In space station classification, an asteroid base was a fixed installation in space, a space station type built on or into small celestial objects like asteroids. In the 22nd century, Nausicaan pirates operated from a Nausicaan cargo station to prey on freighters and evade authorities. (ENT episode: "Fortunate Son")

History and specifics[]

In the 2150s decade, at least one Nausicaan cargo station was built into the surface of an asteroid and included docking arms for vessels, a central built-up cave and additional surface buildings. In the year 2151, the Earth Cargo Service freighter ECS Fortunate ran afoul this base during a counter-attack on Nausicaan pirates. (ENT episode: "Fortunate Son")

In 2256, Starfleet operated a prison station in the Mandel star system. Facility 2047 was built into an asteroid and included a docking bay for starships. The secrecy of the prison's location was compromised by a Klingon attack during the Federation-Klingon War of 2256-2257. (STO - Age of Discovery mission: "The Plausibility of the Possible")

Starfleet operated science outposts based on asteroids, called research asteroids. (LD episode: "Envoys")

In 2409, the House of B'vat operated the clandestine Klingon Weapon Research Facility within a donut-shaped asteroid in the Briar Patch, inside Federation territory. At the time, the Federation-Klingon War of 2405-2410 was on. The facility was raided by Starfleet in cooperation with Starfleet Intelligence. (STO - Klingon War mission: "Secret Orders")

Mirror universe[]

In the mirror universe, a Tholian base operated from an asteroid in the Vintaak system. (ENT episode: "In a Mirror, Darkly")

Both in the primary universe and the mirror universe, the Izar system was the site of the Top Secret Research Facility in the 25th century. (STO - Terran Gambit mission: "Firewall")

In the First Splinter^[1] timeline of the mirror universe, Memory Omega remained hidden from the Terran Empire and Klingon-Cardassian Alliance by operating from asteroids with Genesis caves. (ST - Mirror Universe novel: The Sorrows of Empire)

Subypes[]

Colony[]

A hollowed-out asteroid could serve as a habitat for a population. In the mid-24th century, Talaxian refugees settled in such an asteroid inside an asteroid field at Nocona's star^[2] in the Delta Quadrant. (VOY episode: "Homestead")

By the 25th century, this group had resettled on a larger asteroid in the Entaba system. (STO - Delta Quadrant mission: "Reunion")

Prison facility[]

Starfleet built prisons into asteroids in secret locations for inmates requiring high levels of security. The cover of Facility 2047 was blown in the year 2256. (STO - Age of Discovery mission: "The Plausibility of the Possible")

In 2409, the time-displaced Dominion battle group of the 2800 found and attacked Facility 4028 in the Ayala system. (STO - The 2800 mission: "Facility 4028")

Research asteroid[]

A research asteroid was a type of science outpost built on and into asteroids. (LD episode: "Envoys")

Tholian base[]

A Tholian base was a large base built into hollowed asteroids with a dedicated space to hold starships. The Tholian base in the Vintaak system was used to study the 23rd century primary universe USS Defiant (NCC-1764). (ENT episode: "In a Mirror, Darkly")

In the primary universe, the Tholian Assembly maintained asteroid bases in the Azure Nebula to capture Romulan warbirds. (STO - Task Force Operation mission: "Azure Nebula Rescue")

In an alternate timeline where the Federation was conquered, the Tholian Base held the time-displaced primary universe USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-C) in 2409. (STO - Yesterday's War mission: "Temporal Ambassador")

Appendices[]

Connections[]

Space station classification
Crewed	asteroid base • battle station • drydock • Dyson sphere • fleet station • fleet starbase • mining station • shipyard • research station • science station • starbase • subspace relay • trading station
Uncrewed	defense satellite • pulse cannon (station) • satellite • sensor array (station) • torpedo turret

References[]