Deep Space Nine Confirmed To Exist In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's 32nd Century

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1, Episode 5 - "Series Acclimation Mil"Deep Space Nine, the space station, was confirmed to exist in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's 32nd century 2 years ago. Written by Kirsten Beyer and Tawny Newsome, and directed by Larry Teng, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5 brought Star Trek: Deep Space Nine back to the forefront by honoring the legacy of Avery Brooks as Captain Benjamin Sisko.

Series Acclimation Mil aka SAM (Kerrice Brooks) embraces her mission as Emissary of her people, the Kasqians, after being inspired by Captain Sisko's life as the Emissary of the Prophets of Bajor. SAM is guided by Professor Illa Dax (Tawny Newsome), the host of the Dax symbiont with Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrerll) and Lt. Ezri Dax's (Nicole de Boer) memories of Captain Sisko.

Jake Sisko (Cirroc Lofton) also manifested to SAM and spoke in his father's name. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5's ode to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine contextualized that beloved 24th-century-set series for generations of Star Trek fans old and new. However, the DS9 space station itself still exists in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's late 32nd century.

Star Trek: Discovery Confirmed Deep Space Nine Still Exists In Starfleet Academy’s 32nd Century

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 9, "Lagrange Point," confirmed the existence of Deep Space Nine in the 32nd century. The names of DS9 and the planet Bajor are visible on-screen in a star chart. It's at the very bottom left corner below the planet Trill in the map of Star Trek's Alpha Quadrant.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy picks up in 3195, four years after Star Trek: Discovery's ending, which took place in 3191. Presumably, the Deep Space Nine space station is still standing and wasn't destroyed during the interim of the two 32nd-century-set Star Trek series.

It's unclear whether space station DS9 still looks the same as it did in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. DS9 may have been refitted or rebuilt by the United Federation of Planets from its original form as a converted Cardassian mining facility.

As for the logic of Deep Space Nine still running after more than 800 years, consider that the Golden Gate Bridge is still standing in the 32nd century San Francisco across the bay from Starfleet Academy.

Star Trek: Discovery’s DS9 Homages Helped Set Up Starfleet Academy

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is a direct spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery, which laid the groundwork not just for Starfleet Academy but also for some Star Trek: Deep Space Nine concepts and characters in the 32nd century.

Star Trek: Discovery season 3 showed 32nd century Ferengi and Lurians, while Star Trek: Discovery season 4 included a Changeling. Federation President Laira Rillak (Chelah Horsdal) also debuted as a Bajoran, Cardassian, and human hybrid.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's main villains were the Breen, the refrigeration suit-wearing aliens who came to prominence in the latter stages of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Dominion War. L'ak (Elias Toufexis) also showed what the Breen looked like beneath their helmets for the first time.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5 was a loving ode to Captain Benjamin Sisko, and it didn't close the door on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Given that it should still exist, there is now potential for Starfleet Academy and the War College's cadets to visit the Deep Space Nine space station.