A baffle plate was a component found in many starships in the 23rd and 24th centuries. The baffle plate was part of the warp drive systems. A warped or ruptured plate could cause a warp core breach, or flood parts of the ship with radiation.

In 2266, Charles Evans used his telekinetic powers to remove the baffle plate on the USS Antares's Nerst generator, which caused the ship to explode. (TOS episode & novelization: Charlie X)

Later that year, on board a J class training ship, the baffle plate ruptured. Because of the location of the blast doors - which was considered to be one of the design flaws in that type of ship - a good portion of the ship was flooded with delta radiation. Fleet Captain Christopher Pike entered the contaminated section and pulled out a number of the crew before the engineering section was isolated from the ship. Trapped in the engineering section, Pike suffered irreparable damage from the delta radiation. (TOS episode: "The Menagerie, Part I"; DSC episode: "Through the Valley of Shadows"; TOS novel: Burning Dreams)

In the 24th century, the baffle plate was one of the components removed from the SS Santa Maria after crash landing on Orellius Minor in 2360. (DS9 episode: "Paradise")

Baffle plates were still part of Galaxy-class starships in the 24th century. In 2368 the USS Venture's Chief Engineer Charles H. Logan discovered a baffle plate malfunction on board the Venture, the ship subsequently docked at Luxor IV for repairs. (TNG novel: The Devil's Heart)

The Vellidon had baffle plates, which illustrated that it was of an old design. (DS9 novel: Sacraments of Fire)

External link[]

• Baffle plate article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.