Zefram Cochrane made history as the first human to achieve warp flight in his man-made ship, the Phoenix. Here’s what happened to his iconic starship.
Summary
- Zefram Cochrane’s historic warp flight with the Phoenix turned the ship into one of Earth’s most iconic spaceships which was eventually put on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
- Various models and replicas of the Phoenix have appeared in different Star Trek projects over the years, including Star Trek: Enterprise and Star Trek: Lower Decks.
- The Phoenix remains one of Star Trek’s most iconic ships and symbolizes mankind’s journey to the stars. Star Trek: First Contact is available to stream on Paramount+.
Dr. Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell) became the first human to achieve warp drive with his starship, the Phoenix, but what happened to this history-making ship after the events of Star Trek: First Contact? In First Contact, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew of the USS Enterprise-E travel back in time to stop the Borg from changing human history. They find themselves in Bozeman, Montana on April 5, 2063, just before the Vulcans would make First Contact with humanity as a result of Cochrane’s historic warp flight.
Star Trek: First Contact‘s Zefram Cochrane was a brilliant scientist and inventor who initially began his quest to achieve warp drive as a way to become wealthy. Upon meeting the crew of the USS Enterprise-E, Cochrane was reluctant to accept his role as a historical figure, but eventually came around, after some persuading. Thanks to Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and the Enterprise crew, Cochrane’s first warp flight was successful, cementing Zefram Cochrane and his Phoenix’s place in history. Over time, Cochrane would come to be remembered as someone with a grand vision for the future, despite his initial reasons for constructing the Phoenix.
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The Phoenix was constructed from the shell of a nuclear missile.
Dr. Zefram Cochrane spent years developing warp drive before he began building the Phoenix. The ship was constructed at a missile complex in Bozeman, Montana, using elements of a nuclear missile. Cochrane’s friend, Lily Sloane (Alfre Woodard), helped with the Phoenix’s construction, and it took her six months to gather enough titanium to build the cockpit. Cochrane’s starship was launched using a Titan II missile, and the Phoenix’s twin nacelles were deployed after the ship left Earth’s atmosphere. The Phoenix then jumped to warp speed, launching mankind into its interstellar future.
In Star Trek: First Contact, the Borg nearly succeeded in their mission to prevent First Contact when they damaged the Phoenix the day before it was due to launch. With help from the crew of the Enterprise-E, Cochrane was able to repair the damage and successfully complete mankind’s first warp flight. Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) served as Cochrane’s crew for this historic flight, but they obfuscated their role in the Phoenix’s success. At the end of Star Trek: First Contact, it was Zephram Cochrane who greeted the arriving Vulcans.
The Phoenix was seen in the opening credits of Star Trek: Enterprise.
Zefram Cochrane’s historic warp flight turned the Phoenix into one of the most well-known and iconic spaceships in Earth’s history. After its initial flight, the Phoenix was likely studied by teams of scientists before it was eventually put on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. When Captain Picard first sees the Phoenix in Star Trek: First Contact, he remarks that he visited the Phoenix Smithsonian exhibit often as a child, but was never able to touch the iconic ship. While the original ship likely remains on display, various models and replicas have popped up in different Star Trek projects over the years.
In Star Trek: Enterprise, Admiral Maxwell Forrest (Vaughn Armstrong) kept a model of the Phoenix in his office and pictures of it on his wall, while Ensign Travis Mayweather (Anthony Montgomery) kept a model of the ship in his old quarters. A picture of the Phoenix can also be seen in one of the conference rooms on the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The Lower Deckers of the USS Cerritos visit the Bozeman, Montana site of First Contact in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, episode 1, “Grounded.” The site is now home to an amusement park that includes a ride modeled after the Phoenix. As the ship that began mankind’s journey to the stars, the Phoenix remains one of Star Trek’s most iconic ships.
