Despite the lack of an in-world explanation for the meaning behind “NX,” many fans and “Star Trek” novelists have come to accept the meaning behind Starfleet’s designation “NCC” as naval in origin, leading to speculation that “NX” could stand for “naval experiment.” This makes sense since the letters are generally connected to experimental and prototypical technology.
As related in Archer’s “First Flight” tale, there were only a few pilots involved with the original NX Test Program, including himself, A.G. Robinson (Keith Carradine), Duvall, and Gardner. The program was highly competitive, with each of the pilots involved vying for the first flight using the engine Archer’s father had designed. The first test ship, the NX-Alpha, broke up shortly after hitting warp 2.2, with Archer and Robinson eventually exceeding 2.5 in the NX-Beta.
The first starship class developed using this engine was designated as “NX-class,” with two of the most notable ships being the Enterprise NX-01 and Columbia NX-02; the latter is seen in the “Enterprise” episode “Affliction.” This designation can be seen as late as the 24th century, with the prototypical transport ship the USS Bradbury NX-72307 that shows up in the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” episode “Ménage à Troi,” among others.
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