Rigel system The Rigel system was an inhabited planet ary system . This system consisted of the primary Rigel , at least twelve planets , and an asteroid belt . This system was home to the Rigel , or Rigellian , colonies . The system was located less than 90 light year s from the Sol system . ( ; ; ) In the mid - 23rd century , the Rigel system was part of the most densely populated section of the Milky Way Galaxy . ( ) The native species living in the system include the Rigelian s of Rigel V ( ) , the similarly named Rigellian s ( ) , the Kalar of Rigel VII ( ) , and the Hill People of Rigel IV . ( ) By the mid - 23rd century , there were also Human s living in the Rigel system . ( ) The Rigelian hypnoid and Rigellian ox were native animal species to the Rigel system . ( ; ) Ratana tree s were from this system . ( ) The Barros Inn was known to be one of the wildest bars in the system . ( ) Rigelian chocolate s and the Rigelian flame gem are other items from this system , as are the diseases Rigelian fever and Rigelian Kassaba fever . ( , , ) " Moon over Rigel VII " was a song with fairly simple lyrics , inspired by a natural satellite of Rigel VII . ( ) The substance selgninaem was processed in this system for use as a catalyst in industrial biochemical substances . ( , " okudagram " ) Location . In the 2250s , the Rigel system was several weeks away from the Vega colony at the maximum cruising speed of a heavy cruiser . ( ) In 2293 , the location of Rigel in the Milky Way Galaxy was labeled in a star chart that was in Captain James T . Kirk ' s quarters aboard the . ( , " okudagram " ) In 2367 , the location of Rigel was labeled on a tactical situation monitor in Captain Benjamin Maxwell ' s ready room on the . ( , " " ) In 2376 , the location of Rigel was labeled on a star chart in astrometrics on in 2376 . ( , " okudagram " ) " In 2366 , in an alternate timeline , during the Federation - Klingon War , the location of Rigel was labeled on a tactical situation monitor in the ready room aboard the " ( , " okudagram " ) History . By the mid - 22nd century , this system had been charted and explored by several species including the Klingon s and the Vulcan s . Both races knew it as Rigel . In 2151 , the system became known to Humans as well , when Captain Jonathan Archer used Vulcan star charts to plot a course there . The Rigel system was the first star system visited by , the first Earth starship with the warp 5 engine , after it departed from the Sol system . The Rigel colony on Rigel X was a popular trade complex at the time , visited by numerous species . ( ) By the mid - 2150s , Rigelian s from Rigel V were visiting Earth . ( ) In early 2155 , the Rigelians participated in talks discussing their wish to join as a possible member in the Coalition of Planets along with Human s , Tellarite s , Andorian s , Coridan s , Denobulan s , and Vulcan s . ( ) In 2254 , a landing party from the was attacked by the native Kalar warriors on Rigel VII . ( ) By the 24th century , the Kalar castles of Rigel VII had become tourist attractions . ( ) In 2266 , several women on Rigel IV were murdered by Redjac . ( ) During the same year , Harcourt Mudd , using the illegal Venus drug , attempted to sell Eve McHuron , Ruth Bonaventure and Magda Kovacs to lithium miners on Rigel XII . ( ) Some time before 2267 , Leonard McCoy visited Rigel II where he met two female cabaret dance rs . ( ) In 2267 , the Rigel system had a population in the millions . This system was threatened by the planet killer until the combined efforts of the starship s and USS " Enterprise " destroyed the extragalactic doomsday weapon . ( ) In 2327 , Ensign Jean - Luc Picard had two dates on Starbase Earhart with Penny Muroc who was from the Rigel system . ( ) In the 2360s , Starfleet Academy cadet s of the Nova Squadron won the Rigel Cup , where fighter pilots compete for piloting excellence . ( ) During the Dominion War , the Federation maintained a pergium refinery on Rigel IV . ( ) " In an alternate future , Geordi La Forge was living with his wife and children on Rigel III . " ( ) Appendices . Background information . According to StarTrek . com , Rigel was located in the Alpha Quadrant . According to the pronunciation guide for , Rigel was pronounced as " RYE - jell " . " " In " Two Days and Two Nights " , the , set a milestone several months after its mission to Rigel X , by becoming the first Earth ship to travel 90 light years away from the Sol system . In the real world , the star , or Beta Orionis , was a star located 773 light year s from the Earth in the constellation Orion This constellation on screen in and on a in the . According to " " and " " , Starbase 134 was located in the Rigel system , on Rigel VI . It was home to one of Starfleet ' s many ASDB Integration Facilities and was a major production base for building starships and Type 15 shuttlepod s . According to the reference book " The Worlds of the Federation " ( p . 36 ) , the Rigel system and the Orion system are one and the same , Rigel VIII being of the Orion species . According to the book , Rigel II and Rigel IV were colonized by Humans . According to " Star Trek Maps " ( Chart D ) , the Rigel system was located around the real star Beta Orionis . The chart also references Rigel VIII as the planet Orion . According to " " ( pp . 36 , 45 , 59 , " United Federation of Planets II " ) and the " " ( " Federation Historical Highlights , 2161 - 2385 " ) , there were in fact two systems , both located in the Beta Quadrant , that were called the Rigel system . These were Beta Rigel and Beta Orionis . Apocrypha . According to the Last Unicorn Games and Decipher role - playing games , the Rigellians are known as " Chelarians " and they are from Rigel III .