Last September, Star Trek fans were shocked and saddened to learn of the unexpected passing of actor Aron Eisenberg, who played the young Ferengi character Nog for seven years on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

A convention mainstay for two decades, Eisenberg was a fixture in the fandom — many run-of-the-mill fans had fond memories of encountering the enthusiastic fellow at any of the many events he would attend throughout the year, or through online interactions as Star Trek fandom spread to social media.

One of Eisenberg’s most memorable moments in recent years came as part of What We Left Behind, the 2019 Deep Space Nine documentary that looked back on the making of the series — highlighted in this extended clip from the production.

The cast of Deep Space Nine, accompanied by series producer Ira Stephen Behr, paid their respects to Eisenberg — as well as departed Odo actor Rene Auberjonois — during the Star Trek Day livestream events in September 2020.

Last October, during New York Comic Con 2019, a Star Trek fan asked current franchise head honcho Alex Kurtzman about an online petition to honor the Nog character — wearing the rank of captain, as seen in the alternate future depicted in “The Visitor” — and if there was any chance that Star Trek: Discovery might find a way to make Captain Nog part of the new canon being developed for the series.

The discussion takes place at 37:45 in the below video:

Kurtzman commented at the time:

“We saw that petition, and obviously we would love to honor Aron in any way possible — so we will look for every opportunity.”

While some may have taken that diplomatic answer as a kind — but noncommittal — response, now that a year has passed and Discovery Season 3 has finally made it to our television screens, it’s clear that Kurtzman meant just what he said in 2019.

Debuting in “Die Trying,” this week’s new episode of Star Trek: Discovery, we can now get our first glimpse of the USS Nog (NCC-325070), a starship serving the Federation well into the 31st century — meaning the legacy of Nog, the first Ferengi to join the service, lives on more than 800 years after the events of Deep Space Nine.

We reached out to Alex Kurtzman and the team at CBS, who confirmed that this is the fulfillment of his promise made to fans a year ago.

“We promised to honor the legacy of both Nog and the late Aron Eisenberg, and it seemed fitting to name a starship after a character who exemplified the possibility of resilience after a period of darkness.

Hopefully we’ll see more of the USS Nog as it helps Starfleet build a brighter future.”

— ALEX KURTZMAN

Kurtzman’s reference to “resilience after darkness” calls back to Nog’s trying time recovering from losing his leg in the Dominion War (“It’s Only a Paper Moon”), which Eisenberg himself described as an episode that served as inspiration to many military veterans in the Star Trek fan community.

Like Nog after his time in the war, the USS Nog is helping Starfleet through the difficult times after The Burn, centuries after the Ferengi’s time in uniform.

Upon learning about this nod to Nog, we reached out to Eisenberg’s wife, Malíssa Longo, for her reaction to this touching tribute to her late husband and his on-screen alter ego:

“I am thrilled to learn that Nog will be honored in the upcoming episode of ‘Discovery!’ Nog was a trailblazer in DS9. I have no doubt that he would have left a lasting impression on the Federation.

It is beautiful to know that he will be remembered. Nog deserves nothing less. So does our beloved Aron. Captain Nog forever!”

— MALISSA LONGO

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We’ve also confirmed with the team at CBS that the Nog is classified as an Eisenberg-class starship — named after Nog’s real-life counterpart, of course.

While we don’t know if we’ll truly see any more of the USS Nog in future episodes of Star Trek: Discovery — it wasn’t mentioned in dialogue, but received a lovely flyby shot in the opening moments of “Die Trying” — we’re sure there will be plenty of demand for a physical model of the futuristic starship.

It maybe a while until our friends at Eaglemoss’ Official Starships Collection expand their line into ships from Discovery Season 3, but we’re hopeful that fans will have their own chance to bring the USS Nog home at some point in the future.

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