This ship was assigned to Deep Space 9.Īround stardate 51597, Worf and Jadzia Dax took the Shenandoah to the Badlands to intercept a message from a Cardassian defector named Lasaran. The USS Shenandoah (NCC-73024) was a Federation Danube-class runabout operated by Starfleet. The Rio Grande was still in service in the year 2385, at the time of the Star Trek: The Fall novel A Ceremony of Losses.For the 22nd century United Earth Starfleet ship, please see Shenandoah. :fast_forward: The Micro Machines runabout model was marked as the Rio Grande, as was the AMT/Ertl model kit (on the packaging, at least, as the builder could name the model Rio Grande, Ganges, or Yangtzee Kiang) and the Furuta kit. :fast_forward: The Rio Grande was shown with phaser banks on the upper forward section of the nacelle in some episodes and without the phasers in other episodes. :fast_forward: In 'Treachery, Faith and the Great River', the Rio Grande was inadvertently given the registry of the USS Shenandoah, rather than its own previously-established registry number. It did crash in 'The Ascent', but it was apparently salvaged. :fast_forward: The Rio Grande was the only runabout out of the original three runabouts (Rio Grande, Ganges, and Yangtzee Kiang) assigned to the station to remain intact throughout the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine seven-year run. :fast_forward: The computer voice of the Rio Grande was provided by Majel Barrett. :fast_forward: The Rio Grande (in English, 'Big River') was named after the Rio Grande river in New Mexico, and on the border of the state of Texas and Mexico. However, the trip took a fateful turn as Sisko and Quark were captured by the Jem'Hadar, the soldiers of the Dominion. It was the first time Jake and Nog had been there. Later that year, Sisko took his son Jake, along with Quark and Nog into the Gamma Quadrant aboard the Rio Grande. While en route back to Deep Space 9, the Rio Grande had the honor of being only the second Federation vessel to enter the mirror universe, the first being the USS Defiant NCC-1764, and the only one known to Starfleet. (DS9: 'The Maquis, Part II')ĭoctor Bashir and Major Kira used the Rio Grande to travel to the New Bajor colony in the Gamma Quadrant so they could help set up the colony's hospital. (DS9: 'Paradise')Īlong with the USS Mekong and the Orinoco, the Rio Grande was used to stop the Maquis from attacking Bryma, a Cardassian colony in the Demilitarized Zone. They then transported over to the Rio Grande to determine the origin of the runabout's course, later taking the Orinoco in tow as they returned to Orellius.

When the Orinoco caught up with the Rio Grande, Dax, inspired by an old Hopi rope trick, used the Orinoco's tractor beam to force the Rio Grande out of warp. Major Kira and Lieutenant Dax pursued the Rio Grande aboard the Orinoco. Her attempt failed, and the ship was deflected across Sector 401, unpiloted, until it was reported to Starfleet by the Romulan ship Gasko. The Rio Grande remained in orbit until it was hijacked by Alixus, who attempted to destroy the runabout by setting its course into the system's sun, Orellius Minor. Upon discovering a class M planet in the Orellius system, they transported down to the planet's surface. On stardate 47573.1, Commander Sisko and Chief Miles O'Brien explored systems near the Bajor sector aboard the Rio Grande in search of planets suitable for colonization. The roll bar was removed for all future missions. For this mission, the Rio Grande was equipped with a roll bar module. The Rio Grande was used to pursue the hijacked USS Orinoco containing Quark, Lieutenant Dax, and Ensign Melora Pazlar. (DS9: 'Vortex')Īfter the USS Yangtzee Kiang crash landed on a moon in the Gamma Quadrant, the Rio Grande was deployed to rescue Sisko, Bashir, Kai Opaka, and Major Kira, who were on board the Yangtzee Kiang. Several months later, Sisko and Dax took the Rio Grande to Rakhar. Later the Rio Grande was used to transport Doctor Bashir, under the control of the criminal Rao Vantika and hired mercenaries, to steal a shipment of duridium from the freighter Norkova. Major Kira Nerys and Doctor Julian Bashir piloted the Rio Grande back to Deep Space 9 when they received a priority one distress signal from the Kobliad transport ship Reyab.

The Rio Grande gained fame as the vessel piloted by Commander Benjamin Sisko and Lieutenant Jadzia Dax on the mission that discovered the Bajoran wormhole in 2369. The Rio Grande was the first vessel to discover the Bajoran wormhole in 2369, and was the only Starfleet runabout to remain operational at Deep Space 9 for seven years after.

Uss rio grande