Photo: CBS

CBS’ Star Trek: Discovery is set exactly 10 years before the original Star Trek and fits in neatly in the Prime timeline. Thanks to the many shows and films made after the original series, the Star Trek universe has become vast and complicated. Read on to find out where the new series fits in the Star Trek timeline.

September 24, 2017, was a great day for Trekkies because Star Trek: Discovery debuted on CBS! The series is about a human orphan named Michael Burnham who was raised with Vulcan traditions and grows up to become a Starfleet officer. Since its premiere, fans have been wondering where Star Trek: Discovery fits into the timeline. Considering that there have been so many films, TV shows, and even animated series made since the original Star Trek from 1966-1969, it’s not surprising that people are confused about what timeline Star Trek: Discovery is in. We have all the details you need about the Star Trek: Discovery timeline, right here.

Prequel to the Original

How does Star Trek: Discovery fit into the larger Star Trek timeline? The new CBS show is a prequel to the original Star Trek,  set 10 years before the adventures of Captain Kirk and Spock. The writers of Star Trek: Discovery said that it will maintain continuity with the original series, and events soon to be seen will explain plot points in the original Star Trek. This means that Star Trek: Discovery will take place in the Prime timeline, a period in which each of the TV shows and original films lay.

Things Get Confusing

Things got very confusing for fans of Star Trek when in 2009, J.J. Abrams rebooted the series and created a new timeline for the already complicated Star Trek universe. In his film, a Romulan ship travels back in time and destroys the USS Kelvin, killing Kirk’s father, George Kirk, in the process. All three of J.J. Abrams’ movies take place in this alternative timeline called the Kelvin timeline. To catch you up on the Star Trek universe, we have details of the two different timelines:

Prime Timeline

Star Trek: Enterprise (TV Series)

Set between: 2151-2161

Air date: 2001-2005

Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series)

Set in: 2255

Air date: 2017

Star Trek (original TV series)

Set between: 2265-2269

Air date: 1966-1969

Star Trek: The Animated Series

Set between: 2269-2270

Air date: 1973-1974

Original Star Trek Movies

(Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

Set between: 2273-2293

Air date: 1979-1991

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series)

Set between: 2364-2370

Air date: 1987-1994

Next Generation Movies

(Star Trek: Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, Star Trek: Nemesis)

Set between: 2293-2379

Air date: 1994-2002

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series)

Set between: 2369-2375

Air date: 1993-1999

Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series)

Set between: 2371-2378

Air date: 1995-2001

Kelvin Timeline

Star Trek 

Set between: 2233-2258

Release date: 2009

Star Trek: Into Darkness

Air date: 2013

Star Trek: Beyond

Air date: 2016

Differences Will Be Explained

Star Trek: Discovery has a different look from the original Star Trek series, as both the uniforms and the look of the Klingons have changed. But the writers insist that all the differences between Star Trek: Discovery and the original will be explained. So, make sure to watch Star Trek: Discovery and lose yourself to the future of space travel! This is one ride you will never forget!