A wooden model of Starship Enterprise 1701 from the iconic TV show 'Star Trek' has been authenticated. [Credit: Willrow Hood/Shutterstock]
Key Takeaways:
The long-lost original model of the Starship USS Enterprise, personally owned by franchise creator Gene Roddenberry and missing for over 45 years, has been positively identified.
The model resurfaced on eBay in 2023, but the auction was pulled due to concerns it might have been stolen, leading to its authentication by Gene Roddenberry's son, Rod Roddenberry, and experts.
Used for publicity and as a guide for the larger filming model, it disappeared around 1978 after being loaned to a production company for *Star Trek: The Motion Picture* and never returned.
After cleaning and preservation, Rod Roddenberry plans to display the authenticated model publicly, likely in a museum.
The first model of Star Trek‘s Starship USS Enterprise that was the personal property of franchise creator Gene Roddenberry and has been missing for more than 45 years has been positively identified as the real deal.
The model showed up on eBay in 2023, but the auction was quickly taken down when the seller learned the model might have been stolen.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
![A wooden model of Starship Enterprise 1701 from the iconic TV show 'Star Trek' has been authenticated. [Credit: Willrow Hood / Shutterstock]](https://www.flyingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/shutterstock_2246864759-scaled-e1698961374375.jpg)
