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Featured Crew: Melora Pazlar

Ensign Melora Pazlar is the first Elaysian to graduate from Starfleet Academy. Her homeworld has low gravity that allows her species to ‘fly’, but the higher gravity elsewhere causes problems for her. While some systems such as artificial gravity can be used to compensate for this, in situations where that isn’t possible (e.g., Deep Space Nine), she relies on motor assist devices as well as an anti-grav chair. She refuses to let her mobility issues prevent her from doing the best job she can as a Starfleet officer, and is fiercely independent. She had a brief fling with Doctor Bashir while she was aboard DS9 (see the episode “ Melora “.)

Her Value,  I Kind Of Like how It Feels To Depend On Someone For A Change,  was originally  I Don’t Need Extra Help To Get The Job Done,  but it was challenged and replaced after the events of  “Melora” .

Featured Crew  articles spotlight familiar characters not currently covered by official stats. Each article will typically feature a  Major NPC  version of the character, as well as a playable  Main Character  version (Core Rulebook compliant, or with fan creations here) that you can hand out to a player for immediate play (such as for a demo or convention game).

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Melora Pazlar

Not in the portal

Melora Pazlar is a Super Rare [4-star] crew member.

Melora Pazlar is a version of Melora from the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Melora" (2x06) .

One of the only handful of Elaysians to have left their homeworld, Melora wishes to explore the stars without giving up being herself.

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These items are required by Melora Pazlar in order to advance through groups of levels.

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• Melora Pazlar was added November 8, 2022 as part of the Star Watchers and Astrophysicist portal packs.

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In the mirror universe , Melora Pazlar was a Elaysian . Pazlar was a slave of Khegh . Khegh kept Melora in a clear-walled tank of ice cold water in his headquarters on Lru-Irr . ( TTN - Mirror Universe short story : " Empathy ")

Melora Stardate:47229.1 Original Airdate: 1 Nov, 1993

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Daphne Ashbrook

Series: DS9

Character(s): Melora Pazlar

Daphne Lee Ashbrook played Melora Pazlar in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine second season episode “Melora”. However, she is recognized as the Eighth Doctor’s companion Dr. Grace Holloway in the 1996 television film Doctor Who. She prepared for the role of Melora Pazlar by taking a wheelchair to a local shopping mall. Commenting on the experience, she said, “Everything’s an obstacle and also nobody looks at you. I think because people are uncomfortable and they don’t know what to do.”

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http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS02E06Melora

Recap / Star Trek: Deep Space Nine S02E06 "Melora"

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Bashir is excited that a new officer, Melora Pazlar, is set to arrive at the station. She is Elaysian, from a planet with extremely low gravity, which will force her to use a wheelchair on the station that Bashir is preparing for her. Bashir greatly admires her from what he's read and anticipates that she won't want to receive any special treatment for her disability. Even he, however, is taken aback when Melora arrives and behaves with brusque condescension toward even the slightest insinuation that she needs help.

Meanwhile, Quark is shocked to discover that an old criminal associate of his, Fallit Kot, has arrived at the station after serving eight years in prison. Quark had been Fallit's conspirator in the crime but flipped and informed on him to avoid punishment for the same crime, so Fallit is out to kill Quark as revenge. Free drinks, food and floozies fail to distract him from his murderous intentions.

Bashir confronts Melora on her aggressive attitude, suggesting that she lower her defenses a bit instead of always being on the attack. Then he propositions her for a date. They hit up a Klingon restaurant, where Melora proves an expert in both the Klingon language and the cuisine. The pair swap stories before calling it a night. Later, Melora suffers a fall, and Bashir helps her back to her quarters. She invites him in for the first time and allows him to experience the low-gravity environment she's most comfortable in. Floating above the floor, Bashir and Melora passionately embrace .

When Bashir and Melora next meet, the good doctor has figured out a way to modernize some medical treatments that could allow Melora to function in standard gravity comfortably. They start the treatments, and for a few moments, Melora is able to lift her legs easily, but it fades quickly. With each treatment, the effects will get longer until it becomes permanent. However, the treatment comes with a high price: she cannot return to low-G environments or risk seriously screwing up her nervous system.

While performing a survey of the Gamma Quadrant, Melora chats with Dax about her predicament. She likes the idea of getting freedom from her chair, but she doesn't want to be forever exiled from her homeworld. Dax likens her to The Little Mermaid , who turned her back on the sea for love on land. It didn't work out so hot for her.

While all this was going on, Fallit finally ambushes Quark and forces him to buy his life back with the proceeds of a big sale that Quark is negotiating. Fallit accompanies Quark to the trade and then steals both the merchandise and the payment. He drags Quark to a runabout to make his escape, hijacking the one that Melora and Dax have just landed.

When Sisko tries to stop them, Fallit shoots Melora to show he means business. As the crook and his hostages fly away with Sisko and company pursuing in a runabout of their own, Melora awakens Not Quite Dead and flips off the artificial gravity. As Fallit careens helplessly around the cockpit, Melora elegantly launches herself at him and takes him out, saving the day.

With everyone safe and sound, Melora meets Bashir at the Klingon restaurant and informs him that she's decided not to continue treatment. As the chef serenades them with a Klingon tune, Melora holds Bashir's hand and requests that they sit and prolong the moment so that she can remember their time together.

• It makes no sense that Elaysians, a species which has evolved on a planet with low gravity, would turn out to be Rubber-Forehead Aliens , physically identical to humans but for a prosthetic bulge on the forehead.
• Bashir states that it's Melora's motor cortex that prevents her from functioning normally under higher gravity, and stimulating it is all it takes to enable her to walk unassisted. This is ignoring the fact that it's her actual musculature, connective tissue, and skeleton that would be unable to tolerate the increased gravity.
• Melora's braces only cover her shoulders, arms, and legs, with absolutely not support structures going along her torso. Assuming the lower-gravity evolution deal, her skeletal structure should not be able to handle the weight of her upper body.
• Melora also doesn't have any support for her neck and head. It should have been difficult to impossible for her to hold her head up without that support structure.
• Author Tract : Initial script writer Evan Carlos Somers was confined to a wheelchair. He pitched the episode's idea and wrote the first draft, putting a lot of his frustrations into the story.
• Bait-and-Switch : When Julian and Melora's meal in the Klingon restaurant is served, she initially reacts with disgust. However, it turns out it wasn't the Klingon food she objected to, nor the fact that the chef served it with his bare fingers — just that the racht was half-dead.
• Belligerent Sexual Tension : Melora is pretty hostile to Bashir before they get together.
• Bizarre Alien Biology : Fallit Kot has a ridge linking his nose to his chin, meaning his species somehow evolved a trait that hinders the act of eating. The episode even showcases it by having Fallit eat during the episode, something that isn't particularly common on the show.
• Chekhov's Skill : A variant — Melora's low-gravity background puts her at an advantage over her would-be kidnapper when she disables the artificial gravity on the runabout.
• Disability as an Excuse for Jerkassery : Melora is rude and unpleasant in general, but when she thinks the crew is taking pity on her or underestimating her, she assumes it's because of her physical difficulties and ramps her attitude up more.
• Don't You Dare Pity Me! : Melora initially has a bad case of this, as she basically interprets anyone making allowances for her — or even offering a helping hand — as pity, and reacts with hostility. When she's first told that Dax will be accompanying her on her mission, she snaps that she can pilot a runabout on her own, only to be told that Sisko wouldn't let any ensign take a runabout into the Gamma Quadrant when she's only just arrived.
• Due to the Dead : Odo says that, if Quark is killed, he'll buy one of his vacuum-desiccated remains.
• Revenge : Quark is wanted by a man who spent eight years in a Romulan labor camp for smuggling Romulan Ale. Quark turned on him to stay out of prison.
• Shout-Out : Dax notes that Melora's conundrum resembles The Little Mermaid .
• Stepford Snarker : Bashir quickly pegs Melora as one; she uses sarcasm and dry wit about her condition to disarm the people she talks to and keep them on the defensive.
• Zero-G Spot : Bashir and Melora make out when she turns off the gravity in her quarters. It's heavily implied that things got steamier from there.
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine S02E05 "Cardassians"
• Recap/Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine S02E07 "Rules of Acquisition"

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Graeme McMillan

Star Trek's 100 Most Important Crew Members, Ranked

This week, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original Star Trek TV series. To do so, we thought it might be a good time to rank all of the Star Trek crew members. Before we do, a few stipulations:

1: Only Starfleet personnel and related enlisted crews have been considered for placement on this list. (Which means that characters such as Quark, Morn, or, let's be honest, half of Deep Space Nine are absent.) Placement on the list is the result of long consideration of characters' service to Starfleet and/or Starfleet-related causes as shown or implied during their appearances, with one exception that shall not be discussed further. (Good luck figuring out which one is placed specifically due to personal bias.)

2: Only original on-screen media was considered during deliberation. If spin-off material such as novels and comic books had been included, both Captain Clark Terrell and Commander Elizabeth Shelby would be considerably higher up in the ranking. ( Star Trek: Vanguard and Star Trek: New Frontier FTW, as the famous 24th century saying goes.)

3: Your argument is invalid.

Key: TOS: The Original Series, aka Star Trek (1966-1969) TAS: Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1974) TMP: Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) TWK: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) TUC: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) STG: Star Trek: Generations (1994) TNG: Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) DS9: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999) VOY: Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001) ENT: Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005) KTL: The Kelvin Timeline, aka Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), Star Trek Beyond (2016)

100. Crewman Lon Suder (VOY) 99. Admiral Alexander Marcus (KTL) 98. Lieutenant Marla McGivers (TOS) 97. Lt. Commander Gary Mitchell (TOS) 96. Dr. Elizabeth Dehner (TOS) 95. Commodore Matthew Decker (TOS) 94. Captain Ben Maxwell (TNG) 93. Kes (VOY) 92. Fleet Admiral Cartwright (TUC) 91. Lieutenant Valeris (TUC) 90. Luther Sloan (DS9) 89. Commander Bruce Maddox (TNG) 88. Captain Phillipa Louvois (TNG) 87. Ensign Taurik (TNG) 86. Ensign Sito Jaxa (TNG) 85. Lieutenant José Tyler (TOS) 84. Crewman Michael Rostov (ENT) 83. Crewman Elizabeth Cutler (ENT) 82. Ensign Walsh (ENT) 81. Ensign Tanner (ENT) 80. Lieutenant Sam Lavelle (TNG) 79. Ensign Samantha Wildman (VOY) 78. Commander Kyle (TOS) 77. Lt. Commander Michael Eddington (DS9) 76. Vice Admiral Nakamura (TNG) 75. Captain Rudy Ransom (VOY) 74. Dr. Mark Piper (TOS) 73. Chef (ENT) 72. Ensign Melora Pazlar (DS9) 71. Ensign Robin Lefler (TNG) 70. Yeoman Janice Rand (TOS) 69. Rear Admiral Gregory Quinn (TNG) 68. Captain Edward Jellico (TNG) 67. Lt. Commander Jack Crusher (TNG) 66. Dr. Philip Boyce (TOS) 65. Lieutenant M'Ress (TAS) 64. Dr. Selar (TNG) 63. Nurse Alyssa Ogawa (TNG) 62. Neelix (VOY) 61. Lieutenant Arex (TAS) 60. Nurse Christine Chapel (TOS) 59. Captain Clark Terrell (TWK) 58. Captain Robert April (TOS) 57. Number One (TOS) 56. Commander Elizabeth Shelby (TNG) 55. Lieutenant Reginald Barclay (TNG) 54. Ensign Ro Laren (TNG) 53. Cadet Tim Watters (DS9) 52. Captain Erika Hernandez (ENT) 51. Lieutenant Nog (DS9) 50. Captain Willard Decker (TMP) 49. Lieutenant Ilia (TMP) 48. Lieutenant Saavik (TWK) 47. Captain Richard Robau (KTL) 46. Captain John Harriman (STG) 45. Captain Rachel Garrett (TNG) 44. Lieutenant Demora Sulu (STG) 43. Admiral Owen Paris (VOY) 42. Admiral Maxwell Forrest (ENT) 41. Admiral William Ross (DS9) 40. Chief Medical Officer Phlox (ENT) 39. Dr. Katherine Pulaski (TNG) 38. Lt. Commander George Kirk (KTL) 37. Seven of Nine (VOY) 36. Lt. Commander Tasha Yar (TNG) 35. Captain Christopher Pike (TOS) 34. Ensign Harry Kim (VOY) 33. Ensign Travis Mayweather (ENT) 32. Lieutenant Ezri Dax (DS9) 31. Ensign Wesley Crusher (TNG) 30. Commander Pavel Chekov (TOS) 29. Lieutenant Malcolm Reed (ENT) 28. Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres (VOY) 27. Lt. Commander Hoshi Sato (ENT) 26. Lieutenant Tom Paris (VOY) 25. Dr. Julian Bashir (DS9) 24. Counsellor Deanna Troi (TNG) 23. Commander Charles Tucker III (ENT) 22. Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax (DS9) 21. Chief Engineer Geordi LaForge (TNG) 20. Dr. Beverly Crusher (TNG) 19. Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott (TOS) 18. Captain Hikaru Sulu (TOS) 17. Chief Miles O'Brien (DS9) 16. Emergency Medical Hologram Joe (VOY) 15. Constable Odo (DS9) 14. Commander Nyota Uhura (TOS) 13. Lt. Commander Worf (TNG) 12. Lt. Commander Data (TNG) 11. Commander Chakotay (VOY) 10. Commander T'Pol (ENT) 9. Captain Jonathan Archer (ENT) 8. Captain Kathryn Janeway (VOY) 7. Colonel Kira Nerys (DS9) 6. Commander William Riker (TNG) 5. Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (TOS) 4. Captain Spock (TOS) 3. Captain Jean-Luc Picard (TNG) 2. Captain Benjamin Sisko (DS9) 1. Captain James T. Kirk (TOS)

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Geek's Guide to the Galaxy

Star Trek: Age of Discovery

Star trek: age of discovery is a wordpress site for a star trek universe fan podcast..

Depictions of Disabilities in Star Trek

In honor of Kenneth Mitchell and how he’s living with his condition, I wanted to take a look at the way Star Trek has addressed special needs throughout the various tv series. The depictions have changed depending upon the prevailing attitude at the times. You can chart the changes in how society has addressed the subject by how the subject has been addressed in Star Trek. In almost all of the cases where a character possessed some form of physical or mental limitation they have been played by an actor without that specific challenge. Only Mitchell, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking who appears as a holographic simulation of himself, and deaf actor Howie Seago are exceptions to this rule. Interestingly, both Mitchell and Hawking were diagnosed with ALS, the fatal neurodegenerative disease that is sometime’s called Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Seago, who plays the deaf mediator Riva on TNG, was a member of the National Theatre of the Deaf, a collaborator with such experimental theatre artists as directors Peter Sellars and Robert Wilson, as well as Talking Heads musician David Byrne. Also, from the 1990s into the early 2000s Seago frequently acted with tthe Oregon Shakespeare Festival. In TOS, three examples exists. Their treatment reflects different approaches based on gender. Female characters with a disability appear to have been born with it. Examples are Dr. Miranda Jones, the blind telepath who accompanies the Medusa ambassador from “Is There In Truth No Beauty?” or the mute empathic healer Gem from “The Empath.” A major distinction is that Dr. Jones attempts to disguise her blindness by wearing a cloak that enhances her physical awareness of her surroundings giving off the impression she can see. Male characters, on the other hand, are impaired temporarily. The example is Spock, who, in Season One’s “Operation — Annihilate!” is blinded by an intense white light used to cure him the sting of a giant parasite. His blindness is seen as a tragic career-ending injury. The overall impression is that blindness is a life sentence, reflecting a perception that was pronounced in American culture in the 1960s. However, lucky for him, Spock’s blindness lasted for a short period of time.

By the late 1980s attitudes towards people living with a disability had begun to change. The terms like “differently-able” and “special needs” came into fashion highlighting a shift in thinking that one could still lead a fully productive life regardless of whether they were blind, deaf, or wheelchair-bound. The most obvious example of this shift is the character of Geordi LaForge, who is blind but wears a visor that enhances his sight beyond normal human limits. In spite of being blind Geordi achieves the rank of Lieutenant Commander, is considered an excellent pilot, and is promoted to Chief Engineer aboard the flagship of the Federation. With Geordi, Star Trek modeled a more enlightened awareness about disabilities than was shown on TOS. In spite of the fact that actor Levar Burton is not blind, the character did help to start a dialogue about special needs citizens. In TNG’s second season the show presented E5 “Loud As a Whisper.” The Enterprise was charged to carry mediator Riva to the war-torn planet of Solais V for peace treaty negotiations. Riva is deaf but uses his telepathic powers to communicate through a three person chorus that conveys both his words and their intention to his hearing audience. When he meets Geordi they have this exchange:

At the conclusion of their conversation Riva says “It’s a blessing to understand that we are special, each in his own way.” This was a bold statement in 1992. It presented a progressive point of view about those citizens who were not born with all of their senses intact. It’s also important that such a conversation reflecting a very positive outlook on their lives occurs between two characters with an impairment. However, later on in the episode, Geordi goes to Dr. Pulaski to see if she can reduce the level of pain he experiences from wearing his visor. As a permanent remedy she offers to attempt regenerating his optic nerves and giving him “normal eyes.” Dr. Pulaski assures him that she’s successfully done this procedure twice before. Although he hesitates in responding to her, Geordi leaves sick bay deciding to give the matter more thought. This idea is posed in a single scene and is never followed up on during the remainder of the show’s seven season run. But it does undercut the clear message of the rest of the episode – that having a disability does not limit one’s aspirations. Still, as with most attempts to liberalize attitudes on social issues, we take two steps forward while taking one step back. Star Trek is no different. Another example can be found in the TNG episode “Ethics,” where we deal with the less enlightened perspective of the subject. In the A-plot, Worf has his spinal cord crushed and is paralyzed. As a Klingon, he sees his injury – and the burden he would be to others – as a dishonorable way to live. As such, Worf requests that Commander Riker honor his service to Starfleet and kill him. Riker declines telling him he should follow Klingon tradition and ask a family member to honor his wishes to be killed, specifically, his young son, Alexander. Eventually, Crusher comes up with an idea to grow Worf a new spinal cord and transplant it into his back. Eventually, everything is fixed. Once again, the disability is temporary, but this story introduces a more serious concept into the conversation, that of euthanasia or mercy killing. At the time of “Ethics” original broadcast Michigan’s own Dr. Jack Kevorkian was known for publicly assisting in the suicides of people who suffered with terminal illnesses or who felt their quality of life had diminished. My final example is from DS9, naturally. In Season 2 the show’s sixth episode featured a new species – the Elaysian. “Melora” introduced us to Ensign Melora Pazlar, the new cartographer assigned to DS9. We learned the reason why she is the first of her kind to join Starfleet. Elaysians are a humanoid species from a low-gravity planet. Their physique and neural motor cortex are adapted to cope with a low gravity. On their homeworld, they can virtually “fly.” So when she is in an Earth-normal gravity environment Melora becomes handicapped. Her body’s weight becomes heavier and her under-developed muscles can’t carry the weight. This condition requires the use of an anti-gravity unit and/or a wheelchair for Melora to get around. Naturally, Melora resents the impression that she is dependent on others. Dr. Bashir offers her an option. She could receive a progressive treatment that would help her muscles get stronger over time. Unfortunately she won’t be able to use the room’s low gravity field or go home for extended period of time because she could risk confusing her body’s motor cortex. Although she initially takes the treatments Melora eventually decides to remain how she is and learn to accept assistance when it is needed. She concludes that if she went through with the treatments she wouldn’t be an Elaysian anymore.

Melora’s sentiment is echoed in the actions of Kenneth Mitchell. When the actor was diagnosed with ALS he could have abandoned his acting career and fallen into a depressed state. Instead, he has continued to participate in the Star Trek cruises and conventions with wheelchair, and take on acting opportunities. He played Tenavik last season soon after he was originally diagnosed and Aurelio this season as well as did some voice acting on Lower Decks. In many ways, Star Trek, the TV series, has modeled the behavior for a more enlightened culture.

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)

Daphne ashbrook: melora pazlar, photos .

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Why A Star Trek: TOS Legend Preferred DS9 Over Roddenberry's TNG

17-year-old doctor who episode explains why ruby couldn't enter the tardis in "73 yards", i'm concerned about this apple tv+ show's future after watching amazon's best sci-fi.

• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine often sought to improve on Star Trek: The Next Generation, with more serialization and character-led stories.
• DS9 addressed the mistakes made with disability representation in a problematic TNG episode involving Worf.
• The DS9 episode "Melora" featured a disabled character, Ensign Melora Pazlar, who rejected a cure for her disability, highlighting the importance of accepting and valuing individuals for who they are.

An episode from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2 set out to fix the mistakes made by a problematic Star Trek: The Next Generation episode involving Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn). As it was the first Star Trek: TNG spinoff, DS9 often addressed the failings of its parent show. For example, by adding Quark (Armin Shimerman) to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's cast , DS9 was able to expand the Ferengi, who had a somewhat two-dimensional portrayal in TNG . Deep Space Nine 's three-dimensional Star Trek characters were in sharp contrast to TNG 's characters, who were often the victims of the reset button enforced upon them by syndication.

At the start of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, producer Michael Piller instructed the writers' room to focus on what made DS9 different from Star Trek: The Next Generation . This led to DS9 's game changing three-part season 2 premiere and an increased focus on telling character-led stories. In the spirit of differentiating DS9 from TNG , writer Evan Carlos Somers chose to directly respond to a classic TNG Worf episode "Ethics" because he disapproved of the episode's handling of disability. Although it was flawed in its realization, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 6, "Melora" addressed many of the mistakes made by "Ethics."

A key figure from Star Trek: The Original Series was a big fan of Deep Space Nine and preferred it over The Next Generation for two big reasons.

Star Trek: DS9’s Melora Fixed TNG’s Problematic Worf Episode

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine writer Evan Carlos Somers was a wheelchair user, following a diving accident at the age of 16. Somers objected to how, in Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "Ethics", Worf saw himself as worthless after being paralyzed . While Somers acknowledged that Worf is a Klingon and the warrior aliens would have a different approach to disability, he was also uncomfortable with the messaging. In The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine issue 6 , Somers expanded on his objections to "Ethics" and his approach to writing "Melora".

"I resented the message in 'Ethics' – that Worf is worthless now that he's disabled and therefore must kill himself. [...] I always thought it would be nice to create a disabled character who's accepted for what she is and doesn't have to change."

In "Melora", Ensign Melora Pazlar (Daphne Ashbrook) was an Elaysian stellar cartographer assigned to Deep Space Nine. As an Elaysian, Melora is used to low-gravity environments and, therefore, needs additional support aboard DS9. Just like Worf in "Ethics", Melora is offered a cure for her disability by her lover, Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig). Melora rejects the cure, because the changes to her physiology would mean that she would lose her identity . Melora's decision is a positive affirmation that disability isn't something to be "fixed" in the way that Worf's paralysis was cured in TNG .

How Star Trek Portrayed Disability Before DS9’s Melora Episode

In Star Trek: The Original Series , Fleet Captain Christopher Pike (Sean Kenney) is a wheelchair user, who has also lost the use of his voice in a tragic accident. It's a problematic portrayal because "The Menagerie" suggests that Pike can only be happy if he lives on Talos IV, where the Talosians' psychic illusions will "free" him from his disability . There's an uncomfortable parallel with Dr. Miranda Jones (Diana Muldaur), who is blind, but hides her disability. When Miranda's blindness is revealed by Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), the crew of the USS Enterprise treat her differently.

Aside from the problematic portrayal of Worf's paralysis in Star Trek: The Next Generation , there are more positive examples of disability representation. Deaf TNG guest star Howie Seago provided valuable insight that greatly improved the ending of the episode "Loud as a Whisper". The most positive portrayal of disability in TNG is Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), whose blindness is no barrier to his success as a Starfleet officer. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Ensign Melora Pazlar further proved this point in her brief, but memorable, guest appearance.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.

• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

USS Yellowstone (2370)

• View history

The USS Yellowstone was a 24th century Federation starship operated by Starfleet .

In 2370 , the Yellowstone transported Ensign Melora Pazlar to Deep Space 9 . Upon its arrival, it docked at airlock 14 . ( DS9 : " Melora ")

• 1.1 Background information
• 1.2 Apocrypha
• 1.3 External link

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

The Star Trek Encyclopedia  (4th ed., vol. 2, p. 335) classified this vessel as a Sequoia -class ( β ) starship, with registry number NCC -70073. The Star Trek Encyclopedia (4th ed., vol. 2, p. 508) further noted that the ship was named after Yellowstone National Park .

Apocrypha [ ]

The non-canon video game Star Trek: Starship Creator lists the Yellowstone as Melora Pazlar's assignment prior to arriving on Deep Space 9.

External link [ ]

• USS Yellowstone (NCC-70073) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works

Real-life 'Star Trek' planet was actually just an illusion caused by a 'jittery' star

New research shows that sometimes life imitates art, even in astronomy.

A planet beyond the solar system that has been compared to Spock's homeworld Vulcan in the Star Trek franchise may have been nothing more than an illusion caused by a jittery star. 

The extrasolar planet or " exoplanet " (a term for a planet outside of our solar system) was proposed to orbit a star called 40 Eridani A or "Keid," which is part of a triple star system located around 16.3 light-years from Earth. In Star Trek, this star is also home to the planet Vulcan. First announced in 2018 , the planet caused quite a stir thanks to its similarities with Spock's fictional home planet.

A team of scientists led by astronomer Abigail Burrows of Dartmouth College now thinks that the "wobble" of this planet's parent star isn't the result of an orbiting world tugging on it at all. Burrows and colleagues discovered using a NASA instrument called NEID located at Kitt Peak National Observatory that the origin of this wobble is actually "pulses and jitters" of Keid itself.

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The fictional version of Vulcan was first introduced during Gene Roddenberry's seminal original series run of Star Trek , mentioned in the 1965 unaired pilot episode "The Cage." In the 2009 J.J. Abrams-directed Star Trek reboot , Vulcan was destroyed by a time-traveling enemy of Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the Enterprise crew. 

By wiping out the real-life Vulcan, officially designated HD 26965 b, this new research shows that sometimes life imitates art.

Sorry Keid, you're on your own...

There are several ways to detect exoplanets orbiting distant stars, but the two most successful techniques are the transit method and the radial velocity method . Both of these techniques consider the effect an orbiting planet has on its star.

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The transit method, employed to great success by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) , measures the tiny dips in light a planet causes as it crosses the face of its parent star. 

While the transit method is by far the more fruitful of these two exoplanet detection methods , the radial velocity method is useful for spotting exoplanets that don't pass between the face of their star and our vantage point in the solar system. 

The radial velocity method uses tiny shifts in the light of a star as an orbiting planet gravitationally tugs on it. As a star is pulled away from Earth, the wavelength of the light it emits is stretched, causing it to move to the "red end" of the electromagnetic spectrum, a phenomenon called " redshift ." The converse happens when the star is pulled toward Earth, the wavelengths of light compress, and the light is "blue-shifted" toward the "blue end" of the electromagnetic spectrum.

This is analogous to the Doppler effect, which impacts sound waves on Earth. When an ambulance races toward us, the soundwaves from its siren are compressed, making them sound higher-pitched. When the ambulance races away, the sound waves are more spaced out, and the siren becomes lower-pitched. 

The radial velocity method is best for detecting especially massive planets , as these exert a larger gravitational pull on their stars and thus generate a more pronounced shift in the starlight from that stellar body. However, it is less robust for detecting planets with masses lower than that of Jupiter, the solar system's most massive planet.

When HD 26965 b was first potentially detected using the radial velocity method, its mass was estimated to be about 8 times greater than that of Earth but less than that of Neptune, making it a so-called "super-Earth" planet. The faux-Vulcan was suspected to orbit its parent star at around 22% of the distance between Earth and the sun , completing a year in around 42 Earth days.

Yet even the scientists who discovered this planet warned that it could be a misdetection caused by Keid's inherent jitteriness. By 2023, researchers had cast major doubts on the existence of this exoplanet. These new high-precision radial velocity measurements, which were not yet available in 2018, are the final nail in the coffin of the Vulcan-like HD 26965 b.

The disappointing news for Star Trek fans was delivered by NEID, the name of which rhymes with "fluid." NEID is an instrument that uses radial velocity to measure the motion of nearby stars with extreme precision. 

NEID separated out the suspected planetary signal into its constituent wavelengths representing light emitted from various layers in the structure of Keid's surface or photosphere . This allowed the team to detect significant differences in the individual wavelengths compared to the total combined signal.

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The upshot is that the signal implied the existence of HD 26965 b is actually the result of something flickering at the surface of Keid approximately every 42 Earth days. This effect could also be created when hot and cold plasma rises and falls through Keid's convection zone and interacts with surface features like dark sunspot patches or bright, active regions called " plages ."

While this discovery isn't great news for Keid and its planetary prospects, or for fans of Star Trek, it is a positive step for exoplanet-hunting scientists. 

That's because the finely tuned radial velocity measurements of NEID promise that planetary signals can be more accurately separated and distinguished from the natural jitters of stars in the future. 

The team's research is published in The Astronomical Journal. 

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Robert Lea is a science journalist in the U.K. whose articles have been published in Physics World, New Scientist, Astronomy Magazine, All About Space, Newsweek and ZME Science. He also writes about science communication for Elsevier and the European Journal of Physics. Rob holds a bachelor of science degree in physics and astronomy from the U.K.’s Open University. Follow him on Twitter @sciencef1rst.

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Terry Matalas Landing A Marvel Gig May Discourage Some Star Trek Fans, But It Actually Has Me Optimistic For A Picard Follow-Up

T he news went out recently that Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas will join Paul Bettany in a WandaVision sequel series , and some Trekkies online reacted like the air was sucked out of the room. Matalas was, in the eyes of many, supposed to be the showrunner of the Picard follow-up series many fans wanted -- what is referred to as the upcoming Star Trek series Legacy . Some think now that he's moved on and the show is dead in the water. Listen, I'm not one of those people. 

If anything, I think that Terry Matalas joining Marvel is the best path forward for him, and may end up ensuring his hopes for a Picard spinoff come to fruition. Here are some of the reasons I think it's great he's helping out with another franchise, and why I'm optimistic for a follow-up. 

There's No Immediate Plans For A Star Trek: Legacy Series Anyway

Despite teases from Alex Kurtzman that more Star Trek surprises are on the way, it does not appear any plans for any Picard spinoff are in those plans. In fairness, projects like the Section 31 movie and Starfleet Academy were known about and in the works ahead of Picard Season 3 ending, so it never seemed likely they'd be abandoned because of fan response. 

With shows like Star Trek: Discovery and Lower Decks ending , there are gaps opening up for a Legacy series to happen. With the Wandavision sequel set for 2026, there's a chance that Terry Matalas' schedule could clear down the road to return to the franchise if an offer is thrown his way. I would assume the franchise would want him at the helm of this, given that he was largely responsible for the success of Picard 's final season. Time may be on his side here.

It is worth noting, however, that Paramount is up for sale and that means Star Trek could be under new ownership within the next couple of years, leading to questions about what will be available with a Paramount Plus subscription   Paramount+ subscription . 

At that point, it's anyone's guess what plans will be prioritized for the franchise and what new Trek shows we'd see at that point. Perhaps even a new owner would find the idea of the follow-up series more appealing. Until then, though, I wouldn't get stressed about Matalas' schedule being tied up. A show could still happen.  

Working With Marvel Will Likely Only Boost Terry Matalas' Profile

While losing Terry Matalas to Marvel for the WandaVision sequel series could mean we lose him to the franchise for a while, it only further boosts his star power in Hollywood further. While he was known for 12 Monkeys before joining Star Trek: Picard as a co-showrunner, I wouldn't be surprised at all to hear it was the House of Mouse enjoying his work in Season 3 that secured him a job as the person to tell Vision's story. 

Let's think about how quickly Star Trek brought back Michelle Yeoh after her Oscar win to make Star Trek: Section 31, and now Oscar winner Holly Hunter is in Starfleet Academy . While you can't win an Oscar for making a Marvel series for Disney+, it can come with a certain amount of attention that may make Star Trek more eager to bring him back into the fold down the line.

Sure, the downside of Matalas joining Marvel is that he may crush the gig and stick around, and perhaps that would mean a longterm exit from Star Trek . 

Does that mean he should've not taken the job and held out for fans? Of course not, and no one should blame him for taking a job he knows he has rather than one he may never get. 

Fan Support To See A Picard Follow-Up Remains Strong 

Despite the fact that Terry Matalas told CinemaBlend very early on that Paramount didn't have a Picard follow-up in their plans , people are still very eager to see the sequel series happen. Fans are passionate enough that it's convinced stars like Ed Speleers that we'll one day see that spinoff. Of course, as the daring Jack Crusher serving as counsel to Captain Seven of Nine, he has every reason to champion the series happening. 

Let's remember the fan voice can be strong. There were tons of voices speaking out to save Star Trek: Prodigy , and eventually, the series was saved by Netflix . We knew at the time it was cancelled the show was being shopped to other streamers, but if there was no one pushing to see the show, what incentive would the streamer have  had to pick it up? 

If people continue to ask for Star Trek: Legacy , whoever owns the franchise in the years to come will continue to listen. If the fan interest is truly there, someone wil try and make it happen in some way. Another way to seemingly help a show in this era is stream it, because at the end of the day, the numbers don't lie when it comes to actual interest in a show. 

There Are Other Ways For A Legacy Spinoff To Happen

Terry Matalas might be with Marvel, but let's just make one thing clear right now, there can still be a Star Trek: Legacy series should the franchise opt to do so. It doesn't necessarily need to happen in a series either, as there are plenty of opportunity to tell the adventures of the Enterprise-G in novels as well as comics. We have great people working on these adventures, so if you're a fan, support that content as well. 

Beyond that, I've been of the mind that there are quiet efforts to make a Picard follow-up as we speak. Patrick Stewart revealed that someone was writing a script for a movie for Jean-Luc Picard , and given his advanced age, I would only assume it's not going to take place before the events of the series he recently concluded. By definition, that would be a movie that is a Picard follow-up. If it isn't, there's something seriously wrong happening in the prime timeline!

It's even possible that, yes, someone else besides Terry Matalas could get a Star Trek: Legacy series rolling. Akiva Goldsman was the co-showrunner of Picard , after all, and could always leave Henry Alonso Myers to run Strange New Worlds and take the reigns on the next adventures of this cast. It would still have Matalas' prints on it, assuming the series picked up on where he left it at the end of Picard . 

At the end of it all, the point I'm trying to make here is that people need to relax and not assume there's no chance of seeing a follow-up to Star Trek: Picard just because of this news. Enjoy revisiting the series in the meantime on Paramount+, and of course stick with CinemaBlend for any potential details on whether or not this dream series will happen.