Archer System

The Archer System (also known as 61 Ursae Majoris) is an inhabited star system in the United Federation of Planets. It is approximately 31.2 lightyears away from Earth. It was one of the first systems explored by the Enterprise (NX-01) in 2151 and is named after its captain, Jonathan Archer. Human colonisation of Archer IV, the only inhabitable planet in the system, began shortly after the Enterprise had visited the planet.

Archer IV

During the initial survey of Archer IV, toxic pollen was discovered on the planet, which could cause most humanoids to hallucinate. An antidote was later created to allow colonisation to begin. Over time, the pollen was eventually removed after extensive research was carried out on its impact on the planet’s ecosystem.

Since the 22nd century, Archer IV has become one of the most thriving colonies in the Federation. As it was one of the first uninhabited M-class worlds to be surveyed by humanity, several historical monuments are scattered across Archer IV and references to the crew of the Enterprise. From a fleet museum containing several of the early Warp 5 ships to a massive statue of Jonathan Archer himself resides in the centre of the planet’s capital city. The statue also includes his dog, Porthos, who was the first Earth creature to set foot (or paw) on the planet, followed by Archer himself. The Cutler Entomology Centre, located on the planet, is the leading entomology institute in the Federation. It is named after the Enterprise’s entomologist, who was part of the initial survey team led by Archer.

Overview

The Archer system serves as a critical backup in case of emergencies affecting the Sol System and other key member worlds of the Federation. It can turn into the seat of government for the Federation and headquarters for Starfleet in a matter of hours after presidential orders have been issued. Consequently, it is heavily fortified with numerous orbital defence platforms, planetary shields and an impressive tachyon detection grid. It is fully equipped for swift action. During the Dominion War, significant resources were channelled to the Archer system to ensure if Earth or other core worlds were to fall, the Federation government could take its last stand here. The system has been placed on standby to take over as the seat of the Federation government three times over the course of two centuries. This included the Whale Probe Incident in 2286 and the two Borg incursions in the late 24th century. The protocol was nearly activated during Frontier Day in 2401, but the Borg signal had already reached Archer IV, and the system was slowly being taken over. Thankfully, swift action was taken to disable the entire defence network that operated around the system to prevent the Borg from gaining control.

Along with a number of shipyards and maintenance yards in orbit of the fifth planet, a Guardian-class starbase sits in orbit of Archer IV, known as Archer Station. Archer Station is responsible for the key defences of the system and provides headquarters to the Federation’s Third Fleet. It also monitors any traffic entering and passing by the nearby Arachnid Nebula.

Like many other core worlds, the Archer system is utopian in that its inhabitants can continue their daily lives without disruption. The Borg signal during the Frontier Day incident was the first time in several generations that the population was placed in critical jeopardy. Billions of people live in the Archer system, though most are human.

In Play

Like Earth and Alpha Centauri, the Archer system should be considered comparable to depictions of Earth and the Sol system in terms of established settlement, cities, infrastructure, and industry. It is as far from a harsh, small colony as one can get.

External Information

Archer IV at Memory Alpha
61 Ursae Majoris at Memory Alpha