Ranks and Positions
Science Officer
| The Starfleet Science officer combines a capacity for analyzing technical information with an ability to communicate in terms that non-specialized personnel can understand. |
The Science officer is responsible for overseeing scientific investigations, and for providing the captain with data that may be required to make command decisions.
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| The relative importance of this role differs according to the nature of the vessel or station to which the Science officer is assigned; a Starfleet vessel primarily designated as a research vessel, such as the USS Grissom NCC-638, which was sent to investigate the Genesis Planet in 2285, had a very high concentration of scientists aboard compared to ships designed primarily for exploration. | |
| Starfleet science | Science officers are often called upon to analyze and explain newly encountered phenomena and technology, especially if it threatens the safety of the crew or ship. When Mr. Spock was Starfleet Science officer he was renowned for his analytic skills that helped save the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 on numerous occasions |
| Other famous Starfleet personnel who began their career as science specialists include captain Janeway and Jadzia Dax, who had distinctions in exobiology, zoology, astrophysics and exoarcheology. |