Brilliant Maps

Making Sense Of The World, One Map At A Time

Star Trek Map Of The Alpha & Beta Quadrants

The map above is Shakaar’s Alpha/Beta map v3.3; a fan-made creation showing the Alpha and Beta quadrants of the Star Trek universe.

The map shows both major and minor powers that have appeared in the various series over the years.

At the centre is the United Federation of Planets, which borders the major power of the Klingon Empire, Roman Star Empire and the Cardassian Union. More minor powers include the Breen, Ferengi Alliance, Tholian Assembly, Sheliak Corporate and the Gorn Hegemony among many, many others.

The map highlights:

  • Principal Systems
  • Minor Systems
  • Non-Aligned Systems
  • Dead Systems
  • Government Borders
  • Points of Interest
  • Navigation Hazards
  • Star Clusters
  • Stations or Starbases

For more Star Trek maps see:

  • Star Trek Stellar Cartography: The Starfleet Reference Library
  • Star Trek Star Charts: The Complete Atlas of Star Trek
  • Star Trek Maps

Enjoy this map? Please help us by sharing it:

Get Our Latest Brilliant Maps Weekly:

Other popular maps.

European Capitals By Coats of Arms (City Emblems)

European Capitals By Coats of Arms (City Emblems)

Jedi Knight Population Of The UK

Jedi Knight Population Of The UK

The World’s Population In 1900 Looked Very Different Than Today

The World’s Population In 1900 Looked Very Different Than Today

The True Size of Africa

The True Size of Africa

Map of The Soviet Gulag Archipelago 1923-1961

Map of The Soviet Gulag Archipelago 1923-1961

Jewish Population of Europe in 1933 and 2015

Jewish Population of Europe in 1933 and 2015

Potential EU Exit Names For The 27 Remaining Member Countries

Potential EU Exit Names For The 27 Remaining Member Countries

Hilariously Bad Attempts By Americans to Draw Europe From Memory, With an Unexpected Twist

Hilariously Bad Attempts By Americans to Draw Europe From Memory, With an Unexpected Twist

December 13, 2017 at 8:14 pm

I know that: a) it’s a bit of fun b) it’s hard to make a 2d map of 3d space and c) there no official maps to go off

But Christ, there’s a lot of stuff on here which makes no sense.

Justin Spaulding says

September 7, 2019 at 2:36 am

Isn’t gamma haromi 2 supposed to be in the haromi cluster…. Good effort though! S3. E8 I think. The “gatherers”

Danny Beans says

November 11, 2019 at 11:18 pm

Why are Ceti Alpha V and Ceti Alpha VI in completely different sectors? I mean, okay, Chekov can be a little dumb sometimes, but that’s one helluva mistake to make.

Jadziah Dax says

April 7, 2021 at 6:03 pm

Can’t wait to see the one you do!

petewinsemiusyahoocom says

November 23, 2022 at 3:47 pm

I agree, several planets said to be in the alpha quadrant are in the beta quadrant and vice versa or not listed at all.

Resolute_Phoenix says

February 8, 2018 at 11:41 pm

Okay so Xindus by Vulcan…. kys I’m not even gona bother looking further don’t make a map if you don’t know what your talking about

February 18, 2019 at 9:03 pm

Romulons should have Dyson sphere (at least at Romulus and Remus). Their ship tech is based on creating black holes which will give a ship a reactor core with a life of a handful of years BUT it’s just like an inefficient battery because it takes way more energy to initially create it then it will give off over its life BUT it’s portable. Sure beats light sails if your depending on home system energy and way more flexible too. This was their tech wheelhouse, and was their interstellar travel energy source instead of antimatter. It makes total sense for them to have harnessed the majority of their native suns energy to create reactor cores wherever they needed a portable energy that couldn’t tap into the system wide grid.

February 22, 2019 at 9:26 pm

A few questions… 1) Why are there several Indus VIII on the map?, 2) I do not see the First Federation on this map — they should be near the Ferengi!, 3) Where is the Kelvin planet? (The planet colonized by the Kelvins from “By Any Other Name”), 4) Maybe I’m wrong, but I do not see the Dyson Sphere that TNG crew ran into?

Shane Montgomery says

March 4, 2020 at 10:25 pm

I don’t see Barzan II or the Barzan Wormhole here?

Pickard says

January 23, 2021 at 3:39 pm

They are there. Literally the only Dyson sphere symbol near the bottom.

August 6, 2019 at 5:03 pm

Spock: He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking.

Glenn Bryson says

November 15, 2019 at 6:52 pm

Not your fault, I know;

Vulcan is “Supposed” to be “A little over sixteen” light years from earth. Yet the map has it at around 1000. That’s one of my biggest gripes about Star Trek (I absolutely love Star Trek, don’t get me wrong). Distances and travel times are so inconsistent and unrealistic based on the documented scales, maps, etc.

March 14, 2020 at 11:46 pm

Did you mean Starbase 375 instead of 395? As in the starbase from S6 of DS9 after the Dominion took over the station?

Avro Arrow says

March 24, 2020 at 7:04 pm

I love this map, especially how you have the Hydran Kingdom, the Lyran Star Empire and the Kzinti Hegemony are listed (where is the Interstellar Concordium?). I have one small nit-pick to make and that is you have two systems named “Nelvana III”. They’re both in the upspin Beta quadrant but one is in the Romulan Neutral Zone and the other is further upspin and outward (left). I think that you might consider making most of the empty space that is coreward of Klingon and Romulan space into the ISC. They were referred to as being a Galactic Superpower residing on the far side of both those Empires (so, coreward).

Gray.Elton says

May 19, 2020 at 3:21 am

If we do or don’t do it, someone will laugh

July 15, 2020 at 1:53 am

I dont understand how this can be called a map of the star trek galaxy when there isnt even a spot or indication of where earth is. Who makes a map without earth when you have a series where its location is based on earth. In the series they refer to Earth as Earth. Yet the closes thing to it is on the map is Volcan. Y not add Earth as well? If there is an alternative name how come it’s never mentioned in the shows and a secret for fans?

Brandon says

August 15, 2020 at 4:14 pm

Earth is 100 percent there. It’s Sol. It’s a common alternate name for our star system and has been used in Trek.

February 8, 2021 at 3:26 pm

Sol system. The Greek word for sun. Follow the bold line and look for the team Terran and Vulcan sectors. Sol is on the 4 corners there

May 23, 2021 at 11:35 pm

Cheron is not in the Romulan sphere of influence. It is located in the “Southern most part of the Galaxy”, Captain Kirk. Episode “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield”

That dude says

September 6, 2021 at 5:31 am

Issues: Tykens rift, not Titans. Starbase 47 is about 10 sectors off as memory Beta says it is located between the Tholian assembly and the Klingon empire. Prophets Landing is in the gamma quadrant.

That’s all for now!

That Guy says

May 17, 2022 at 11:20 pm

Alpha Onias III is on here multiple times

John S says

November 16, 2022 at 4:31 am

Don’t the Klingon and Cardassian Empires border each other? A lot of DS9 s4 doesn’t make sense if they don’t…

martijn says

March 18, 2023 at 11:16 pm

where is earth ?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Quadrants in Star Trek: A Guide to the Different Regions of the Galaxy

  • by Kingsley Felix
  • October 31, 2023

Quadrants in Star Trek

Are you a fan of Star Trek ? If so, you may be familiar with the concept of quadrants in the show’s universe.

In Star Trek, the galaxy is divided into four main quadrants: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta.

Each quadrant contains different planets, species, and civilizations that the show’s characters explore and interact with.

This article will delve deeper into the concept of quadrants in Star Trek, exploring what they are, how they work, and why they matter in the context of the show.

In the Star Trek universe, the quadrants serve as a way to divide and organize the vast expanse of space.

Each quadrant contains a variety of star systems, planets, and other celestial bodies, as well as different species and civilizations.

The quadrants are named after the first four letters of the Greek alphabet, with Alpha being the closest to Earth and Delta being the farthest.

As the show’s characters travel through space, they often encounter new planets and species in different quadrants, leading to new adventures and challenges.

Understanding the concept of quadrants is essential to understanding the world of Star Trek.

By dividing the galaxy into four distinct regions, the show’s creators were able to create a vast and complex universe that is full of exciting possibilities.

Whether you are a die-hard fan or a casual viewer, learning more about the quadrants in Star Trek is sure to deepen your appreciation for this beloved sci-fi franchise.

Overview of Quadrants in Star Trek

In the Star Trek universe, the Milky Way galaxy is divided into four quadrants: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta.

These quadrants are defined by one meridian passing through the galactic core and a second one perpendicular to the first, which also passes through the galactic core.

Most of the action in Star Trek takes place in the Alpha and Beta quadrants, which are home to many significant planets like Earth, Vulcan, and Qo’noS.

The Gamma and Delta quadrants are less explored and are home to many alien species that are not commonly encountered in the Alpha and Beta quadrants.

The galactic coordinate system is used to map out the quadrants and other regions of space in the Star Trek universe.

Star Trek star charts and maps are available for fans to explore and learn more about the various quadrants and other regions of space.

Cartography plays an important role in the Star Trek universe, as it enables the characters to navigate through space and explore new worlds.

The Starfleet Corps of Engineers is responsible for creating and maintaining the maps and charts used by Starfleet vessels.

In summary, the quadrants in Star Trek are an important part of the Star Trek universe, and understanding them is essential for fans of the franchise.

The Alpha and Beta quadrants are the most explored and are home to many significant planets.

In contrast, the Gamma and Delta quadrants are less explored and are home to many alien species not commonly encountered in the Alpha and Beta quadrants.

Quadrants in Star Trek

The alpha quadrant.

The Alpha Quadrant is one of the four quadrants in the Milky Way Galaxy, as depicted in the Star Trek series.

It is home to many important planets, including Earth, Vulcan, and Bajor.

The United Federation of Planets is also located in this quadrant, making it a significant region in the Star Trek universe.

The USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain Kirk, frequently explored the Alpha Quadrant during its five-year mission.

The Enterprise NX-01, the first warp-five starship, also traveled extensively through this quadrant during the events of Star Trek: Enterprise.

Deep Space Nine, a space station located near the Bajoran wormhole, was a focal point of the Alpha Quadrant during the events of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

It served as a hub for trade, diplomacy, and conflict between the Federation, the Klingon Empire, and the Romulan Star Empire.

The Alpha Quadrant also features several important starbases, including Starbase 1 and Starbase 11.

These facilities provide support for Federation vessels and serve as strategic locations for defending against threats from the Klingons, the Romulans, and other hostile forces.

The Beta Quadrant

The Beta Quadrant is one of the four quadrants and is adjacent to the Alpha and Delta Quadrants.

It is home to various races, including the Vulcans and Klingons.

The Beta Quadrant has been featured in various Star Trek series and movies , including the original series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Enterprise, and Star Trek VI.

The USS Enterprise, Enterprise NX-01, and Deep Space Nine space station have all explored the Beta Quadrant.

Captain Kirk and his crew visited several planets in the Beta Quadrant, including Angel I, Talos IV, and Murasaki 312.

In The Next Generation, the Enterprise visited Vulcan and Andoria, both located in the Beta Quadrant.

The Beta Quadrant has been the setting for many important events in the Star Trek universe.

For example, the Romulan Star Empire is located in the Beta Quadrant, and the Dominion War between the Federation and the Dominion took place in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.

The Gamma Quadrant

In the Star Trek universe, the Milky Way Galaxy is divided into four quadrants, and the Gamma Quadrant is one of them.

It is located adjacent to the Alpha Quadrant and the Delta Quadrant.

The Gamma Quadrant is home to various planets and civilizations, including the Dominion and the Breen Confederacy.

One of the most notable features of the Gamma Quadrant is the Bajoran Wormhole, which connects the Bajoran system in the Alpha Quadrant to the Idran system in the Gamma Quadrant.

This wormhole was discovered by the crew of Deep Space Nine, a space station located near the wormhole’s Alpha end.

The Dominion, a powerful empire that controls much of the Gamma Quadrant, is a major antagonist in the Star Trek universe.

The Dominion Space is vast, and it includes many different species that the Dominion has subjugated.

The Dominion War, which took place during the later seasons of Deep Space Nine, was fought between the Dominion and the Alpha Quadrant powers.

The Breen Confederacy is another major power in the Gamma Quadrant.

The Breen are known for their advanced technology and their mysterious appearance. They are also a key player in the Dominion War.

The Delta Quadrant

The Delta Quadrant is one of the four quadrants in the Milky Way Galaxy, adjacent to the Beta and Gamma Quadrants.

It is approximately 30,000 lightyears away from the United Federation of Planets.

The quadrant was prominently featured in the television series Star Trek: Voyager, as the USS Voyager was stranded there for seven years before returning to Earth.

The Delta Quadrant is home to many different species, including the Vidiians, Kazon, and Borg.

The Vidiians are a species that suffers from a disease called the Phage, which has ravaged their society and led them to resort to organ theft to survive.

The Kazon are a warrior race that is known for their conflicts with other species in the quadrant.

The Borg Collective, a powerful and dangerous cybernetic species, also has a significant presence in the Delta Quadrant.

In addition to the various species, the Delta Quadrant is home to many unique phenomena, such as the Caretaker’s Array, which was responsible for bringing Voyager to the quadrant.

The Borg also has a transwarp hub in the Delta Quadrant, allowing them to travel quickly throughout the galaxy.

Overall, the Delta Quadrant is a fascinating and dangerous region of space, full of unique species and phenomena that make it a popular destination for explorers and adventurers alike.

Avatar

Kingsley Felix

Kingsley Ibietela Felix is a digital media publishing entrepreneur and founder of Krafty Sprouts Media, LLC. A 2-time African blogger of the year. Kingsley can be found researching, reading, watching football, playing games, discussing politics or creating great content.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

You May Also Like

Sports Bets that Netted the Largest Wins

9 Sports Bets that Netted the Largest Wins

  • by Editoral Team
  • December 10, 2021

Different Types of Lighting in Film

5 Different Types of Lighting in Film Explained

  • by Christian Edet
  • December 21, 2021

netflix download

Netflix Download Limit: How to Get Around It?

  • August 6, 2021

What Does HD Mean in Movies

What Does HD Mean in Movies?

  • October 11, 2023

What Does TS Mean in Movies

What Does TS Mean in Movies?

  • July 5, 2023

Most Powerful Dragons In Movies

10 Most Powerful Dragons in Movies and TV Shows

  • by Eti-ima Udofia
  • November 10, 2023

Discover more from The Bingeful

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

  • Movies & TV
  • Big on the Internet

Kenan Thompson at New York Comic-Con in 2023

Kenan Thompson Has Seen ‘Quiet on Set,’ and He Has a Message for Nickelodeon

Morph standing in the kitchen x-men 97

How ‘X-Men ’97’ Contextualizes Morph’s Gender Identity in the ’90s

Close up of Mel Gibson's face wearing headset and leaning into a radio microphone

No, Netflix, I Will Not Watch a Mel Gibson Movie From 2022

Melissa Barrera as Sam in 'Scream VI'

Melissa Barrera on ‘Scream’ Firing: ‘It Seems Weird To Have a Platform and Not Use It’

The Harrowing interior art (cropped)

EXCLUSIVE: ‘The Harrowing’ OGN Tackles Right & Wrong Through a Psychic Lens

A wannabe blue shirt officer’s guide to the map of the galaxy in ‘star trek’.

The cast of 'Star Trek: Picard' Season 3

No matter the fictional universe— be it fantasy or sci-fi or somewhere in between (looking at you, space operas)—I’ve always found maps and cartography one of the most fascinating parts of worldbuilding. There’s something about actually seeing how an author imagines the setting of their story that immediately grounds it in the realm of possibility, and helps immerse viewers in the worlds in which these stories unfold.

Sure, it’s somehow easier when the map consists of a single continent, kingdom, or city on Earth or any other Earth-like location. Bringing the action up into space definitely makes everything a tad more complicated—and a whole lot more fascinating. 

And now that the third season of Star Trek: Picard is in full swing , there’s no better time to refresh our collective memory on the “astrogeography” the crews of the USS Enterprise explore.

The USS Enterprise from 'Star Trek'

Star Trek and maps

The decades that have passed since Star Trek first premiered on television screens have made it possible for the saga to acquire beautifully complex and detailed lore on pretty much everything related to it—including the planets that make up the United Federation of Planets, and the powers that border it, like the infamous Klingon Empire.

There have actually been several maps made for Star Trek and its locations over the years, as it reads on The Map Room blog . “While original series canon assigned aliens to known nearby stars, and the shows occasionally used real locations, episode writers did not start with a map and generally did not take spatial relationships into consideration, which no doubt has made the belated mapping process a bit more challenging,” The Map Room blog continues, explaining how creating a comprehensive map of the Star Trek galaxy might be easier said than done.

Still, while none of the maps ever put to print or screen have ever been accepted as official canon, most of them have the major power players of the galaxy in more or less the same location. This means we can reasonably assume that this is the actual position in which they can be found in-universe. 

The galaxy quadrants

Most of the action in the Star Trek canon takes place within our galaxy, the Milky Way, which has been divided into its famous four primary quadrants, each named after a letter in the Greek alphabet: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta.

The Alpha and Beta quadrants are the ones that are better known, even in-universe, and that house many of the major players we see throughout the various series—the United Federation of Planets chiefest of all. The Federation has a strong foothold in both quadrants, spanning Alpha and Beta from their shared border outwards. 

According to Memory Alpha , the official Star Trek fan wiki, the Alpha quadrant contains two all-important planets that we all know very well: Earth, from which a good majority of the characters in Star Trek canon hail; and Vulcan, the homeworld of the Vulcans and especially of Spock. This quadrant also contains the Cardassian Union, the Ferengi Alliance, and the Breen Confederacy—among other smaller factions—whose representatives make an appearance in the canon, particularly in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

Leonard Nimoy as Spock in 'Star Trek'

The Beta quadrant includes a couple of relatively smaller players like the Nyberrite Alliance and the Tholian Assembly, and then the major forces of the Romulan Star Empire and the infamous Klingon Empire—who both have their respective homeworlds, Romulus and Qo’noS, in this quadrant.

In contrast to the Alpha and Beta quadrants, the Gamma and Delta quadrants are considerably less well-known and less visited—which makes sense, considering the notable distances that separate them from the other areas of the galaxy, which would require years to bridge even at warp speed. Their reputation also isn’t as stellar as the areas in Federation space.

Still, they are of course mentioned time and again in the canon, as are the planets and people located within them. The Delta quadrant, for example, is the place of origin of the infamous Borg Collective, made up of the terrible Borg cyborgs.

(featured image: Paramount+)

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

star trek tos quadrant

Filed Under:

Follow the mary sue:.

Memory Alpha

Alpha Quadrant

  • View history

The Alpha Quadrant was the common designation for one-quarter of the Milky Way Galaxy . It was adjacent to the Beta Quadrant and the Gamma Quadrant . One-quarter of the galactic core was located in this quadrant. ( Star Trek: Voyager , Season 7 production art ; [1] Star Trek Into Darkness display graphics)

In late 24th century interstellar politics and diplomacy, the four great powers in the Alpha Quadrant were the United Federation of Planets , the Cardassian Union , the Klingon Empire , and Romulan Star Empire , though majority of the territory held by the latter two was found in the Beta Quadrant. Other powers at the time were divided into two groups. The mercantile powers, like the Ferengi Alliance , traded with the great powers. The isolationist powers, like the Breen Confederacy and the Tholian Assembly , defended their territory aggressively and would, on occasion, battle with other powers. ( Star Trek: The Original Series ; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ; Star Trek Into Darkness display graphics) By the late 23rd century , the Alpha Quadrant still remained largely unexplored by the United Federation of Planets . ( VOY : " Flashback ")

The Bajoran wormhole connected the Bajoran sector in the Alpha Quadrant to a point near the Idran system on the far side of the Gamma Quadrant near Dominion space. The use of this wormhole for exploration and trade by parties from the Alpha Quadrant incited hostility from the Dominion, culminating in the Dominion War . ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine )

Borg transwarp network

The Borg transwarp network

The Borg maintained at least one transwarp hub and thousands of exit apertures in the Alpha Quadrant until 2378 , when the entire transwarp network was destroyed by the USS Voyager . ( VOY : " Endgame ")

In the alternate 2259 , a section of this quadrant, from a galactic map, was in a collection of graphics and video media that were seen on a powerwall in the offices of Admirals Christopher Pike and Alexander Marcus at Starfleet Headquarters . The map was being used primarily for charting activity on the Neutral Zone , Sectors 45 to 89 . The three largest powers in this section – the Federation, the Klingon Empire, and the Orion Union – were labeled on this map. ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

In the mirror universe 2370 , according to Julian Bashir , the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance controlled "the entire quadrant". ( DS9 : " Crossover ")

  • 1 Major governments
  • 2 Other societies
  • 3 Homeworlds
  • 4 Colonies and Outposts
  • 5 Starbases
  • 6 Spatial landmarks
  • 7.1 See also
  • 7.2 Related links
  • 7.3 External link
  • 7.4 Background information
  • 7.5 Alpha/Beta quadrant border

Major governments [ ]

  • Breen Confederacy
  • Cardassian Union
  • Ferengi Alliance
  • Klingon Empire (from the 9th century )
  • Romulan Star Empire (until 2387 )
  • Tholian Assembly
  • United Federation of Planets (from 2161 )
  • Klingon-Cardassian Alliance ( mirror universe )
  • Terran Empire (mirror universe)
  • Orion Union ( alternate reality )
  • Cardassian Empire (alternate timeline)

Other societies [ ]

  • Bajoran Republic
  • Barzanian Planetary Republic
  • Coalition of Madena
  • Council of Nobles
  • Eminian Union
  • First Federation
  • Gideon Council
  • Orion Syndicate
  • Kzinti government
  • Talarian Republic
  • The Patriarchy
  • Vendikar High Council

Homeworlds [ ]

  • Akaali homeworld
  • Alpha Majoris I
  • Cardassia Prime
  • Earth (Sol III)
  • Miri (FGC-347601 III)
  • Eminiar VII
  • Evora homeworld
  • Fabrini homeworld
  • Gamma Trianguli VI
  • Klaestron IV
  • O'Ryan's Planet
  • Omega Cygni
  • Peliar Zel II
  • Sigma Draconis III
  • Sigma Draconis IV
  • Sigma Draconis VI
  • Talarian homeworld
  • Tellar Prime
  • Torothan homeworld

Colonies and Outposts [ ]

  • Adarak Prime
  • Aldebaran III
  • Alpha Centauri (planet)
  • Arawath Colony
  • Atbar Prime
  • Barisa Prime
  • Benecia ( Benecia Colony )
  • Bryma ( Bryma Colony )
  • Cardassia III
  • Cardassia IV
  • Cardassia V
  • Ceti Alpha V
  • Delta Outpost 4
  • Delta Outpost 5
  • Delta Outpost 6
  • Delta Outpost 7
  • Delta Outpost 8
  • Deneva ( Deneva colony )
  • Felton Prime
  • Galen IV ( Galen IV colony )
  • Gamma 7 outpost
  • Luna ( Lunar colonies )
  • Lya Station Alpha
  • M'kemas III
  • Mars (Sol IV) ( Martian colonies )
  • Memory Alpha
  • Minos Korva
  • Omicron Ceti III
  • Ophiucus III
  • Orion Sector Tactical Command
  • Peliar Zel Alpha
  • Peliar Zel Beta
  • Pentath III
  • Prophet's Landing
  • Quatal Prime
  • Rigel VII Lagrange colony
  • Solarion IV ( Solarion IV colony )
  • Solosos III
  • Vega colony

Starbases [ ]

  • Deep Space 5
  • Deep Space 9
  • Eminiar VII Starbase
  • Starbase 10
  • Starbase 11
  • Starbase 12
  • Starbase 21
  • Starbase 25
  • Starbase 29
  • Starbase 32
  • Starbase 46
  • Starbase 47
  • Starbase 62
  • Starbase 74
  • Starbase 200
  • Starbase 211
  • Starbase 214
  • Starbase 237
  • Starbase 257
  • Starbase 310
  • Starbase 375
  • Starbase 514
  • Starbase 621
  • Starbase 0834
  • Starbase 4077
  • Starbase G-6

Spatial landmarks [ ]

  • Arachnid Nebula
  • Argolis Cluster
  • Bajoran wormhole
  • Barzan wormhole
  • Beta Niobe Nebula
  • Borias Cluster
  • Briar Patch
  • Helaspont Nebula
  • Hugora Nebula
  • McAllister C-5 Nebula
  • Murasaki 312
  • Rolor Nebula
  • Talos star group
  • Tibor Nebula
  • Tong Beak Nebula

Appendices [ ]

See also [ ].

  • Beta Quadrant
  • Gamma Quadrant
  • Delta Quadrant

Related links [ ]

  • Unnamed Alpha and Beta Quadrant planets
  • Unnamed Alpha and Beta Quadrant starships

External link [ ]

  • Alpha Quadrant at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works

Background information [ ]

Alpha/beta quadrant border [ ].

The Star Trek Encyclopedia  (2nd ed., p. 393) states that the Federation was spread across the Alpha and Beta Quadrants , with Earth as the border between, in order to explain why the USS Enterprise was often the "only ship in the quadrant", though the term quadrant has been often used to refer to smaller segments of the galaxy as well. The maps in the Star Trek: Star Charts also use Earth as the border between the Alpha and Beta quadrants.

Graphics used in astrometrics for Star Trek: Voyager , starting with the episode " Year of Hell ", and on a PADD on Picard's ready room desk in Star Trek: Insurrection , also have Earth and the Federation straddling the border between the two quadrants. [3]

Alpha Beta Quadrant Overview star chart

"Alpha/Beta Quadrant Overview" map seen in the background of "Context Is for Kings", et al.

Dialogue in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager , however, firmly establish that Earth is located on the Alpha Quadrant side of the border. Graphics used in Star Trek: Discovery and the alternate reality films support this, where the Alpha/Beta Quadrant border is moved one sector "west" and a star chart graphic used in Star Trek Into Darkness had the label "Alpha Quadrant" near Sector 01 (Level 3-B) , which contains Earth. [4]

According to the Star Trek Encyclopedia  (2nd ed., p. 393), Federation, Klingon, and Romulan territories are situated in both the Alpha and Beta quadrants. Dialogue from Deep Space Nine and Voyager exclusively referred to all three powers and governments in their vicinity as Alpha Quadrant powers.

STO galaxy map

The in-game map of the apocryphal Star Trek Online video game, depicting Klingon and Romulan space in the Beta Quadrant

In most reference works , novels , and games , Klingon and Romulan space are usually depicted or stated to be located solely in the Beta Quadrant. This would make the Federation the only government spanning both quadrants.

The video game Star Trek Online is largely faithful to the Star Charts representation of the galaxy, with a few systems moved for gameplay considerations.

According to the Star Charts , most of the early voyages of Enterprise NX-01 took place in the Beta Quadrant with only a few excursions in the Alpha Quadrant.

In the script for " Playing God ", the Cardassian vole was described as being "the Alpha Quadrant's nominee for ugliest creature in the galaxy".

  • 1 Rachel Garrett
  • 3 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-G)

Although unfortunately, distances are often concealed or avoided on Star Trek, there are nevertheless quite a lot of known distances. On the one hand, these distances are mentioned directly in the dialogue or displayed on computer screens, but more frequently, indirect figures and allusions are used, which can be transformed into actual distances. In chapter 1.2 of the Star Trek Cartography The Cartographer's tools , you can learn the methods and procedures for determining distances from indirect sources. The following table provides a nearly complete collection of all distances mentioned in the series, movies and official books (altogether 83), listing the starting points, destinations, distances and also the sources and the type of the figure (direct or indirect).

New in version 8 : seven entries added, all distances revised and/or specified (now precise up to the third decimal place!), source episodes added/corrected, extensive annotations added.

1. Table of Star Trek distances

Distances in italics: ultra-precise HIPPARCOS figures DQ=Delta Quadrant, QQ=Gamma Quadrant * Added in v8.0

2. Annotations

With these distances, we can assume that the colonies of the Federation (with exception of Rigel and Antares) and the "classic" empires of the Romulans and Klingonsare all within 200 ly away from Earth. Lacking of every indication what the distance Earth-Bajor or Earth-Cardassia might be until recently, since the ST:DS9 TM the distances of this "next generation" locations to the core region of the Federation is slightly clearer.

While real stars distances are highly accurate as they are based on the newest data available (from the 1990s HIPPARCOS satellite survey), somehow even revising older information (e.g. the 3200 vs. 1600 light years for the distance Earth - Deneb), all figures calculated from a time / distance / speed given in on screen dialogue must be regarded as conjecture minimum figures, as the light speed equivalents of warp factors (from the TOS/TNG Writer's Guide used by the creative staff of the series, and the official technical manuals) and various warp formulae are semi-canon at best and have been contricted in many episodes, leading to the theory that the true speed of warp factors varies according to locally different properties of space and subspace (expressed with the "Cochrane factor" X) and can be therefore higher than the given values (explaining the incredibly short travel times seen in some episodes).

Distances drawn from maps must be regarded as conjecture as well due to perspective / scale / validity uncertainties.

Locations from ST:TMP such as Betelgeuse or Cait have not been mentioned in dialogue but are strictly taken from background information. It is pretty certain, however, that they indeed exist in the Star Trek universe, as they are stars from the real Galaxy.

To end an old speculation, the real star 40 Eridani-A has never been mentioned in any Trek episode as the Vulcan home sun, including [TOS] Amok Time, even if this episode is often quoted as the source. It first appeared in early fandom publications of the 1970s. The episode Amok Time, however, includes some facts that support this assumption, such as the neighbourhood of Altair. Why do I regard 40 Eridani then still as fully canon? Gene Roddenberry himself "made it official" in 1991, and I don't know how more "canon" you can get. Please refer to the astronomy section of this website's Investigating Trek project for more information on the Vulcan home sun.

With its almost 800 light years distance, the real star Rigel has often been quoted as too far away from Earth to be indeed the central star of the important Star Trek system (mentioned in more than a dozen episodes!). While we had no evidence to really reject Rigel = Beta Orionis in the past, the pilot of the new series "Enterprise", "Broken Bow" clearly establishes that at least the "Rigel" mentioned in this episode, and the associated alien trading colony on the tenth planet, cannot have any relation to the real star for four reasons: 800 light years in 4 days are, even with the "Cochrane factor" justification, too far a stretch, the distance contradicts with the "15 light years from our current position" statement, the good Captain does not know anything about the system when he learns about it (while he should know it if it's the star known to Earth science for two thousand years) and, first and foremost, how should a Klingon source know anything about our Arabic designations for stars? "Rigel" can only be a alien homophone here, and it may be a homophone as well in some of the other mentions, comfortably solving the distance problem plus the improbabilities that a) one star has so many class M planets and b) that Beta Orionis has a planet that has developed intelligent life on its own (impossible given the short life span of super giants).

This compilation uses the 70000 light years / 75000 light years figures for the distance Earth-Ocampa and Bajor-Idran from the DS9:TM simply because the many on screen sources itself are too inconsistent with distances from 60000 to 90000 light years for the Gamma Quadrant terminus of the Bajoran Wormhole in DS9 and alternating distances of 70000 and 75000 light years for Voyager's initial distance to Earth.

In contrast to 40 Eridani/Vulcan, the fandom assignations for Andor and Tellar, Epsilon Indi and 61 Cygni are not included here, as they have never been backed up by any official information or member of the Star Trek staff. On contrary, Epsilon Indi as Andorian home sun is quite unlikely given that this system was mentioned twice in Trek without any hint regarding its alleged prominent inhabitants.

Other possible real star distances that were not included for some reason:

Ceti Alpha V/VI - Most fandom sources conjecture that this is simply the reversed notation of the real star Alpha Ceti (Menkar), but this star's distance to Earth (over 300 light years) is far too large given the course of events shown in Star Trek II. It's true that the too large distances of many other real stars cause problems too, however, I will accept these discrepancies only if we can be sure that it's indeed the real star (when the name is identical or practically identical, such as a wrong genitive form for the constellation).

Delta Vega  - Given that this planet's name includes the proper designation of a real star (Vega = Alpha Lyrae), one could assume that this is a different notation system specifying the number of the planet by greek letters (delta = forth planet). Again, the on screen events forbid this sometimes applied speculation, given that according to the second TOS pilot, this planet must be near the edge of the Galaxy. Because of this uncertainty, similar explanations for Beta Antares and Delta Rana are not accepted here, too.

Alpha Majoris  - It is mere speculation that this TOS planet orbits the real star Alpha Canis Majoris, as it could be Alpha Ursae Majoris as well. The proposed connection is simply too vague. The just as daring explanation of Zetar (= Zeta R eticuli) is rejected for similiar reasons.

Back to the Star Trek Cartography overview

� 1999-2001 by Star Trek Dimension / Webmaster . Last update: October 20th, 2001

Everything You Need To Know About The Star Trek Quadrants

Joshua Garner

  • Last updated: 28 Apr, 2023

' width=

Table of Contents

What Is A Star Trek Quadrant?

star trek tos quadrant

According to the Star Trek Quadrants map in the universe, the “galactic quadrants” are defined by an imaginary meridian that runs across our solar system, which is similar to the concept employed by astronomers.

Instead of going via the Sun as in astronomy, the perpendicular axis in the Star Trek map of quadrants goes through the galactic center.

Accordingly, Star Trek’s quadrant system is less geocentric than normal cartography. In addition, the Greek letters Alpha quadrant star trek, Beta, Gamma, and Delta are used to denote them in the Star Trek galaxy map rather than ordinals, as in the movies.

Star Trek Quadrants Explained

Background Of The Star Trek Quadrants?

Background Of The Star Trek Quadrants

To prepare for the invasion, trans-dimensional entities in the Expanse erected cloaked moons in the area . Their objective was to change the fabric of space in the region, making it hospitable for the Sphere Builders thousands of years ago.

Within a cluster of spheres 700 million kilometers in diameter , a portion of the Expanse has already been transformed into a boiling, organic-looking soup of subatomic particles. One or more spheres provide a command function for the network, which uses artificial intelligence.

As they are hidden, the actual number of spheres is unknown. Thousands of spheres, according to Trianon’s belief. They concluded that there were at least seventy-eight spheres on the star trek Galaxy map and that Degra was one of them.

The Expanse is referred to as the “Chosen Realm” by the Triannons, and their religion is based on the spheres and their mythology. After being stranded in 2037, the spaceship Enterprise from 2154 becomes a generational ship, devoted to fighting the Xindi menace that will emerge in 2150.’s future.’

In 2133, a party of Klingons ventures into the Expanse, only to return anatomically flipped (and still alive). Vulcan ships Seleya and Vaankara also try to investigate the area without success.

The crew of the Seleya, who had been exposed to Trillium-D, were found to be insane and consequently exterminated. Earth’s Starfleet ship Enterprise (NX-01) enters the Expanse in roughly June 2153 in an attempt to find the Xindi.

Later in the year, the Andorian ship Kumari joins the fleet. Reverting twisted space to its original shape and progressively dissolving the thermobaric cloud barrier, the Enterprise destroyed the network of Spheres on F ebruary 13, 2154.

As a result of this, the Expanse fades away into obscurity. Even though a scenario is given to Captain Jonathan Archer of the Enterprise in which the Expanse becomes a significant danger to the future United Federation of Planets , this certainly seems to be removed by the effective destruction of the Spheres. The galaxy is commonly divided into four quadrants, the Alpha Quadrant, the Beta Quadrant, the Gamma Quadrant, and the Delta Quadrant which can be seen if you watch Star Trek movies in order .

Star Trek: The Major Quadrants

According to common belief, the Milky Way Galaxy is divided into four equal-sized cubic quadrants, each defined by a meridian that passes through the galactic center and a second meridian that runs perpendicular to the first and goes through the galactic core.

The four quadrants of the equilateral triangle are known as the Alpha Quadrant, Beta Quadrant, Gamma Quadrant , and Delta Quadrant in mathematics.

The Alpha and Beta Quadrants , respectively, were dominated by alliances with the United Federation of Planets and its bordering powers, such as the Klingon and Romulan Empires.

The Borg Collective and the Dominion , on the other hand, were centered in the Delta and Gamma Quadrants, respectively.

The cosmos appeared to cease to exist for a brief while in the year 2267 when Lazarus and anti-Lazarus began switching places with one another.

Captain Kirk correctly noted in his report that the effects could be felt across the whole quadrant of space. According to Starfleet Command’s Commodore Barstow, afflicted areas covered every quadrant of the Galaxy and far beyond.

Alpha Quadrant

Alpha Quadrant

Except for Voyager and Deep Space Nine, the bulk of the franchise’s episodes take place inside the Alpha quadrant of Star Trek of the Galaxy. The planet Earth and a substantial section of the United Federation of Planets may be found here.

Because the planet Earth is situated inside this sector, the great majority of the journey conducted by starships seen in television shows and films takes place within this quadrant.

The Star Trek quadrants, on the other hand, are not bound to a certain area of the Galaxy. This seems to be among the most well-known spot on the face of the planet.

The planets of Trill, Tellar, and Betazed may all be found in this quadrant, along with our solar system, which makes up the whole quadrant.

Some claim that the Alpha sector contains remnants of the Romulan and Klingon civilizations , while others assume the opposite.

Beta Quadrant

Beta Quadrant

The Beta quadrant contains the rest of the Federation, much as the Alpha quadrant does. This implies that similar to Alpha, many television episodes and movies are set in this sector of the Galaxy.

The vast majority of the Romulan and Klingon empires are concentrated in this area. Beta is also home to Andoria, Risa, Vulcan, and Rigel. Certain publications claim that the Romulan and Klingon empires are entirely contained to a Beta quadrant and do not cross into the Alpha quadrant. These sources are incorrect.

Gamma Quadrant

Gamma Quadrant

The Star Trek Gamma quadrant was only partially explored until a wormhole was found in the Bajor area in the Alpha quadrant, which allowed for more extensive exploration.

It made it possible for individuals from Alpha to get to Gamma without having to spend years and years traveling.

The Federation was able to communicate with the Dominion via this wormhole, which was dubbed the Bajoran wormhole by the Federation.

This is the foe that we come up against in the television series Deep Space Nine . They are also in charge of the wormhole, which they created.

Delta Quadrant

Delta Quadrant

Most of the galaxy’s Delta Quadrant area has gone mostly undiscovered. Reliving their routes back to Earth took the crew of the USS Voyager years to complete.

Return to the beginning location by drawing a straight line from the Alpha and Beta quadrants.

Before the Borg landed in the Delta quadrant, this part of the Milky Way was widely considered to be the home of the Borg. Voyager discovered when returning to Earth that it’s also the homeland of the Kazon, Vidiians, Hirogen, and Species 8472.

Star Trek: The Minor Quadrants

During the 23rd and 24th centuries, smaller parts of space in the Galaxy were called quadrants, which were smaller sections of space inside the Galaxy. Among them were the Quadrant 9, Quadrant 448, Quadrant 904, the Morgana Quadrant, and the Drema Quadrant.

Quadrant 9 is a geographical location in space . This quadrant included a part of the Neutral Zone, which was positioned far enough from Ferengi Alliance territory and protected from attack. As of 2364, there has been no recent evidence of Romulan activity in the area.

Quadrant 448

Quadrant 448 was the site of a renegade comet that had just passed through Gamma Hydra IV in 2267 , according to Stardate 2267 .

Before the present standardization of the quadrant/sector paradigm of celestial cartography, the word “quadrant” refers to a region of the sky.

Quadrant 904

Quadrant 904 was in space in the Milky Way Galaxy, home to several planets. There was a star desert to be found in this area. According to the most recent known data, when the USS Enterprise was first seized by the planet Gothos in this position is 2267, the ship was eight days distant from the planet Beta VI at warp factor three, and Earth was nine hundred light-years away. The Quadrant 904 Central Station served as an embarkation point and a destination for commercial transportation in 2328.

Morgana Quadrant

As per MemoryAlpha , in space, the Morgana Quadrant was a geographical location. Uncrewed Federation ships have already sailed through this area in the early years of the twenty-first century .

During a star-mapping mission that year, the USS Enterprise-D was going to the Morgana Quadrant when it met the lifeform known as Nagilum, a first for the Enterprise-D.

The Enterprise-D was the first human Federation vessel to explore this region when it arrived in 2254 .

star trek tos quadrant

Wrapping Up

In the science fiction television series Star Trek and its spin-offs , a galactic quadrant is a region of the Milky Way Galaxy explored.

The original Star Trek helps to allude to a region that could be interchanged with a sector. Star Trek: The Next Generation and its spin-off programs and films, on the other hand, relate to a system of four galactic quadrants, denoted by the Greek letters Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta in the original series. Each quadrant may be subdivided into sectors, which can be further subdivided.

It’s difficult to estimate the true extent of Star Trek Quadrants because of the large number of variables involved. The human characters in the series have explored a tiny portion of the world.

On the other hand, they have encountered races of aliens that have journeyed around the cosmos, so enlarging it for them. Hopefully, this article has given you a better understanding of exactly how large the Star Trek universe is and how we came to know about it.

Joshua Garner

Joshua calls himself nerd+geek who is also passionate about rugby. He enjoys comics, animes, and science fiction. He finds his comfort in writing about suspense, thrillers and science fiction shows and movies.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Screen Rant

Star trek’s galactic barrier explained (& what it means for discovery).

Star Trek: Discovery will jump past the Galactic Barrier for the first time to meet the DMA's creators, completing a voyage that Kirk only started.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 4, Episode 7 - "...But To Connect".

The USS Discovery is poised to break through the Galactic Barrier in Star Trek: Discovery season 4 and this event could have big ramifications for the Star Trek franchise. Ever since Book's (David Ajala) home planet of Kwejian was destroyed by the Dark Matter Anomaly AKA DMA in Star Trek: Discovery 's season 4 premiere, Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and her crew have been trying to unravel this massive new threat to the United Federation of Planets. After many attempts to learn what the DMA is, Discovery's best minds determined that the anomaly originated from outside of the galaxy and beyond the Galactic Barrier.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 4, episode 7, "...But To Connect," Zora (Annabelle Wallis), the USS Discovery's sentient artificial intelligence, successfully calculated the coordinates of the DMA's origin point. Zora initially refused to disclose the coordinates to Discovery's crew because of the imminent danger traveling across the Galactic Barrier would place them in. Meanwhile, Federation President Laira Rillak (Chelah Horsdal) called an assembly to debate and vote on the best course of action against the Dark Matter Anomaly and its mysterious creators, Unknown Species 10C. Although Roun Tarka (Shawn Doyle) created a weapon that could destroy the DMA and Book argued for immediately eliminating the threat, Captain Burnham urged the Federation to vote for a diplomatic response instead. Diplomacy won out, but Tarka and Book went rogue and left Discovery to deploy their weapon against the DMA on the other side of the Galactic Barrier.

Related: Discovery Confirms What Happened To Q Is Star Trek's 32nd Century

With this new twist in Star Trek: Discovery season 4's DMA storyline, Burnham and her crew will travel someplace completely new for the first time, which fulfills Star Trek's core mandate of exploring strange new worlds and seeking out new life and new civilizations. Although Star Trek: The Original Series has depicted Captain James T. Kirk 's (William Shatner) Starship Enterprise crossing the Galactic Barrier before, each sojourn was brief and neither Kirk nor Star Trek has explored what, exactly, was on the other side of the Galactic Barrier. For Star Trek: Discovery , what lies beyond the Great Barrier is truly the great unknown for season 4.

Star Trek's Galactic Barrier Explained

The Galactic Barrier was introduced in the second Star Trek pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before." The Galactic Barrier is an energy field surrounding the rim of the Milky Way Galaxy. It's invisible to sensors and to the naked eye but up close, the barrier emits a purple-to-pinkish wave of negative energy. Although no known transmission can pass through the Barrier, Starfleet ships powerful enough have been able to cross it at great risk. The first known instance of an Earth vessel breaching the Galactic Barrier was the SS Valiant, which was swept into the energy field by a magnetic storm in 2065. Although it is only occasionally seen or referenced in Star Trek, the Galactic Barrier has been an important part of Trek canon since the very beginning.

The Galactic Barrier shouldn't be confused with the Great Barrier, which is located at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Great Barrier is a similar energy field to the Galactic Barrier. Beyond the Great Barrier lies the fabled world of Sha-Ka-Ree, which is where Spock's older brother Sybok (Lawrence Luckinbill) believed God resided in   Star Trek V: The Final Frontier ,  However, "God" was revealed to be a malevolent alien being that needed a starship to escape Sha-Ka-Ree so it could conquer the galaxy, and it was destroyed by Spock (Leonard Nimoy).

All 3 Times Kirk's Enterprise Crossed The Galactic Barrier In TOS

Captain Kirk's Starship Enterprise penetrated the Galactic Barrier in Star Trek: TOS ' second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before." The strange energies of the Galactic Barrier transformed Lt. Commander Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood) and Dr. Elizabeth Dehner (Sally Kellerman), who both had heightened ESP capabilities. Mitchell and Dehner developed powerful psychic abilities and became a threat to Kirk's Enterprise. After exiting the Galactic Barrier and returning to the Alpha Quadrant, Kirk confronted Lockwood and Dehner on the planet Delta Vega, where both psychics died after a battle with the Enterprise's Captain.

Related: Discovery's Janeway Tribute Hints At How Her Star Trek Story Ended

Kirk's Enterprise ended up crossing the Galactic Barrier in every season of Star Trek . In the TOS season 2 episode "By Any Other Name," Kirk and the Enterprise  encountered Kelvans from the Andromeda Galaxy, who crossed the Galactic Barrier and became stranded in the Alpha Quadrant. Kirk's crew eventually foiled the Kelvans' plan to hijack the Enterprise and cross the Galactic Barrier back to the Andromeda Galaxy. In the Star Trek: TOS season 3 episode "Is There No Truth In Beauty," Federation engineer Larry Marvick (David Frankham) was driven mad by glimpsing a Medusan, and he stranded the Enterprise in a space-time continuum void deep within the Galactic Barrier.

Picard Season 1's Villain Is From Beyond The Galactic Barrier

Star Trek: Picard season 1's synthetic villains, who were deathly feared by the Romulan Zhat Vash, originated from another galaxy beyond the Galactic Barrier. Briefly glimpsed in Star Trek: Picard season 1's finale , the synthetic beings have tentacled arms and they intended to wipe out all organic life in the galaxy. However, the synthetic villains used a wormhole to enter the Alpha Quadrant that Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his ragtag crew managed to close, rather than cross through the Galactic Barrier into Federation space.

There have been other Star Trek villains who have come from another galaxy, such as the robot planet killer in the Star Trek: TOS episode "The Doomsday Machine." Spock determined the Doomsday Machine's trajectory originated from outside our galaxy. This means the planet-killer likely crossed the Galactic Barrier to enter the Alpha Quadrant, and it's possible the Doomsay Machine's origins may even have ties to the Dark Matter Anomaly and Unknown Species 10C.

What Crossing The Galactic Barrier Means For Discovery

Unlike the Starship Enterprise, the USS Discovery doesn't actually have to cross the Galactic Barrier to get to the other side. The Discovery's spore displacement hub drive will let Captain Burnham's ship instantaneously jump to the coordinates Zora provided, although Tarka and Book have a head start thanks to the next generation spore drive the mad scientist installed on Book's ship. It sets up an interesting conflict since Burnham, who is mandated to wave the flag of peace towards Unknown Species 10C, now has to simultaneously stop Book and Tarka from potentially instigating an extragalactic war if they successfully destroy the DMA.

Related: Star Trek Discovery Theory: The Federation Is Unknown Species 10C

Star Trek: Discovery 's one-way time jump to the 32nd century afforded the series the unique opportunity to trailblaze new canon for the franchise since so much of Star Trek's 23rd and 24th century has already been definitively established. While The Burn storyline of Star Trek: Discovery season 3 reintroduced the broken Federation and alien species, familiar and new, to Michael Burnham and Discovery's crew, Star Trek: Discovery season 4's DMA story is a long-awaited opportunity for Starfleet and the audience to finally see what lies on the other side of the Galactic Barrier. It's a chance for Star Trek to hopefully introduce new concepts and ideas that aren't limited by what's already been defined in the Alpha Quadrant. Trekkers' fingers are crossed Star Trek: Discovery delivers something new and genuinely fascinating when Burnham and her crew come face-to-face with Unknown Species 10C.

Next: Discovery's 32nd Century Enterprise Reveal Changes Star Trek Canon

Star Trek: Discovery streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Alpha Quadrant, Explained

The Alpha Quadrant was active because of its proximity to DS9, but what else made this corner of the galaxy the center of so much action in Star Trek?

The Alpha Quadrant of Star Trek saw a lot of action in its little corner of the galaxy – war, strange travelers, important spiritual moments, and a great deal of foot traffic from morally dubious characters. It was essentially a space transit point featured heavily in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine along with three other quadrants: Gamma, Delta, and Beta. The Alpha Quadrant consisted of a Federation space station, the Bajoran homeworld, and the Wormhole that emerged shortly after Starfleet arrived. The Federation finally stepped into to help Bajor after it had been brutally occupied by Cardassia for forty years.

The Federation then installed its own officers within the space station formally known by Cardassians as Terok Nor. In the aftermath of Bajor achieving freedom, the Wormhole opened as the Alpha Quadrant’s interdimensional railway, of sorts, instigating travel into the Gamma Quadrant. The Wormhole, however, wasn’t just a point of entry that marked the beginning of aggressive communications between the two sides. It also represented the spiritual beliefs of Bajorans that it had been created by their holy figures known as the Prophets. The Alpha Quadrant was both home and a passing point for a plethora of beings.

RELATED: Underrated Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Episodes

Deep Space Station 9

Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) went from commander to captain during his six years of overseeing DS9. In that time, the station was flooded with activity. Odo (René Auberjonois) was the shape-shifting security officer whose methods of keeping order weren’t always Federation-friendly . Quark (Armin Shimerman) was the scam-loving Ferengi who ran Quark’s Bar. Garak was the ex-spy with a mysterious past who’d somehow come to run a clothing shop as a simple tailor.

On a good day, hijinks ran supreme and any character could be up to some level of nonsense. On example is season 1, episode 4, “A Man Alone,” in which Jake Sisko (Cirroc Lofton) and Nog (Aron Eisenberg) played a prank on DS9 visitors that made them feel like they were covered in ants followed by rapid changes in their skin color.

On a bad day, anyone unfortunate enough to pass through might find themselves subjected to whatever galactic disaster was making itself known. The biggest example is the two-year Dominion War that decimated much of the Alpha Quadrant as Starfleet officers were left to fend off the Changelings, Jem’Hadar, and the allies helping them wage war. It could be a fun place, but it could also be one of much tragedy. Speaking of suffering...

The Planet of Bajor

The Bajorans suffered for a long time under the violent hand of the Cardassians, making it one of the darker backstories of a race in the Star Trek universe. They were enslaved and oppressed, but they were never subdued. Their fight to gain independence eventually played out in their favor due to the Federation's involvement. Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) was a vocal opponent to receiving their help from the moment she met then-Commander Sisko. However, though she could be tough, bullheaded, and even backstabbing at times, she was also someone who persevered. She was vocal in the face of injustice, and also had a surprisingly spiritual side.

The latter may not have been that shocking, as most Bajorans adhere to their native religious practices in following the Prophets for guidance and support. Wearing intricate ear jewelry signified their spiritual allegiance, it was also seen as containing one’s life force – known as pagh – in a way that could be measured by spiritual leaders like Kai Winn Adami (Louise Fletcher) through physical touch. Bajor was a planet of peaceful beings who turned to violence when it became necessary for their survival. It was through spiritual practices that they sought absolution from the desperate choices they made to survive in desperate times.

The Wormhole

The Wormhole of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a galactic doorway between the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants. In season 1, episode 1, “The Emissary,” Bajoran spiritual leader Kai Opaka (Camille Saviola) sends then-Commander Sisko on a journey that ends with him communing with the Prophets and being chosen as the Emissary. This gives him a direct connection to the Bajoran holy beings. It also leads to the opening of the very Wormhole that makes it possible for the Changeling leaders of the Dominion faction seeking galactic control to gain access to the Alpha Quadrant.

To the Federation, it represents a strategic advantage when it comes to opposing parties trying to enter from the Gamma Quadrant. To the Bajorans, it represents the Celestial Temple that is home to their holy Prophets. To everyone else, it’s a source of great mystery that may never be solved. It wasn’t always there and then when it was at the center of some of the most historical conflict in Star Trek history. If nothing else, it definitely left its mark on the memories of anyone who’d seen it and even those who didn’t.

Other Notable Factions, Peoples, & Facilities

Bajorans, Starfleet officers, and all manner of strange visitors took up a majority of the Alpha Quadrant. Yet, any Star Trek project would be incomplete without a wide variety of beings to create lore around. Visitors ranged from diplomats and royalty to criminals or oddballs like Odo’s BFF Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett-Roddenberry). Major government parties in this specific quadrant include: the Breen Confederacy, the Klingon Empire, the Ferengi Alliance, the Tholian Assembly, and the Cardassian Union. The quadrant was once even home to the Romulan Star Empire.

Countless societies, homeworlds, colonies, outposts, and starbases set up camp in the Alpha Quadrant. One of these was Ceti Alpha V, familiar for being the planet on which Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and co. left Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban) and his followers after they attempted to take over the Enterprise in season one of Star Trek: The Original Series .

Along with its fair share of landmarks, the Alpha Quadrant introduced a deeper, darker side to telling stories in Star Trek that will never be forgotten. Stories set here depicted the harsh reality of creating a government in space, and how its challenges could shake the faith of even the most devoted Starfleet officers.

MORE: Star Trek 's Starfleet Academy, Explained

Beta Quadrant

  • VisualEditor
  • View history

The Beta Quadrant is one of 4 quadrants in the Milky Way . It is home to the United Federation of Planets , Klingon Empire , Romulan Star Empire , and Romulan Republic . The early missions of Star Trek Online mostly takes place in the Beta Quadrant.

  • 1 Points of Interest
  • 2.1 TOS Federation
  • 2.2 DSC Federation
  • 2.3 List of Sectors
  • 3 Factions and Homeworlds
  • 4 External links

Points of Interest [ | ]

Paradise Lost

The Nimbus III adventure zone at the edge of the Beta Quadrant

Briar patch 1

The Briar Patch, a region of space that has featured twice in Star Trek and in three STO missions

Drozana Station

Drozana Station is the most significant cross-faction hub in the Beta Quadrant

The Beta Quadrant is dominated by the Federation, Klingons and Romulans. Near the border to all three, it contains an Iconian gateway to the Delta and Gamma Quadrants providing a crucial link across the galaxy. Of the playable quadrants, the Beta Quadrant has a large number of player hubs and battlezones, and other regions which feature heavily in canon or missions such as the Mutara Nebula and the Briar Patch

Playable Area [ | ]

The Beta Quadrant is one of the two largest playable quadrants in Star Trek Online, but it still covers a fraction of the overall quadrant. It covers 42 sectors including much of the core of the three main factions: the Federation, Romulan Republic and Klingon Empire.

Map of the Beta Quadrant

TOS Federation [ | ]

TOS Starfleet characters access a different version of the Beta Quadrant, one set in 2270 , until they complete the mission “The Battle of Caleb IV” . This Beta Quadrant has a few different systems visible by default and focuses only on 9 sectors.

The graphic takes the design of maps seen in the 23rd century and shows the Romulan Neutral Zone. An attempt by the player to cross the Neutral Zone is stopped by the player's bridge officer, citing that they do not have permission to cross it.

Map of the Beta Quadrant in 2270

DSC Federation [ | ]

DSC Starfleet characters access another different version of the Beta Quadrant, one set in 2256 , until they complete the mission “Downfall” . This Beta Quadrant displays Starbase 1 and focuses only on 4 sectors.

The graphic resembles the war map seen in Lorca's ready room on the U.S.S. Discovery .

Map of the Beta Quadrant

List of Sectors [ | ]

Sectors marked with * or ** are the ones forming sector space visible to early TOS Federation characters.

Sectors marked with ** are the ones forming sector space visible to early DSC Federation characters.

Factions and Homeworlds [ | ]

External links [ | ].

  • Beta Quadrant at Memory Alpha , the Star Trek Wiki.
  • Beta Quadrant at Memory Beta , the non-canon Star Trek Wiki.
  • Beta Quadrant at Starbase UGC , the user-generated-content Wiki for STO.
  • 2 Playable starship
  • 3 Atlas Prototype Dreadnought Cruiser

star trek tos quadrant

8 Alpha Quadrant Things Star Trek: Voyager Found In Delta Quadrant

  • Star Trek: Voyager finds familiar things from the Alpha Quadrant in the Delta Quadrant, sparking important questions and connections.
  • Encounter with Ferengi negotiators leads Voyager crew to stop their interference in a pre-warp civilization for profits.
  • Janeway and crew discover humans abducted by aliens in the 1930s living in the Delta Quadrant, including Amelia Earhart.

For a show with the conceit of being so far from home, Star Trek: Voyager found a surprising number of things in the Delta Quadrant that originated in the Alpha Quadrant, including several from Earth itself. The USS Voyager, commanded by Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), and Commander Chakotay's (Robert Beltran) Maquis raider Val Jean were both brought to the Delta Quadrant in 2371 by the Caretaker (Basil Langton). After Janeway destroyed the Caretaker's array to save the Ocampa , Voyager and the Val Jean were left without a ticket back to the Alpha Quadrant, and banded together to make the long journey.

Finding something familiar in an otherwise totally alien corner of the galaxy brought a sense of familiarity to the USS Voyager crew and viewers at home alike, but the presence of something from the Alpha Quadrant in the Delta Quadrant inevitably raised important questions , like how familiar people and objects traveled 70,000 light years from home in the first place, and whether the find could lead Captain Kathryn Janeway towards a quicker path home to Earth.

Star Trek: Voyagers 20 Best Episodes Ranked

A pair of ferengi negotiators, arridor and kol, star trek: voyager season 3, episode 5 "false profits".

The USS Voyager encounters a pair of Ferengi negotiators, Arridor (Dan Shor) and Kol (Leslie Jordan), who claim to be the prophesied Great Sages of the Takarians, a society with Bronze Age level technology. The Ferengi have no Prime Directive to deter them from interfering with the Takarians' development , so they're performing "miracles" with a standard replicator to reap the monetary benefits of the Takarians' worship. Voyager's crew know the Ferengi reputation well enough to know they're no Sages, so they must figure out how to put a stop to Arridor and Kol's grift.

"False Profits" serves as a Star Trek sequel episode to Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 8 "The Price", as Voyager catches up with Arridor and Kol (formerly played by J. R. Quinonez) seven years after their Delta Quadrant arrival. The Ferengi took a test flight through the supposedly stable wormhole near Barzan II, which was supposed to emerge in the Gamma Quadrant, but instead stranded the Ferengi in the Delta Quadrant, where they made the best of their situation as only Ferengi can.

Star Trek: Voyager Season 3, Episode 23 "Distant Origin"

"Distant Origin" opens on Forra Gegen (Henry Woronicz), a scientist who discovers that his people, the Voth, share certain genetic similarities with the humans aboard the USS Voyager. While this confirms Gegen's theory that the Voth are the descendants of a species brought to their homeworld millions of years ago , religious leader Minister Odala (Concetta Tomei) refuses to accept the truth. Even with Commander Chakotay present as a living specimen of humanity, Odala pushes Gegen to recant, because Gegen's theory goes against the Voth Doctrine that keeps Odala in power.

After meeting Gegen's assistant, Tova Veer (Christopher Liam Moore), Janeway and the Doctor use the holodeck as a research guide to extrapolate how hadrosaurs might look in the 24th century if they'd been able to evolve into a humanoid form with comparable intelligence. The result resembles Veer, so Janeway and the Doctor conclude, like Gegen, that the Voth evolved from hadrosaurs into a highly advanced species on Earth , then fled to the Delta Quadrant in spacefaring vessels instead of being wiped out with the other dinosaurs.

The Friendship One Probe

Star trek: voyager season 7, episode 21 "friendship one".

By Star Trek: Voyager season 7 , the USS Voyager is in regular contact with Starfleet Command, and Starfleet gives Voyager a mission to retrieve a 21st-century Earth probe, Friendship One . The probe proves difficult to find, but once discovered on an alien planet suffering devastating climate collapse, the implications of Friendship One's launch become clear. Besides the irreversible damage to the planet's climate, the inhabitants are all suffering from radiation sickness, and bear understandable hostility towards Earth, because the aliens believe humans orchestrated their destruction with the Friendship One probe.

The United Earth Space Probe Agency was one of the early names for the organization the USS Enterprise belongs to in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode, "Charlie X".

Friendship One was launched in 2067 by the United Earth Space Probe Agency with the intention of making friends with whomever found it, as the name implies. Although Friendship One, the 400-year-old Earth probe, traveled for centuries carrying messages of peace, musical recordings, and ways to translate languages, the people who discovered Friendship One in the Delta Quadrant took a greater interest in the antimatter it used to travel across space. Without the proper knowledge of its use, antimatter proved devastating to the planet and its people, resulting in death and disease for generations.

Dreadnought, a Cardassian Missile

Star trek: voyager season 2, episode 17 "dreadnought".

The USS Voyager discovers a dangerously powerful, self-guided Cardassian missile in the Delta Quadrant, which Lt. B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) recognizes as one nicknamed "Dreadnought" . When B'Elanna was with the Maquis, Torres had actually reprogrammed the missile herself, with the intention of turning the Cardassians' own weapon against them. Without a Cardassian target in sight, the artificially intelligent Cardassian Dreadnought targets a heavily-populated Class-M planet , Rakosa V. B'Elanna determines she must be the one to keep Dreadnought from hurting anyone else, and boards the missile to convince it to stand down.

While no concrete reason is given for exactly how the Dreadnought wound up in the Delta Quadrant, its last known location in the Alpha Quadrant was the Badlands, the same rough patch of space where Voyager and the Val Jean, Chakotay's Maquis raider, fatefully met. Because of this, Torres theorizes that Dreadnought arrived in the Delta Quadrant the same way that Voyager and the Val Jean did , courtesy of the Caretaker.

Star Trek: Voyagers BElanna Is More Klingon Than TNGs Worf Ever Was

A klingon d-7 class cruiser, complete with klingons, star trek: voyager, season 7, episode 14 "prophecy".

The USS Voyager certainly never expected to find a Klingon ship in the Delta Quadrant, but more surprising is the fact that the crew of the Klingon D-7 Class Cruiser believes their savior, the prophesied kuvah'magh, is aboard Voyager . Janeway assures the Klingon captain, Kohlar (Wren T. Brown), that the Federation and Klingon Empire have been allies for the past 80 years, and offers Voyager's own half-Klingon, Lt. B'Elanna Torres, as proof their societies are working together now. The kuvah'magh is Torres' unborn daughter, who does save the Klingons, but not the way they expected.

Centuries ago, Kohlar's great-grandfather set off on a quest to find the kuvah'magh, and the Klingon D-7 Cruiser became a generation ship that is now crewed by the descendants of its original crew . The quest begun by Kohlar's great-grandfather brought Kohlar and his crew to the Delta Quadrant after four generations of searching. Whether B'Elanna's child is actually the kuvah'magh or not, Kohlar desperately wants the baby to be their savior, so that his people may finally rest.

Amelia Earhart

Star trek: voyager season 2, episode 1 "the 37s".

The discovery of a 1936 Ford truck, seemingly disconnected from any parent vehicle, leads the USS Voyager to a nearby Class-L planet, where they find eight humans who have been in cryo-stasis since they were abducted by aliens in the 1930s. Among them are one of Janeway's personal heroes, legendary American aviator Amelia Earhart (Sharon Lawrence) , who disappeared without a trace while attempting to fly around the world, and Earhart's navigator, Fred Noonan (David Graf). Earhart and the other preserved humans are known by the planet's inhabitants as "The 37s", and revered as sacred.

Originally thought to be aliens, the natives of the unnamed planet are the descendants of humans. A species called the Briori abducted the natives' ancestors, along with Earhart and the other 37s, from Earth centuries earlier , and took them to the Delta Quadrant. Once held as slaves, the humans who weren't in stasis revolted to free themselves from the Briori, and developed a thriving, Earth-like civilization in the Delta Quadrant. Voyager's crew consider staying with the humans in their little slice of home, while Janeway also offers a ride back to Earth to anyone who wants it, including Amelia Earhart.

The USS Equinox

Star trek: voyager season 5, episode 26 & season 6, episode 1 "equinox".

The crew of the USS Voyager believe they're the only Starfleet vessel in the Delta Quadrant until they find the USS Equinox, five years into their journey home. Captain Rudolph Ransom (John Savage) and the Equinox crew have had a harder time in the Delta Quadrant than Voyager, with more damage, fewer starting resources, and fewer opportunities to make friends along the way. Ransom's survival tactics include sacrificing innocent nucleogenic life forms for a more efficient form of fuel, which Janeway finds hard to stomach, and decides that Ransom needs to be held accountable for defying Federation ideals, regardless of how badly the Equinox is damaged.

Although Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) suggests that the Equinox might be in the Delta Quadrant on a rescue mission to find Voyager, the USS Equinox's specs don't fit the profile of a starship that would be assigned to a long-range mission. The explanation of how the Equinox arrived in the Delta Quadrant in the first place seems fairly simple, because Captain Ransom tells Janeway that the Equinox was also abducted by the Caretaker , just like Voyager, but the Equinox has only been in the Delta Quadrant for 2 years, and Janeway destroyed the Caretaker's array 5 years earlier.

Seven of Nine

Debuts in star trek: voyager season 4, episode 1 "scorpion, part 2".

When Captain Kathryn Janeway allies with the Borg in order to secure safe passage across Borg space, Janeway refuses the cursory assimilation that the Borg want to use to communicate with Janeway and Voyager's crew, and instead requests a speaker for the Borg, citing the existence of Locutus (Patrick Stewart) as precedent. Seven of Nine , Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01, is selected as the Borg drone to act as liaison between the Collective and Voyager, likely because Seven of Nine had once been a member of Species 5168, like most of Voyager's crew -- in other words, human.

Voyager season 5, episodes 15 & 16, "Dark Frontier" provides even more detail of the Hansens' fateful journey.

After Seven's link with the Collective is severed, more information about Seven's human origin comes to light. In Voyager season 4, episode 6 "The Raven", when Voyager nears the Hansens' ship, the USS Raven, memories of Seven's early life surface, revealing that Seven had been six-year-old human Annika Hansen , the daughter of Magnus Hansen (Kirk Baily) and Erin Hansen (Laura Stepp), Federation scientists who were studying the Borg when they were assimilated. Voyager season 5, episodes 15 & 16, "Dark Frontier" provides even more detail of the Hansens' fateful journey, showing the Raven arriving in the Delta Quadrant by following a Borg Cube through a transwarp conduit.

10 Ways USS Voyager Changed In Star Treks Delta Quadrant

Star Trek: Voyager links back to the greater Star Trek universe with people and starships from the Alpha Quadrant. Connections to the familiar were especially important early on, because Voyager 's place in the Star Trek franchise was established and aided by the legitimacy these finds offered. Later, when the USS Voyager used the Hirogen communications array to communicate with Starfleet Command, links back to the Alpha Quadrant were plentiful again, not only to prove that the USS Voyager was closer to home, but to help Star Trek: Voyager maintain connections to Star Trek and carry the franchise in its final years.

Star Trek: Voyager is available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Voyager

Cast Jennifer Lien, Garrett Wang, Tim Russ, Robert Duncan McNeill, Roxann Dawson, Robert Beltran, Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Ryan, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo

Release Date May 23, 1995

Genres Sci-Fi, Adventure

Network UPN

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Michael Piller, Rick Berman

Showrunner Kenneth Biller, Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Brannon Braga

Rating TV-PG

8 Alpha Quadrant Things Star Trek: Voyager Found In Delta Quadrant

TrekMovie.com

  • March 28, 2024 | Watch: ‘Ready Room’ Special Goes Inside ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 5 With Behind-The-Scenes Footage
  • March 28, 2024 | ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 3 Gets New Science Lab… And 2025 Release
  • March 28, 2024 | Interview: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Showrunners On Season 5 Themes And The ‘Indiana Jones’ Style Adventure
  • March 27, 2024 | ‘Star Trek 4’ Gets Another Writer, But “Franchise Origin Story” Movie Could Arrive First
  • March 27, 2024 | ‘Star Trek: Section 31’ First Look Revealed With ‘Academy’ Details, Plus Glimmer Of ‘Legacy’ Hope

Review: Action-Packed ‘Star Trek: Picard: Firewall’ Reveals Seven’s Compelling Quest For Identity

star trek tos quadrant

| March 24, 2024 | By: Dénes House 11 comments so far

Star Trek: Picard: Firewall Written by David Mack Published by Pocket Books

“No plan ever survives contact with the enemy – and, as far as I can tell, you have no Plan B. What are you gonna do out there when everything starts to go wrong?” “If executed correctly, my plan –” “Forget about correctly. Forget about your plan. Listen to what I’m telling you: People are fallible. Combat is chaotic. We have strict rules of engagement, a duty to use nonlethal force – but our enemies don’t. One mistake up there could get us and the rest of the team killed. Did you account for that?” He wasn’t sure how he expected Seven to react. He didn’t think she would shrink like a violet, or wither in the face of criticism, but he certainly didn’t expect what she did next. She lifted her chin and actually seemed to get taller. “I am aware of the dangers posed by the mission. I’ve weighed the certain costs of failure against the potential gains of success. Imperiling eight lives to save eight hundred thousand is an acceptable risk-reward ratio.” “Gotta give you credit, kid. You’ve got a way with math.”

At the end of the Berman era of Trek, Jeri Ryan’s Seven was last seen returning to Earth aboard the Starship Voyager, involved in a romantic relationship with Chakotay, and anticipating the possibility of joining Starfleet alongside her mentor and mother-figure, Captain Kathryn Janeway. At the character’s next appearance, 20 years later in the first season of Star Trek: Picard , she is detached from Janeway and Chakotay, works for the mysterious Fenris Rangers, and is soon to develop a relationship with Raffaela “Raffi” Musiker. David Mack’s novel Star Trek: Picard: Firewall  is designed to fill part of that two-decade gap in Seven’s story with an adventure set at a key turning point for everyone’s favorite ex-Borg.

Mack’s novel brings Seven out from under Janeway’s shadow and chronicles her struggle to figure out her own identity and chart her own path in a galaxy growing darker by the minute. Feeling left behind as her former Voyager shipmates have all gone on to their new lives, Seven is a drifter, moving from planet to planet, job to job, longing for connection but afraid of being hurt. With the resettlement crisis on Romulus pulling Starfleet’s resources from the Federation’s outer sectors, Seven experiences the growing lawlessness, poverty, and despair of colonies once dependent on Federation aid. Their hopelessness mirrors her own as she, too, has been rejected by a Starfleet terrified of her Borg past. When she’s approached by a shadowy Federation Security agent and recruited to infiltrate the vigilante terrorist organization the Fenris Rangers, Seven sees the opportunity to finally be accepted by Starfleet. But as she gets deeper into the Rangers, she finds that they are not what they have been painted to be—and perhaps neither is the Federation.

This book is a slam-bang action novel, exploring some of the fringes of the Star Trek universe. While embracing Starfleet’s utopian 24 th -century setting, it also acknowledges that even in a utopia, the galaxy is an enormous place, and even good decisions made for the right reasons can have negative downstream consequences. I especially appreciated the detailed look at the Fenris Rangers, their mission, their ethos, and their organization, all of which Mack fleshes out admirably.

While we meet a number of characters from Star Trek: Picard’s three seasons as well as from Star Trek: Prodigy , Mack keeps his Easter eggs subtle and sparse. The focus here is on Seven and her struggle to both understand who she is and to be accepted. While the Seven of Nine character on Voyager , and eventually on Picard , has long been an icon for gay and transgender people, her bisexual identity and connection to trans identification have never been as clear as they are here. Mack describes it as an exploration of Seven as “a newly out queer woman,” and Seven’s exploration of her newfound identity is at turns touching, sad, and hopeful.

Mack doesn’t skimp on the action, which is gritty, bloody, and visceral. Firewall brings elements that feel like Blade Runner , Star Wars , and High Noon into its Star Trek setting. And Mack utilizes his “f-bomb” allotment in an emotionally climactic way. The plot and characters never lose sight of the hopefulness of Gene Roddenberry’s universe, but fans who like their Trek more sanitary may find this novel pushing their boundaries. But in the end, Seven, the Rangers, and Starfleet all have the opportunity to shine as heroes. Good prevails, and evil is defeated over tremendous odds and through cleverness, technology, friendship, and endurance.

star trek tos quadrant

Action, inclusivity, and deep character growth: David Mack’s Firewall digs deeply into Seven and gives her clear motivations as she transitions from one Trek series to the next.

Available now

David Mack’s Star Trek: Picard: Firewall from Pocket Books was released on February 27. You can pick it up now at Amazon in hardcover  and  Kindle e-book .

Firewall is also available as an audiobook on CD now and also Audible . You can listen to a sample of the audiobook, read by January LaVoy below:

Find more news and reviews of  Star Trek merchandise .

DISCLAIMER: We may link to product affiliate links that support TrekMovie by earning a small commission when you purchase through them.

Related Articles

All Access Star Trek podcast episode 176 - TrekMovie - Star Trek: Discovery at SXSW

All Access Star Trek Podcast , Discovery , Lower Decks , Star Trek: Picard , Star Trek: Prodigy , Starfleet Academy , Strange New Worlds

Podcast: All Access Goes To SXSW For The ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 5 Premiere

star trek tos quadrant

Discovery , Review

Early Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Flies Into A New Adventure In Season 5

Patrick Stewart as Picard in Star Trek: Picard season 2 - TrekMovie

Star Trek: Picard

‘Picard’ Season 2 Was Rewritten After Paramount Deemed It “Too Star Trek,” Says EP

Critics Choice Super Awards 2024 - TrekMovie - SNW and Picard

Awards , Star Trek Universe TV , Star Trek: Picard , Strange New Worlds

‘Star Trek: Picard’ And ‘Strange New Worlds’ Nominated For 8 Critics Choice Super Awards

I haven’t done a Trek novel in years….this may get me back into it! Thanks

This does look good, but I’m saving my latinum for “Pliable Truths” by Dayton Ward, a prelude to DS9 featuring Picard (still reeling from his torture at the hands of Gul Madred), Ensign Ro, and Garak.

Why not both?

Because I’m usually very busy and only get to leisure read a few books a year. :P

Plus, at $20 a pop (I only read paper books), one has to be choosy about what goes into their library.

I love Trek novels. David Mack is a top-notch storyteller, and he knows how to voice these Trek characters. Can’t wait for this!

I finished reading this novel last week. It was great and I concur with the reviewers comments. Great story!

Dr. Dave ASU planetary science professor President, Phoenix Star Trek fan club

I enjoyed the book, but my question is about regeneration. This takes place only about 4 years after Voyager returned from the Delta Quadrant. There are no references to regeneration, but several to sleeping. Are we just supposed to assume Seven figured out how to do without it?

Picard also ignores this issue, but that is taking place nearly 20 years later, so seems more likely she’d have figured it out by that point.

Who is that on the cover? She doesn’t look anything like Jeri Ryan.

Mack’s written some of the best Star Trek period. I’m at least intrigued, but maybe not as much as the Cox and Ward novels coming out this year (I guess I don’t care for the Picard novels so far.)

This is an excellent book. You could almost see this as a streaming movie with not much extra effort. It’s surprisingly small in scope, picking out one corner of the ST Universe, and spending some time exploring places and people in the region without going into “The end of the Federation as we know it” territory. The characters, including Seven’s mentor, are well written and fleshed out very nicely.

This story takes place primarily in 2381, so it is concurrent with S2-4 of Lower Decks, and about 2-3 years before Prodigy. There are scenes on the USS Dauntless, and brief mentions of Tysess, Noum, and Asencia, but they are light and not relevant to the main story.

Overall, this book does an excellent job at tying together plots threads and characters from Voyager, Picard, Star Trek (2009), and Prodigy without having to visit Memory Alpha to keep up. I definitely recommend this one.

Promotional art for Star Trek: Discovery season 5, featuring a cast lineup surrounded by alien runes. LtR: Blu Del Barrio as Adira, Mary Wiseman as Tilly, Wilson Cruz as Culber, Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham, David Ajala as Book, Doug Jones as Saru and Anthony Rapp as Stamets.

Filed under:

  • 2024 Spring Entertainment Preview

Star Trek: Discovery is finally free to do whatever it wants

Imagining the future of the future

Share this story

  • Share this on Facebook
  • Share this on Reddit
  • Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: Star Trek: Discovery is finally free to do whatever it wants

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that even among the greatest television shows in Star Trek history, most of them take two seasons to stop being kind of bad. Never has that been more true or more excruciating than in the case of Star Trek: Discovery .

star trek tos quadrant

Polygon is looking ahead to the movies, shows, and books coming soon in our Spring 2024 entertainment preview package, a weeklong special issue.

Often it felt like what Discovery was really doing in its early seasons was discovering what didn’t work. Strong performances from a great cast? That works. A Klingon design that absolutely nobody liked ? Definitely not. But despite the stumbles, Discovery season 1 had still averaged C’s and B’s with reviewers, and had built an audience and a subscriber base for Paramount Plus. On the strength of Disco ’s first season, Paramount greenlit Star Treks Picard , Lower Decks , and Prodigy , three new shows covering a huge range of ages and nostalgic tastes. And spinning out of Disco ’s second season, which introduced familiar , nostalgic characters and a brighter, more Star Trek-y tone, Paramount produced Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , inarguably the best new addition to the franchise since 1996.

Star Trek: Discovery crawled so that the rest of modern Trek could run... and then it started to walk. The show’s third season saw the USS Discovery and crew in the place that should have been their starting blocks: the bleeding future edge of Star Trek’s timeline. Thanks to season 3’s groundwork, season 4 became the first time that Discovery had a status quo worth returning to. In its fifth and final season, Star Trek: Discovery is finally free — free in a way that a Star Trek TV series hasn’t been in 23 years.

Sonequa Martin-Green as Captain Michael Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery, season 5. Wearing a glowing uniformed spacesuit, she clings to the back of a spaceship speeding through hyperspace, colorful lights streaking the background.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is such an elder statesman of the television elite that it’s easy to forget that it was daring. The show’s triumph wasn’t just that it featured a new cast of characters, but also its audaciousness in imagining the future of the future — and making that future unmistakably different . The Original Series showed a racial and national cooperation that seemed fantastical in its time, with an alien crewmember to denote the next frontier of embracing the other . Next Generation saw that bet and raised it, installing a member of the Klingon species, the Federation’s once-feared imperialist rival state, as a respected officer on the bridge of Starfleet’s flagship.

Next Generation ’s time period — one century after Kirk’s Enterprise — wasn’t a nominal choice, but a commitment to moving the story of Star Trek forward. From the show’s foundations, Gene Roddenberry and his collaborators, new and old, set a precedent that the Federation would evolve. Therefore, in accordance with the utopian themes of the franchise, old enemies would in time become friends. Next Generation embraced The Original Series ’ nemeses and the rest of ’90s Trek saw that bet and raised it again, pulling many of Next Gen ’s villains into the heroic fold. Voyager welcomed a Borg crewmember and disincorporated the Borg empire; Deep Space Nine gave the franchise the first Ferengi Starfleet cadet, and brokered a Federation-Klingon-Romulan alliance in the face of an existential threat.

But Discovery — at least until it made its Olympic long-jump leap 900 years into the future — couldn’t move Star Trek forward. So long as it was set “immediately before Kirk’s Enterprise,” hemmed in by the constraints of a previously established era of Star Trek history, it could graft on new elements (like Spock’s secret human foster sister) but it couldn’t create from whole cloth (like a galaxy-wide shortage of starship fuel that nearly destroyed the Federation). Like its predecessor, the ill-fated Star Trek: Enterprise of the ’00s, it was doomed to hang like a remora on the side of the events of The Original Series , or, if you’ll pardon another fish metaphor, doomed like a goldfish that can only grow as large as its half-gallon fishbowl will allow.

Discovery ’s later, free seasons in the 32nd century have shown the Federation at its most vulnerable, a subtler echo of Picard ’s own season 1 swing at fallen institutions . (Fans of Voyager and Deep Space Nine know that this is an extremely rich vein of Trek storytelling.) In its third season, Discovery solved a galaxy-wide fuel crisis that had shattered the community of the Federation. In its fourth it fought for a fragile new Federation alliance and its millennia-old ideals.

And those seasons have also boldly committed to the idea of imagining the future’s future — 900 years of it. The centuries-old rift between Vulcans and Romulans is long healed, Ferengi serve as captains in Starfleet, the work of Doctor Noonien Soong has brought new medical technologies to the fore.

Even still, Discovery hasn’t been truly free in its third and fourth seasons. Star Trek: Picard was out there, forming new past elements of a post- Next Gen / Voy / DS9 era that Discovery had to abide by. And, after all, the show still had to make sure there was something for its own next season to come back to.

Blu del Barrio as Adira in Star Trek: Discovery. She kneels confused before a strange figure dressed in white with white hair, with red robed figures in the background.

But now — with Prodigy and Picard finished, and Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks locked into their settings of Star Trek’s established past, and Starfleet Academy and Section 31 not yet in production at the time that its final season would have been written — Discovery has reached the final final frontier for a Star Trek show. If you’re a Star Trek fan, that should excite you.

Not since Deep Space Nine in 1999 and Voyager in 2001 has a Star Trek series had the freedom to wrap up its run with the Federation in any state it wants to. With franchise flagship Next Generation at an end, and Voyager restricted to the Delta Quadrant only, Deep Space Nine used its last seasons to throw the Federation into all-out war, making sweeping changes to the established ficto-political norms of ’90s Trek. Voyager used its finale to do what Captain Picard never could: defang the Borg (mostly).

We don’t know exactly what Discovery will do with that freedom. Season 4 directors have talked about reaching “ into the past to get further into the future ,” and likened it to Indiana Jones. Official news releases have said the crew will “uncover a mystery that sends them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries.” But speculating on what that means would be beside the point.

Discovery , the show about an intergalactically teleporting starship, can finally, actually, go anywhere. It’s been almost a quarter of a century since a beloved Star Trek series was so free to boldly go. Let’s hope they’re very bold indeed.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 premieres with two episodes on April 4 on Paramount Plus.

Spring 2024 entertainment preview

A shot of Kaiju No. 8 gearing up to punch with shocks around him

Loading comments...

IMAGES

  1. Everything You Need To Know About The Star Trek Quadrants

    star trek tos quadrant

  2. Star Trek Map Of The Alpha & Beta Quadrants

    star trek tos quadrant

  3. Orange River Media

    star trek tos quadrant

  4. Prayoga: Quadrant Star Trek Galaxy Map

    star trek tos quadrant

  5. UFP detailed map, Alpha and Beta Quadrants.

    star trek tos quadrant

  6. Orange River Media

    star trek tos quadrant

VIDEO

  1. STAR TREK : QUADRANTS EXPLAINED

  2. Star Trek: Alpha and Beta Quadrants (Complete)

  3. Star Trek: Delta Quadrant (Complete)

  4. Voyager Finally Returns Home to the Alpha Quadrant (1080p HD)

  5. Star Trek V The Final Frontier Captains Quadrant Review

  6. "Star Trek TOS S3, E19: A Disappointing Tempest Rip-off"

COMMENTS

  1. Star Trek's 4 Quadrants & Galaxy Explained

    The Star Trek galaxy explained that apart from the Romulans and the different versions of the Klingons, the Beta Quadrant's highlight is Vulcan, the native planet of Spock and other members of the Vulcan species.Multiple Star Trek encyclopedias suggest that Vulcan is located in a Sector of the same name within the Beta Quadrant. The 2002 publication Star Trek Charts also estimates Vulcan's ...

  2. Quadrant

    In stellar cartography, a quadrant is a major region of space encompassing a portion of a galaxy. The Milky Way Galaxy was commonly divided into four equally sized, cubic quadrants, defined by one meridian passing through the galactic core and a second one perpendicular to the first, that also passes through the galactic core. These four quadrants are referred to as the Alpha Quadrant, Beta ...

  3. Star Trek Dimension

    1. The four quadrants. Already in the era of Classic Trek, the expression "quadrant" was used for the exact determination of positions in the Star Trek universe. However, this cartographic term which literally refers to "a quarter" was used for completely different three-dimensional volumes at that time: sometimes a quadrant indeed corresponded ...

  4. Star Trek Map Of The Alpha & Beta Quadrants

    Star Trek Map Of The Alpha & Beta Quadrants. The map above is Shakaar's Alpha/Beta map v3.3; a fan-made creation showing the Alpha and Beta quadrants of the Star Trek universe. The map shows both major and minor powers that have appeared in the various series over the years. At the centre is the United Federation of Planets, which borders the ...

  5. List of Star Trek regions of space

    The Star Trek Star Charts further locate in the Alpha Quadrant the First Federation, Breen, Ferengi, Tzenkethi, Cardassians, Bajorans, Talarians, and Tholians . Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country implies that the Alpha/Beta border runs through, or is relatively close to, Federation space.

  6. Quadrants in Star Trek: A Guide to the Different Regions of the Galaxy

    In the Star Trek universe, the Milky Way galaxy is divided into four quadrants: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. These quadrants are defined by one meridian passing through the galactic core and a second one perpendicular to the first, which also passes through the galactic core. Most of the action in Star Trek takes place in the Alpha and Beta ...

  7. Startrekmap.com

    03-24: Relaunch. Getting started on startrekmap.com 2.0. I'm still in the idea & design phase, stay tuned for more! 05-12: Travel Calculator Laurie Brown created a Travel Calculator for the Star Trek Universe based on my maps, you can use it on her website.. 05-12: Update Marathon Part III

  8. Beta Quadrant

    The Beta Quadrant was the common designation for one-quarter of the Milky Way Galaxy. It was adjacent to the Alpha and Delta Quadrants. One-quarter of the galactic core was located in this quadrant. (Star Trek: Voyager, Season 7 production art; [1] Star Trek Into Darkness display graphics) Part of the United Federation of Planets was located in the Beta Quadrant, along with the bulk of the ...

  9. Here's the 'Star Trek' Galaxy Map, Explained

    The galaxy quadrants. Most of the action in the Star Trek canon takes place within our galaxy, the Milky Way, which has been divided into its famous four primary quadrants, each named after a ...

  10. Was the term "Quadrant" invented for Star Trek

    It was not until the TNG episode "The Price" 13 November 1989, that Star Trek started the present system of dividing the entire galaxy into four vast quadrants many times larger than TOS era quadrants. ... This was after TOS, but quadrants of space are mentioned in James Blish A Life For The Stars (1962,1963). In Chapter Four "Schoolroom in the ...

  11. Alpha Quadrant

    The Alpha Quadrant was the common designation for one-quarter of the Milky Way Galaxy. It was adjacent to the Beta Quadrant and the Gamma Quadrant. One-quarter of the galactic core was located in this quadrant. (Star Trek: Voyager, Season 7 production art; [1] Star Trek Into Darkness display graphics) In late 24th century interstellar politics and diplomacy, the four great powers in the Alpha ...

  12. STAR TREK : QUADRANTS EXPLAINED

    The Star Trek Universe is complicated. The main area (The Milky Way) is split into Quadrants. What are they? How were they created? What is in them? Todays v...

  13. Star Trek Dimension

    Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation and many of the movies were set within its borders, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine more rarely and Star Trek: Voyager almost not at all. Despite the outstanding significance of the Star Trek saga, we don't know very much about the planetary alliance which we have grown fond of in 35 ...

  14. Star Trek Dimension

    Table of Star Trek distances. Starting point: Destination: Distance: ... TOS [019] Arena (real star) Earth: Spica (Alpha Virginis)* 262.204 ly: TOS [042 ... the many on screen sources itself are too inconsistent with distances from 60000 to 90000 light years for the Gamma Quadrant terminus of the Bajoran Wormhole in DS9 and alternating ...

  15. Everything You Need To Know About The Star Trek Quadrants

    Star Trek: The Next Generation and its spin-off programs and films, on the other hand, relate to a system of four galactic quadrants, denoted by the Greek letters Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta in the original series. Each quadrant may be subdivided into sectors, which can be further subdivided.

  16. Star Trek's Galactic Barrier Explained (& What It Means For Discovery)

    Star Trek: Picard season 1's synthetic villains, who were deathly feared by the Romulan Zhat Vash, originated from another galaxy beyond the Galactic Barrier. Briefly glimpsed in Star Trek: Picard season 1's finale, the synthetic beings have tentacled arms and they intended to wipe out all organic life in the galaxy.However, the synthetic villains used a wormhole to enter the Alpha Quadrant ...

  17. List of Star Trek aliens

    Race Home Planet Episodes (M = mention only) Image Description Aenar: Andoria, Alpha Quadrant "United" (ENT), "Strange New Worlds" (SNW) Aenar, along with the Andorians, inhabit the world of Andoria.In many regards, they are similar to the Andorians in physical appearance. Unlike the Andorians, their skin is light blue/white, they are almost blind, and they have powerful telepathic abilities.

  18. TrekGuide.com =/\= Map of the Galaxy

    Select a quadrant to view ... Map of the Galaxy Select a quadrant to view ... Buy the book at Amazon.com Star Trek Star Charts: The Complete Atlas of Star Trek ... Star Trek Star Charts: The Complete Atlas of Star Trek =/\\= Today is Stardate 77689.5: E-mail questions or comments ...

  19. What Star Trek episodes take place in the Beta Quadrant?

    TOS, TNG and ENT mainly take place in the Alpha Quadrant. DS9 somewhat takes place in the Gamma Quadrant. VOY mainly takes place in the Delta Quadrant. I'm in the middle of DS9 after watching all of VOY and TNG, and I can't recall any episode that mainly took place in the Beta Quadrant or had any key action referencing that quadrant 1.

  20. Star Trek: Alpha Quadrant, Explained

    The Wormhole of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a galactic doorway between the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants. In season 1, episode 1, "The Emissary," Bajoran spiritual leader Kai Opaka (Camille ...

  21. Star Trek: Beta Quadrant, Explained

    In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Captain Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) concludes a three-year mission to learn more about gaseous planetary anomalies in the Beta Quadrant. Yet, The ...

  22. Beta Quadrant

    The Beta Quadrant is one of 4 quadrants in the Milky Way. It is home to the United Federation of Planets, Klingon Empire, Romulan Star Empire, and Romulan Republic. The early missions of Star Trek Online mostly takes place in the Beta Quadrant. The Beta Quadrant is dominated by the Federation, Klingons and Romulans. Near the border to all three, it contains an Iconian gateway to the Delta and ...

  23. 8 Alpha Quadrant Things Star Trek: Voyager Found In Delta Quadrant

    "False Profits" serves as a Star Trek sequel episode to Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 8 "The Price", as Voyager catches up with Arridor and Kol (formerly played by J. R ...

  24. Review: Action-Packed 'Star Trek: Picard: Firewall' Reveals Seven's

    David Mack's novel Star Trek: ... TOS Continues 2027 March 24, 2024 4:54 pm ... This takes place only about 4 years after Voyager returned from the Delta Quadrant. There are no references to ...

  25. Star Trek: Discovery is finally free to do whatever it wants

    Like its predecessor, the ill-fated Star Trek: Enterprise of the '00s, it was doomed to hang like a remora on the side of the events of The Original Series, or, if you'll pardon another fish ...