Star Trek Voyager’s Sleek Starship Design Was Unexpectedly Sparked by a 1960s Sci-Fi Comedy

Star Trek: Voyager is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and a new behind-the-scenes revelation has uncovered a surprising source behind the look of the USS Voyager. The ship’s early design ideas were influenced by the spaceship from the 1960s comedy My Favorite Martian, a detail shared by artist and Oscar-winning makeup designer Doug Drexler during a conversation with TrekMovie.com.

Drexler explained that he and several other artists were asked to contribute quick design sketches for Voyager, even though he initially felt uneasy doing so because he deeply respected lead illustrator Rick Sternbach. He submitted his concepts anyway, expecting them to be rejected, but Paramount executives ended up liking them more than he anticipated.

The unexpected twist came from a small model sitting on Drexler’s desk — a replica of Uncle Martin’s spaceship from My Favorite Martian, a sci-fi comedy that originally aired from 1963 to 1966. The show starred Ray Walston as a stranded Martian taken in by a reporter played by Bill Bixby, and it developed a cult following that lasted long after its three-season run. You can learn more about the classic comedy on its Wikipedia page.

Drexler said he adored the compact, sporty shape of Martin’s ship, describing it as a “one-man sportster” hidden in a garage. That admiration guided one of his Voyager sketches, where he added an elongated nose inspired directly from the Martian craft. According to Drexler, the executives took one look at it and simply decided: “That’s it.”

Despite the excitement around that initial concept, the design wasn’t finalized immediately. Drexler mentioned that someone at the studio — likely an executive’s child — pushed back on the look, saying the early version resembled a sperm, which forced the team to rethink and refine the shape. From there, Sternbach stepped in and worked through revisions until Voyager evolved into the familiar, streamlined ship fans know today.

Drexler emphasized that even though his idea sparked the direction, he credits Sternbach with shaping the finished product and delivering the design that ultimately appeared on screen. Sternbach’s work ensured the ship still aligned with established Starfleet aesthetics while giving Voyager a fresh silhouette that stood apart from the USS Enterprise.

One of the fun ironies behind this creative connection is that Ray Walston, who starred as the original “favorite Martian,” later appeared in the Star Trek universe himself. He played Boothby, the wise groundskeeper at Starfleet Academy, in both The Next Generation and Voyager, creating a subtle full-circle moment linking the two franchises.

Drexler also shared that he has kept a full-scale model of the My Favorite Martian ship in his own garage, underscoring how influential that design was for him personally. His appreciation for the quirky 1960s craft unexpectedly helped shape one of the most beloved ships in modern Star Trek history.

Producers reportedly described the finalized Voyager design as having the feel of a Lexus — smooth, modern, and stylish — a fitting description for a ship meant to help launch the then-new UPN network. The reimagined look reflected a design philosophy rooted in familiarity but nudged forward by bold creative choices.

You can explore more development history of the Voyager starship at Forgotten Trek. The full series Star Trek: Voyager is currently streaming on Paramount+.