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What would happen if the crew of the Starship Enterprise handed over the controls to NASA scientists and engineers? It turns out many are avid Star Trek fans with lengthy itineraries in mind. NASA asked a few of them to pick their favorite destinations in the Star Trek universe, explain why, and compare them to real-world exoplanets discovered so far.
1. Vulcan
One of the most famous Star Trek planets, Vulcan, was placed by creator Gene Roddenberry in the real star system 40 Eridani. This trinary system, about 16 light-years from Earth, consists of three dwarf stars, and while no exoplanets have been detected there yet, it remains a strong candidate.
Vulcan is described as a hot, high-gravity world with a thin atmosphere, deserts, and mountain ranges. In J.J. Abrams’ alternate timeline, Vulcan was destroyed, but real exoplanets face similar threats. For example, HD 209458b, a “hot Jupiter,” is slowly losing its atmosphere due to its proximity to its parent star.
2. Andoria
The icy moon Andoria is home to blue-skinned humanoids with white hair and antennae. It is depicted as orbiting a larger gas giant and has been a key location in several Star Trek series.
While astronomers have not yet found definitive exomoons, some icy moons in our Solar System resemble Andoria. Europa (orbiting Jupiter) and Enceladus (orbiting Saturn) have subsurface oceans that may harbor life. NASA missions are actively searching for potential biological signatures in these environments.
3. Risa
Risa is a well-known M-class (Earth-like) pleasure planet with a tropical climate, artificially controlled weather, and a welcoming humanoid population. It orbits a binary star system, often linked to Epsilon Ceti, about 79 light-years from Earth.
No exoplanets have been confirmed in Epsilon Ceti, but many real exoplanets have been found around binary star systems. The first such discovery, Kepler-16b (2011), is a cold, gaseous Saturn-sized world, similar to Tatooine from Star Wars.
4. Omicron Delta (“Shore Leave” Planet)
This amusement park planet creates realistic physical manifestations of a visitor’s thoughts. In the episode “Shore Leave,” crew members face knights, strafing aircraft, and an old school bully before realizing it’s all part of a massive simulation.
While such instant fabrication technology is science fiction, real-world 3D printing is advancing rapidly. The International Space Station (ISS) already uses 3D printers to create tools on demand. NASA is also developing additive manufacturing for planetary exploration, potentially enabling in-situ resource utilization for Moon and Mars missions.
5. Nibiru
In Star Trek: Into Darkness, Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy flee through a red jungle on Nibiru, a primitive planet. The planet’s red vegetation suggests adaptation to a cool, red dwarf star.
Several exoplanets, including Kepler-186f, fit this profile. Located 500 light-years away, this Earth-sized planet orbits within the habitable zone of a red dwarf, where photosynthesis could result in non-green plant life.
6. Wolf 359
Wolf 359 is famous in Star Trek for the devastating battle between the Federation and the Borg in The Next Generation episode “Best of Both Worlds.” However, it is also a real star, only 7.8 light-years from Earth.
Astronomers are particularly interested in nearby stars like Wolf 359 because they are prime candidates for exoplanet detection. NASA’s Kepler telescope has already conducted surveys in this region.
7. Eminiar VII & Vendikar
These two planets, from the episode “A Taste of Armageddon,” have been locked in a simulated war for centuries, where computers determine casualties instead of actual combat.
In reality, exoplanet systems with multiple rocky planets do exist. A notable example is TRAPPIST-1, a cool dwarf star with seven Earth-sized planets, at least two of which may be habitable. Scientists are studying these worlds to determine if they have Earth-like atmospheres.
8. Remus
Remus, along with Romulus, forms the core of the Romulan Star Empire. Remus is a tidally locked world, with one side permanently facing its star while the other remains in darkness.
Many exoplanets detected by NASA’s Kepler telescope may be tidally locked, meaning their habitable zones are limited to the “terminator zone,” the thin region between their scorching day side and frozen night side. Such worlds could host extreme, yet potentially habitable, environments.
9. Janus VI
Janus VI is a barren mining planet, featured in The Original Series episode “Devil in the Dark.” It is home to Horta, a silicon-based life form.
Mars and the Moon are the closest real-world equivalents to Janus VI. The concept of silicon-based life remains speculative, but some astrobiologists consider it possible. Future space missions to Mars may uncover subsurface microbial life in extreme environments.
10. Earth
Earth is home to Starfleet Headquarters, the United Federation of Planets, and humanity’s expansion into the stars in the Star Trek universe. It appears in various Star Trek series and movies, often as a hub for diplomatic, military, and scientific efforts.
In reality, Earth is the only known habitable planet, though astronomers are actively searching for true Earth analogs among exoplanets. Missions like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope may provide insights into potentially habitable exoplanets.
Summary
NASA scientists, inspired by Star Trek, selected destinations that blend science fiction with scientific reality. Many Star Trek worlds have real-world analogs among the thousands of exoplanets discovered so far. While we have yet to find another Earth-like world, ongoing research and space exploration may one day bring the dream of interstellar travel closer to reality.
Source: NASA
For more details, visit NASA Science.
10 Best Selling Books About Star Trek
The Fifty-Year Mission: The First 25 Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman
This Star Trek history book uses an oral-history format to document how the franchise was conceived, produced, and sustained through its first quarter-century, with attention to creative decisions, studio dynamics, and shifting audience expectations. It is often selected by adult readers looking for a Star Trek behind-the-scenes book that focuses on the people who built the original era of the franchise rather than on episode recaps alone.
The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman
This follow-on volume continues the Star Trek production history into the period dominated by The Next Generation and the later screen era, capturing how the franchise expanded in scale, tone, and business structure. It serves adult, nontechnical readers who want a detailed Star Trek book that connects creative choices to the realities of television production, film development, and brand management over time.
The Star Trek Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded Edition by Michael Okuda
This Star Trek reference book compiles in-universe entries that organize characters, places, species, technologies, and organizations into a single navigable guide designed for fast lookup and cross-referencing. It is frequently used as a Star Trek companion book by readers who want consistent terminology and continuity cues across multiple series without needing a technical background.
Star Trek Chronology: The History of the Future by Michael Okuda
This Star Trek chronology organizes major events into a timeline-style narrative, helping readers place missions, political changes, and cultural milestones into a coherent sequence across eras. It is commonly used by readers who want a Star Trek timeline book that clarifies when key developments occur and how separate storylines relate without requiring deep prior knowledge of every series.
Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual by Rick Sternbach and Michael Okuda
This Star Trek technical manual presents a structured, readable model of how the Enterprise-D and its systems are portrayed to function, using diagrams, subsystem descriptions, and operational concepts that remain accessible to non-engineers. It is often chosen as a Star Trek design and technology book by adult readers who enjoy the “how it works” side of the franchise while still wanting a narrative-friendly presentation rather than dense engineering text.
The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion: Revised Edition by Larry Nemecek
This Star Trek guidebook provides a structured way to revisit The Next Generation through episode-focused entries that prioritize clear summaries and context for how the series was made and received. It is often used as a Star Trek episode companion by readers who want a practical, quick-reference format that supports rewatching while still supplying production-facing details in plain language.
The Star Trek Book New Edition by Paul J. Ruditis
This illustrated Star Trek overview surveys the franchise across multiple eras, using short topical sections to explain major themes, settings, ships, and recurring ideas in a way that supports browsing rather than linear reading. It is often selected by adult readers who want a single Star Trek book that orients them across series and films while still offering enough detail to be useful between viewings or while sampling new parts of the canon.
Imzadi by Peter David
This Star Trek novel centers on character-driven consequences and personal history within the Next Generation cast, using a plot that balances relationship dynamics with a broader sci-fi mystery structure. It is regularly recommended as a Star Trek Kindle book for readers who prefer Star Trek fiction that prioritizes voice, emotional stakes, and continuity-aware storytelling over purely episodic adventure.
Spock’s World by Diane Duane
This Star Trek Original Series novel uses the political and cultural history of Vulcan to frame a larger story about identity, governance, and the long-term pressures of federation membership. It is frequently picked up by readers seeking Star Trek books that develop worldbuilding through society-level detail while still keeping the narrative focused on recognizable characters and accessible themes.
The Physics of Star Trek by Lawrence M. Krauss
This nonfiction Star Trek science book uses well-known concepts from physics to discuss which elements of Star Trek align with real-world scientific understanding and which remain speculative, while staying readable for general audiences. It is commonly chosen by adult readers who want a Star Trek-themed way to think about space, energy, and constraints on technology without needing advanced math or a specialist background.
