Starfleet Starfleet was the deep space exploratory and defense service maintained by the United Federation of Planets . Its principal functions included the advancement of Federation knowledge about the galaxy and its inhabitants , the advancement of Federation science and technology , the defense of the Federation , and the facilitation of Federation diplomacy . As per its mandate of deep space exploration , its personnel were frequently brought into contact with cultures and sentient species whose existences were unknown to the Federation . Starfleet officer s therefore acted as official representatives of the Federation in these cases . Starfleet vessels were also frequently used to ferry ambassador s on diplomatic missions . ( ; ; ; ) History of Starfleet . United Earth Starfleet . Prior to 2161 , Starfleet was the primary space exploration organization of United Earth in the early - to - mid 22nd century . The primary authority of Starfleet was referred to as either Starfleet Command or the United Earth Space Probe Agency ( UESPA ) , and was located at Starfleet Headquarters in the city of San Francisco , Earth . ( ) The primary purpose of Starfleet from its infancy was to " . . . seek out new life and new civilizations , " and " . . . go boldly where no man has gone before . " ( This quote is attributed to Zefram Cochrane , the inventor of warp drive on Earth . ) ( ) Some Starfleet personnel worked in conjunction with the United Earth Diplomatic Corps . ( ) For a time , beginning in 2153 , some Starfleet vessels began carrying detachments of MACO s , an Earth military service . This practice was a reaction to the devastating Xindi attack on Earth , and subsequent mission into the Delphic Expanse in response . The decision to carry these units was left up to individual starship captains , and was not a formal policy of Starfleet Command at the time . While had MACO units assigned to its mission as late as 2161 , it is unknown whether its sister ship , Columbia , ever had a contingent attached to it . ( ) One of the primary projects of Starfleet was to develop a viable and fast interstellar engine that would allow Earth to practically cross vast distances in reasonably short time . Despite some allegations of interference – or at least , a refusal of assistance – from the Vulcan s , Earth had made notable progress in developing the warp five engine by the 2150s . ( ) Key officials overseeing the United Earth Starfleet included : Article 14 , Section 31 , of the original U . E . Starfleet Charter made allowances for certain rules to be bent during times of extraordinary threat . This clause was the seed for the rogue organization known as Section 31 . Lieutenant Malcolm Reed was recruited to Section 31 as a young ensign . ( ; ) United Federation of Planets Starfleet . With the formation of the Federation in 2161 , as per the Federation Charter , United Earth Starfleet , MACO and the deep space and defensive services of the other member worlds were folded into the authority of the Federation . ( ; ; ) Until as late as the 2290s , some Starfleet operations continued to fall at least partly under the jurisdiction of UESPA . By the mid - 24th century , however , Starfleet operations were regulated solely by Starfleet Command , answering to the Federation President and the Federation Council . ( ; ; " et al . " ) Species with representatives in Starfleet . Starfleet has always been a multiracial organization , composed of species from various worlds . Even though Starfleet was an organization representing United Earth and later on the United Federation of Planets , it was not a requirement for Starfleet personnel to be Human , or later on , from a member species of the Federation . ( ; ) As an example , in 2369 , there were 17 representatives from non - Federation planets serving on the . ( ) At times Starfleet has even allowed members from species that were its enemies at the time to work as crew members , including Worf during the Federation - Klingon war of the 2370s , part - Romulan Simon Tarses and Seven of Nine , a Borg . ( ; ; ) The following races have had members of their species working for Starfleet : In addition , the Arkarian s provided baryon sweep s for Starfleet starships , and Bynar s provided their services in upgrading the computers of Starfleet ships . ( ) Starfleet also employed sentient artificial photonic lifeform s as holographic emergency personnel , such as the Emergency Medical Holographic program s . The El - Aurian Guinan provided her services as bartender on the " Enterprise " - D and the Talaxian Neelix , the Ocampa Kes , the Borg Seven of Nine and the Brunali former Borg drone Icheb worked as members of the crew of the during the voyage through the Delta Quadrant . ( ; ) Organization . Direct commanding authority over Starfleet was a power of the Federation President . ( , ) In addition , the Federation Council , the Federation ' s legislature , often directly influenced the service ' s operations and even issued orders on occasion . ( ) The day - to - day operations of the service were managed by Starfleet Command , under a commander in chief . ( ) Commander in chief . The commander in chief oversaw the operations of the entire service , and reported directly to the Federation president . ( ) In the late 2370s , the position of commander in chief was actually held by Federation President Jaresh - Inyo . ( ) Starfleet Command . This was the service ' s operational authority . Senior positions included the Commander , Starfleet , the chief of staff and the chief of Starfleet Operations . ( ; ; ) Sector commands . These oversaw operations of the service within sectors of Federation space . There were at least 23 sector commands . Sector commander s reported to Starfleet Command , and commanding officers of service vessels operating within these sectors reported to them . ( ) Starfleet Academy . Starfleet Academy was a facility maintained by the service for the training of its officers . Prospective officers received extensive training at this facility , for a period of four years . Undergraduates attending the facility were called midshipmen in the 23rd century and cadet s in the 24th century . Successful graduates were commissioned as Federation Starfleet officers . Branches and agencies . There were a number of branches and agencies that assisted Starfleet Command in the running of the service . Personnel . Starfleet personnel were organized , using a naval - derived rank structure , into a chain of command . Personnel were in either of two groups : enlisted personnel and officers . Some personnel formally committed to the service by taking the Starfleet oath . Officers . In the 22nd century , Starfleet was a civilian organization acting as a successor to various Earth based space agencies such as NASA , the International Space Agency , and others . Its primary function was scientific development and exploration of space . Starfleet officers functioned as commanders and directors of the service ' s operations at all levels . The most senior officers ranks were known as flag officer ranks . Officers holding these ranks functioned at the highest levels of command in the service . Flag officer ranks , in descending order of the chain of command , are as follows : Sector commanders , the Superintendent of Starfleet Academy , the Commander , Starfleet , the Starfleet Chief of Staff and Chief of Starfleet Operations , and the Commander in Chief , were all flag officers . ( ; ) Below flag officer ranks were other officer ranks . Officers holding these ranks usually served in field command positions , such as commanding officer s and senior staff on the service ' s vessels . These ranks , in descending order of the chain of command , were as follows : Graduates of Starfleet Academy were commissioned to the rank of ensign , the most junior officer ' s rank , and were promoted to higher ranks over the courses of their time in the service . Physicians who graduated from Starfleet Medical Academy in the 24th century were commissioned to the rank of lieutenant junior grade . Enlisted personnel . These personnel functioned under the command of the officers , usually serving aboard Starfleet vessels or other facilities . Instead of officers ' training , enlisted personnel received basic training for whatever position they served in . ( , " et al . " ) The most junior enlisted rank was that of crewman . The service ' s enlisted rank structure , in descending order of the chain of command , was as follows : The enlisted ranks above that of crewman were not commissioned officer ranks . To distinguish them from commissioned officer ranks , the term ' non - commissioned officer ' was used . All enlisted personnel were subordinate to commissioned officers in the chain of command . Uniforms . In the 22nd century , the same basic uniform was worn by all Starfleet officers , with differences in insignia and color - coded elements designed to distinguish rank and departmental function . Starfleet departments included Starfleet Operations and Starfleet Security . ( ) Starfleet personnel wore distinctive uniforms while on duty . These uniforms generally displayed the department color of the department / division the enlisted person or officer served in , and also the rank insignia . Wearing a Starfleet uniform when not actually a member of Starfleet would put one at risk of being charged with impersonating a Starfleet officer . ( ) Bases and installations . Aside from its headquarters , located on Earth , the Federation ' s capital world , Starfleet also maintained installations throughout Federation territory . Starbases . Starbase s , facilities for resupply of the service ' s vessels and the relaxation of vessel crews , were maintained in all sectors of Federation space . In addition , the service also maintained facilities beyond Federation territory . The most well - known of these is Deep Space 9 , in the Alpha Quadrant . ( ) Shipyards . The service also maintained a number of shipyards at which it constructed its vessels and designed and tested new vessels and vessel types . Among the most famous of these shipyards were : Training facilities . Apart from Starfleet Academy , the service also maintained several training facilities for both officers and enlisted personnel . These included a number of Academy annexes , located in different systems . Known annexes were Starfleet Academy ( Beta Aquilae II ) , Starfleet Academy ( Beta Ursae Minor II ) and Starfleet Academy ( Psi Upsilon III ) . ( ) The service also maintained at least one testing facility to evaluate prospective Starfleet Academy undergraduates for admission into the academy . This facility was located on the planet Relva VII . ( ) Starfleet Academy also had a training program for enlisted personnel . ( ; ) In addition at least one other such facility was located on Mars , known as the Starfleet Technical Services Academy . ( ) Vessels . The single most important asset that Starfleet possessed , apart from its personnel , was its vast number of vessels . Starships . The backbone of Starfleet ' s operations were its starship s . These vessels , all warp - capable , were capable of supporting and providing the ability and resources to carry out all of the service ' s mandates : exploration , the defense of the Federation , the transport of supplies and resources , and providing emergency medical care . A large range of starship classes existed . Some were multi - purpose and other were designed for a specific use . By the 24th century , Starfleet ' s mandates stated that no warships , or ships designed purely for defensive purposes , would be built , but an exception was made when the threat of the Dominion became evident . The most famous ship of pre - Federation Starfleet was the . That ship was the first to be equipped with the Warp 5 engine , and made first contact with over thirty species . Under the command of Captain Jonathan Archer , " Enterprise " established Earth as an interstellar power after negotiating treaties between the Vulcans and Andorian s in 2152 , saving the galaxy from the Sphere - Builder s and the Xindi in 2154 , uncovering the lost teachings of Surak on Vulcan and preventing a Vulcan invasion of Andoria later in 2154 , helping to instigate a cultural and political coup d ' état against the dictatorial Vulcan head of state Administrator V ' Las , and facilitating peace talks between the Andorians and Tellarites following a series of attacks on both races in late 2154 . ( , , ) The United Earth Starfleet also built the " NX " - class , launching that ship in late 2154 , with at least two more " NX " - class ships planned . ( ) The United Earth Starfleet did not have any jurisdiction over what happens aboard vessels operating in the Earth Cargo Service . That responsibility remained in the hands of the Earth Cargo Authority . ( ) The was historically one of the service ' s most important starship classes . Starships of this class were the service ' s frontline vessels in the 23rd century , designed for long - term exploratory missions lasting five Earth years . The most storied of these vessels was the under the command of Captain James Tiberius Kirk . During his historic tour of duty as captain , countless new civilizations , planets , and anomalies were studied . ( ; ) In the late 2260s to early 2270s , the " Constitution " - class starships underwent a major refit program . The actual refitting took eighteen months of work and essentially a new vessel was built onto the bones of the old , replacing virtually every major system . These upgraded refit " Constitution " s provided a bridge in capability until the next class of modern Starfleet cruiser could take their place at the forefront of galactic exploration , diplomacy , and conflict . Thus , the " Constitution " - class continued in service for a further twenty years . The was initially constructed during the early 2280s at Starfleet ' s San Francisco Fleet Yards orbit ing Earth . ( dedication plaque ) Starfleet had high hopes for the first ship of this class , the prototype , which was equipped with transwarp drive , and was regarded as that century ' s " Great Experiment . " ( ) Despite the failure of the " Great Experiment , " Starfleet forged ahead with employing the " Excelsior " design . After remaining in Earth Spacedock until at least 2287 , the prototype " Excelsior " was subsequently recommissioned for active service by 2290 . In 2293 , the " Excelsior " design was given greater notoriety when Starfleet passed on the name of a legacy . The launch of the opened the door for the " Excelsior " class to become one of the most widely used designs in all of Starfleet , a design lasting well into the late 24th century . ( ; ; – ) In the 24th century , the " Excelsior " design was gradually replaced as the service ' s front - line vessel class by the . Primarily designed at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards , this class was the most technologically sophisticated in the history of the service . ( ) Vessels of this class were the largest in size of any ever produced in Federation history , and became well - known , both within and outside of the Federation , for their capabilities in both scientific enquiry and exploration . ( ; ) The most recognized vessel of this class was the , commanded by Captain Jean - Luc Picard . ( ) Due to continual advancements in design , the " Galaxy " - class was eventually replaced by the . This class featured innovations in weapons , warp propulsion and computer processing power . The most noteworthy vessel in this class was the , again commanded by Captain Jean - Luc Picard . ( ) Another very well known class was the . This class was older than the " Sovereign " - class , but more advanced than the " Galaxy " - class . The " Intrepid " - class proved itself many times beyond what was expected of it when a ship of this class , the , commanded by Captain Kathryn Janeway , was cast nearly 70 , 000 light year s away from Federation space , deep into the unexplored Delta Quadrant , in 2371 . The ship supported Captain Janeway and her crew through dangers never before encountered by a Starfleet crew , and successfully returned to Federation space in 2378 . For those seven years , the ship had no access to any kind of Starfleet supplies or maintenance whatsoever . ( ) Other noteworthy starship classes were the , the , the , the and the experimental . The " Defiant " - and " Prometheus " - classes were primarily designed for tactical operations . ( ; ) The " Olympic " - class was designed as mobile emergency medical centers . ( ; ) Starfleet starships had navigational lights , red on the port ( left ) and green on the starboard ( right ) , fitted to the hull . Such has been seen on vessels from the late 2100s through to the late 2300s . ( ; , , ) Other vessels . Aside from its starships , the service also operated other vessels . Among these were several types of shuttlecraft , which were typically used to transport personnel over relatively short distances , such as from a starship orbiting a planet down to the planet ' s surface . ( , " et al . " ) Starfleet shuttlecraft of the 23rd and 24th centuries also were equipped with limited warp capability , allowing transport of personnel within a range of several light years from the starship . ( ) Time vessels . Interventions by Starfleet of the 29th century into the 24th century revealed vessels that the service used in that time . In this century , Starfleet had yet another mandate : to safeguard the timeline . Thus it operated vessels that were able to routinely traverse through time . These vessels were called timeship s . Classes of these vessels included the and the . General Orders and Regulations . The service maintained a set of regulations , known as Starfleet General Orders and Regulations . These governed all aspects of service operations and covered all possible situations it was thought that personnel might encounter , from protocol to situations of first contact with unknown species . The most important of these was termed General Order Number One , but was more commonly referred to as the Prime Directive . Not all of the general orders and regulations were intended for general personnel knowledge . At least one , known as the Omega Directive , was a top secret of the highest order , and was known only to officers ranking captain or any flag officer rank . This was due to the extreme sensitivity and danger posed by the subject the directive dealt with . ( ) Appendices . Background information . The first episode whose production incorporated the terms " Starfleet " and " Starfleet Command " was . However , the final draft and a revised final draft of that episode ' s script ( dated 26 and respectively ) used the term " Galactic Command " instead of " Starfleet Command " . By comparison , the term " Starfleet " was extensively used in the final draft script of " The Menagerie " ( issued in October 1966 ) . In terms of air date too , that name as well as " Starfleet Command " debuted in ( which aired ) , though the term " Star Service " and " Spacefleet Command " were later used in ( broadcast on 29 September 1966 ) and ( aired ) respectively , prior to the initial airing of " Court Martial " ( on ) . Another early variant of the organization ' s name was " Space Central " in , which preceded all those episodes in both airing and production order ( broadcast on ) . Military . The extent to which Starfleet may be considered a military organization is somewhat questionable . Nicholas Meyer remarked of Starfleet ' s militarism , " " It existed to some extent in but Gene Roddenberry was very adamant that the Starfleet was not a military or a militaristic operation [ . . . ] I thought it was at least as militaristic as , say , the Coast Guard . " " ( audio commentary , DVD ) Meyer also wrote about these ideological differences in his autobiographical book " The View from the Bridge - Memories of Star Trek and a Life in Hollywood " . Therein , he recalled , " " [ Roddenberry ] was emphatic that Starfleet was not a military organization but something akin to the Coast Guard . This struck me as manifestly absurd , for what were Kirk ' s adventures but a species of gunboat diplomacy wherein the Federation ( read America , read the Anglo - Saxons ) was always right and aliens were – in Kipling ' s queasy phrase – ' lesser breeds ' ? Yes , there was lip service to minority participation , but it was clear who was driving the boat . " " ( " The View from the Bridge - Memories of Star Trek and a Life in Hollywood " , hardcover ed . , p . 81 ) On another instance , Meyer observed that , beginning with ( which Meyer himself directed ) , later " Star Trek " productions placed more emphasis on the militaristic perspective of Starfleet than the original series had . ( audio commentary , DVD ) However , in , Roddenberry was determined to downplay the more militaristic aspects of Starfleet . ( " " , p . 36 ) Those who were uncomfortable about Starfleet being depicted in a militaristic fashion in " Star Trek II " included not only Roddenberry but also Uhura actress Nichelle Nichols . In her book " Beyond Uhura " ( hardcover ed . , p . 248 ) , she stated , " " Portraying Starfleet as a military organization flew in the face of everything " Star Trek " stood for [ . . . ] At one point I forcefully but tactfully reminded Meyer and Harve [ Bennet ] that Starfleet was the philosophical descendant of NASA , not the Air Force . " " A line included in the script for but not in the actual film was to have established that Starfleet was under civilian control , such that certain interstellar choices ( for instance , whether to aid the Klingon Empire in avoiding economic collapse or to hamper the Empire , eventually causing them to become subservient to Starfleet ) were entirely political rather than military decisions . Ronald D . Moore commented , " " I ' ve always felt that Starfleet is the military / exploratory / scientific arm of the UFP . " " However , the Federation has never been shown to have a standing army . In , Captain Picard states , " " Starfleet is not a military organization , its purpose is exploration . " " . Moore also explicitly compared it to a military : " " Say Starfleet isn ' t the military all you want , it fails the duck test - - looks like , walks like , sounds like , etc . " " Remarking on a Starfleet JAG getting involved with a civilian case with Richard Bashir , Moore said , " " Starfleet is more than just a military entity and seems to have police and / or judicial functions . " " Writers Roberto Orci , Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof tackled the theme of militarization head on in . " " After what happened to , after Earth gets attacked , would Starfleet say , ' well , we dodged that bullet , back to exploration ? ' Or would they say ' we have to prepare ourselves if this ever happens again . ' What would a more militarized Starfleet look like ? Ultimately , the story would be about that , and for the soul of Starfleet . " " Size . Regarding the quantity of starships Starfleet had in use in the late 2370s , Moore commented , " " I wouldn ' t be surprised if Starfleet had 30 , 000 ships or so . " " This was based on reasoning that the has a registry of NCC - 42296 while the is NCC - 74656 . During Operation Return , Starfleet attempted to prevent the Dominion from bringing down the minefield , which would have allowed 2800 ships to come through the wormhole , which would allow for a Dominion total victory . Meaning that since , at that time of the war , the forces of both sides were about equal , the true size of the Dominion forces was much larger than Starfleet . Doctor Zimmerman claimed that there were 675 EMH Mark I instances active in Starfleet before they were taken off duty during the Dominion War . ( ) Trivia . A developmental note , handwritten by Jeri Taylor and dated , concerned Starfleet ' s role in . It read , " " Messages to Starfleet – one way . " " ( " " , p . 175 ) In the reference book " Beyond the Final Frontier " ( p . 381 ) , critics Mark Jones and Lance Parkin made an observation about how Starfleet was depicted in ; they commented , " " The sense of Starfleet being made up of pioneering , rather cocky test pilots is something that the show could use more of . " "