One Star Trek fan theory offers a logical explanation as to why the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds seems bigger than the Enterprise in Star Trek: The Original Series. Strange New Worlds is a prequel set about 6-7 years before TOS. Strange New Worlds season 2 will even bring aboard Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), who Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) may groom to replace him as Captain of the Enterprise after he met an alternate future version of Captain Kirk in Strange New Worlds' season 1 finale.
The Starship Enterprise in Strange New Worlds is the same Constitution-class vessel that Captain Kirk (William Shatner) will command in Star Trek: The Original Series. The most famous version of the Enterprise, the NCC-1701 starship, was originally launched under the command of Captain Robert April (Adrian Holmes) in 2245. After a successful five-year mission, April passed the Enterprise to his First Officer, Christopher Pike, who became its next Captain. Of course, Kirk will inherit the Enterprise from Pike, who knows he is destined to be gruesomely disfigured in a delta-ray accident. Strange New Worlds also retconned the Enterprise so that it's the flagship of the United Federation of Planets in the 23rd century.
A Logical Theory Explains Why Kirk's Enterprise Seems Smaller Than Pike's
A logical theory by Joseph Reinemann, the author of the Shadows of Time series of novels, suggests that the Enterprise will undergo a refit before Pike turns it over to Captain Kirk. In Strange New Worlds, the Enterprise's crew complement is 203, but it balloons to 430 under Kirk. Reinemann's theory is that the interior of the Enterprise was redesigned in order to fit double the personnel. This means eliminating the excess space on Pike's Starship Enterprise to create more and smaller rooms to cram in the hundreds of new people. And this also means Captain Pike's luxurious quarters are also refitted to create more space for more crewmen.
A refit for the USS Enterprise at some point in 2265 before Captain Kirk assumes command makes sense, and it would also explain the changes to the exterior of the ship. There are a few cosmetic differences between the Enterprise in Strange New Worlds and TOS, including the shape and sweep of the rear nacelles. A refit would line the Enterprise up with how it appears in TOS. In 2265, the Enterprise also turns 20 years old, so a refurbishment to the flagship would be logical, especially since Kirk was assigned to lead it on another historic five-year mission exploring deep space.
Kirk Is Used To Smaller Quarters Throughout Star Trek
Captain Kirk never gets to have his own lavish stateroom with a huge kitchen, dining and living area, and even a fireplace that Captain Pike boasts in Strange New Worlds. Kirk spends most of his time in TOS either on the bridge or personally leading landing parties, so he doesn't get to relax much in his relatively tiny Captain's quarters. Even then, it's shocking how minuscule Kirk's private space is compared to Pike's, but perhaps Jim prefers it that way in order to convey unity with his crew.
After Starship Enterprise's refit before Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Kirk's quarters are somewhat larger but still nowhere near the size of Pike's. In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Kirk's quarters aboard the USS Enterprise-A are even more spartan. Amusingly, there's a light that shines down from above his bed, just as there was in his old bunk in TOS. So, despite two potential refits and a whole new ship, Captain Kirk just can't win compared to the quarters Captain Pike inhabited in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, but he was probably used to the more compact interior of his Starship Enterprise.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres in 2023 on Paramount+.