"Explorers" is the 68th episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 22nd episode of the third season. It premiered May 8, 1995.
Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the space station Deep Space Nine near the planet Bajor, as the Bajorans recover from a decades-long, brutal occupation by the imperialistic Cardassians. In this episode, the human station commander Benjamin Sisko, having taken an interest in Bajoran culture, builds a replica of an ancient Bajoran spacecraft.
The episode achieved a Nielsen rating of 6.7 points when it was first broadcast.
Contents
Plot
Benjamin Sisko has been studying Bajoran culture, and believes that old legends may hold a grain of truth: ancient Bajorans may have travelled outside their own solar system using solar wind to power small craft—perhaps even reaching as far as the Cardassian homeworld.
Sisko has obtained diagrams of a lightship and decides to build the vessel and retrace the route of the ancient Bajorans. A brief conversation with the Cardassian officer Dukat reveals political undertones to the adventure: a success would mean accepting accomplishments of the ancient Bajorans that the Cardassians have dismissed as "fairy tales". Despite initial reluctance, Sisko's son Jake agrees to accompany him on the voyage.