Nomad The Nomad MK - 15c ( NSSDC ID : 2002 - 045b ) space probe was a Nomad Program spacecraft that was in service in the early 21st century . Dr . Jackson Roykirk designed the probe with two goals in mind : to create a probe that could function as a perfect thinking machine capable of independent logic and that could seek out new lifeform s in interstellar space . History . " Nomad " was launched from Earth in 2002 as the planet ' s first interstellar vessel to seek out new life . It was a prototype and the only one of its program built . During its mission , " Nomad " was damaged by a meteoroid and lost contact with Earth , wandering without purpose . It later encountered an alien probe called " Tan Ru " in deep space . The two units merged , resulting in a powerful new construct with faulty programming , which destroyed anything that was perceived as imperfect , a condition that apparently applied to any organic living being . Travis Mayweather had a model of the " Nomad " probe in his quarters aboard . ( ) " Nomad " was eventually discovered by the in 2267 , shortly after it wiped out four billion inhabitants of the Malurian system . Originally deeming the " Enterprise " to be as imperfect as the Malurians , it opened fire on the vessel , nearly destroying it . It halted its attack when Captain James Kirk hailed the probe and introduced himself , confusing Captain Kirk for Dr . Roykirk . Upon coming aboard the " Enterprise " , " Nomad " found the crew to be imperfect and wiped out the memory of Lieutenant Uhura as well as killing Montgomery Scott . Fortunately for Scotty , " Nomad " was able to " repair " him back to life on the orders of Kirk . Using the ship ' s star charts , " Nomad " was able to fix coordinates on Earth and planned to return . Kirk was concerned that if " Nomad " returned to Earth and found it to be populated with imperfect lifeforms , it would sterilize the planet . Captain Kirk managed to convince the probe that " it " was imperfect because it had mistaken Kirk for Roykirk , its creator . This led " Nomad " to violently self - destruct , though Kirk was able to beam it out into space before it did so . ( ) Capabilities . " Nomad " revealed a number of advanced capabilities during the encounter . It could travel at warp speed . It fired energy bolts approximately equivalent to ninety of the era ' s photon torpedo es , that traveled at approximately warp 15 and could track a starship . Its own defensive screens could entirely absorb the energy of a photon torpedo the " Enterprise " fired at it , despite its small size . They were also entirely opaque to sensor signals . Its communications equipment could absorb data from the " Enterprise " computer s far faster than their maximum transmission rate , an act that damaged the computer interface . It could drain all knowledge from a living being . It successfully repaired Montgomery Scott after contact with its defensive screens killed him , in essence restoring him from death . To do this , it required only a few moments to study tapes of his " structure . " It also effected mechanical changes to the " Enterprise " propulsion system that improved its efficiency ( to the point that the power of the engines threatened the structure of the ship ) . It was able to both " repair " Scott and " upgrade " the engines without making physical contact . It was also able to fire red beams of energy , which disintegrated anything they hit .