New Trek designer talks ship design with Rick Sternbach

The debate about the new Enterprise design nerdrages on, with discussion on Trek Movie between famous Trek designer Rick Sternbach and Ryan Church, the new movie's designer. Here's Church standing up for his new design:

I’m not going to get involved in the mud slinging, here, but needed to assure you guys and gals: we’ve built you a fine ship. To clarify: there’s a slight optical illusion occurring here, consequence of the “camera” angle. For Rick and others who worry the nacelles don’t have a clear line of sight over the disc — they, in fact, do. We were hardly working in a vacuum. I raided ILM reference photos like a madman. We were deferential to “inviolates” of Star Trek design vocabulary. Additionally, the profile here isn’t 100% representative, because, as you’ve noticed, the Bussards are dimmed. The true profile of the nacelles may or may not be revealed here, and that’s all I’ll say.

The image above was obviously cobbled together by a fan trying to insult the new ship's swoopy curves, but linking the design of a ship that operates in frictionless outer space to the gorgeous aerodynamic travesties of space age automobiles isn't doing anything but convincing me I like the new Enterprise design even more.

Big Reaction To New Enterprise - New Designer Responds [TrekMovie.com]

Previously • J.J. Abrams' Star Trek gets its Enterprise

11 Comments

RedShirt77

#1 – 7:16 AM November 13, 2008

I kinda like the ship.
I few scoops are no biggie.

Overall I think I will love the movie although I suspect some of the revisionist history will drive me crazy and make me feel like a fanboy.

#2 – 9:37 AM November 13, 2008

...Rick's an old Space History colleague, and while I think the new "E" designers made some blunders with this reimaging, if Rick's willing to give it a chance, I'll have to do the same.

Stefan Jones

#3 – 11:32 AM November 13, 2008

Rick Sternbach's first claim to fame:

The gorgeous cover paintings for Larry Niven's "Known Space" paperbacks.

VagabondAstronomer

#4 – 2:22 PM November 13, 2008

Well, having corresponded with Rick in the past, if he's willing to give it a shot, then okay. But from where I sit, wondering what was wrong with the original.
Grumbles...

#5 – 4:26 PM November 13, 2008

...There wasn't anything wrong with the original. Just that Abrams has this corncob up his butt that's scratching his brain and making him make changes that we'll find were totally unnecessary. If anything, he should have simply taken the original "E", changed the nacelle struts to fit those of the TMP version, and left it at that.

Jaan

#6 – 4:38 PM November 13, 2008

Hate.

It.

aarrgghh

#7 – 12:47 AM November 14, 2008

i think i saw that thing on "the simpsons".

Halloween Jack

#8 – 2:08 PM November 14, 2008

Sternbach's cool. He put a lot of work into the designs for the various Treks, including a lot of details on Voyager (i.e. detachable captain's shuttle, spare warp core, back-up deflector, etc.) that they never used on the show.

Chris L

#9 – 11:10 AM November 16, 2008

This fan backlash over nothing is exactly why Star Trek needs to end. I mean END end. Like, no more. You people don't deserve new movies, and the sci-fi genre desperately needs new franchises. Not endless pandering to nostalgia.

Anonymous Anonymous

#10 – 1:56 PM February 15, 2009

We need Honor Harrington!

Anonymous Anonymous

#11 – 3:58 PM May 21, 2009

since new ship was built in an ALTERNATE history,why carp about design?hey,in original history, E was around for years while kirk worked his way up to Captain---seems i recall April,Pike,then kirk in the chair---garydc

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New Trek designer talks ship design with Rick Sternbach

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