Robert April
Encyclopedia : R : RO : ROB : Robert April
| Robert M. April | |
|---|---|
| Orbital elements (Epoch ) | |
| Semimajor axis>Semi-major axis (a) | |
| Orbital circumference | |
| Eccentricity (orbit)>Eccentricity (e) | |
| Perihelion>Perihelion distance (q) | |
| Aphelion>Aphelion distance (Q) | |
| Orbital period>Orbital period (P) | |
| Synodic period>Synodic period | |
| Avg. orbital speed | |
| Max. orbital speed | |
| Min. orbital speed | |
| Inclination (i) | |
| Longitude of the ascending node>Longitude of the ascending node (Ω) | |
| Argument of perihelion (ω) | |
| Mean anomaly>Mean anomaly (M) | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | |
| Surface area | |
| Volume | |
| Mass | |
| Density (ρ) | |
| Surface gravity | |
| Escape velocity | |
| Rotation period | |
| Rotation velocity | |
| Obliquity | |
| Right ascension of north pole | |
| Declination | |
| Absolute magnitude | |
| Albedo | |
| Mean surface temperature | K |
When Roddenberry submitted his first proposal for Star Trek to MGM Studios in 1964, his name for the starship commander was "Robert April" (another name, Captain Winter, was also considered). The proposal was rejected, and Star Trek did not become a television reality until later that year when NBC accepted the premise, by which time various changes to the premise had led to the captain's name being changed to Christopher Pike (with more changes to come before series finally began in 1966).
In 1974, the writers for the animated series picked up on this early legacy and included Robert April, now a Commodore, in the final episode of the series titled "The Counter-Clock Incident." The character's voice was provided by James Doohan, who also portrayed "Scotty". As mentioned above, Paramount Pictures, upon a request from Roddenberry, decreed that nothing in the animated series was to be considered canon. Since then, scriptwriters for several Trek series, most notably have made sport of including subtle references to the animated series but, as of 2004, no official canon reference to Robert April has ever been made. Some sources have noted a Captain April was listed as the first commander of Enterprise in a background display listing ships histories in an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation". This is not yet confirmed. Similarly, there has been a claim that a background display in a Star Trek: Enterprise episode "In a Mirror, Darkly: Part II" also displays his name (or, rather, part of it). This has also not been confirmed.
Note: Some sources list the character as Robert T. April, including the official Star Trek website, maintained by Paramount Pictures. Most of April's appearances in Star Trek novels give his background as English, hailing from Coventry. April also wears various cardigan sweaters over his Starfleet uniform, due to a rare blood disorder which causes him to feel slightly chilly most of the time. Commander George Kirk, father of Captain James T. Kirk, serves as April's first officer in the early years of the Enterprise. One young adult novel, however, ("Crisis on Vulcan") portrays Pike as the first officer under April when Spock visits the ship.
Further reading
- Star Trek Chronology: The History of the Future (Pocket Books, 1996; ISBN 0-67-153610-9)
External links
- [Roddenberry's original series proposal] (953k PDF file)
- article at Memory Alpha, the Star Trek wiki
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