- Controls Console – not printed
Hand Phaser – Type I – General Arrangement
Hand Phaser – Type II – General Arrangement
Hand Phaser – Type II – Details
Offensive/Defensive Ray Gun – General Arrangement (This is actually the hand beacon used unsuccessfully in "The Squire of Gothos".)

NOT depicted is the Phaser rifle that James T. Kirk used in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" against Gary Mitchell. (The rifle was, unfortunately, never shown, much less employed, in any other TOS episode.)

Sciences Section

Main Bridge Station:
- Command Intelligence – Main Bridge Station-Class I Starships
- Controls Console (Bridge Science Station)

Sciences Tricorder - Type I:
- Sciences Tricorder – External Arrangement
- Sciences Tricorder – Arrangement - Unit Open
- Sciences Tricorder – Internal Arrangement (This is depicted as a 20th Century substitute; the actual is declared CLASSIFIED under the Prime Directive.)
- Sciences Tricorder – Case Details
Scientific Data:
- Galactic Coordinate System – Great Spiral Milky Way Galaxy M-O
- S.I.N.S. Database Datum – In Galactic Coordinate System
- Course Tracking Element Schematic Diagram – Class I Starships
- Velocity/Time Relationship – Interstellar Space/Warp Technology
- Standard Orbits – Class I Starships
Star Charts:
- Milky Way Galaxy
- Known Galactic Region
- United Federation of Planets - Principal Stellar Systems

Medical Section:
- Deck 7 – Plan – Primary Hull – Class I Starships (This depicts the Sickbay.)
- Medical tricorder – Standard Field Equipment Item – Type I
- Medical tricorder – Open Arrangement
- Medical tricorder – Internal Arrangement (The internal circuitry is marked CLASSIFIED, being subject to the Prime Directive.)
- Medical tricorder – Details
- Heartbeat Reader – Star Fleet College of Medicine Standard
- Spray Applicator – Star Fleet College of Medicine Standard
- Medical Scanner – Star Fleet College of Medicine Standard (This is the "Feinberger" McCoy often carried; see the Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual.)
- Anabolic Protoplaser – Star Fleet College of Medicine Standard – Minor Injury Version
- Anabolic Protoplaser – Star Fleet College of Medicine Standard – Massive Injury Version
- Surgical Scalpels – Star Fleet College of Medicine Standard

The two "technical orders" for the anabolic protoplasers are actually printed in REVERSE order; the large version, according to the table of contents, should have been printed first. Orientation of the page headings suggests that the page was bound on the wrong edge.

Support Services Section

Communications:
- Communications – Main Bridge Station – Class I Starships
- Communications Control Console – Main Bridge Station – Class I Starships
- Communicator – Standard Field Equipment Item
- Communicator – Circuitry Diagram – Type I (This is described as being "20th Century Terran Early Development.")
- Ear Receiver – For Non-Public Reception
- Universal translator – U.F.P Standard

The circuitry diagrams of the Main Bridge Ear Receiver, MK05 and the hand-held model of the Universal translator are not printed.

Engineering:
- Main Bridge Station – Class I Starships
- Engineering Control Console – Main Bridge Station – Class I Starships
- Engineering Section – Primary Hull – Class I Starships
- Impulse Power Unit – Class I Starships – External Arrangement
- Main propulsion – Class I Starships – External Arrangement
- Transporter – Standard 6 Person – Primary Hull – Class I Starships
- Transporter – Emergency – Primary Hull – Class I Starships
- Transporter – Cargo – Primary Hull – Class I Starships
- Hangar Deck – MK-IX Model Only – Class I Starships
- Hangar Deck – Principal Elevation – MK-IX Model Only – not printed

The internal arrangements of the impulse and main warp engines are marked CLASSIFIED, as their technology is considered subject to the Prime Directive. Also, a later, on-line only, version of the manual shows a simplified version of the controls console for the transporter; this is not printed in the hard-copy versions.

Leisure:
- Vulcan Lyrette – Orchestral Model Musical Instrument
- TriDimensional Chess – Regulation Tournament Board
- Tridimensional Chess – Regulation Tournament Playing Pieces (This also includes some rules for playing the game using the board and pieces whose designs are provided.)

Miscellaneous Section

Appendix A

Background information

None of the book editions feature a page numbering.

Production use

While this book has long been considered apocryphal, it has itself has been used as a source and on-screen reference both from dialogue and visual sources in four Star Trek motion pictures, and at a number of episodes.

Four starships from the book were mentioned by classification, name, and registry in Star Trek: The Motion Picture:

A star chart appearing on the Enterprise bridge displayed in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan named several planets:

Starship designs from the book were used as bridge displays in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock:

One starship from the book is shown on a bridge display in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock during the security alert, including a zoomed-in portion of the "Security Section" page to depict the location of Spock's quarters. The same image was later reused in a different capacity in TNG: "Datalore".
- Constitution-class starship NCC-1700

One starship from the book is listed on a display screen in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, additionally, Michael Okuda used it as a production source for the Operation Retrieve mission charts.
- Heavy cruiser USS Kongo NCC-1710

USS Enterprise details and specs — *Enterprise* details and specs

Joseph's material appeared again in the Star Trek: Discovery second season episode "Brother", where the specifications for the "Class I Heavy Cruiser – MK-IX" were copied onto the display graphic of the USS Enterprise.

Reprints

The Technical Manual was first published as a vinyl-jacketed hardcover in 1975. The actual book, removable from the vinyl jacket, was labeled "Star Fleet Technical Manual" on a solid red cover, printed in a fashion to look like a real technical manual or textbook, with no mention of Star Trek at all. Later printings have all been paperbacks with updated covers, all mentioning Star Trek prominently:

1986 – a "Star Trek 20 years 1966–1986" logo was added to the top left of the cover
1991 – a "Star Trek 25th Anniversary!" logo is displayed in the left corner
1996 – an all-new cover with a "Star Trek 30 years" logo in the same corner
2006 – "Star Trek" portion of title enlarged, with the "40 Years" logo on the middle right and "Star Fleet" spacing slightly changed to appear as two words rather than just one

Titan Books also published their own version of the book in the UK in 1991, coinciding with the 25th anniversary.

Cover gallery

References

40 Eridani A; destroyer; dreadnought; Entente, USS; Federation-class; heavy cruiser; Hermes-class; NCC-500; NCC-585; NCC-3801; NCC-4000; Ptolemy-class; Saladin-class; scout; Valiant, USS; warp factor scale

External links

Star Fleet Technical Manual at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
"Forgotten Starships" at TrekPlace.com – a February 15, 2003 article discussing the canon material from this book
"Spotting the Ships from the Star Fleet Technical Manual" at Ex Astris Scientia