Deflector Shield

Deflector shields, usually just called shields, are force fields that surround a starship, space station or planet to protect it from attacks and natural hazards. On starships they are divided into forward, aft, port, starboard, dorsal and ventral sections and are projected either from a dish such as the navigational deflector or from a grid of emitters on the hull. They have been standard on starships since at least the 23rd century.