A Dyson sphere is a massive structure completely enclosing a star; such a sphere would contain and absorb its star's total energy output, thus allowing for near-indefinite habitation of its interior. The concept was first theorized on Earth in the 1950s by Dr. Freeman Dyson.
In the 24th century, neither the United Federation of Planets nor any known alien culture has either the engineering ability or the technology to create a functional Dyson sphere.
The first Dyson sphere encountered by the Federation was discovered by the USS Enterprise-D in 2369, located in the Norpin sector. While studying the sphere, the Enterprise crew recovered Captain Montgomery Scott from the wreckage of the USS Jenolin, which crashed there in 2294. (TNG: "Relics")
In 2370, Starfleet dispatched the USS Freeman Dyson to study the sphere. (Decipher RPG sourcebook: Worlds)
After being defeated by the Iccobar, the Iconians left their technology and people in ten spheres. (Star Trek: Unity)
The Tholian homeworld was a type of Dyson Sphere capable of sustaining an environment and ecosystem. (Star Trek: Freedom)
External links[]
- Dyson sphere article at Memory Alpha, the canon Star Trek wiki.
- Dyson sphere article at Memory Beta, the non-canon Star Trek wiki.