Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery’s Series Finale – “Life, Itself”

Star Trek: Discovery‘s series finale offered a glimpse of Admiral Michael Burnham’s (Sonequa Martin-Green) future, revealing something significant about the United Federation of Planets of the 33rd century. Since jumping to the 32nd century, Captain Burnham and the crew of the USS Discovery have helped the Federation and Starfleet rebuild. After the devastation and uncertainty caused by the Burn, many felt that having the headquarters of the Federation on Earth made the planet a potential target. By the year 3089, Earth had left the Federation anyway, so the headquarters were moved into space.

In Star Trek: Discovery‘s 32nd century, a Pax-class Starship known as the USS Federation served as a mobile space station housing both Starfleet and Federation Headquarters. After the collapse of the Emerald Chain following Star Trek: Discovery season 3, new structures were added to the station, which also served as the temporary location for the recently reopened Starfleet Academy. When Earth and Fed HQ were threatened by the Dark Matter Anomaly in Discovery season 4, the station itself, as well as its separate decks, became warp-capable starships that could relocate to a safe distance. Although neither the Burn nor the DMA are threats anymore, Federation Headquarters remains in space even in Star Trek: Discovery’s 33rd century.

Star Trek: Discovery’s Ending Revealed The Federation Never Returned To Earth

Federation Headquarters has stayed in space.

After Star Trek: Discovery season 5’s main storyline comes to a close, the show’s coda jumps about 30 years into the future to check in with Michael Burnham and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala). Burnham has become a four-star Admiral and made a life with Book on Sanctuary Four, and the two share a son named Leto (Sawandi Wilson). When Leto, a newly minted Starfleet Captain, comes to pick up Admiral Burnham for one last mission on the USS Discovery, they fly to Federation Headquarters in a shuttle. Fed HQ seems to have added a couple of additional space stations, but, evidently, they never returned to Earth.

United Earth rejoined the Federation in 3190, but by that point, Federation Headquarters had already been in space for decades. With species from many different planets traveling to and from Fed HQ, it was likely easier to keep the station in space. Plus, the ability to transform into a warp-capable ship has already proven useful once and likely will again. Earth might still be weary of being home to such a crucial facility, and the space station seems like a more convenient location anyway. With the advancements in technology in the 32nd and 33rd centuries, it’s not surprising that a mobile space station would be the most effective location for Federation Headquarters.

Starfleet Academy Does Return To San Francisco

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has been confirmed to take place, at least in part, on Earth.

Although Federation Headquarters will remain in space for the foreseeable future, Starfleet Academy will return to its original home of San Francisco, California. While there are satellite campuses located all over Federation space, the headquarters of Starfleet Academy has long been located in San Francisco, and only left Earth sometime after the Burn. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will follow a new class of cadets, who will presumably spend much of their time on Earth, attending lessons. Still, it wouldn’t be Star Trek without starships, and producers behind Starfleet Academy have assured fans that the show will still include ships and space travel.

It has also been confirmed that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will take place in Discovery’s far future, leaving the door open for some of Star Trek: Discovery’s characters to return. Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) has a Starfleet Academy instructor since Star Trek: Discovery’s season 4, making her the most likely character to make the jump to the new show. While nothing has been confirmed regarding any Discovery cast members, Academy Award-winner Holly Hunter will play the Chancellor of the Academy and the series lead. Whether or not any characters from Star Trek: Discovery pop up on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, the next Star Trek series will take the Academy back to its roots on planet Earth.

All five seasons of Star Trek: Discovery are available to stream on Paramount+.

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  Star Trek: Discovery

  Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

  Cast

  Sonequa Martin-Green
  , Doug Jones
  , Anthony Rapp
  , Wilson Cruz
  , Mary Wiseman
  , Blu del Barrio
  , Callum Keith Rennie
  , Eve Harlow
  , Oded Fehr

  Seasons

  5

  Showrunner

  Alex Kurtzman

  Where To Watch

  Paramount+

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  Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

  After being closed for over a hundred years, Starfleet Academy is reopening its doors to those who wish to pursue a career as Starfleet Officers. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will follow a new group of cadets as they come of age, and build friendships, rivalries, and romantic relationships while being threatened by a new adversary that could destroy the Academy and the Federation itself.

  Cast

  Holly Hunter

  Seasons

  1

  Showrunner

  Alex Kurtzman
  , Noga Landau

  Where To Watch

  Paramount+