Alden Alden was a male Human Starfleet officer who lived during the mid - 23rd century . He served in the sciences division , where he was assigned as one of the communications officer aboard the under Captain James T . Kirk . In 2265 , Alden , manned the helm as the " Enterprise " approached the edge of the galaxy , in preparation for an exploratory expedition into extra - galactic space , before he relinquished the position back to Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell , subsequently taking over the communications station . After the " Enterprise " received heavy damage following contact with the galactic barrier , Alden assisted Lieutenant Lee Kelso with repairs to the navigation console . When the " Enterprise " later reached Delta Vega , Alden joined the engineering staff ' s repair party and continued to assist Kelso , this time in rerouting cables and adapting the equipment and technology from the Delta - Vega Station for use aboard the ship , while still keeping the station functional . He was successfully able to remove a 203 - R console from the station ' s control room , and returned with it to the " Enterprise " . Once aboard , Alden assisted Montgomery Scott with replacing the damaged match at one of the engineering station s . Following the completion of repairs , Kirk noted him a commendation for his work , in the captain ' s log . When the " Enterprise " was finally able to depart Delta Vega , Alden manned the navigation console , replacing the since - deceased Kelso , as the ship continued onto its next mission . ( ) Appendices . Background information . Alden was played by actor Lloyd Haynes , one of many African - American actors who read for " Where Man Has Gone Before " due to the fact that Gene Roddenberry agreed with a certain long - standing NBC policy : that the network ' s " creative associates " make a concerted effort to cast performers of ethnic minorities . As such , Alden was one of the first important roles , in a network television pilot , to be played by an African - American actor . ( " " , pp . 75 - 77 ) Haynes was brought in to audition for the part by Director James Goldstone , a friend of the actor . ( " The Star Trek Interview Book " , p . 105 ) The uniform Alden wore had one braid , indicating an officer rank less than captain ; the " Star Trek Concordance " ( p . 124 ) states that his rank was lieutenant . He also wore a blue uniform with an assignment patch bearing ( command division ) stars , indicating the sciences division . His position as communications officer in " Where No Man Has Gone Before " was from the script . Publicity material also referred to him as the communications officer , whereas NBC ' s early - press brochure , depicting the new " Star Trek " series , described him thus : Communications officer Alden refuses to be awed by the demanding task of establishing and maintaining contact across vast distances . One of the youngest members of Kirk ' s staff , he also is one of this talented group ' s most respected technicians . After the series was later accepted by NBC , their first move was to drop Alden , Dr . Piper , and from the format . These changes were not immediate , as he was still on the active - duty roster in NBC ' s " Advance Information on 1966 - 1967 Programming : ' Star Trek . ' " booklet . " The Star Trek Compendium " ( pp . 25 - 26 ) summarized the following : " " Communications Officer Alden is described as an efficient , respected , and vital young technician who performs duties vital to the ship ' s welfare , and who also contributes constant computations and speculations . The emphasis on both mathematics and scientific guesswork suggests other talents added to Spock ' s characteristics . " " Alden was at one point intended to appear in the first season installment , as a communications officer . In a series of research notes ( dated ) , however , Kellam de Forest included a reminder that Dave Bailey was meanwhile being conceived as the communications officer in . ( Eventually , neither officer appeared in " What Are Little Girls Made Of ? " . ) Nyota Uhura ' s biography in DC Comics ' " Who ' s Who in Star Trek 2 " states that Uhura succeeded Lt . " Richard Alden " as chief of communications on stardate 1313 . 2 . The novel " " calls him " Daniel Alden " , while the novella " A Less Perfect Union " refers to him as " Phil Alden " . The novel " Captain ' s Peril " names him " Lloyd Alden " , after the actor who played him .