Prime Directive
Starfleet's General Order 1: do not interfere.
In Star Trek, the Prime Directive, also called Starfleet General Order 1 or the non-interference directive, forbids Starfleet members from interfering with the natural development of alien civilisations. Its aim is to protect unprepared civilisations from the advanced technology, knowledge and values starship crews could bring.
Quick Facts
- Also called
- General Order 1; non-interference directive
- Applies to
- Starfleet
- Text first shown
- Star Trek: Prodigy, First Con-Tact (2021)
Lore & Background
Since the first season of the original series it has been the centre of many episodes as a moral question about how to make contact with new worlds. Characters paraphrased it for decades, but its text was only shown in 2021, in the Star Trek: Prodigy episode "First Con-Tact".
The text shown there bars crews dealing with a less developed civilisation from identifying themselves or their mission, from interfering with its social, cultural or technological development, and from referring to space, other worlds or advanced civilisations.
More in History & Behind the Scenes
Elsewhere in Star Trek
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