The away team onKolarus III
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Anaway team was a team of specializedstarship orstarbasecrewmembers assembled to performmissions onplanet surfaces and other starships. An individual who participated in an away team was identified as anaway team member. (VOY: "Darkling", "Macrocosm")
Thesemissions, deemedaway missions, might include exploration,first contact,diplomacy,scientific research, or even combat. These missions are typically launched using a ship'stransporter to send the crew to their destination, or byshuttlecraft, when use of the transporter was impossible or undesirable.
See also:List of away teams
Common away team procedures[]
In the23rd century it was common for thecommanding officer to join the away team on its'mission. In the2260s for example,CaptainJames T. Kirk constantly joined other crew members on alanding party orboarding party. Forflag officers, doing so would be againstStarfleet regulations, unless joined by an armedescort. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
In thealternate reality it was against regulation for the captain to join the away team. WhenKirk toldSpock he was "going with him." Spock told him that he would cite regulation to him, but he knew that he'd "ignore it." (Star Trek)
A 24th century away team preparing to beam down
In the24th century, thefirst officer usually formed and led the away team. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint", "The Pegasus") It was standard procedure for thesecond officer to be part of such a team and for captains not to accompany. (TNG: "Time's Arrow") On theUSSEnterprise-D it was custom for the leader of the away team to have total control over themission, including the allocation of personnel to the team. (TNG: "Peak Performance")
Starfleet regulations, specificallyStarfleet Code Section 12, Paragraph 4, recommended against the captain joining away missions. (Star Trek Nemesis)Data once remindedCommanderRiker of the captain's place on thebridge, as didCounselorTroi. (TNG: "Gambit, Part I", "The Best of Both Worlds")
It was both the personal policy of CaptainKathryn Janeway and recommended Starfleet protocol that away teams should consist of more than one member. (VOY: "Hunters") Despite this, CaptainJean-Luc Picard specifically sent Data as an away team of one toVandor IV due to the nature of thetemporal distortions occurring there and his unique nature as anandroid, preventing him from feeling the disorientation that would be experienced by other crew members. (TNG: "We'll Always Have Paris") Similarly,The Doctor was once sent as the lone member of an away mission to aGaranminingcolony. His unique status aboard the crew as aphotonic lifeform gave him protection from themacrovirus that was infecting the Garan, though thevirus was not detected by thebiofilters of theUSSVoyager upon hisbeaming back, resulting in its spread. (VOY: "Macrocosm")
A passing proficiency requirement was necessary to participate in an away team. (VOY: "Good Shepherd")
Types of away teams[]
- A-6 excavation team
- Assault team
- Boarding party
- Damage control team
- Engineering team
- Forensic team
- Landing party
- Observation team
- Rescue team
- Security team
- Survey team