Starship name prefixes (Star Trek)

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Starfleet vessels' prefix and names are printed on the hull and internal readouts, though are often smaller in scale than the registry number.

In the fictional Star Trek universe, the names of Starfleet starships are preceeded by a prefix, most commonly "USS". The prefix is generally only mentioned in formal dialogue, with most vessels simply being referred to by their designated name (e.g., "the Enterprise"). The use and meaning of these prefixes is the subject of speculation among Star Trek fans – due in large part to the fact that the Star Trek canon says very little about what they mean and how they are used.

Contents

1 USS
2 SS
3 ISS
4 See also

USS

"USS" (or "U.S.S.") is the most common prefix among Starfleet vessels. Though this harks of the USS prefix associated with US Navy vessels, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry maintained that the two are unrelated.

There has been much fan speculation in the Star Trek community as to what "USS" stands for:

In the Star Trek series pilot, the Enterprise is referred to as a United Space Ship.
In later , the Enterprise is referred to as a United Star Ship (though starship is generally presented as a single word in Star Trek).
Roddenberry reportedly said that "USS" stands for United Space Starship#redirect .

The constant appearance of "United" in all interpretations likely refers to Starfleet's ruling body, the United Federation of Planets; in later series, Starfleet vessels are introduced and popularly known as "Federation starships". Furthermore, ships in the pre-Federation series lack the USS prefix; the main starship of that series being known simply as "Enterprise".

SS

The earliest known Star Trek-related use of "SS" is Khan Noonien Singh's 1996 launch of the infamous sleeper ship SS Botany Bay.

The prefix survives into the 23rd and 24th centuries. Some "SS" vessels seem to be civilian, rather than Starfleet, vessels, e.g. the transport SS Lakul. Conversely, the Oberth-class starship Tsiolkovsky has the SS prefix, though it is under Starfleet control.

"SS" may stand for "starship" (or "star ship") or "space ship".

ISS

"ISS" stands for "Imperial Starship" and is used by the Terran Empire's fleet throughout the 22nd and 23rd centuries.

Starship name prefixes (Star Trek)

USS

SS

ISS

See also