Editing Starfleet (section)

==History==
During production of early episodes of the [[Star Trek: The Original Series|original series]], several details of the makeup of the ''[[Star Trek]]'' universe had yet to be worked out, including the operating authority for the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS ''Enterprise'']]. The terms ''Star Service'' ("[[The Conscience of the King]]"), ''Spacefleet Command'' ("[[The Squire of Gothos]]"), ''United Earth Space Probe Agency'' ("[[Charlie X]]" and "[[Tomorrow Is Yesterday]]"), and ''Space Central'' ("[[Miri (Star Trek: The Original Series)|Miri]]") were all used to refer to the ''Enterprise''{{'}}s operating authority, before the term "Starfleet" became widespread from the episode "[[Court Martial (Star Trek: The Original Series)|Court Martial]]" onwards.

However, references to the United Earth Space Probe Agency, and its abbreviation UESPA, are to be found in episodes of later series. For example, the ''Friendship One'' probe (launched, on the fictional timeline, in 2067) is marked with the letters UESPA-1 in the ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'' episode "[[Friendship One (Star Trek: Voyager)|Friendship One]]". Other background props included additional UESPA references, such as Captain [[Jean-Luc Picard]]'s family album in ''[[Star Trek Generations]]''. During the production of ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'', some larger Starfleet insignia designs included the name "United Earth Space Probe Agency".

Multiple ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' episodes refer to Starfleet having started operation some time between 2112 and 2136, when it funded research begun by Zefram Cochrane and Henry Archer, which led to the first successful flight of Warp-3 vessels in the 2140s.<ref>According to the ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'' episode "[[Twilight (Star Trek: Enterprise)|Twilight]]", Starfleet was already established when Jonathan Archer was 24 years old (2136). According to the episode "[[Horizon (Star Trek: Enterprise)|Horizon]]", Starfleet was chartered during Archer's lifetime, after he considered working for the Earth Cargo Service.</ref> This research is said to have evolved into the NX Program, which led to Starfleet launching its first Warp 5–capable starship, [[Enterprise (NX-01)|''Enterprise'' (NX-01)]], in 2151, followed by ''Columbia'' (NX-02), in 2155, as well as other vessels.

Starfleet acts under the [[Prime Directive]], a policy of non-interference with pre-warp worlds, such as interference in their internal politics. This is said not to be a human construct, but stems from policies originally implemented by the [[Vulcans]], who regarded an alien civilization's attainment of warp speed as the reason for making [[First contact (science fiction)|first contact]] with them. This was to avoid any unfortunate incidences during space travel, as well as avoiding interfering in the natural development of a civilization. The Prime Directive and Starfleet's first-contact policies are at the center of several episodes in each ''Star Trek'' series and the film ''[[Star Trek: First Contact]]''.

Starfleet Headquarters is shown to be located on [[Earth]], northeast of the [[Golden Gate Bridge]] in the present-day [[Fort Baker]] area. Starfleet Academy is located in the same general area.<ref>{{cite book |first=Paul |last=Ruditis |author-link=Paul Ruditis |title=The Star Trek Book: Strange New Worlds Boldly Explained |page=75 |date=2016 |edition=First American |publisher=[[DK (publisher)|DK]] |location=New York |isbn=978-1-4654-5098-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/startrekbookstra0000rudi/page/74/mode/2up?q=golden |access-date=2024-07-29 |via=[[Internet Archive#Text collection|Internet Archive text collection]] |url-access=limited}}</ref> Additionally, various episodes show Starfleet operating a series of starbases throughout Federation territory, as ground facilities, or as [[space station]]s in planetary orbit or in deep space. One example is [[Deep Space Nine (fictional space station)|Deep Space Nine]], a station near a [[wormhole]] commanded by [[Benjamin Sisko]] after its transfer from the [[Cardassian Empire]].