Starfleet Academy

In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet Academy is the department of the space force Starfleet that educates and trains the organization's officer corps. The academy's fictional motto is " Ex astris, scientia " – "From the stars, knowledge," which is derived from the Apollo 13 motto "Ex luna, scientia" – "From the moon, knowledge." In turn, the Apollo 13 motto was inspired by "Ex scientia, tridens," the motto of the United States Naval Academy, meaning "From knowledge, seapower."[1]

The official in-universe logo of Starfleet Academy. The Roman numerals refer to its fictional founding year of 2161. The Latin words ex astris scientia translate to "From the stars, knowledge"

History and location

The main campus of Starfleet Academy, circa 2375, shown NNE of San Francisco (in background), in Sausalito.

The main campus of the academy is located on or near Starfleet headquarters on Earth, in and around what is now Fort Baker, California, across the Golden Gate from San Francisco in what is now Marin County.[2] There are also other campuses; for example, Tom Paris studied at a campus in Marseille, France.

In 1997, a computer game with a story surrounding the academy, called Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, was released by Interplay and High Voltage Software.[3]

In March 2023, a new Star Trek television series set at Starfleet Academy was ordered at Paramount+. The show is aimed at a younger audience and called "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy." [4][5]

Depiction

In the Star Trek universe, the academy was created in the year 2161, when the United Federation of Planets was founded.

The Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Coming of Age" revolved around Wesley Crusher's first attempt to enter Starfleet Academy, and includes many details of the academy's entrance exam. Students undergo a four-year program of academics and training, after which they are typically commissioned as ensigns.

Non-Federation citizens must present a letter of recommendation from a command-level officer in Starfleet before they can take the entrance examination. Commander Benjamin Sisko wrote such a letter for Nog in 2371 when he applied for Starfleet in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Heart of Stone". (Nog's time at the academy is seen in the Starfleet Academy comic book series, where he is a main character.)

Various professors, courses, and "required reading" are often mentioned by officers in various episodes of different series. This is often done in the context of reminiscing or testing the knowledge of a suspected impostor.

One of the groundskeepers of the academy is a man called Boothby, a character played by Ray Walston who is first featured in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The First Duty". Boothby has offered advice to, and taken interest in the careers of many students, including Jean-Luc Picard and Kathryn Janeway, both later captains.

See also

References

  1. Okuda, Michael; Okuda, Denise; Mirek, Debbie (1994). The Star Trek Encyclopedia. Pocket Books. p. 487. ISBN 0671869051.
  2. Ruditis, Paul (2016). The Star Trek Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained. Penguin. ISBN 9781465459770.
  3. MacIsaac, MacIsaac (31 August 1997). "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy". The Electric Playground. Archived from the original on 5 September 2002. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  4. Sperling, Nicole (1 August 2021). "Can Paramount+ Succeed? One Producer Hopes to Make It So". The New York TImes. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  5. Otterson, Joe (30 March 2023). "'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' Series Ordered at Paramount+". Variety. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
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