Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124

The USS Franklin holds a unique place in Star Trek lore, making its debut in the film Star Trek Beyond as a testament to early Federation space exploration. Once lost and long forgotten, this historic starship offers fans intriguing glimpses into Starfleet’s early days, revealing details about its captain, crew, and operational capabilities. From the ship’s groundbreaking design and modest crew size to its distinctive model characteristics and deck plans, the USS Franklin stands out among Star Trek’s legendary vessels. Exploring how the Franklin compares to the iconic NX-01 Enterprise further highlights its significance within the expansive Star Trek universe.
The USS Franklin (NX-326) is a fascinating starship featured in Star Trek Beyond. It’s known as the first Earth ship capable of reaching warp factor 4, making it a significant predecessor to Captain Archer’s famous USS Enterprise NX-01. The Franklin was a Freedom-class starship from the 22nd century, equipped with pulsed phase cannons, spatial torpedoes, and polarized hull plating for defense. Its history is quite dramatic—it disappeared mysteriously in the early 2160s near the Gagarin radiation belt and was presumed lost for decades.
In Star Trek Beyond, Captain Kirk and his crew find themselves aboard the Franklin after their own ship, the Enterprise, is destroyed. Despite its older technology, the Franklin plays a crucial role in fighting off Krall’s swarm ships by disrupting their communications and triggering a chain reaction that destroys many of the attackers. Ultimately, the Franklin sacrifices itself by crashing into Yorktown’s central plaza to stop the enemy. The ship’s story adds a rich layer to the Star Trek timeline, bridging the gap between early Earth starships and the more advanced vessels that followed.

In Star Trek Beyond, the USS Franklin is a significant starship with a rich backstory. It was commanded by Captain Balthazar Edison, a seasoned veteran of the Xindi and Romulan wars. The Franklin was one of Starfleet’s earliest warp 4-capable ships, predating the famous NX-01 Enterprise commanded by Captain Archer. The ship mysteriously disappeared in 2164, about 90 years before the events of Star Trek Beyond, leading to much speculation within the Federation about its fate.
Captain Edison and his crew were believed lost after the Franklin encountered a wormhole and crash-landed on the planet Altamid. This event left Edison embittered and vengeful, transforming him into the antagonist Krall, who later confronts the crew of the Enterprise in the film. The Franklin’s story serves as a thematic bridge between the early days of Earth’s space exploration and the more advanced Federation era, highlighting the sacrifices and mysteries of early Starfleet missions.
This backstory adds depth to the Star Trek universe by connecting past and present, showing how the legacy of ships like the Franklin and their captains shaped the future of space exploration.

In Star Trek Beyond, the USS Franklin plays a fascinating role as an older Starfleet vessel that the crew of the Enterprise encounters after their own ship is destroyed. The Franklin is a Warp 4 starship, predating Captain Archer’s famous NX-01, and was commanded by Balthazar Edison, who later becomes the villain Krall. The ship had mysteriously disappeared about 90 years before the movie’s events, believed lost in the Gagarin radiation belt, only to be found abandoned on the planet Altamid. Its crew, including Edison, survived the crash but became embittered and hostile toward the Federation.
The Franklin’s design is simple and compact, with two large warp nacelles attached directly to its saucer section, lacking an engineering hull and deflector dish, making it one of the smallest Starfleet ships at about 137 meters long. In the film, Captain Kirk, Scotty, and Ensign Chekov reunite aboard the Franklin with Jaylah, one of Krall’s escaped prisoners. They manage to repair the ship and use it in a daring assault on Krall’s forces at Starfleet’s Yorktown base. Ultimately, the Franklin serves as a battering ram and shield for civilians before its story concludes, closing a long-standing Federation mystery.

The USS Franklin from Star Trek is quite a unique ship, especially when it comes to its crew size. Unlike the larger Starfleet vessels like the Enterprise, the Franklin is much smaller—only about 137 meters long—and was designed more as a testbed or cargo ship rather than a full-fledged starship. Because of this, its crew complement is surprisingly small, with designer Sean Hargreaves estimating it to have about a dozen crew members. This small crew size fits the ship’s role and size, making it quite different from the usual Starfleet ships that often have crews numbering in the hundreds.
The Franklin’s design is also simpler, lacking some features like a traditional engineering hull or deflector dish, which might contribute to the smaller crew requirements. It’s interesting to see how this ship operates with such a lean crew, especially given its appearance in Star Trek Beyond and its backstory as an older vessel rediscovered and put back into use. This smaller crew size highlights the ship’s specialized purpose and sets it apart in the Star Trek universe.

The USS Franklin is a fascinating Starfleet ship featured in Star Trek Beyond, known for being one of the smallest Starfleet vessels at about 137 meters long—almost half the size of the NX-01 Enterprise. It’s a unique ship from the Kelvin timeline, discovered abandoned on the planet Altamid and later salvaged by Kirk and his crew. Interestingly, the Franklin predates the NX-01 and is considered the first Earth ship capable of Warp 4, making it a bridge between early space exploration and the Federation era. Its design is quite simple, with two large warp nacelles attached directly to an oval saucer section, lacking the typical engineering hull and deflector dish seen on other Starfleet ships. The ship’s story is a bit mysterious, as it was left behind by the villain Krall and his crew, who seemingly forgot or ignored it. Despite its rough landing and slightly worn appearance, the Franklin remains structurally intact and is a cool addition to the Star Trek starship collection, embodying a nostalgic yet sleek look from the Kelvin universe.

The USS Franklin from Star Trek Beyond is a relatively small but fascinating starship in the Kelvin Timeline universe. It measures about 137 meters in length, making it one of the smallest Starfleet vessels ever seen on screen—almost half the length of the NX-01 Enterprise from Star Trek: Enterprise. Its design is quite simple and unique, featuring two large warp nacelles connected directly to an oval saucer section without a traditional engineering hull or visible deflector dish, which is unusual for Starfleet ships.
The Franklin is an older ship, predating the NX-01, and was discovered abandoned on the planet Altamid. Despite its age and rough landing, it remained structurally intact, which allowed Kirk and his crew to repair and use it during the events of Star Trek Beyond. The ship’s width is estimated to be around 69 to 117 meters, depending on the source, but the length of about 133 to 137 meters is generally accepted. Its historical significance is highlighted in the story as the first Earth ship capable of Warp 4, linking it to early Starfleet history and bridging design elements between earlier and later starships.

The USS Franklin is a fascinating starship in the Star Trek universe, featured prominently in Star Trek Beyond. It’s known as one of the earliest Earth ships capable of Warp 4, making it a significant predecessor to later vessels like the NX-01. The Franklin is about 450 feet long and represents a bridge between early space exploration and the more advanced Federation starships that come later. Its design and history reflect a time before the United Federation of Planets was fully established, originally serving as a M.A.C.O. (Military Assault Command Operations) ship before being reclassified under Starfleet.
Deck plans of the USS Franklin reveal a ship built for both exploration and combat, with enhanced hull plating for energy resistance and upgraded weapon banks to increase critical hit severity. It also features rapid repair capabilities, which would be vital during intense space battles or emergencies. Fans appreciate the Franklin not only for its role in the story but also for how it visually and thematically connects the early days of human space travel with the more familiar Star Trek era. Its layout and systems showcase a blend of rugged practicality and emerging technology, making it a beloved piece of Star Trek lore.

The USS Franklin and the Enterprise NX-01 are both iconic 22nd-century starships in the Star Trek universe, but they represent very different stages of starship design and technology. The Franklin, featured in Star Trek Beyond, is an older, smaller ship—about 137 meters long, roughly half the size of the NX-01. It has a simple, retro design with two large warp nacelles attached directly to its saucer section, lacking an engineering hull or visible deflector dish. This gives it a more compact and clunky feel, reflecting its prototype status as one of the first Warp 4 vessels.
In contrast, the Enterprise NX-01, from Star Trek: Enterprise, is more refined and spacious. It’s the first Earth ship equipped with a Warp 5 engine, making it more advanced and elegant in design. Its interiors and uniforms also have a more polished look, though some fans feel the ship and sets could have been smaller, like the Franklin’s. The Franklin’s registry number, NX-326, is a bit of a timeline puzzle since it suggests it was built after the NX-01, but it’s generally accepted that the Franklin predates the NX-01 and was later reclassified as USS Franklin when Earth joined the Federation. Overall, the Franklin feels like a rugged, early prototype, while the NX-01 represents a leap forward in starship development.

In conclusion, “Star Trek Beyond” reinvigorates the beloved franchise by exploring the rich history of the USS Franklin, an iconic starship that symbolizes adventure and resilience. The film not only pays homage to its legacy but also delves into themes of teamwork, sacrifice, and the enduring spirit of exploration. The USS Franklin’s journey serves as a catalyst for the crew’s growth and unity, reminding us that even in the face of insurmountable odds, collaboration and ingenuity can prevail. Ultimately, “Star Trek Beyond” reaffirms the core values of hope and discovery that have defined the series for decades.