Discovery’s Mirror Universe Enterprise Just Set A Star Trek Enterprise Record

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 5 - "Mirrors"

Summary The Mirror Universe's ISS Enterprise outlasted any USS Enterprise, surviving over 900 years in a pocket of interdimensional space.

Despite being a warship, the ISS Enterprise endured longer than any USS Enterprise built for exploration.

Starships named Enterprise, like USS Enterprise-D and USS Enterprise-F, have shorter life spans compared to the immortal ISS Enterprise.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 brought back the ISS Enterprise, revealing that the Mirror Universe ship set an impressive record for starships named Enterprise. Written by Johanna Lee and Carlos Cisco and directed by Jen McGowan, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, epsiode 5, "Mirrors" was an unexpected download of new information about the Mirror Universe. In their pursuit of Moll (Eve Harlow), L'ak (Elias Toufexis), and the Progenitors' ancient treasure, Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) ended up piloting the Mirror Universe's Starship Enterprise into Star Trek's Prime Universe.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, "Mirrors," the Mirror Universe's ISS Enterprise was abandoned in a pocket of interdimensional space. The ISS Enterprise was damaged, including its warp core, but it had enough systems functioning to make the journey through a wormhole with the help of the USS Discovery. Because the Mirror Universe's version of the Enterprise originated in the 23rd century and crossed over into Star Trek: Discovery's 32nd century, this makes the ISS Enterprise over 900 years old, meaning it survived far longer than any other version of the Starship Enterprise.

The Mirror Universe debuted in Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 4, "Mirror, Mirror," when Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and some of his crew members find themselves in the brutal parallel universe.

Related 5 Ways Star Trek: Discovery’s Mirror Enterprise Is Different From USS Enterprise The ISS Enterprise made a surprising return in Star Trek: Discovery, but what makes the Mirror Universe's starship different from the USS Enterprise?

Star Trek’s Mirror Universe ISS Enterprise Has Lasted Longer Than Any USS Enterprise

The ISS Enterprise remained hidden in a pocket of interdimensional space.

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As the flagship of the United Federation of Planets, the USS Enterprise often participates in dangerous missions, and the Star Trek films have a habit of finding ways to destroy the Enterprise. Starfleet ships go through a lot, and it's impressive enough for a ship to survive for decades, let alone centuries. As Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) explore the ISS Enterprise, they find a plaque detailing the ship's journey from the Mirror Universe. Captain Kirk's visit in Star Trek: The Original Series had a profound influence on Mirror Universe Spock (Leonard Nimoy), who later initiated a series of reforms to make the Terran Empire more peaceful.

It's ironic that the ISS Enterprise, a warship, endured for far longer than any of the USS Enterprise starships built for exploration.

Spock eventually became the Terran High Chancellor but was later killed by those who opposed him. Despite this, Spock's beliefs inspired the crew of the ISS Enterprise to mutiny, with the help of "a Kelpien slave turned rebel leader" — aka Mirror Universe Saru (Doug Jones). These refugees fled the Mirror Universe on the ISS Enterprise, and the ship ended up in a pocket of interdimensional space where it sat for the next several centuries. Aside from this visit, the ISS Enterprise remained in the state it had been left in for centuries until Moll, L'ak, Captain Burnham, and Cleveland Booker boarded the ship in their pursuit of the Progenitors' treasure.

One of the original refugees named Dr. Cho paid a visit to the Mirror Universe Enterprise sometime in the 24th century to hide a clue leading to the location of the Progenitors' technology.

How Long Has Each USS Enterprise Lasted In Star Trek?

Starships named Enterprise see their fair share of dangerous missions.

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Many incarnations of the USS Enterprise were completely destroyed through Star Trek, but some were simply decommissioned. The original Enterprise NX-01 commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) survived its historic mission in Star Trek: Enterprise, eventually winding up on display at the Fleet Museum on Athan Prime. The USS Enterprise commanded by Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and Captain James Kirk saw 40 years of service before it was destroyed in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. The Kelvin Universe version of the Enterprise in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies was destroyed by Krall (Idris Elba) in the third film, Star Trek Beyond.

Star Trek: Picard season 3 left the fate of the USS Enterprise-E commanded by Captain Worf (Michael Dorn) as an open question, and what happened to the USS Enterprise-B is unknown.

After being commissioned at the end of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, the USS Enterprise-A served for only 7 years before finding a home at the Fleet Museum. The USS Enterprise-C was fated to be destroyed in Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Yesterday's Enterprise." The USS Enterprise-D of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) was the Federation flagship for 8 years before it crashed on Veridian III in Star Trek Generations. The D was restored in Star Trek: Picard season 3, which also revealed the USS Enterprise-F was retired to make way for the USS Enterprise-G. Ultimately, no version of the USS Enterprise has survived anywhere near as long as the ISS Enterprise found in Star Trek: Discovery.

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