A starbase is a facility where starships are maintained and resupplied, and crews can relax. A starbase can be a research station, a military base, a place for interstellar trade or a seat of administration. Some starbases are also involved in the construction of starships. Starbases offer various services to vehicles, from medical facilities to full-fledged spacedocks capable of refitting a starship.

Starbases can be partially or completely located on a planet surface, or be limited to strictly spaceborne installations. Some are a combination of a ground-based facility with orbital components.

The term starbase is often specifically used to refer to Federation Starfleet bases. Federation starbases are usually commanded by a flag officer, and fulfill a major supporting role in Starfleet. They coordinate starship operations and provide supplies and maintenance to Federation starships. Some starbases, like Deep Space 9, are jointly operated by local governments. Major Federation starbases are numbered sequentially, totaling more than 700 in the 2360s. Besides the numbered starbases, Starfleet also operates so-called "Deep Space" outposts, usually located outside Federation territory or in the interstellar void.

The use of starbases were proposed to Earth Starfleet as early as 2154. In this year, the NX-01 Enterprise was sent to scout for suitable planets on which starbases could be built. Among the potential candidates was the seventh planet of the Berengaria system. (ENT: "Bound").

See also: Federation starbases

References Edit

• ENT: "Bound"
• TOS: "Court Martial"
• TNG: "The Neutral Zone"