The Starship Enterprise NX-01 was launched by the United Earth Starfleet in 2151 under the command of Captain Jonathan Archer prior to the founding of the United Federation of Planets in 2161. The first NX-class starship and the first vessel fitted with a warp five engine, the ship was crucial in establishing United Earth as a legitimate interstellar power.
The bridge of the NX-01 was circular with a heavy emphasis on function over aesthetic. The captain’s chair was centrally located, with the helm station positioned forward of the captain at a lower elevation. Several duty stations surround the outer edges of the bridge, such as the science and communications stations on the port side, as well as the security and engineering stations on the starboard side. The situation room at the rear of the bridge served as an informal briefing room for senior staff.
Main engineering was located on E Deck of Enterprise. From here all of the ship's propulsion and other critical engineering systems could be controlled and monitored. The ship's warp core, which allowed Enterprise to travel faster than light, stood in the center of the room. The NX-class was Starfleet's first ship equipped with the revolutionary warp five engine. It was designed under the Warp Five program in the 22nd century by a team of scientists led by Dr Henry Archer and Dr Zefram Cochrane, inventor of warp drive on Earth.
As portrayed in Star Trek: Enterprise (TV, 2001 - 2005) Designed by Doug Drexler and the Star Trek: Enterprise art department under Herman Zimmerman, the NX-01 was a retro take on the Akira-class that had appeared in previous Star Trek productions.
As portrayed in Star Trek: Enterprise - “Broken Bow” (TV, 2001) This configuration of the bridge of the NX-01 was seen in the first season of Star Trek: Enterprise. It was designed to appear as a mid-way point between the spaceflight technology of the time of filming and the futuristic technology envisioned by Star Trek: The Original Series.
As portrayed in Star Trek: Enterprise - “Broken Bow” (TV, 2001) Enterprise NX-01's engineering set was built on Stage 18 at Paramount Pictures. The horizontal orientation of the warp core was on that of the U.S.S. Enterprise in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, clearly showing the NX-01's older design. It featured ample access panels and interfaces, giving the perception of an earlier design that required constant maintenance. The main light effects of the warp core were created by bouncing lights with colored gels off of rotating discs covered in aluminum foil. This created the slow, swirly patterned light effect visible through the transparent parts of the core.