Star Trek 101: Who is Zefram Cochrane?

In the world of Star Trek, Zefram Cochrane is the first human to successfully launch a space vessel with warp drive, on April 5, 2063. Because the development of warp drive is the Vulcan criterion for establishing first contact with a planet's species, Cochrane's invention launches a new era in human history that leads to interaction with alien species through space exploration.

In Star Trek: First Contact, Cochrane, played by James Cromwell, Cochrane constructs his ship, the Phoenix, out of an old Titan II missile in Bozeman, Montana. This attracts the attention of a nearby Vulcan exploration ship which sends a landing party to the launch site to establish first contact.

The Zefram Cochrane character first appeared in the original series episode "Metamorphosis" by Gene L. Coon in 1967; he was played by Glenn Corbett. In "Metamorphosis" Cochrane has been rejuvenated and kept alive into the 22d century by an interesting entity known as The Companion.

Cochrane said at the dedication of the first Warp 5 Complex on Earth, "This engine will let us go boldly where no man has gone before," in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Broken Bow".

Geordi LaForge, Enterprise chief engineer in Star Trek: The Next Generation, attended Zefram Cochrane High School.

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