We know that Captains Kirk and Picard work for Starfleet.
Or do they work for the United Federation of Planets?
What’s the difference?
After a long wait, the U.S.S.Enterprisehas received a response from the planet Eminiar VII.
But the message they receive in return is simple: stay away.
When Kirk gets that reply, he intends to respects their wishes.
But no sooner does he order theEnterpriseto change course than a man arrives on the bridge and overrides Kirk.
After all, who could override the Captain on his own ship?
So what is the difference between the Federation and Starfleet?
By the time ofStar Trek: The Next Generation, the Federation contained over 150 member worlds.
Starfleet is a branch of the Federation, devoted to exploration and defense.
But the two organizations have a long and fascinating history that reveals a much more complex working relationship.
The term Starfleet doesnt show up until Court Martial in season one.
At least, thats the idea.
However, the variousStar Trekshows and movies also feature a lot of shooting.
Thats because Starfleet is responsible for the Federations military actions as well.
The tonal differences between these two movies capture the tension at the heart ofStar Trek.
The prequel seriesStar Trek: Enterprisedoes a nice job working that tension into the shows overall plot.
During that conflict, Starfleet served as Earths defense against the Xindi, which necessitated putting combat before exploration.
From that event, dubbed First Contact Day, the Vulcans guided humanitys first steps into deep space.
While the four species squabbled regularly, they came together during the Babel Crisis.
Six years later, the four primary planets formed the United Federation of Planets.
The Federation tends to be an aspirational organization.
However, it must also be recognized as a political organization, which makes it attractive to schemers.
To Boldly Imagine
So, the Federation and Starfleet arent exactly separate institutions.
Rather, their mission and functions bleed into one another on a regular basis.
Its easy to see why newcomers get confused and longtime fans seem to use the terms interchangeably.
And when we work together, we can go farther than we ever dreamed.
