The Official Star Trek site reports that “Walter ‘Matt’ Jefferies, the art director who designed the original U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 for Gene Roddenberry in the 1960’s, passed away early this morning.” A BBC article on Jefferies points out that “Although conceived in the years before space flight became common, the overall shape of the Enterprise has remained close to [his] first vision, through 10 films and five TV series… As a tribute to the designer’s creation, access tunnels in the Enterprise were named ‘Jefferies tubes.’” It is a testament to Jefferies’ vision that his iconic design remains instantly recognizable, leaving behind a lasting legacy.
