Discovery Season 5 Could Be The Federation’s Voyage Home

The United Federation of Planets could make its voyage home to Earth in Star Trek: Discovery season 5. One of the most shocking changes made by Star Trek: Discovery season 3 was Earth no longer being part of the Federation in the 32nd century. Soon after The Burn eliminated warp travel in the Alpha Quadrant, Earth banished the Federation and became an isolationist planet for the next century, and reverted to being known as United Earth. But United Earth decided to rejoin the Federation at the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 4, and this could open the door to the Federation returning to its homeworld.

When faced with destruction from the Dark Matter Anomaly in Star Trek: Discovery season 4, United Earth decided to join the Federation’s effort to initiate First Contact with the DMA’s creators, Species 10-C. United Earth’s Captain Ndoye (Phumzile Sitole) joined the Federation’s delegation aboard the USS Discovery-A as Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) led her starship through the Galactic Barrier into another galaxy. Ndoye and United Earth cooperating with the Federation ended a hundred years of hostility, and the success of the Species 10-C mission even prompted United Earth’s President (Stacey Abrams) to visit Federation headquarters to announce to President Laira Rillak (Chelah Horsdal) that Earth wanted back into the Federation. Nothing was said about the Federation basing itself on Earth once again, but it’s now a possibility in Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Related: Discovery Season 5 Needs To Show The 32nd Century Enterprise

Earth Was The Federation’s Home Until Discovery Season 3

Until the 31st century prior to Star Trek: Discovery season 3, Earth was the homeworld of the United Federation of Planets for 900 years. Earth was one of the four original founding worlds of the Federation, along with Vulcan, Tellar, and Andoria. After the Federation was founded in 2161, it was based out of Paris, France, and a human, Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula), the former Captain of the NX-01 Enterprise, served as the first Federation President. Meanwhile, Starfleet Headquarters and Starfleet Academy made their home in San Francisco, California.

United Earth expelling the Federation after The Burn was a monumental shift. With no homeworld of its own, the Federation set up shop in a massive space station, which was cloaked for defense against its enemies like the Emerald Chain. Starfleet Academy also closed because the lack of warp travel meant there could be no influx of new Cadets from other worlds. However, Captain Burnham and the USS Discovery’s exploits have changed things for the better. The Discovery solved the mystery of The Burn and restored warp travel back to the Alpha Quadrant. Starfleet Academy even reopened in Star Trek: Discovery season 4.

Why The Federation Should Return To Earth In Discovery Season 5

At the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 4, Federation Headquarters and Starfleet warped to Earth to defend the third rock from the sun from the DMA. This success and the United Earth President visiting Federation Headquarters to thank Captain Burnham is a compelling tease for what the future could hold in Star Trek: Discovery season 5: the Federation returning home to Earth permanently. It would be a fitting way to launch a new era for the Alpha Quadrant and signal that the Federation is resurgent.

The Federation residing out of a space station is now symbolically part of a bygone era when the galaxy was ravaged by The Burn. The Federation returning to Earth would restore the proper status quo, especially if Federation Headquarters returned to Paris and Starfleet made its home in San Francisco once again. Star Trek: Discovery is blazing new canon in the 32nd century, but some things should be as they once were. That hopefully includes the Federation coming home to Earth in Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Next: Discovery’s Burnham Always Breaks 1 Big Star Trek Captain Rule

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 is expected to premiere in 2023 on Paramount+.