Starfleet, U.S. NAVY, & NASA

[Captain Jean-Luc Picard 1]

Why is Starfleet allways compared to the U.S. NAVY? They're space ships, not boats in space. While having a NAVY-like structure, shouldn't Starfleet be compared to NASA?

[trekzone 0]

well, the best roots i can think of CJLP is:

 

didnt NASA dirive from the Navy?

[LadyNarana 0]

The Navy has a flight program, as well, CJLP. The idea of being on a contained vessel, no matter what the medium in which it travels; and the command structure contained therein is a good reason to compare them to the Navy. I can't help but think somewhere I've seen that Starfleet grew out of the combined armed services, with an emphasis on the Navy...

[Captain Jean-Luc Picard 1]

Still, I read about how they wanted the Enterprise to be cramped like a submarine. Shouldn't they have studied the space shuttle instead?

[Theunicornhunter 2]

CJLP, you live in Virginia don't you? Haven't you been to the Air & Space in DC. When I was there you could walk through skylab. Talk about cramped space. I dont think the living area in the Shuttle is particularly spacious - not for the amount of people on board.

[Captain Jean-Luc Picard 1]

Nope, I live in NC. Never been to DC.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

Nope, I live in NC.  Never been to DC.

NC is still pretty close, maybe next spring after the snows and you're all recovered you could visit. I think you would like the Smithsonian - particularly the Air & Space. They used to have the original model of the NCC-1701 hanging there. :)

[VaBeachGuy 12]

Well, NASA comes from the military (Navy, Air Force and Marines) but NASA isn't a military and doesn't have ships with weapons. They don't use a rank structure like Starfleet does either, while many of the astronauts are military and hold a military rank many others are civilian.

 

Starfleet being a military is best compared to the closest military service that resembles it, and that would be the Navy.

[Stardreamer 1]

It's good point, CJLP! But since Kirk StarTrek is referring to ships (well let me refer to Kirk as he talked to Bones- badly translated from German: Just give me a ship and the ocean around and it will be the same.. .. do you know the scene I mean?) the Navy is the ancestor to Starfleet

[Riaan 0]

Why is Starfleet allways compared to the U.S. NAVY?  They're space ships, not boats in space.  While having a NAVY-like structure, shouldn't Starfleet be compared to NASA?

Actually CJLP, A Starship is very much like a naval ship in space. Both have a Bridge, Captain's Ready Room, Strategy Room, Mess Halls, Sick Bay, Cargo Holds, Armory, and Crew Quarters, just to name a few. In short, a naval ship (Battleship or Air Craft Carrier) is basically a floating city. A Starship is could be considered a city in space. You don't have that direct comparison with any of the past or current spacecraft. The command structure of Starfleet directly corresponds to that of the Navy. Not to mention that the Navy has its own flight program. Also historically NASA has had many Navy pilots, as well as Air Force pilots and civilians, as astronauts.

 

I think the comparison between the Navy and Starfleet is just.

[A l t e r E g o 9]

History of ships named Enterprise.

 

95% of cases given at this site show the name Enterprise have been associated with Naval vessels (even blimps) of various different countries.

 

More.

 

Perhaps with-in the saga, something happens (as yet un-disclosed) which causes the Navy (and perhaps other military forces as well) to combine with NASA, perhaps FC was that event (?) NASA and its themes of exploration then took precedence, became the figurehead of the New conglomerate.

[Captain Bolivar 0]

Starfleet is like NASA with Navy like components. Nasa is a space program, but our exploration of space is limited, and the missions are much different than missions that a naval officer might be involved in.

 

Those in the Navy travel across sea to other places. Those in Starfleet travel across space to other worlds.

 

Nasa doesn't have to worry about hostiles or friendlies... both the Navy and Starfleet do.

 

Nasa is like the preliminary program to get us into space. Once contact is made, we would need something like Starfleet to go out there. Would we call it nasa... we could, but it would still have to morph into a navy like unit.

 

Keep in mind that there was a time when the oceans were unexplored, and nobody knew there was people on the other side of the seas so to speak. This is analogous to our situation with space right now, but eventually the oceans needed navies... and so will space... sheesh, what a ramble!

[cptwright 1]

just think of it this way, SPACE, as to OCEAN, STARSHIP as to NAVAL SHIP. same idea, different medium.

[first_redneck_in_space 0]

well, the best roots i can think of CJLP is:

 

didnt NASA dirive from the Navy?

NASA had its roots in the Army Air Force,I think.At least,that was what I've always thought.

Starfleet is a lot like the US Navy as far as Starfleet's military structure is concerned.Otherwise,there really are no organizations to compare it too.Certainly not,NASA.While NASA has launched a few exploration/data gathering missions like Voyager,Pioneer,Mariner,etc...it isn't very interested in large-scale space exploration,and only seems to want to orbit the Earth and conduct commercial science projects for whichever corporation pays the most money for those experiments to be conducted.

[Admiral Kirk 1]

Starfleet travels the endless sea of stars. That's sum's it up for me. I do think for SF to be a credible fighting force they do have a ground fighting force. Maybe it absorbed the Commando organization in Enterprise.

Edited October 16, 2003 by Admiral Kirk