Deep Space Nine (DS9; previously Terok Nor) is a fictional
space station, the
eponymous primary setting of the American science fiction television series ''
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (abbreviated as ''DS9'') is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from ...
'' which aired from 1993 to 1999. It serves as a base for the exploration of the
Gamma Quadrant
Several films and episodes of the science fiction franchise '' Star Trek'' are set in distinct astrographical regions of space. Some of these fictional locations exhibit anomalous physical properties; others are defined as sensitive buffer zon ...
via the
Bajoran wormhole
Several films and episodes of the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek'' are set in distinct astrographical regions of space. Some of these fictional locations exhibit anomalous physical properties; others are defined as sensitive buffer zones ...
and is a hub of trade and travel for the sector's denizens.
It is run by a joint crew of
Starfleet and
Bajoran officers and it is the home port of a number of Starfleet
runabouts, as well as the starship
USS ''Defiant''.
The station is featured in the opening for all 176 episodes of ''Deep Space Nine'', as well as part one of the ''
Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode "
Birthright
Birthright is the concept of things being due to a person upon or by fact of their birth, or due to the order of their birth. These may include rights of citizenship based on the place where the person was born or the citizenship of their paren ...
", the first ''
Star Trek: Voyager'' episode "
Caretaker
Caretaker may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''The Caretaker'' (film), a 1963 adaptation of the play ''The Caretaker''
* ''The Caretakers'', a 1963 American film set in a mental hospital
* Caretaker, a character in the 1974 film '' T ...
", and the ''
Star Trek: Lower Decks'' episode "
Hear All, Trust Nothing". Many
story arc
A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, vide ...
s introduced on ''Next Generation'' are extended by events that occur on the station. The station builds on the legacy of the Cardassian-Federation interactions introduced by that show and the first episode, "
Emissary", includes a visit from the
Enterprise-D. Deep Space Nine provides the location for the crew to interact with the characters and elements established by the Star Trek universe, and introduces additional elements.
The station exists in a time and place also occupied by ''The Next Generation'', ''Voyager'', ''Lower Decks'' and the seventh through tenth films, the 2370s through early 2380s. This is itself part of the bigger
Star Trek universe
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vario ...
, which was initiated by
the original ''Star Trek'' TV show of the late 1960s created by
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter, producer, and creator of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', its sequel spin-off series ''Star Trek: The Animated Series,'' and '' St ...
.
Description
For the show's conceptual design of Deep Space Nine, it is over a kilometer in diameter, is composed of a broad outer
docking ring; an inner habitat ring containing residential apartments; and a central core containing the ''promenade'', the
fusion reactors
Fusion power is a proposed form of power generation that would generate electricity by using heat from nuclear fusion reactions. In a fusion process, two lighter atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, while releasing energy. Devices de ...
, and the operations center, known as "Ops". Three sets of docking pylons sweep up and down equidistantly around the docking ring, defining an almost spherical shape. It is of identical design to another
Cardassian
The Cardassians () are a fictional extraterrestrial species in the American science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. They were devised in 1991 for the series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' before being used in the subsequent series '' St ...
station, ''
Empok Nor''. Originally situated in orbit of Bajor, the station was moved in the series' pilot episode to a position at the mouth of the newly discovered
wormhole, where it would remain throughout the remainder of the series. This made the station three hours away from Bajor by shuttle, as described in three episodes, although it was mentioned as being five hours away in another episode, (presumably as Bajor was in far orbit of its sun relative to DS9's position). However, it would appear that the journey could be completed in a much shorter length of time if necessary by engaging warp drive within the Bajoran star system.
Facilities
The ''promenade'' is the main public thoroughfare in which visitors and residents congregate. Common locations on the promenade depicted or mentioned in ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' include
Quark
A quark () is a type of elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. Quarks combine to form composite particles called hadrons, the most stable of which are protons and neutrons, the components of atomic nuclei. All commonly o ...
's Bar (the crew's most frequently seen off-hours location, which also includes
holosuites), the infirmary, the replimat (a self-service replicator eatery), a Bajoran temple,
Elim Garak's clothing shop, chief of security
Odo
Odo or ODO may refer to:
People
* Odo, a given name; includes a list of people and fictional characters with the name
* Franklin Odo (born 1939), Japanese-American historian
* Seikichi Odo (1927–2002), Japanese karateka
* Yuya Odo (born 1990 ...
's office, a Klingon restaurant, a mineral assay office, a candy kiosk, and, for a brief time during the first season,
Keiko O'Brien
Keiko O'Brien is a character in the fictional ''Star Trek'' universe, played by actress Rosalind Chao. Introduced in 1991, she is the civilian spouse of Starfleet crew member Miles O'Brien (played by Colm Meaney) appearing occasionally in later ...
's classroom. There are normally about 300 permanent residents of the station, though the station can accommodate up to seven thousand.
Station history
In the ''Star Trek'' universe, Deep Space Nine was originally a
Cardassian
The Cardassians () are a fictional extraterrestrial species in the American science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. They were devised in 1991 for the series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' before being used in the subsequent series '' St ...
mining and refinery station named ''Terok Nor'' in orbit around
Bajor
The Bajorans (variously pronounced , , ) are a fictional species in the science-fiction ''Star Trek'' franchise. They are a humanoid extraterrestrial species native to the planet Bajor, who have a long-standing enmity with the Cardassians, owi ...
, and it was built by Bajoran slave labor under Cardassian rule in 2346. The station was commanded by
Gul Dukat
Dukat is a fictional character from the television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''. A member of the fictional Cardassian species, he is introduced as the former overseer of the series' namesake space station but goes on to become the le ...
, the last Cardassian prefect of Bajor. It was abandoned toward the end of the
Cardassian occupation of Bajor in 2369; the Cardassians stripped items of value on their way out. The station had some major problems, including a trap left by the Bajoran resistance that nearly killed everyone on the station when it was accidentally activated by the new tenants.
In 2369, the Bajorans assumed control of the station. The Bajoran provisional government requested the assistance of the
United Federation of Planets, who renamed it Deep Space Nine (DS9) and placed Commander
Benjamin Sisko
Benjamin Lafayette Sisko is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise portrayed by Avery Brooks. He first appeared in the television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (''DS9'') and became prominent on the TV show in the United ...
in command. Despite the Federation presence, the station remains subject to Bajoran law. Shortly after Sisko assumed command, his crew discovered the
Bajoran wormhole
Several films and episodes of the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek'' are set in distinct astrographical regions of space. Some of these fictional locations exhibit anomalous physical properties; others are defined as sensitive buffer zones ...
. The station was moved to the mouth of the wormhole to secure Bajor's claim to it, after which the station assumed great commercial, scientific and strategic importance.
After the encounter with the
Dominion in 2370, in which the Galaxy-class USS ''Odyssey'' was destroyed by just three Dominion vessels and owing to other threats, it became obvious that the station's existing occupation-era weapons would be woefully inadequate defending the station. The station's weapons and defensive systems were later heavily upgraded. The upgrades included the installation of multiple rotary torpedo launchers on the docking pylons and weapons sail towers, stowable phaser banks that retract when not in use and improved shields that extend 300 meters around the station. The total torpedo inventory was increased to 5,000.
These upgrades were first used against the Klingons in their offensive against
Cardassia
The Cardassians () are a fictional extraterrestrial species in the American science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. They were devised in 1991 for the series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' before being used in the subsequent series '' St ...
in early 2372. At the beginning of the
Dominion War
The Dominion War is an extended plot concept developed in several story arcs of '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', an American science-fiction television series produced by Paramount Pictures. In the fictional ''Star Trek'' universe, the Dominion Wa ...
in late 2373, the station was temporarily lost to the Dominion. In early 2374, Federation and Klingon forces retook it after the
Battle of Bajor.
Aside from
a failed Bajoran military coup, the Dominion's occupation, and a brief leave of absence from late 2374 to early 2375, Sisko, promoted to captain in 2371, remained in command of ''Deep Space Nine''. In late 2375, at the end of the
Dominion War
The Dominion War is an extended plot concept developed in several story arcs of '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', an American science-fiction television series produced by Paramount Pictures. In the fictional ''Star Trek'' universe, the Dominion Wa ...
, Colonel
Kira Nerys assumed command. Colonel Kira is still in command when the station is next seen on screen in 2081.
Relaunch novels
In the continuing story novels, DS9 was forced to jettison its power core due to the actions of
Dominion rebels. As one of his first actions as chief of operations of the station,
Nog had
Empok Nor towed to the station's location, and used its power core as a replacement. The remainder of Empok Nor was broken down for scrap and spare parts.
Later, DS9 would host
Bajor
The Bajorans (variously pronounced , , ) are a fictional species in the science-fiction ''Star Trek'' franchise. They are a humanoid extraterrestrial species native to the planet Bajor, who have a long-standing enmity with the Cardassians, owi ...
's formal acceptance into the Federation. With the station now under Federation law,
Quark
A quark () is a type of elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. Quarks combine to form composite particles called hadrons, the most stable of which are protons and neutrons, the components of atomic nuclei. All commonly o ...
almost closed down his bar, but remained open after
Rom
Rom, or ROM may refer to:
Biomechanics and medicine
* Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient
* Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac
* R ...
arranged to have it designated as the
Ferengi
The Ferengi () are a fictional extraterrestrial species in the American science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. They were devised in 1987 for the series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', played a prominent role in the following series '' St ...
embassy to Bajor, placing it under the jurisdiction of
Ferenginar.
In the year 2383, DS9—while under the command of Captain
Ro Laren
Ro Laren is a fictional character appearing on a recurring basis in the fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. Portrayed by Michelle Forbes, she is a member ...
—was destroyed by a series of bombs planted by the Typhon Pact, when an attempt to distract Starfleet from their efforts to discreetly use the wormhole backfires, although the station is evacuated in time so that only a thousand people are lost of those on the station at the time, none of whom are major characters. In honor of the station, and the
Bajoran people,
Starfleet Command and the
Federation Council
The Federation Council (russian: Сове́т Федера́ции – ''Soviet Federatsii'', common abbreviation: Совфед – ''Sovfed''), or Senate (officially, starting from July 1, 2020) ( ru , Сенат , translit = Senat), is th ...
agreed to build a new station in the Bajoran system and name it Deep Space Nine.
Crew and inhabitants
Command crew
*
Benjamin Sisko
Benjamin Lafayette Sisko is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise portrayed by Avery Brooks. He first appeared in the television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (''DS9'') and became prominent on the TV show in the United ...
, Commanding Officer (2369–2375)
*
Kira Nerys, First Officer; Bajoran attaché (2369–2375), later Commanding Officer (beginning 2375)
*
Constable Odo, Chief of Security (through 2375)
*
Worf, Strategic Operations Officer (2372–2375)
*
Julian Bashir, Chief Medical Officer (2369–2375)
*
Jadzia Dax
Jadzia Dax , played by Terry Farrell, is a fictional character from the science-fiction television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''.
Jadzia Dax is a joined Trill. Though she appears to be a young woman, Jadzia lives in symbiosis with a l ...
, Science Officer (2369–2374)
*
Ezri Dax
Ezri Dax () is a fictional character who appears in the seventh and final season of the American science fiction TV series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''. Portrayed by Nicole de Boer, she is a counselor aboard the Bajoran space station '' De ...
, Station Counselor (2375)
*
Miles O'Brien, Chief Operations Officer (2369–2375)
Other crew
*
Martok
Martok, son of Urthog is a recurring character in ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', played by actor J. G. Hertzler. Martok is a high-ranking Klingon leader at the Federation-Bajoran space station in the late 2300s. Martok figures prominently in ma ...
,
Klingon attaché (2373–2375)
*
Rom
Rom, or ROM may refer to:
Biomechanics and medicine
* Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient
* Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac
* R ...
, brother of
Quark
A quark () is a type of elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. Quarks combine to form composite particles called hadrons, the most stable of which are protons and neutrons, the components of atomic nuclei. All commonly o ...
; later an Engineer in the Bajoran militia (2372–2375)
*
Nog, son of Rom; later a Starfleet officer (2373–2375)
Notable civilian residents
*Quark, owner of ''Quark's'', a bar on the station's promenade
*
Jake Sisko
Jake Sisko is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise. He appears in the television series ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (''DS9'') and is portrayed by actor Cirroc Lofton. He is the son of ''Deep Space Nine (space station), Deep S ...
, writer and journalist; son of Benjamin Sisko
*
Elim Garak, tailor; former
Obsidian Order
The Cardassians () are a fictional extraterrestrial species in the American science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. They were devised in 1991 for the series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' before being used in the subsequent series '' St ...
operative
*
Keiko O'Brien
Keiko O'Brien is a character in the fictional ''Star Trek'' universe, played by actress Rosalind Chao. Introduced in 1991, she is the civilian spouse of Starfleet crew member Miles O'Brien (played by Colm Meaney) appearing occasionally in later ...
, wife to Miles O'Brien; school teacher and botanist
*
Morn
This is a list of secondary characters from the science fiction television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''. Characters are ordered alphabetically by family name, and only characters who played a significant major role in the series are l ...
, one of Quark's recurring customers throughout the series
Mirror Universe
"Terok Nor" is also a
space station setting portrayed similarly to Deep Space Nine, except in these episodes it exists in the
Mirror Universe, built under the authority of the
Klingon-Cardassian Alliance in
orbit of
Bajor
The Bajorans (variously pronounced , , ) are a fictional species in the science-fiction ''Star Trek'' franchise. They are a humanoid extraterrestrial species native to the planet Bajor, who have a long-standing enmity with the Cardassians, owi ...
(because in this episode's universe the wormhole is unknown there). In 2370, the station is the setting for the command post of the Alliance authority throughout the Bajoran sector, under the command of
Intendant Kira Nerys. The station also serves as a processing center for uridium ore mined from Bajor; the processing facilities are operated by
Terran slaves.
In this fictional parallel universe, in 2372, the Terran Rebellion wrests control of the station away from the Alliance. The Alliance, determined to recapture the station, sends a fleet under
Regent Worf to fight the rebels. The rebels are able to build their own ''Defiant'', based on schematics for the ''Defiant'' in the primary universe, and they use it to defeat the Alliance fleet. Terok Nor remains a base of operations for the Terran Rebellion for at least the next three years.
Production design
The station model was principally designed by
Herman Zimmerman and
Rick Sternbach.
Ricardo Delgado, Joseph Hodges,
Nathan Crowley, Jim Martin,
Rob Legato
Robert Legato (born 1956) is an American visual effects supervisor, second unit director, and second unit director of photography.
Raised in Asbury Park, New Jersey, Legato graduated from Ocean Township High School.Staff. "Shore's Robert Legato ...
,
Gary Hutzel
Gary Dean Hutzel (November 4, 1955 – March 1, 2016) was an American visual effects supervisor from Ann Arbor, Michigan who worked on the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', and ''Battlestar Gala ...
,
Michael Okuda
Michael Okuda is an American graphic designer best known for his work on ''Star Trek'' including designing futuristic computer user interfaces known as "okudagrams".
Career
Work in ''Star Trek''
In the mid-1980s, he designed the look of ani ...
, and executive producer
Rick Berman
Richard Keith Berman (born December 25, 1945) is an American television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as the executive producer of several of the ''Star Trek'' television series: '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', '' ...
also contributed to the design. The miniature was fabricated by Tony Meininger. Some production aspects are intended be discussed in the 2017 documentary series about the show,'' What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek Deep Space Nine'' which was under production by the year.
At a 2006 auction held by the New York City branch of
Christie's of London, the original 6' diameter "hero model" of Deep Space 9 went for US$110,000.
This was the principal model for filming, and was made primarily of fiber and resin with built in fiber-optic lighting.
Herman Zimmerman compared the design of the station as having
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
influences, but also having a
geometric design
Geometrical design (GD) is a branch of computational geometry. It deals with the construction and representation of free-form curves, surfaces, or volumes and is closely related to geometric modeling. Core problems are curve and surface modelling ...
flavour to create a "Cardassian" style.
[ Page 56] One of the design
motiffs was to put things in sets of three, such having three concentric rings for main station structure, and sets of vertical pylons.
The interior sets that depicted the station were on the Paramount lot.
Reception
In 2017,
Space.com
Space.com is an online publication focused on space exploration, astronomy, skywatching and entertainment, with editorial teams based in the United States and United Kingdom. The website offers live coverage of space missions, astronomical discov ...
rated the Deep Space Nine fictional space station as the tenth best spacecraft of the ''Star Trek'' franchise.
See also
*
Earth Spacedock (another famous ''
Star Trek'' space station, appeared in various films and television episodes)
*
Babylon 5 (fictional space station)
''Babylon 5'' is an American space opera television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski, under the Babylonian Productions label, in association with Straczynski's Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Warner Bros. Domestic Tele ...
(another fictional space station and setting of the 1990s science fiction series ''
Babylon 5
''Babylon 5'' is an American space opera television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski, under the Babylonian Productions label, in association with Straczynski's Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Warner Bros. Domestic Telev ...
'')
References
External links
{{Star Trek
Fictional elements introduced in 1993
Fictional space stations
Star Trek locations
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: Voyager