NX-01 departs an "open" spacedock
The Enterprise approaches an enclosed spacedock orbiting Earth
A spacedock was a facility capable of docking starships for maintenance. Most spacefaring species had some type of spacedock, and they thus varied widely in design. Within the United Federation of Planets, and its immediate predecessors, a spacedock most often took the form of a free-standing, orbital, single-starship-sized "cage". This form of spacedock was virtually synonymous with the word drydock. Examples included McKinley Station and the unnamed facilities which launched the refit Enterprise (NCC-1701) and the NX-01, as well as the many individual spacedocks that comprised the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards. Generally, these cage designs were for major construction or refits.
Some spacedocks, however, were part of starbases and outposts, and allowed for more secure repairs in a totally enclosed, multi-functional facility. The USS Excelsior enjoyed at least the final stages of its construction in such a facility orbiting Earth.
In 2371, all of Earth's spacedocks were erased from existence after the death of Gabriel Bell in 2024. They, and the correct timeline, were restored after Benjamin Sisko assumed Bell's identity and successfully brought the Bell Riots to their original conclusion. (DS9: "Past Tense, Part I")
In 2373, Starfleet and the Klingon Defense Force attacked and destroyed the Cardassian spacedocks on Torros III. (DS9: "Call to Arms")
There were also spacedocks in orbit of Trelka V in the 2370s. Three Template:ShipClass starships were docked there in 2375 when Martok led the attack on the Trelka starbase. (DS9: "Once More Unto the Breach")
In 2373, Chief Miles O'Brien told Captain Sisko that a spacedock would be a better place to repair the USS Defiant than Deep Space 9 after Michael Eddington's cascade virus damaged the ship. (DS9: "For the Uniform")
See also
- Earth Spacedock
- McKinley Station
- Shipyard
- Starbase 74
- Starbase 133
- Unnamed Federation space stations
Background
- The first mention of a spacedock is in TOS: "The Doomsday Machine".
- Very little is known about the enclosed spacedocks seen in the Star Trek films and TNG episodes. Their dimensions are unknown, as is much of their internal layout. The regular and maximum compliment is unknown. It is also unknown if the spacedock is open to civilians or if it is restricted to Starfleet personnel.
- There seem to be very different sizes of the enclosed spacedocks, despite having the same basic "mushroom" design in the 23rd century as they do in the 24th. It is known, for instance, that some can accommodate a Template:ShipClass starship, although the facility seen in the movies – whose space doors seem barely wide enough to accommodate the Enterprise – seem able to admit nothing larger than an Template:ShipClass vessel. This is because stock footage of the original Enterprise entering the dock was superimposed with the new, larger USS Enterprise-D entering the same port.