Rios’ ill-fated ship, the USS Ibn Mājid, was named for 13th century Arabian navigator. In the context of Star Trek: Picard, this is the second time a historical mariner and sailor’s name has been given to a starship. In this sense, Zheng He commanded a “Star Fleet.” In fact, one fleet of sailing ships he commanded, the treasure fleet, was one of the first known group of ships to use star charts and constellations for navigation. In real life, Zheng He was a 15th-century Chinese mariner and fleet admiral.
