USS Enterprise (XCV 330)

The USS Enterprise (XCV 330) was an Earth starship of a class that existed sometime prior to 2143.

A painting of a ship from the same class appeared on the wall of the 602 Club on Earth in 2143. 
 * Based on events that occurred in this episode, it would appear that this ship would be limited to warp factor 2.0, as that episode documents the first Earth ships to surpass warp 2.

A similar painting was on display on a the wall in Admiral Maxwell Forrest's office on Earth in 2154. 

This Enterprise was honored with an illustration on the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)'s recreation deck after its refit in the early 2270s. 

Background
This starship has been seen only in the three references cited above. A production photograph from the set shows both the name "USS Enterprise" and the registry number clearly. From a design standpoint the ring shaped drive design resembles the class starship.

The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture describes the ship as "the very first starship U.S.S. Enterprise".

Chart B of the Star Trek Maps (1980) features a side-view drawing (port) of the Enterprise. On that drawing, the ring-pylon is marked "7". The long "neck" of the ship is marked "ENTERPRISE" - no prefix or registry. The drawing is captioned:
 * "Starliners. Earth's first attempts at manned interstellar probes were launched during the 2050s at various target stars within fifteen light years of sol. Only one, the UESP Enterprise, reached its destination – the sunlike binary pair of Alpha Centauri – before they were overtaken by the new faster-than-light spacecraft. The 120-meter-long Starliners had a crew compliment of 35."

The UESP-prefix presumably stands for "United Earth Space Probe", which would make Enterprise a ship of the United Earth Space Probe Agency.

The Star Trek Spaceflight Chronology (1980) features a side-view drawing and a detailed painting of the Enterprise. This however might not even be the same ship. Only the overall shape is similar. The timeline description is as follows:
 * "USS Enterprise - Declaration Class 2123-2165. Lenght: 300m, Weight: 52,7 mil. kg, Ship's complement: 950. Propulsion: Adv. Second Generation Warp Drive."

A total of 957 of these Warp 3.2 Starliners were built for the Cultural Exchange Project of the United Federation of Planets. The Enterprise was the first ship to be equiped with a subspace radio and was the most popular passenger carrier of it's time. It should be noted that in the timeline of the Spaceflight Chronology for example the Federation was incorporated in 2087 and the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) was launched in 2188. So in the canon timeline this Enterprise would have to be placed somewhere in the very late 22nd to the early 23rd century, well after the time of Star Trek: Enterprise.

Star Trek Encyclopedia names this ship S.S. Enterprise in contradiction to the production photograph.


 * While The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek Maps and Star Trek Spaceflight Chronology and the Star Trek Encyclopedia are not canon, they are all Memory Alpha permitted resources.

Origin of design
This starship is a Matt Jefferies design, originally intended for use in a Gene Roddenberry television project in development sometime after the cancellation of Star Trek, and prior to Star Trek: Phase II. However, this television show never came to fruition.

The following is from a Lincoln Enterprises catalog, describing some elevations of the ship that could be purchased through the company:


 * "Gene Roddenberry’s imagination brings you "Starship". The vessel of the future as only he could picture it.  This could be the forerunner of a new TV series, a Starship operated by an enormous computer which is a lifeform itself.  Each human on board is a genius, a highly trained science specialist, part of a team of Galactic trouble shooters.  A brand-new concept in future space travel.  We also have three different views of the Metatransit system, side elevations of the systems analysis unit, and the Metaflier section of the Starship.  Imagine yourself on a mission in space aboard this luxury cruiser.  You'll be spellbound!"

Origin of ship
Earth's national prefixes (British HMS and Russian VK) were still in use up to the founding of the Federation in 2161. It is possible that "USS" still meant "United States Ship." If so, that would make this an American starship.

As for the "XCV" prefix, in American/English usage, X often means eXperimental. In US Navy usage, "CV" is used to designate aircraft carriers, which could make this an experimental fighter carrier.

External link

 * Spaceship of the Rings — Detailed, partly speculative, article on the origins and specifications of the XCV 330, with details on the original Jefferies design