| For the musical band, see The
Away Team, and for sports, see Away team (sports).
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, an away team (also known
as a "landing party) is a group of individuals sent off a starship to accomplish a
mission, either on a planet's surface or another starship. Most away teams are armed with weapons and tricorders and some away teams may require environmental
suits. The away team may vary in size from two to dozens, although a size of three to six is most common. The demands of
storytelling usually mean the captain is along (although this is rare in real-life militaries), and often several other major
characters.
On Star Trek: The Original Series,
the landing party usually consisted of one or more regular characters, plus at least one "sixth man" or "redshirt" (from the uniform color) who would be the victim (often fatally) of the planet's dangers. The
fact that, in the original series, the away team often included the Captain of the ship was seen as a seriously unrealistic
proposition. This was the reason for the creation of the "first officer" role that Riker had, which would allow a central, but
more believable character to go on away missions.
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