The NX Alpha was one of three test ships that sported Earth’s first Warp 5 engines. If successful, the Warp 5 engine would open up the possibility of exploring deep space to humanity. After a failed first test that destroyed the Alpha, Jonathan Archer took her sister ship, the NX Beta, for an unauthorized flight test and broke the Warp 2 barrier, thus proving Earth’s warp tech was up to the task.