From what we see in Star Trek, first contacts are very important dealings. So, my question is which ship 1 has made the most number of first contacts? Allow me to define 'first contacts'. For the Enterprise NX-01, I define a first contact as a meeting with an alien species that humans had not previously made official contact with (for example, the meeting with the Klingons in the second episode would count as a first contact). For the Enterprise 1701 and 1701-D, and Voyager, these must be species that the Federation has not yet encountered. 1: By ship, I'm restricting it to the Enterprises NX-01, NCC-1701 and NCC-1701-D and Voyager, as they're likely to have made the most on-screen.
2 Answers
According to the list maintained at Memory Alpha, the stats are as follows:
- NX-01: 27
- 1701: 50 (49 with Kirk's crew, 1 with Pike's)
- 1701-D: 41
- DS9 / Defiant: 13
- Voyager: 107
Please note that I counted any first contacts that involve the main cast of the relevant series, whether it took place on that series's ship or not. (For example, Riker meeting the young alien who made him think he'd had 30 years worth of amnesia. It happened on a planet, not on the 1701-D, but I counted it)
Also, these numbers are assuming I counted correctly while scrolling.
According to the Season 7 episode VOY: Friendship One James Kirk, and by extension, the NCC-1701 Enterprise still remains the undisputed champion of first contacts, with Janeway coming in second aboard the Voyager.
HENDRICKS [on screen]: The Voth, the Kobali, the Vaadwaur. You've made first contact with more species than any captain since James Kirk.
JANEWAY: It helps being the only Starfleet ship within thirty thousand light years.
HENDRICKS [on screen]: You are being too humble. From the first time you spoke up in my classroom I knew you'd go far.
It seems unlikely the she surpassed his record in the final few episodes