Hawking (2371)

The Hawking was a Federation Galileo-type shuttlecraft that was in service with Starfleet in the late 24th century, attached to the . It was the second shuttle named for Stephen Hawking aboard the Enterprise-D, and it was shuttle 15.
In 2371, the Hawking rescued Captain Jean-Luc Picard from a hilltop on Veridian III following the defeat of Tolian Soran and the crash of the Enterprise-D saucer section. ()
== Appendices ==
=== Background information ===
The Hawking was "named for mathematical physicist and Star Trek fan Dr. ." The name had previously been used for a shuttlecraft of a different type, but Rick Berman insisted on its re-use due to his admiration for the noted scientist. ()
The Hawkings name was not seen clearly in the final cut of the film. However, in the deleted scene of the Hawking retrieving Picard from the desert, the shuttle's name was clearly visible on the exterior. 
Both the miniature and the full-sized shuttle used for the Hawking were redressed from one of the shuttles built for . The shuttle was mostly unchanged from its Final Frontier appearance, except for updated signage and new windows on the side of the shuttle similar to those of the Type 6. The registry of the Hawking was from the studio model.
=== Apocrypha ===
The Hawking appeared in Diane Duane's Dark Mirror, published in 1993 (one year before the release of Star Trek: Generations). It is used as a relay to transport Picard, Deanna Troi and Geordi La Forge to the mirror universe counterpart of the Enterprise-D.
=== External link ===
* 
Hawking, 2371