Shields up!

In our continuing series of Star Trek trivia, we ask:

Where was the term Shields first mentioned in Star Trek?

Enterprise Model

Our Enterprise model outside the GFC Personnel Offices

The word Shields appears for the first time in the TOS episode “Balance of Terror” (1966), where they were used, not too effectively, by a Federation outpost which was being attacked by the Romulans.  The first time Shields were used by a starship was in the TOS episode “Arena” (1967).  For the very first time in Star Trek history, the USS Enterprise raised its Shields when it was attacked by an alien starship.  It’s interesting to note that the episode “Arena” was also the first Star Trek episode to demonstrate a fact that we all take for granted:  It’s not possible to beam in or out of starships when Shields are deployed.

For further information about Shields in the fictional Star Trek universe, see here.

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License