Star Trek's Galileo Seeks Out New Life and New Civilizations ... in Santa Ana

A Santa Ana movie prop company has gone where no Santa Ana movie prop company has gone before.

Propworx Inc. on Dyer Road recently won an auction for the Galileo shuttlecraft from the original Star Trek, according to Starfleet International, the world's largest and oldest fan club forever geeked by the 1966-69 television series.

Starfleet pegged the final price at $61,000 but reported it will take another $100,000 to bring the mock shuttle back to its former glory. Restoration funded by a nonprofit Propworx manages is under way, according to the fan club.

Named after 16th and 17th century physicist, mathematician and astronomer Galileo
Galilei, the Galileo NCC-1701/7 was one of four shuttlecraft carried aboard the fictional U.S.S. Enterprise.

"Dammit, Spock, I'm not a shuttlecraft pilot, I'm a doctor!"

It was referred to in episode 13 ("The Conscience of the King") but not shown due to the cost to build it. Instead, Capt. James Tiberius Kirk takes Lenore Karidian to the observation corridor that overlooks the shuttlecraft's empty hangar deck. Designed by production designer Walter "Matt" Jefferies, who also drew the specs for the iconic Enterprise, Galileo showed up for the first time in episode 14 ("The Galileo Seven"). Galileos was "destroyed" as part of the plots of later episodes, leading to replacement crafts.

Star Trek Auction Seeks New Life and New C-Notes

After Star Trek's cancellation in 1969, Paramount donated the Galileo to the Braille Institute in Los Angeles, intending that it become a plaything for children. Ironically, the hobby kit model version of the Galileo did not hit stores until 1974, an early clue that the show had a shelf life (and cult following) exceeding the original three-year run on NBC.

The years after the shuttlecraft was donated included many ownership changes, many years of neglect in the open elements and even some Christ-like missing years, according to a fascinating series of posts on the Propworx site.