List ofStar Trekregions of space

Several films and episodes of thescience fictionfranchiseStar Trekare set in distinctastrographicalregions ofspace.Some of these fictional locations exhibit anomalous physical properties; others are defined as sensitive buffer zones under various fictional political accords.

This list describes some of the more significant settings forStar Trekfilms or story arcs over multiple television episodes.

Badlands

TheBadlandscomprise an area of space that appears (or is referenced) in episodes ofStar Trek: Deep Space NineandStar Trek: Voyager.

Located inStar Trek's Alpha Quadrant, the Badlands are characterized by constantplasmastorms andfunnel clouds.TheMaquisuse it in several episodes as a meeting or hiding place because of its treacherous navigation.It is also known to harbor some planets hidden within the clouds and nebulae.

In "Caretaker",the pilot episode ofStar Trek: Voyager,thetitular starshippursues a Maquis ship into the Badlands before being pushed by an energy wave to theDelta Quadrant.

In "Erigah", the seventh episode ofStar Trek: Discoveryseason 5,the Badlands are determined to be the temporary location of a next clue to finding vital creation-of-life technology.

The Badlands are also mentioned in the computer gameStar Trek: Armada II,where theBorgbuild up forces in that area close to theFederation.

Bajoran wormhole

In the fictionalStar Trekuniverse, the Bajoranwormholeis aspatial anomalylocated within 160,000,000 kilometres (1.1au) (DS9S1Ep2: "Emissary (Part 2)") of the planetBajor.It appears as an aperture of swirling golden-white light surrounded by blue clouds, which appears whenever a vessel approaches or exits from it and disappears again afterwards. The wormhole can only be traversed by ships traveling at impulse (sub-light speed) velocities.

The Bajoran wormhole is discovered in thefirst episodeofStar Trek: Deep Space Nine.It is found to connect the Bajor-B'Hava'el system in theAlpha Quadrantto the Idran system in theGamma Quadrant,which are seventy thousandlight-yearsapart. Due to the strategic importance of such a phenomenon, theDeep Space Nine space stationis moved out ofBajor's orbit and repositioned 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the wormhole, where it acts as a gateway.

StarfleetCommanderBenjamin Siskoand LieutenantJadzia Daxare the first people to make contact with the wormhole's mysterious creators, who dwell inside it. Though these incorporeal beings are simply referred to as "wormhole aliens" by theFederation,they are revered asProphetsin the Bajoran religion, and the wormhole itself is referred to as the "Celestial Temple". It is these "Prophets" who provided the Orb-like energy artifacts (or "Tears of the Prophets") to the Bajorans, and these mystical artifacts are the basis of Bajoran religion. Via one of the Orbs, the wormhole is closed by one of thePah Wraiths,malevolent non-corporeal beings who are enemies of the Prophets. The wormhole is later restored via an additional Orb discovered by Sisko, who is prophesied to be the Prophets' Emissary.

The Briar Patch

Regions called theBriar Patchfeature in more than one series.

Briar Patch inStar Trek: Insurrection

TheBriar Patchis anebulain sector 441 in theStar Trekuniverse. It was first introduced in the 1998 filmStar Trek: Insurrection.While the nebula's visual characteristics are reminiscent of astronomical photographs, many of its more interesting properties were invented to support the film's storyline.

Located inFederationterritory, the Briar Patch is a region of space that starships usually avoid; various radiation sources and energy fluctuations impair communications systems, making it difficult for vessels inside the nebula to make contact with those outside the nebula. Cloud pockets of "metreon gas", a highly volatile substance of unknown composition, make travel through the nebula difficult as well;warp drivescannot be used, and evenimpulse drivesare undermined.

The planet featured inStar Trek: Insurrectionis a class-M world; it is unusual for its possession of an intricate planetary ring system. TheBa'kuhave established a colony on the surface, where the colonists rejected most forms of advanced technology and attempted to create autopiansociety. Some time after their arrival, the colonists discovered that "metaphasic radiation" from the Briar Patch has become concentrated in the planet's rings, continually rejuvenating their genetic structure; unbeknownst to the outside universe, the Ba'ku planet is effectively a fountain of youth.

Briar Patch inStar Trek: Enterprise

The Klingon systemKlach D'Kel Braktis also given the designation "Briar Patch" by DrArik Soongin theStar Trek: Enterpriseepisode "The Augments".At least two inhabitable planets exist there;Soong and his band of Augments attempt to reach the system and use it as a hideout. In 2272, it was also the site of a dramaticRomulan/Klingonconfrontation, which was led on the Klingon side by the future Dahar MasterKor,who frequently re-enacts the battle with his fellow veterans and Dahar Masters,KolothandKang.

Delphic Expanse

For the episode, seeThe Expanse (Star Trek: Enterprise episode).For the novel, seeThe Expanse (Star Trek novel).

TheDelphic Expanse,commonly shortened to "the Expanse", is the setting for the entirethird seasonofStar Trek: Enterprise,first aired in 2003 and 2004.

The Expanse is about 2000 light years across, surrounded by thickthermobaricclouds.Its edge is located about 50light-yearsfromEarth.It is the home of the previously unknown hostile races collectively known as theXindi,but the crew of theEnterprise (NX-01)discovers that the Xindi are being manipulated into their enmity by other forces with vested interests in the region.

Intensegravitationaldistortions, similar toquantum singularities,make travel through the Expanse extremely difficult, as it seems that space does not obey the known laws ofphysicsin this region. Travelers risk injury, disfigurement, and death if their vessels are not lined with the protective metalTrellium-D.

Species native to the Expanse include theLoque'eque,theSkagarans,the Triannon, and the Xindi.

Featured locations of the Expanse includeAzati Prime,the Calindra system, Oran'taku, Triannon, andXindus.

History of the Expanse

Thousands of years ago, a number ofcloakedspheres the size of small moons were constructed throughout the Expanse by trans-dimensional beings as a prelude to invasion; their purpose was to alter the fabric of space in the region, to make it habitable for theSphere Builders.One area of the Expanse, 700 million kilometers wide and centrally located within a group of spheres, has already been distorted into a bubbling particle soup with an organic appearance. The spheres useartificial intelligenceand operate as a network, with several providing command functions.

Because the spheres are cloaked, their exact number is unknown. Triannons believe that there are thousands of spheres.Xindiscientists, includingDegra,determined that there were at least 78 spheres.

The Triannons call the Expanse the "Chosen Realm",and formed areligionaround the spheres and themythologyof their creation.

In 2037, a temporally divergentstarshipEnterprisefrom 2154 becomes stranded in the Expanse; it becomes agenerational ship,dedicated to countering the Xindi threat destined to arise in the 2150s.

In about 2133, a group ofKlingonsenter the Expanse, but return anatomically inverted (and still alive). Unsuccessful attempts to explore the region are also made by theVulcanshipsSeleyaandVaankara.TheSeleyais later discovered with its crew driven mad due to exposure toTrellium-D,and subsequently destroyed.

In about June 2153, the EarthStarfleetshipEnterprise(NX-01)enters the Expanse to locate the Xindi. It is followed later in the year by theAndorianshipKumari.

On February 13, 2154, theEnterprisedestroys the network of Spheres, reverting the distorted space to its natural form, and gradually dissipating the thermobaric cloud barrier. The Expanse thus ceases to exist, becoming a normal, unthreatening region of space.

Although theEnterprise's CaptainJonathan Archeris shown a possible timeline in which the Expanse becomes a major threat to the futureUnited Federation of Planets,this eventuality appears to be eliminated by the successful destruction of the Spheres.

Galactic Barrier and Great Barrier

In theStar Trekuniverse, theGalactic Barrier(also referred to as theGreat BarrierorEnergy Barrier) is an energy field that surrounds theMilky WayGalaxy. The field completely encompasses the galactic disk, preventing a conventionalstarshipfrom traveling beyond the edge of the galaxy. It is not clear whether the energy barrier is a natural or artificially created phenomenon.

Although numerous attempts to travel outside the galaxy are made, with various degrees of success, the barrier usually damages or destroys ships that try to pass through it. It also has psychoactive effects; some personnel gain powerfultelekineticandtelepathicabilities when traveling near the barrier (as seen in "Where No Man Has Gone Before").

The barrier appears as a pink band of light and, upon entering it, a ship is surrounded by dazzling clouds of colorful energy. Inside the barrier, a ship's engines shut down and navigational systems become erratic.

The Galactic Barrier makes its first appearance in the original series episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before",in which the crew of theUSSEnterprisemust deal with those affected by the psychic powers of the field—as did the crew of the ill-fated SSValiant,which encountered the same barrier two centuries earlier.

The barrier is encountered again in the episode "Is There in Truth No Beauty?",where theEnterprisebecomes lost within the barrier and is saved by the astounding navigational skills of an alien passenger.

The barrier had also damaged an alien ship from outside the galaxy, as explained in the episode "By Any Other Name",stranding the aliens until they try to steal theEnterpriseand return to their home galaxy,Andromeda.

InStar Trek: Discoveryseason 4,the USSDiscoverymust venture past the galactic barrier in the 32nd century to make contact with an alien race known as Species 10-C who are using a gravitational anomaly to mine boronite from the Milky Way galaxy, threatening the existence of anything that crosses its path. By this point in time, the energies of the galactic barrier had grown strong enough that shields were actually weakened by passing through, forcing the crew to find and hide in bubbles of stable space to enact repairs before continuing their travels. AfterDiscoveryconvinced Species 10-C to stand down, the aliens used their wormhole to returnDiscoveryto Earth, negating the need for travel back through the barrier.

In theStar Trek: Discoveryseries finale "Life, Itself,"Discoveryused its spore drive to send aBreendreadnaught and scout ship to the galactic barrier. Commander Rayner noted that it would take a couple of decades for the ships to return, but the crews would survive.

A second barrier at the core of the Milky Way is first revealed in the motion pictureStar Trek V: The Final Frontier.Being the only encounter ever shown, the only known reference is the "Great Barrier".This energy barrier at the core is thought to be impenetrable like the one at the edge of the galaxy; however, it is revealed that only mankind's natural fear of the unknown is keeping mankind from entering it.

Non-canonical explanations

Various books try to explain the existence of the galactic barrier, although none of these arecanonical:

• The series of novels known asStar Trek: The Q Continuumexplain the two barriers, stating that they were created by the Continuum 600,000 years ago, to keep one omnipotent being (known as "The One", which is the same alien encountered inStar Trek V: The Final Frontier) sealed away at the center of the Galaxy, and to keep another (known as "0", whose powers can rival even the Q) locked out of the galaxy forever; this is due to both aliens' previous destructive rampages.
• InWilliam Shatner's novelCaptain's Glory,Picard mentions the events of theQ Continuumtrilogy, but states that the barrier was built by the proto-humanoids shown in "The Chase"4 billion years ago, to protect their" children "(the races they seeded across the galaxy) from a dark matter entity known as the Totality.
• The novelQ-Squaredreveals the Galactic Barrier to beQhimself, in a time-tossed and temporally discorporated state.

Galactic quadrants

An artistic rendition of the actualMilky Waygalaxy, overlaid with one overall view of the fictional quadrant system of theStar Trekuniverse and the location of certain species.

In the originalStar Trek,"quadrant" is used interchangeably with "sector". However, beginning withStar Trek: The Next Generation,the term refers to agalactic coordinate system.

Galactic quadrants withinStar Trekare based around a meridian that runs from the center of the galaxy through Earth'sSolar System,which is not unlike thesystem of quadrantsused by non-fictional astronomers. However, rather than have theperpendicularaxisrun through the Sun, as is done in astronomy, theStar Trekversion runs the axis through theGalactic Center.Also, rather than ordinals, quadrants are designated by theGreeklettersAlpha,Beta,Gamma,andDelta.

According to StarTrek.com, "if the great plane of the galaxy is viewed as a clock face and the 6 o'clock position bisects the Sol system"(when viewed from the galactic north pole), then the four fictional quadrants are as follows:

• Alpha Quadrant is the quarter appearing between 6 and 9 o'clock.
• Beta Quadrant is the quarter appearing between 3 and 6 o'clock.
• Gamma Quadrant is the quarter appearing between 9 and 12 o'clock.
• Delta Quadrant is the quarter appearing between 12 and 3 o'clock.

Alpha and Beta Quadrants

The Alpha Quadrant and the nearby areas of the Beta Quadrant comprise the primary setting ofStar Trek: The Original Series,Star Trek: The Next Generation,Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,andStar Trek: Enterprise.According to theEncyclopedia,the Federation is largely on the Alpha Quadrant side, but with parts in the Beta Quadrant, whereas theKlingonandRomulanEmpires are mainly in the Beta Quadrant but extend in part into the Alpha Quadrant.TheStar Trek Star Chartshave the Romulans and Klingons entirely within the Beta Quadrant, as well as theGorn Hegemony,theSon'a Solidarity,and theMetron Consortium.TheStar Trek Star Chartsfurther locate in the Alpha Quadrant theFirst Federation,Breen,Ferengi,Tzenkethi,Cardassians,Bajorans,Talarians,andTholians.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Countryimplies that the Alpha/Beta border runs through, or is relatively close to,Federationspace. TheStar Trek Encyclopediaattributes this decision to rationalize a line inStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,in whichJames T. Kirkclaims that theEnterpriseis the only Federation ship in the quadrant.Maps produced by the art staff for the series show that the Alpha/Beta border runs through the Solar System.

TheStar Trek Star Chartsclaim that the Beta Quadrant contains the core worldsVulcan(40 Eridani),Andoria(Procyon),Risa,and the Rigel (Beta Orionis) systems; the Alpha Quadrant containsTellar(61 Cygni),Trill,andBetazed.

Gamma Quadrant

TheDominion,which is one of the most aggressiveantagonistsin theDeep Space NineTV series, control a large portion of the Gamma Quadrant. The Alpha Quadrant comes in contact with the Dominion through theBajoran wormhole,which is the setting and primary source of conflict in the series. InStar Trek: Prodigy,Federation bases in the Gamma Quadrant are mentioned.

Delta Quadrant

Most of the information about the Delta Quadrant and its inhabitants comes from the seriesStar Trek: Voyager.This quadrant is largely unexplored by theUnited Federation of Planets,apart from the return voyage of theUSSVoyager,the USSEquinox,theUSSRaven,briefly theUSSEnterprise-D,and the Federation citizens assimilated into or de-assimilated from the Borg. The Delta Quadrant is home to theBorg Collective,theKazon,theVidiians,the Talaxians, theOcampa,theHirogen,and the Malon.

Star Trek: Prodigy,which takes place several years after the end ofStar Trek: Voyager,also explores the Delta Quadrant. The crew of young aliens who serve as the main characters start the series as slaves on the Tars Lamora prison colony in the Delta Quadrant where they find and steal the derelict USSProtostar.It is later revealed that theProtostarwas sent to continue the mission of exploration began byVoyager.In the second season, now-Vice AdmiralKathryn Janewayreturns to the Delta Quadrant in theVoyager-A to stop the threat posed by the Vau N'Akat.

Galactic Core

On someStar Trekmaps of the center of the galaxy, the galactic core is regarded as its own area, not part of any of the four Quadrants. The Cytherians, from theNext Generationepisode "The Nth Degree,"are located near this area. InStar Trek V: The Final Frontier,a "God" -being is encountered from within what is called the "Great Barrier".

Nekrit Expanse

TheNekrit Expanseis a vast unpopulatednebularregion in theDelta Quadrant,several thousand light years across. It is impossible to chart due to its constantly changing structure. As a result of its size, the Expanse functions as a natural barrier, limiting contact between species on either side of the cloud. TheUSSVoyagerenters the expanse in 2373.

Neutral Zone

In theStar Trekuniverse,aneutral zoneis a sort of "buffer zone"between the territories of two different powers; if either party enters a neutral zone, it is considered an aggressive move (usually an act ofwar). In the course of the various series, theFederationdevelops two neutral zones: One with theKlingonEmpire and one with theRomulanStar Empire; the generic term "the Neutral Zone" usually refers to the Romulan Neutral Zone. Also, a neutral zone in all but name exists between the Federation and the Cardassians.

Cardassian Demilitarized Zone

There is a Federation-Cardassiandemilitarized zonecreated at the end of hostilities between the two powers in the mid-24th century. The peace treaty ending the war and subsequent border adjustments result in several Federation worlds within the zone being ceded to the Cardassians. Militant Federation colonists called theMaquisform aguerrillamilitia to oppose the treaty and their new Cardassian administrators; they receive assistance from sympathetic Federation citizens, including several Starfleet officers, and fromBajoranveterans of the long Cardassian occupation of Bajor. The DMZ ceases to exist at the outbreak of theDominion Warin 2373; the Maquis are subsequently eliminated as a functional resistance group by a joint Cardassian-Dominion task force.

Klingon Neutral Zone

The Klingon Neutral Zone, sometimes known as theOrganianNeutral Zone, appears to be set up during the time of theStar Trek: The Original Series.Unlike the Romulan Neutral Zone, the Klingon Neutral Zone appears to have some commercial traffic crossing it.

The Organians are non-corporeal beings from the planet Organia IV, which is strategically situated between the Klingon Empire and the Federation. When both parties, thinking the Organians are a pre-industrial people, attempt to occupy their world, the Organians reveal theirposthumannature and impose the Neutral Zone and a peace treaty between the two powers. InKlingon,this treaty is known asorghenya' rojmab(Organian Peace Treaty).

The zone is the site of theKobayashi Maruscenario in the filmStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

The Klingon Neutral Zone is abolished by theKhitomer Accordsin 2293.

InStar Trek Into Darkness,set in an alternate reality, the USSEnterpriseviolates the Neutral Zone to captureKhan Noonien Singh.

Romulan Neutral Zone

The Romulan Neutral Zone is established around 2160 or 2161 by the treaty of Algeron which ends theEarth-Romulan War,and is still in effect at the end ofStar Trek Nemesis.In the 2009 filmStar Trek(specifically the events depicted in the year 2387),Romulusis destroyed when its star goes supernova. Like the Klingon Neutral Zone, any entry into the region by either party is considered an act of war; this is not violated until 2266, when the Romulans cross it, but a war is avoided nevertheless. TheEnterprise(NCC-1701)crosses the Neutral Zone three times: Once to get to astarbasequickly when the crew is suffering accelerated aging, once when it is commandeered by a group of disestablishmentarians in their quest forparadise,and once more when the Federation attempts to steal a Romulancloaking device.

The Neutral Zone remains uncrossed during a period of extended Romulanisolationism.In 2364, several Federation and Romulan outposts along their respective sides of the Neutral Zone are destroyed by unknown forces. TheEnterprise-Dis ordered to investigate. While visiting some of the Federation sites, Captain Picard encounters a Romulan ship that has crossed the Neutral Zone. Each side suspects the other of being responsible for the attacks. This encounter between representatives of the Federation and the Romulan Empire—the first in over 60 years—ends peacefully. (These events occur inThe Next Generationfirst-season episode "The Neutral Zone".) It is determined several months later that the destruction was caused by theBorg.The following year, the USSYamatocrosses into the Neutral Zone to prevent the Romulans from finding the Iconian home world, an abandoned planet that contains highly advancedtechnology.In 2366, the Romulan scout shipPicrashes just inside of Federation space, and a Romulan ship crosses over to recover survivors. Finally, in the same year, a Romulan defects to the Federation, breaching the Neutral Zone, warning of a secret plan to attack the Federation; theEnterprise-D, along with three Klingon warships, in turn, cross the Neutral Zone to investigate the claim.

Subsequent covert incursions of the Neutral Zone include the Romulans' plan to invadeVulcanusing disguised Vulcan ships. An overt but lawful entry into the Neutral Zone occurs when the USSBellerophonparticipates in a Federation–Romulan conference on Romulus during theDominion War.

InStar Trek Nemesis,Shinzon lies that he wishes to take down the zone as part of his ultimately failed plot to destroy Earth and the rest of the Federation.

Following the destruction of Romulus in 2387, the Romulan Empire collapsed. With no formal government to enforce the treaty, the Romulan Neutral Zone ceased to exist.

Sector 001

Sector 001 is the Federation designation for the area of space that contains theSolar System.The term "Sector 001" is used in theNext Generationepisode "The Best of Both Worlds".

Spatial anomaly

InStar Trekand other science fiction, aspatial anomaly(or, often, asub-space anomaly) is a broad term for any sort of extraordinary disruption in thespace-time continuum.It may take the form of irregularities ingravity,ripples inspacethat can damageequipmentandpersonnel,alterations in thelaws of physics,and areas of disruption inimical to thehumanbrain.

TheDelphic Expansewas rife with such distortions generated by spheres which reconfigured space to resemble the Sphere Builders'transdimensionalrealm.

Other episodes featuring spatial anomalies are "Disaster",which features two quantum filaments that temporarily cripple theEnterprise,theseries finaleofStar Trek: The Next Generation(in which the USSEnterprise-D encounters a "multiphasic temporal convergence in thespacetime continuum",caused by" an eruption of anti-time "), and"One Small Step"(in which theUSSVoyagerdiscovers a rare "gravitonellipse").