Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – 8 Key Things To Know

A new 4-minute clip from Star Trek: Starfleet Academy was revealed at CCXP, and here’s a breakdown of what you should know. The series, executive produced by Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau, will launch on Paramount+ with two episodes on January 15, 2026.

Set in the late 32nd century, after the events of Star Trek: Discovery, the new series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy builds upon ideas first presented in Captain Michael Burnham’s (Sonequa Martin-Green) story. In season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery, Burnham and the USS Discovery traveled to the future, finding a United Federation of Planets and Starfleet with significantly more advanced technology.

The series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy centers around the lives of its students, blending their experiences in the classroom and the challenges of growing up with the exciting starship adventures Star Trek is known for. Captain Nahla Ake, played by Academy Award winner Holly Hunter, serves as the link between these worlds – she’s both the commander of the USS Athena and the head of Starfleet Academy.

This short clip from the beginning of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy might contain details you missed, or it could offer new insights if you haven’t seen or don’t fully remember events from Star Trek: Discovery.

USS Athena Is Starfleet Academy

A unique idea in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is that the starship USS Athena is actually Starfleet Academy itself. Captain Ake’s ship serves as the school’s main facility, and when docked in San Francisco, it functions as the campus.

A clever element of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is the USS Athena, which functions like a “teaching hospital” in space. This allows cadets to gain practical experience on a starship while undertaking missions. It was a smart way to blend the action and adventure fans expect from Star Trek with the educational setting of the academy, preventing the show from becoming solely focused on classroom scenes.

In the beginning of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, the USS Athena is a recently launched starship on its maiden voyage. However, it quickly sustains damage after being attacked by Nus Braka (played by Academy Award nominee Paul Giamatti) and the Vanari Ral.

Captain Ake Wears Glasses

When the starship USS Athena detects a strange energy disturbance in the Badlands, Captain Ake steps away from the captain’s chair and puts on a pair of glasses. While it’s uncommon to need glasses in the 32nd century, it has happened before in the world of Star Trek.

As Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) started needing glasses in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Captain Ake’s use of spectacles might be a reference to Kirk turning 50. Considering Ake is a very old, 422-year-old half-Lanthanite, her need for glasses could also be related to her age or species.

Lura Thok Is Starfleet Academy’s Cadet Master

Captain Ake refers to Lura Thok (Gina Yashere) as “Number One” because she’s his First Officer on the USS Athena. Similar to Captain Ake, Lura also works at Starfleet Academy, where she’s responsible for the students’ welfare. That’s why Ake tells her to “get to the kids” when the USS Athena comes under attack.

Lura Thok has a unique heritage – she’s half-Klingon and half-Jem’Hadar. The Jem’Hadar, first seen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, were cloned soldiers created by the Dominion. They were engineered to need a substance called ketracel-white to guarantee their obedience. Notably, the Jem’Hadar seen in DS9 were all male; there were no females.

The new series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, takes place 800 years after Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Over that long period, the Jem’Hadar could have changed significantly, perhaps even interbreeding with Klingons. We also don’t know if the Dominion still exists by the 32nd century.

Starfleet Has Personal Transporters In Star Trek’s 32nd Century

When the USS Athena came under attack, Captain Ake told Cadet Master Lura Thok to ensure the safety of the cadets. Thok immediately teleported from the ship’s bridge to the Atrium and began the process of securing the cadets in their rooms.

In Star Trek: Discovery, combadges are shown to be advanced 32nd-century devices. They not only function as communicators, but also include personal transporters, virtual tricorders, and the ability to create phasers using programmable matter.

Even in the 32nd century, starships still include traditional transporter rooms for bringing items and people aboard. However, Starfleet officers now also have personal transporters built into their combadges.

USS Athena Was Attacked By A Programmable Matter Variant

Nus Braka and the Vanari Ral attacked the USS Athena using a cutting-edge technology called programmable matter. First seen in Star Trek: Discovery, this 32nd-century innovation is made up of tiny molecules that can quickly rearrange themselves into any shape that’s been programmed into them.

Imagine a future where everyday objects, like furniture or even starships, can be created from a single, adaptable material. This “programmable matter” is so versatile that Starfleet officers in science fiction could even create devices like tricorders and phasers directly from their combadges.

Programmable matter is a futuristic technology seen in Star Trek that allows ships to change shape and even separate into different parts, like the nacelles on some starships. In the story Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, a character named Nus Braka uses a special, weaponized version of this technology to build and reconfigure her ship from individual pieces.

Starfleet Has DOTs In Star Trek’s 32nd Century

The small robots and drones seen moving around the USS Athena are called DOTs. First appearing in Star Trek: Discovery, these versatile robots handle maintenance and repairs both inside and outside starships and space stations.

In the Star Trek universe, DOTs – small, helpful robots – aren’t just for assistance; they can even extinguish fires, as shown in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Star Trek: Picard revealed that Starfleet had been using DOTs since the early 25th century, and their technology has improved over time.

The Doctor Is USS Athena’s Chief Medical Officer

Robert Picardo reprises his role as The Doctor in a four-minute clip from Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. The 800-year-old Emergency Medical Hologram is vital to the rescue efforts, helping cadets secure the academy and treating the wounded after the USS Athena comes under attack – just as he was on Star Trek: Voyager.

According to Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, The Doctor also holds the position of Chief Medical Officer aboard the USS Athena. He’s in charge of a team of holographic doctors who weren’t active when the ship was damaged.

We already knew The Doctor teaches at Starfleet Academy, and now we’ve learned he’s also serving as a crew member on the USS Athena, just as he did aboard Captain Kathryn Janeway’s (Kate Mulgrew) ship, the USS Voyager.

Nus Braka Met Captain Ake Before

Nus Braka appears on the USS Athena’s bridge as a hologram to challenge Captain Ake. Braka mocks Ake, pointing out that fifteen years have passed, but Ake still looks remarkably well. This exchange hints at a long-standing rivalry between them and reveals that Nahla is part Lanthanite.

The trailer for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy reveals that fifteen years ago, Captain Ake failed to prevent the kidnapping of Caleb Mir’s mother (played by Tatiana Maslany) by Nus Braka. Later, Ake brings Caleb to Starfleet Academy, assuring him the Federation will work to find his mother.

Oded Fehr as Admiral Charles Vance, Tig Notaro as Commander Jett Reno, and Mary Wiseman as Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly will be featured in the new series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, strengthening its ties to Star Trek: Discovery.

2025-12-08 06:20