Like many, my journey into science fiction began with Star Wars back in 1991, and since then, I’ve explored countless universes from Star Trek to Battlestar Galactica and The Expanse. While debates about which fictional technology is superior often fill online forums, I’ve always been more intrigued by a simpler question: just how big are these starships compared to each other? When John Crichton in Farscape first laid eyes on Moya and exclaimed about its massive size, it sparked my curiosity. How do these iconic vessels really stack up in terms of dimensions?
This fascination led me to compile starship size comparison charts. While many fan-made charts exist, I wanted to create a comprehensive resource that included both official “canon” starships and intriguing non-canon fan designs, especially within the Star Trek universe. Drawing inspiration from resources like the Advanced Starship Design Bureau, the Starfleet Museum, and even the fan fiction series Star Trek: Renaissance, I set out to visually represent these comparisons.
Initially, this was a personal side project to satisfy my own curiosity about Comparing Star Sizes of these fictional behemoths. However, these charts have unexpectedly become a popular resource, even circulating across the web beyond my own site. So, for fellow enthusiasts of sci-fi and starship dimensions, here are the cross-series starship size comparison charts.
Star Trek Starship Comparison Charts
Pre-Federation Starships (to 2161)
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Alt text: Star Trek Pre-Federation starship size comparison chart showing relative sizes of early Starfleet vessels.
Federation Starships (2161-2300)
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Federation Starships (2300-2400)
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Alt text: Star Trek Federation starship size comparison chart from 2300-2400, illustrating the scale of various Starfleet ships of that era.
Ships of the Alpha/Beta Quadrants
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Ships of the Gamma/Delta Quadrants
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Alt text: Star Trek ships of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants size comparison chart, highlighting the scale differences between different alien vessels.
Large Starships and Stations
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Huge Starships and Stations
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Alt text: Star Trek shuttlecraft and small starship size comparison chart, displaying the dimensions of smaller vessels relative to each other.
Shuttlecraft and Small Starships
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Far Future/32nd Century
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Alt text: Star Trek alternate timeline starship size comparison chart, comparing sizes of ships from the rebooted film universe.
Alternate Timeline
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General Sci-Fi Comparison Charts
Small
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Alt text: Medium sci-fi starship size comparison chart, showing the relative scale of medium-sized spaceships from various science fiction franchises.
Medium
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Large
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Alt text: Huge sci-fi starship size comparison chart, depicting the immense scale of massive spaceships and stations from different sci-fi universes.
Huge
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Frequently Asked Questions about Starship Sizes
Can you add my favorite ship from my favorite series?
I’m always looking to expand these charts and include more ships. My focus is primarily on sci-fi TV shows and movies rather than video games. The main reasons a ship might be missing are simply because I’m not familiar with every sci-fi series out there, or because I haven’t been able to find suitable images for comparison. To add a ship, I would need a high-resolution side view image (at least 1000 pixels wide) and a reliable source for the ship’s size specifications.
Did you get the size wrong for a particular ship?
It’s definitely possible! Figuring out the exact dimensions of these fictional ships can be tricky. Often, there are conflicting numbers from different sources, and sometimes, I’ve had to make educated guesses based on their on-screen appearances. I’ve aimed to use the most credible measurements available, but I’m always happy to review new information if you have a source I might have missed.
What about the Death Star?
The Death Star’s omission is intentional. Firstly, it’s so incredibly massive that it dwarfs even the largest ships on these charts. Secondly, even official sources disagree significantly on its actual size, especially when considering visual inconsistencies like the Executor crashing into it in Return of the Jedi. Without a clear consensus on its dimensions, accurately representing the Death Star’s size becomes problematic.
Can I get poster-sized versions of these charts?
Currently, the charts are optimized for screen viewing, around 2000 pixels wide. Printing them at poster size would likely result in a blurry image, as higher-resolution source images for many of the ships are needed. Creating poster-quality charts would be a significant undertaking requiring much more detailed source material.
Idle Stats (as of 2022-06-17): 945 total ships and space stations, including 607 from Star Trek (86 non-canon designs).
