Deep Space Nine is a fictional space station in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Originally a Cardassian mining and refinery station named Terok Nor in orbit around Bajor, it was abandoned and wrecked towards the end of the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. The station was originally commanded by Gul Skrain Dukat, the last Cardassian prefect of Bajor, until 2369 when the Federation and Bajorans assumed command of the station. It was then renamed Deep Space Nine (DS9) and commanded by Captain Benjamin Sisko until the end of the Dominion War, when Colonel Kira Nerys assumed command. After the discovery of the Bajoran wormhole circa stardate 46379.1, the station was moved to the mouth of the wormhole to consolidate Bajor's claim to it.

Physically, the station is composed of a broad outer Docking Ring, an inner Habitat Ring, and a central core containing the fusion reactors, the Promenade public area, and Ops, the command centre. Sweeping up and down from the Docking Ring and defining a spherical shape are three sets of docking pylons. In all, the station is over a kilometer in diameter.

The station serves as a base for the exploration of the Gamma Quadrant via the wormhole, and is a hub of trade and travel for the denizens of the sector. It is the home port of a number of runabouts; the USS Defiant, an experimental warship, is added to its complement later in the series.

The station and its crew played a vital role to the intense politics surrounding the Bajoran sector, the wormhole, and their environs. After the encounter with the Dominion and owing to the volatile conditions, the station is retrofitted and heavily armed.

During the Dominion War, the station is lost to Dominion control in 2374. The station stayed in the hands of the Dominion for months and was eventually retaken after the Battle of Bajor by Federation and Klingon forces.

This station is of similar design to Empok Nor.

According to The Star Trek Encyclopedia, 2nd ed.:

The station model was designed at the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine art department by Herman Zimmerman and Rick Sternbach. Contributing artists included Ricardo Delgado, Joseph Hodges, Nathan Crowley, Jim Martin, Rob Legato, Gary Hutzel, Mike Okuda, and executive producer Rick Berman. The miniature was fabricated by Tony Meininger.

External links

• Deep Space Nine at the Internet Movie Database
• Deep Space Nine at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek WikiWiki
• "Deep Space 9" at the Neutral Zone Starship Database
• "Deep Space Nine" Discussion Forum, part of the larger TrekBBS