The voyages of Star Trek's USS Enterprise now include an extensive restoration at the hands of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Work on preserving the 11-foot (3.4 meters) model craft is now underway, in an effort to make the ship resemble how it looked in the episode "The Trouble with Tribbles." That episode was the last known modification to the model during the rutren of Star Trek. The model appeared in all 79 episodes of the original Star Trek TV series, which ran from 1966 to 1969.
"It will go back on public display in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall this year, in time for the museum's 40th birthday in July and the 50th anniversary of Star Trek in September," museum officials wrote in a blog post on Jan. 28.
Museum officials will paint the Enterprise in April using reference photos from the model's history, partly gathered from Trek fans who took pictures of the ship over the years. The engine casings (nacelles) will house LED lights that will mimic what fans saw on the TV show.
"The LED lights can be programmed to match the original VFX [visual effects] footage while eliminating the burnt-out bulbs, extreme heat and motor problems that troubled the original lights," said museum conservator Ariel O'Connor in the same statement. "It is a wonderful solution to re-light the nacelles while ensuring the model's safety and longevity."
Meanwhile, the model has been separated into its components for individual study, photographing and X-raying to determine their condition. So far, conservators have found that the secondary hull needs a metal collar to stabilize the structure, which is currently held together by old adhesive and no other support.
Analysis revealed many levels of paint overlaying the structure, applied during four generations of filming and four previous restorations. Only one exterior spot, the top of the saucer, had the original paint. That part will be cleaned and stabilized, while everything else will be painted to match the original hull's gray color. (A large portion of that shade of gray was also found under the saucer bolt cover, making matching fairly simple.)
To advise on the paint job, the museum added two new experts to its advisory committee: Academy Award-winner Bill George from Lucasfilm's Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and Kim Smith, now with Creature Art & Mechanics Digital and formerly with ILM.