Last modified: 2006-08-26 by marc pasquin
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The Star Trek Federation of Planets appears to use something closely based on the UN flag.
Stuart Notholt, 15 November 1995
The gif I got originally had black background, but I changed it to 'deep blue' (but I am ready to correct it if I am wrong). We were discussing once that black flags might be expected when mankind start to colonize outer space, as an analog to blue flags connected with maritime countries. I must say that this flag with black background looks to me much more apropriate then blue one.
Željko Heimer, May 1996
A recent episode of Deep Space Nine showed a flag in a courtroom situation which included the words "United Federation of Planets" along the bottom. One would think that being one of the three major powers in this quadrant of the galaxy would keep them from feeling compelled to write their name on the flag as well.
It's not a bad theory [black vs. blue], but given that Star Trek retains a lot of ties to naval concepts, I'm not so sure how much they'd change. Also, black flags seem to have an association with piracy or death -- I don't know if this prejudice might have disappeared in a couple of centuries.
Dipesh Navsaria, 9 June 1996
The United Federation of Planets flag has appeared only a handful of times. It appears in two slight variants in the early films: In Star Trek: The Motion Picture, one is seen hanging in the Enterprise's Recreation Room. In Star Trek II, the exact same flag (or perhaps a slight variant) is placed over Spock's casket at the film. On both occasions, the flag is a royal blue with a propotionally small Fedeation seal centered and no words (it may contain the letters UFP, however.) The Great Seal of the United Federation of Planets was modified somewhat for use in the more recent TV series (The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager). It would appear the DS9 guys decided to do a flag towards the end of that show's fifth season, inspired quite a bit more heavily by that of the UN. The flag is slightly lighter and the newer seal is used, filling up about as much of the flag as the UN seal does. Running across most the bottom are the Words "UNITED FEDERATION of PLANETS" all in caps except "of." The font looks remarkably similar toTimes New Roman, although since the Trek art dept. are ardent Mac users, this may not be the case. That flag was reused on that show numerous times since then, especially over caskets during the war with the Dominion that filled up the end of the show's run. The only time it has been shown flying was briefly in the episode "Take Me Out the Holosuite".
Tom Aylward-Nally 19 December 1999
The banner is seen in the episode "and the children shall lead" during a short ceremony beside the graves in which are
burried dead members of the UFP scientific team.
The banner itself is made of a stiff red
cloth (like homespun OSLT), approximately 30 cm along the top edge,
so maybe 50 cm top to bottom, 13 white fivepointed stars are sewed
(or glued) to it made of a similar rough material. The letters UFP
are made of yellow ribbon about a centimeter wide attached to the
field. The letters are distinctivly yellow and not white as the
Technical Manual makes it. The banner is attached to some meter and a
half hight thin metal staff, that apparently goes though the banner
so that it is invisible on either side, both of the sides bearing the
same design (readable proberly on both, of course).
It seems that there is no special flag salute or other flag related ceremony
connected with it. It seems that after a speech (possibly, the scene
starts immediately after it) from Captain Kirk above the graves the
banner is simply stuck into the ground. Not soon afterwards a child
run into it and the banner falls to the ground, but that does not
seem to bother anyone much (the way one should supposedly react if a
real flag hit the ground), even if Kirk immediately put it
back up.
Željko HEIMER, 24 january 2003
Regarding the incident with the child, it may have been either that a) the situation (kids at a
funeral) didn't make a protocol-incident appropriate, or b) the UFP is not treated as a government, so its flag doesn't have such a high status, or c) such things don't matter in the future (horrors!), or d) it's not the actual flag, but a "banner."
Nathan Lamm, 24 january 2003
I guess it would be the last option, since the flag was very dark blue and
white triband.
Željko HEIMER, 24 january 2003
According to the Star Fleet Technical Manual TM:379260, Technical Order
TO:00:02:00, the United Federation of Planets (UFP) has not a flag but a
'banner' - this must be a term of the future since the picture shows what
I'd call an oriflamme. It is red, with 13 stars (5+2+2+2+2) and the letters
UFP in silver. Official colours are Starfleet Uniform Colours red N?SF10UC
and silver N?SF01UC. |
United Space
image by Željko Heimer
On my behalf, Bjo Trimble interviewed set designer William W. Thiess and we discovered that the "United Space" flag was three unequal stripes of cloth, dark blue, white, dark blue stapled together.* These were draped and placed on the pole so as to simulate a draped horizontal tri-band flag. Attached to the top of the staff were two (one each) trapezoidal "streamers", one red and one white.
Long time watchers of the show will recall that "United Space" was an early term for the "United Federation of Planets", perhaps even the fictional political entity which preceded the UFP.
When that flags were reproduced for the 1972 Equicon (an Early Star Trek fan convention) in Los Angeles the white "stripe" was described as an "edge-on view of the Milky Way Galaxy.
Jim Ferrigan, 7 december 2002
It's not quite contemporary with the banner- a different season, I think. Can you name the episode it was from? The blue seems too dark compared to the pictures posted.
Nathan Lamm, 1 february 2003
Initially I made the blue as British Royal Navy blue (RGB 0-0-102),
that is itself a very dark shade but Jim suggested that it should be
even darker, so this is it. When you think of it, it should represent
the "deep blue space", and an extremly dark blue seems appropriate.
The white stripe is said to represent symbolically the Galaxy full of
stars. So the flag is kind of a side view of the Milky Way.
The red banner features in TOS episode 59 "And the Children Shall
Lead", Season 3, the stardate is given as 5029.5.
For the two flags mentioned above, Jim quoted that the script refered
to as "The United Space Flag" and the "Command Flag". The are seen in
TOS episodes 11 and 12 "The Menangerie" part I and II, stardates are
given as 3012.4 and 3013.1. (This I was reporting in December 2002).
According to Stardates essay by Andrew Main, included in the Star
Trek Explorer (v. 3.4, Bob Yewchuk), in this period 4400 units of
stardate equals rought to two and a half year, so the difference is
about one year. I'd say that's rather contemporarily. These events
goes on the in years 2260's, by Gregorial calendar. The banner goes
on to be seen in ST Voyager (and I think also in TNG epsiodes?). The
banner and the flag obviously fulfill different purposes.
Željko Heimer, 2 february 2003
Note that there's no official meaning to stardates before the TNG era- all explanations given are made up, albeit sometimes convincingly, by fans. In any event, Season One (apart from the two pilots) is 2266-67, and Season Three is 2268-69- in other words, exactly 300 years from when they were aired. The Animated Series fits in about 2269, if at all.
While there were banners in the TNG era, they were not the red one. However, you are correct: Those banners were clearly decorative, as opposed to the official UFP/Starfleet flags.
Nathan Lamm, 1 february 2003
An episode of DS9 shows a yellow flag for Starfleet, which is the semi-military organization of the Federation charged with the duty of defence, exploration, and assistance. As far as I could tell is had the Starfleet insignia in the middle on a yellow field, with the words Starfleet along the bottom.
Dipesh Navsaria, 9 June 1996During a hearing of a Dabo girl Leosa in Admiral Paris' quarters in
the Starfleet Communications Research Center two flags are hoisted in
the back of his desk. Unfortunately, both have the emblems partially
covered, but it seems that both carry the same emblem inscribed
STARFLEET COMMAND - (UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS). The left flag is
gray with the emblem while the right one is yellow. Actually, it may
well be that the yellow flag has somewhat different inscription,
possibly refering to the Comm. Research Center, though it seems that
the emblems are otherwise entirely equal - however that part of the
emblem is not visible at any moment.
Željko Heimer,, 4 november 2003
The yellow flag is the standard Starfleet one, often hung in offices
next to the Federation's. I've always wondered about the grey one-
especially so if it has a standard fleet emblem. Perhaps it's just a
color match- in other words, neither is an official flag, but they
look good side-by-side. I should also point out that the color grey
increasingly appears in Starfleet uniforms in this period. Perhaps
it's an admiral's, or Fleet Command, flag.
Nathan Lamm,, 4 november 2003
There is a extradiction hearing for Worf after destroying a ship in a
battle. As is already usual the flags in ST series in most usually
seen in court rooms - here behind the Vulkan judge Admiral T'Lara of
the Star Fleet. To her left the flag of the Star Fleet Command.
It is yellow with SFC emblem (as I posted recently reporting
from epsiode VOY 151), but here the emblem appears to be in multiple
colours - unfortunately, the quality of copy I have do not allow me
more detailed analysis.
Željko Heimer,, 23 november 2003
In DS9 126 "Behind the Lines", Captian Sisko is transfered on Star Base 375. In his office there is
the yellow flag of the Star Fleet Command, similar as described in
VOY 151, but here the emblem is multicoloured - background blue with
white stars that seem irregulars, the parabolic shape white the star
voided (showing blue with stars), the check shape yellow bordered
black, the two rings red, black between them, inscription white.
Željko Heimer,, 30 november 2003
In VOY 166 "Friendship One", The two flags, the yellow and the gray one, just as in VOY 151, are
seen behind Admiral Hendricks, talking to Janeway by interstelar
video-link, giving orders to her. A better closeup showes that they
are not as I posted previously - having slight differences in the
colouring of the emblems (otherwise apparently the same emblems).
The gray flag has the same gray emblem bakcground, the dark gray
"parabolical shape" (for lack of better name) with gray star in it,
double red ring with white inscription. The "check shape" is not
visible.
The yellow flag has the dark gray emblem, the gray parabolical shape
with dark gray star, outer rigng is red, but inner one seems to be
also gray, inscription white, the check shape is hardly seen, might
be yellow or gray, hard to tell.
Željko Heimer,, 30 november 2003
image by Željko Heimer using a logo found here
In the ST:TNG episode 119 titled "The First Duty" (Season Five) the
flag of the Starfleet Academy is seen. The Starfleet Academy is
located in the (24th century) San Francisco on Earth, and it is the
school that makes the officers of the famous explorers - the
Starfleet. The flag follows the apparently traditional pattern of the
unit emblem set in the middle of the unicoloured sheet. In this case
the filed is white. The logo is triangular, bordered red with white
inscription in that border "STARFLEET ACADEMY / EX ASTRIS, SCIENTIA /
SAN FRANCISCO . MMCLXI", the interior shows the black shape of the
Golden gate bridge (right?) and a radiating rising sun from right
against gray sky; atop the bridge is the Starfleet logo in yellow and
red (yellow elipse and red parabol). The Starfleet Academy was established, if we believe the logo,
in AD 2161.
Željko Heimer, 27 august 2003
Starfleet was established much earlier-it exists by the time of
the latest series, in 2151. The United Federation of Planets was
established in 2161, and the Academy in the same year. Fleet
officers seem to have trained at other locales (much like the US'
ROTC) in the meantime, and the Fleet was an Earth organization, only
later folding into the UFP.
And that logo is no longer used by the early 2370's- the badge
itself has a trapezoidal background, and there's no background at
all on many Fleet emblems.
It is the Golden Gate Bridge in the logo, by the way- logically
enough. Starfleet Headquarters in north of San Francisco, in modern-
day Marin County, across that bridge from the city, along with the
Federation Council (the President's offices are in Paris). It's
usually called "San Francisco," probably out of convenience- many
other Fleet and UFP offices are in the city itself. The Academy is
nearby- it's filmed on an actual estate.
Nathan Lamm, 27 august 2003
Light blue with the ship's emblem in the middle, emblem consisting of
a black bordered parabolic shield containing a black five-pointed
star with much elongated top ray.
Željko Heimer, 7 December 2002
The star is only the symbol of one of the three divisions aboard (granted, it's Command). Are you certain it was there?
Nathan Lamm, 1 february 2003
No, I'm not. I was discussing this with Jim Ferrigan, and he suggested me to enlarge the emblem to 2/3 of hoist height (since I initially made it half the hoist). I asked him similarly, but I can't find his answer. Here is part of my thoughts from that correspondence:
The central emblem in the Enterprise insignia (the star) stands for the "command branch" (if that is the name for it). It is worn on the insignia of the officers of the command, helm, navigation and like. Other officers on the ship use other central emblem: "hexagonal spiral" (for the lack of better name) for ingeneering, communication and security crew; two circles by science and medical and good old red cross by nurses. If the central "branch insignia" (to call that emblem so) is part of the ship insignia, does it mean that ships are also classified into "branches". If so, does it mean that e.g. a captain of a "science ship" does not wear the patch that equals the ship's patch but the one with different "branch insignia"?Željko Heimer, 2 february 2003
The Engineering/Services symbol is a stylized spiral galaxy (like ours); the Sciences symbol is a stylized ringed planet.
Does a command officer of a science ship wear sciences insignia? Well, there was an alternate future story in The Next Generation finale in which Dr. Crusher, the Enterprise's Chief Medical Officer, is in command of a medical vessel, but wears Command colors. On the other hand, Mr. Spock is both First/Executive Officer and Chief Science Officer, yet wears Sciences Colors- except in the movies, when, upon his promotion to captain rank (he's still XO), he wears Command Colors. So the rule seems to be those at captain rank (and above) wear Command colors and insignia, no matter their department; those below wear department colors, whatever their other positions.
Nathan Lamm, 3 february 2003
The first double episode of TOS is 11 and 12 being The Menangerie part I
and II.
Much of the episode is in setting of a court martial trying Mr. Spock for treason. The court is addorned
by two flags behind the three judges. One of the flag is light blue with some white elements, like the UN flag or
somesuch organizational flag.
Željko Heimer, 7 december 2003
According to Bjo Trimble who interviewed set designer William W. Thiess, the flag was a light blue rectangle in the center of which was the Command Insignia of the USS Enterprise.
Jim Ferrigan, 7 december 2003
The crew of DS9 plays a game of baseball against (Starfleet) Vulcan
ship's crew. During the game,
There is a pennant set above the Niners (it is the name of the
DS9 team) bench, apparently from a stif material and not of textile.
It is triangular, light blue with the Niners logo at hoist and
inscription to the fly "NINERS" and below it in smaller font "DEEP
SPACE NINE". The logo conists of a white baseball with red stiches
like this )( where the fly stich is covered over with the pilons of
the red silhuete of the DS9 station to the fly of the ball. The fonts
used for inscriptions are that of the DS9 series title typeface.
Željko Heimer, 23 december 2003