First contact

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This article is about the concept. You may be looking for the TNG episode: "First Contact" or the TNG movie: First Contact.

First contact is a term used to describe the initial meeting between two alien races.

One of the most historically significant first contacts was that between the Humans of Earth and Vulcans, in 2063. This meeting lay the foundation for what would eventually become the United Federation of Planets.

Misunderstandings are common in first contact situations, and can lead to unintended and tragic results. Such was the reason for the institution of Starfleet's Prime Directive, which generally forbade contact with races that had not yet developed warp drive. Decisions on initiating first contact were generally made by Starfleet's First Contact Office. (TOS novel: Prime Directive)

In the late 23rd and 24th century, alien races believed to be on the brink of developing advanced technologies would often be observed by Federation specialists in order to better understand the cultures in advance of first contact. These observations were conducted by nearby bases in system, from duck blind posts or by placing surgically-altered observers within the local population. (TOS novel: Prime Directive, TNG episodes: "Who Watches the Watchers?", "First Contact")

It should be noted that first contact does not necessarily represent an actual first encounter so much as the opening of relations (or, in the worst case, hostilities). For example, Earth and Federation Starfleet ships had several rogue encounters with the Ferengi prior to formal first contact in 2364. Another example was the case of exiled Cardassian poet Iloja of Prim, who eventually settled on Vulcan decades before the Federation and the Cardassians first started to interact.

First contact scenarios were the subject of the book The Ripple Effect by former Starfleet Captain Rixx. (ST novel: Articles of the Federation)

Contents 1 A List of First Contacts 1.1 1925 1.2 1934 1.3 2022 1.4 2030 1.5 2053 1.6 2063 1.7 2072 1.8 2073 1.9 2151 1.10 2152 1.11 2153 1.12 2162 1.13 2164 1.14 2167 1.15 2217 1.16 2252 1.17 2254 1.18 2258 1.19 2264 1.20 2266 1.21 2267 1.22 2268 1.23 2270 1.24 2302 1.25 2364 1.26 2365 1.27 2366 1.28 2367 1.29 2371 1.30 2376 1.31 2380 2 External Links

[edit] A List of First Contacts

[edit] 1925

• The Orions and Tholians make first contact with each other. (ST roleplay module: All Our Yesterdays: The Time Travel Sourcebook)

[edit] 1934

• The Andorians and Orions make first contact with each other. (ST roleplay module: All Our Yesterdays: The Time Travel Sourcebook)

[edit] 2022

• The Andorians make first contact with the remains of the mysterious Vegan Tyranny. (FASA RPG)

[edit] 2030

• The Rigellians and the Tellarites make first contact with each other. (FASA RPG)

[edit] 2053

• The Vulcans make first contact with the Arkonians. (ENT episode: "Dawn")

[edit] 2063

• Vulcans make first contact with humans following Zefram Cochrane's warp flight. (TNG movie: Star Trek: First Contact)

Numerous sources offer different explanations on Vulcan's first contact with Earth. FASA states that Earth was already exploring space when one of their Franklin series probes discovered a Vulcan colony whilst Strangers from the Sky states that the UNSS Amity discovered a disabled Vulcan craft near the orbit of Neptune which became the source of first contact between the two races.

[edit] 2072

• The Orions make first contact with the Klingon Empire. (FASA RPG)

[edit] 2073

• Humans make first contact with the Tellarites. (FASA RPG)

[edit] 2151

• Humans make first contact with the Klingon Empire and the Suliban. (ENT episode: "Broken Bow")
• The Enterprise NX-01 makes first contact with the Axanarri. (ENT episode: "Fight or Flight")
• The Enterprise makes first contact with the Xyrillians. (ENT episode: "Unexpected")
• The Enterprise NX-01 makes first contact with the Fazi and the Hipon on the planet Fazi. (ENT novel: By the Book)
• The Enterprise makes the first human contact with the Andorians on the Vulcan world, P'Jem. (ENT episode: "The Andorian Incident")

Spock's World states that Humanity first encountered the Andorians before the Vulcans which allowed Earth to lose some of its xenophobia but this was overridden by canon.

• The Enterprise makes first contact with the Akaali. (ENT episode: "Civilization")
• The Enterprise makes first contact with the Valakians. (ENT episode: "Dear Doctor")
• The Enterprise makes first contact with the Eska. (ENT episode: "Rogue Planet")
• Unofficially, the Enterprise makes first contact with the Ferengi. (ENT episode: "Acquisition")

[edit] 2152

• The Enterprise makes first contact with the Tandarans. (ENT episode: "Detained")
• The Enterprise makes first contact with the Kreetassans. (ENT episode: "Vox Sola")
• Unofficially, the Enterprise makes first contact with the Romulan Star Empire. (ENT episode: "Minefield")
• The Enterprise makes first contact with the Shisali. (ENT short story: "You Are Not in Space")
• The Enterprise makes first contact with the Takret. (ENT episode: "The Catwalk")

[edit] 2153

• The Enterprise makes first contact with the Vissians. (ENT episode: "Cogenitor")
• The Enterprise makes first contact with the Xindi. (ENT episode: "The Xindi")

[edit] 2162

• Starfleet makes first contact with the Nisaaren. (ST novel: Starfleet: Year One)

[edit] 2164

• The Federation makes first contact with the inhabitants of the Delos system. (TNG episode: "Symbiosis")

[edit] 2167

• The USS Archon makes first contact with the Betans of Beta III. (TOS episode: "The Return of the Archons")
• The USS Horizon makes first contact with the Iotians. (TOS episode: "A Piece of the Action")

[edit] 2217

• The USS Valiant makes first contact with the Eminians of Eminiar VII. (TOS episode: "A Taste of Armageddon")

[edit] 2252

• The Bolians make first contact with the Federation. (ST roleplay module: All Our Yesterdays: The Time Travel Sourcebook)

[edit] 2254

• The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the Talosians. (TOS episode: "The Cage")
• The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the Calligar. (TOS novel: The Rift)

[edit] 2258

• The USS Hood makes first contact with the Rey from the planet Gullrey. (TOS novel: The Great Starship Race)

[edit] 2264

• The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the Trelorians. (TOS novel: Captain's Peril)

[edit] 2266

• The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the First Federation. (TOS episode: "The Corbomite Maneuver")

[edit] 2267

• The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the Gorn. (TOS episode: "Arena")
• The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the Horta. (TOS episode: "The Devil in the Dark")

[edit] 2268

• The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the inhabitants of Triskelion. (TOS episode: "The Gamesters of Triskelion")
• The USS Exeter makes first contact with the Yangs and the Kohms on Omega IV. (TOS episode: "The Omega Glory")
• The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the Melkotians. (TOS episode: "Spectre of the Gun")
• The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the Fabrini. (TOS episode: "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky")
• The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the Petraw. (TOS - Gateways novel: One Small Step)

[edit] 2270

• The USS Enterprise makes first contact with the Mercans. (TOS novel: The Abode of Life)

[edit] 2302

• The Federation makes first contact with the inhabitants of Angel I. (TNG episode: "Angel One")

[edit] 2364

• The USS Enterprise-D makes first contact with the Star-jellies and the Q Continuum. (TNG episode: "Encounter at Farpoint")
• The USS Enterprise-D makes the official first contact with the Ferengi. (TNG episode: "The Last Outpost")
• The USS Enterprise-D makes first contact with the Edo. (TNG episode: "Justice")

[edit] 2365

• The Enterprise-D makes first contact with the Dremans. (TNG episode: "Pen Pals")
• The Enterprise-D makes the "official" first contact with the Borg. (TNG episode: "Q Who?")

[edit] 2366

• The USS Enterprise-D makes first contact with the Mintakans. (TNG episode: "Who Watches the Watchers?")
• The USS Enterprise-D makes first contact with the Zalkonians. (TNG episode: "Transfigurations")

[edit] 2367

• The USS Enterprise-D makes first contact with the Paxans. (TNG episode: "Clues")
• The USS Enterprise-D makes first contact with the Malcorians. (TNG episode: "First Contact")
• The USS Enterprise-D makes first contact with the Cytherians. (TNG episode: "The Nth Degree")

[edit] 2371

• The USS Defiant makes first contact with the Founders of the Dominion and the Meridians. (DS9 episodes: "The Search", "Meridian")

[edit] 2376

• The USS Defiant makes first contact with the Vahni Vahltupali in the Gamma Quadrant. (DS9 novel: Unity)

[edit] 2380

The USS Io makes first contact with the Trinni/ek. (ST novel: Articles of the Federation)

[edit] External Links

• First contact article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.