The Legendary Engineers Who Powered the Starship Enterprise in Star Trek
Discover the exceptional engineers who have propelled the Starship Enterprise to greatness From the pioneering Commander Trip Tucker to the ingenious Lt Commander Geordi La Forge, embark on an extraordinary journey through the ranks of these skilled individuals Explore the legacy of their technical prowess and dedication, ensuring the Enterprise's triumph in every mission Prepare to be enthralled by the brilliance of these remarkable Star Trek engineers
The engineer responsible for maintaining a starship plays a crucial role in its performance, and this holds true for the iconic USS Enterprise in Star Trek. Captain Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, a legendary character portrayed by James Doohan in the original series, established the significance of the Chief Engineer in every iteration of Star Trek. From the Original Series to the upcoming third season of Star Trek: Picard, the Enterprise name has been carried by seven different ships, each with a skilled team of engineers led by an exceptional Chief.
Even Star Trek shows that do not focus on the USS Enterprise feature their own Chief Engineers. In Star Trek: Voyager, Lt. B'Elanna Torres, portrayed by Roxann Dawson, held this position, while Chief Miles O'Brien, played by Colm Meaney, served as the Chief Engineer in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Notably, O'Brien gained experience in the transporter room of the USS Enterprise-D. In modern Star Trek series, revered characters like Scotty and his successor Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge, played by LeVar Burton in Star Trek: The Next Generation, continue a long legacy of Enterprise engineers that stretches back to the very inception of the Federation.
10 Commander Trip Tucker, Enterprise NX-01
The Enterprise NX-01, humanity's inaugural starship with warp five capability, embarked on a revolutionary mission of exploration in the vastness of space. Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker III, the ship's esteemed engineer, played a crucial role akin to that of Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, the loyal confidant of the starship captain in Star Trek: Enterprise. Given that Enterprise was a depiction of Starfleet's initial foray into deep space exploration, it was only fitting for the NX-01's engineer to be part of the central trio.
Functioning at the forefront of human warp drive technology, the crew of the Enterprise NX-01 heavily relied on their resourceful engineer. Trip frequently had to think on his feet, devising innovative solutions and acquiring knowledge on the job to navigate the capabilities of the NX-01. Tragically, Trip met his untimely demise whilst safeguarding his beloved ship from hijackers in the controversial finale of Star Trek: Enterprise. Nevertheless, his legacy as the pioneering Chief Engineer of the starship Enterprise far surpasses the disappointment of his unfortunate fate.
9 Commander Kelby, Enterprise NX-01
In Star Trek: Enterprise season 4, Trip was later assigned to the Columbia NX-02 in order to expedite the ship's long-awaited inaugural journey. Commander Kelby (Derek Agyar) assumed Trip's position aboard the Enterprise, experiencing a baptism of fire when the ship fell victim to an act of Klingon sabotage. Trip swiftly returned to assist Kelby in repairing the Enterprise, resulting in a clash between the two men before Kelby ultimately filled the now-available position aboard the Columbia NX-02.
8 Lt. Hemmer, USS Enterprise
In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Lieutenant Hemmer, played by Bruce Horak, was one of the engineers aboard the Enterprise who tragically lost his life while on duty. Hemmer, an Aenar, belonged to the same genetic lineage as the Andorians in the Star Trek universe. The Aenar lived underground and possessed extraordinary psychic abilities, compensating for their lack of vision. Lieutenant Hemmer took over from Louvier as the Chief Engineer of the USS Enterprise, serving under Captain Christopher Pike, portrayed by Anson Mount. Although his time on the Enterprise was short-lived, Hemmer profoundly impacted Cadet Nyota Uhura, played by Celia Rose Gooding, who spent considerable time working alongside him in the engineering department.
Hemmer's assistance in helping Uhura discover her purpose ensured that the iconic Star Trek: The Original Series character retained her position on the bridge of the Enterprise. Hemmer met a fate similar to Trip, as his noble sacrifice left a profound impact on the entire crew. Trapped by the Gorn on the remains of a Starfleet vessel, Hemmer bravely acted as bait for the young Gorn, sacrificing his own life to ensure the escape of the Enterprise away team. While Uhura undoubtedly felt the weight of Hemmer's brutal demise, it also affected Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck), who continues to grapple with his grief during the events of Strange New Worlds season 2.
7 Commander Pelia, USS Enterprise
In the season 1 finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, it was hinted that a young Montgomery Scott could take over from Hemmer on the Enterprise. However, the current engineer preceding Scotty - provided she avoids the same fate as Hemmer and Trip - is Commander Pelia (Carol Kane), the Lanthanite engineer of Strange New Worlds. The Lanthanites, a rare species believed to have secretly coexisted with humans for centuries, suggest that Pelia has likely accumulated a vast array of skills throughout her extensive life on Earth.
Interestingly,
6 Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott, USS Enterprise & Enterprise-A (Kelvin Timeline)
, rather than Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), recruited Pelia to the Enterprise. In the opening episode of Season 2 of Strange New Worlds, Spock was left in charge of the Enterprise and appointed Pelia as the Chief Engineer to address the consequences of the ship being stolen. Despite technically coercing Spock into granting her the position, her role at Starfleet Academy suggests that she possesses the necessary qualifications to effectively oversee the engineering department on the Federation flagship.
Simon Pegg portrays Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott in J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie, where he stands out as the only TOS character who isn't initially aboard the USS Enterprise. The original Enterprise Chief Engineer, Olson (played by Greg Ellis), meets a tragic fate during Nero's attack on Vulcan. Following James T. Kirk's removal from the Enterprise due to insubordination, he finds assistance from the venerable Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Keenser (Deep Roy), and the resourceful Scotty. Through the application of the Prime Universe Scotty's undisclosed method of transwarp beaming, Kirk, Keenser, and Kelvin Scotty are able to return to the Enterprise.
Scotty assumed the position of Chief Engineer on the USS Enterprise shortly after his arrival and remained in that role throughout the movies set in the Kelvin Timeline. In Star Trek Into Darkness, the Enterprise's Chief Engineer temporarily went on leave to investigate the construction of the Dreadnought-class starships by Section 31, a secret organization within Star Trek, under the orders of Admiral Alexander Marcus (played by Peter Weller). However, he soon returned to engineering on the Enterprise until it was destroyed above Altamid. By the conclusion of Star Trek Beyond, Scotty was on the brink of becoming the Chief Engineer on the newly commissioned USS Enterprise-A.
5 Ensign Pavel Chekov, USS Enterprise (Kelvin Timeline)
Following Scotty and Keenser's exploration of the Dreadnought-class starships, Ensign Pavel Chekov (portrayed by Anton Yelchin) assumed the role of Chief Engineer aboard the USS Enterprise. Renowned for his exceptional talents, Chekov possessed equal proficiency in both engineering and navigation tasks aboard the starship. However, Chekov resumed his position as navigator of the Enterprise after Scotty's return, which coincided with the acquisition of crucial intel regarding Marcus' schemes.
4 Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott, USS Enterprise & Enterprise-A
Scotty, the Chief Engineer of the USS Enterprise, was known for his exceptional engineering skills and his ability to effectively manage expectations. He had a knack for accurately estimating the time required for a job, often telling Captain Kirk that it would take longer than it actually would. Despite his talent, Scotty was not lazy and proved to be a genius in handling both the warp drive and transporters.
When the USS Enterprise was demoted to a training ship, Scotty moved on to the Excelsior project. However, he no longer felt the same passion for the "great experiment" involving transwarp technology. It remains unclear whether Scotty developed the equation for transwarp beaming during his time with the Excelsior-class starships or at a later point.
After serving on the USS Enterprise-A, Scotty was invited to take part in the inaugural flight of the USS Enterprise-B. It was during this mission that he witnessed the apparent death of Captain Kirk. In the 24th century, Scotty was brought back to life after being rescued from a transporter pattern buffer in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Despite initially believing he was no longer relevant, Scotty discovered that he still had valuable knowledge to impart to future Starfleet officers. However, it remains unclear what his subsequent actions were after departing from the USS Enterprise-D, at least according to the official on-screen canon.
3 Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1 Engineers, USS Enterprise-D
In the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the USS Enterprise-D had a group of Chief Engineers who took turns filling in for Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) when needed. Lt. Commander Argyle (Biff Yeager) was the obvious choice to replace Scotty, as he had a soft Scottish accent and a fitting Scottish surname. Lt. Commander Leland T. Lynch (Walker Boone) annoyed Picard by always announcing his full name when responding to communications. In the episode "The Naked Now," Lt. Commander Sarah McDougal (Brooke Bundy) was unaffected by polywater intoxication, allowing her to assist Commander William T Riker (Jonathan Frakes) in saving the Enterprise from destruction.
Lastly, Lt. Commander Logan (Vyto Ruginis) attempted to take control of the Enterprise by asserting his rank when Lt. Geordi was temporarily in charge during the Minosian incident. However, Geordi stood his ground and sent Logan back to engineering. Interestingly, Logan was the only one of TNG's rotating engineers who did not return to serve under Geordi later on, suggesting that one of the men held a grudge from the events of "The Arsenal of Freedom".
2 Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge, USS Enterprise-D & E
Geordi ascended to the position of Chief Engineer in season 2 of Star Trek: TNG. He served on both the USS Enterprise-D and E until the final TNG movie, Star Trek: Nemesis. Geordi demonstrated his exceptional skills by saving the USS Enterprise-D from numerous perilous situations, particularly when he restored the Galaxy-class starship to its former glory following the crash on Veridian III. Noteworthy achievements in Geordi's career include repairing and forming a friendship with the abandoned Borg drone Hugh (Jonathan Del Arco), as well as assisting Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell) in his groundbreaking inaugural warp flight in Star Trek: First Contact.
Geordi's remarkable reputation within Starfleet became evident as he instantly impressed Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick), a character introduced in TNG. It is interesting to note that Geordi initially felt overwhelmed when encountering the legendary Scotty in the TNG episode "Relics," only to question the truth behind meeting one's heroes. This might explain why Geordi intentionally distanced himself from his own fame by rejecting Shaw's attempt to "geek out" with him in Star Trek: Picard season 3.
1 Star Trek: Picard Engineers On The USS Enterprise-F & G
The service history of the USS Enterprise-F is poorly documented, as it had multiple Captains over its 15-year tenure. In the Star Trek: Picard season 3 finale, the introduction of the USS Enterprise-G primarily highlighted the bridge crew, leaving uncertainty surrounding the identity of the Chief Engineer. Should Paramount+ produce Star Trek: Legacy, it would not be unexpected for Ensign Alandra La Forge (portrayed by Mica Burton) to continue the family tradition and assume a role in engineering. It would be a fitting continuation for the next generation of Star Trek to feature another La Forge in the field of engineering.
