USS Grissom (NCC-638)

USS Grissom (NCC-638) was a Oberth-class science scout on active duty in Starfleet until 2285. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) Grissom was launched ca. 2270. (TOS novel: The Lost Years)

Prior to TNG: "The Naked Now" -- in which the Tsiolkovsky was referred to as being of the Oberth class, different technical documents referred to the Grissom as being of the the Gagarin-class, Garneau-class, or Glenn-class.

Commanded by Captain J.T. Esteban on what would be its last mission, Grissom was tasked with surveying the Mutara sector and the Genesis Planet. David Marcus and Lieutenant Saavik beamed down to the planet after the ship's sensors indicated life signs within the torpedo casing that had been used as Spock's coffin. A Klingon bird-of-prey, commanded by Kruge, destroyed Grissom and all aboard.

Fanon continuity

Orion Press

The executive officer/helm officer of Grissom was named Justine Smythe.

The Grissom's dedication plaque, as seen in the continuity of Star Trek: Grissom.

Star Trek: Grissom

History

The Grissom launched in 2270 from the Copernicus Fleet Yards and had an illustrious history as of 2282. Then-Commander Spock was intended to be her commanding officer at some point. (Star Trek: Grissom: "One Small Step")

J.T. Esteban took command of the Grissom in 2280. His close friend Lawrence Styles stated Oberth-class starships were "beneath him". (Star Trek: Grissom: "One Small Step")

Over the Christmas/New Year period of 2282 and 2283, the Grissom ferried Ambassador Robert Fox to Elas for a "courtesy call" before rotating some crew. The USS Enterprise had been predisposed and unable to take Fox to Elas, so the Grissom was assigned instead. (Star Trek: Grissom: "One Small Step")

Some crew members, including Paul Hewson, felt uneasy about the Grissom straying from science-based missions, especially so close to the Klingon Empire, as the Grissom was built "for the study of astronomical phenomenon and data gathering on stars and planets". (Star Trek: Grissom: "One Small Step")

Sometime in the future, Starfleet planned to add a stellar cartography suite aboard the Grissom. (Star Trek: Grissom: "One Small Step")

Crew

The crew of the USS Grissom included:

• Captain J.T. Esteban (commanding officer)
• Lieutenant Commander Christopher Chattman (communications officer)
• Lieutenant Saavik
• Lieutenant Junior Grade Rebecca Sato (helm officer)
• Petty Officer First Class Bacari Jata (navigator)
• Doctor Carol Marcus
• Dr David Marcus

Gagarin-class starships
USS Bluford - USS Bondarenko - USS Christa McAuliffe - USS Cooper - USS Grissom - USS Leonov - USS McCandless - USS McKay - USS Ride - USS Shepard - USS Tereshkova - USS Thagard

Garneau-class starships
USS Garneau - USS Grissom

Glenn-class starships
USS Grissom

Oberth-class starships
Prototype: USS Oberth
USS Bonestell - USS Cochrane - USS Cooper - USS Copernicus - USS Grissom - USS Lowell - USS Patentote - USS Pegasus - USS Raman - USS Schirra - USS Thagard - SS Tsiolkovsky - USS Ve'hal - SS Vico - USS Yosemite (I)
Orion Press: USS Bondarenko - USS Cooper - USS Glenn - USS Lowell - USS Oberth - USS Mercury - USS Schirra - USS Tereshkova - SS Tsiolkovsky - Project Potemkin: USS Cooper - USS Lowell
Starfleet Command (RPG): USS Cochrane - USS Copernicus - USS Yosemite (II)
Starfleet International: USS Katherine Johnson - USS Thagard
Trekmania: USS Armargosa- USS Voyager
Star Trek: Distant Horizons: USS Bashir - Star Trek G: USS Orichalcum - Star Trek: Outpost: USS Chimera - USS Leone - Star Trek: Phoenix-X: USS Phoenix-A - Star Trek: Pendragon: USS Pegasus - USS Westphalen - SS Whitcomb - Star Trek: Pioneer: USS Clark - Star Trek: The Adventures of Argus: USS Yosemite (I) - Star Trek: Zeta: USS Gemini-B

Background information

Grissom was named for the American astronaut Virgil Grissom.

External links

• USS Grissom (NCC-638) article at Memory Alpha, the canon Star Trek wiki.
• USS Grissom (NCC-638) article at Memory Beta, the non-canon Star Trek wiki.