'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy': Release Date, Plot & Everything We Know About the Upcoming Show

Another Star Trek project will hit screens in early 2026 – only this time, the focus will shift from legendary captains James Kirk and Christopher Pike to young Starfleet Academy cadets.

Here's what we know about the upcoming project, including its release date and star power.

When Will 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' Be Released?

The premiere date for Starfleet Academy was announced at New York Comic Con. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will premiere on Paramount+ on January 15, 2026. Two premiere episodes will air that day.

New episodes will air weekly on Thursdays until March 12. The first season will consist of ten episodes.

What Will 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' Be About?

The 32nd century. Over 100 years have passed since the events of Discovery and Strange New Worlds. For the first time in a century, Starfleet Academy is accepting new cadets.

The United Federation of Planets is recovering from the catastrophic event depicted in Star Trek: Discovery.

Due to a shortage of dilithium and the increased risks associated with its use, interstellar travel has been reduced to a minimum. Instead of exploring new worlds, Starfleet now focuses on protecting members of the Federation.

Now, finally, a century later, training for new cadets begins aboard the USS Athena.

According to the plot, the starship is docked at the Los Angeles campus of the Academy but can be deployed with the rest of the fleet at any time. Thus, the show will chronicle not only training on the helm simulator, but also space travel, combat, and diplomatic negotiations.

According to showrunner Alex Kurtzman, the new generation in Starfleet Academy represents the current state of young people:

“And it's ultimately a show that speaks to the generation now. And that's this question of how are our better angels going to emerge and what are they going to do to get us there? Because it is going to be on the next generation to do that.”

Who Is in the Cast of 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy'?

• Holly Hunter – Captain Nahla Ake, the head of the Academy and captain of the Athena. Ake is half Lanthanite, a humanoid race with a long lifespan. She develops personal relationships with each student;

• Sandro Rosta – Caleb Mir, an orphan disillusioned with Starfleet who has lived his entire life on the run. He enrolls in the Academy in hopes of finding his mother;

• Karim Diané – Jay-Den Kraag, a budding Klingon doctor;

• Kerrice Brooks – Sam, the first Kasqian to attend Starfleet Academy. Kasqians are a type of hologram and according to the actress, Sam is only a few weeks old but was programmed to appear as an adult;

• George Hawkins – Darem Reymi, a promising Khionian cadet;

• Bella Shepard – Genesis Lythe, the daughter of an admiral determined to make a name for herself in Starfleet;

• Robert Picardo – the Doctor, a 900-year-old holographic teacher at Starfleet Academy;

• Paul Giamatti – Nus Braka, a half-Klingon, half-Tellarite character and the main antagonist. Braka's past is ominously linked to one of the cadets.