Work on preserving the 11-foot (3.4 meters) model craft is now underway, in an effort to make the ship resemble how it looked in the episode "The Trouble with Tribbles." That episode was the last known modification to the model during the run of "Star Trek." The model appeared in all 79 episodes of the original "Star Trek" TV series, which ran from 1966 to 1969.

"It will go back on public display in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall this year, in time for the museum's 40th birthday in July and the 50th anniversary of 'Star Trek' in September," museum officials wrote in a blog post on Jan. 28.

Museum officials will paint the Enterprise in April using reference photos from the model's history, partly gathered from Trek fans who took pictures of the ship over the years. The engine casings (nacelles) will house LED lights that will mimic what fans saw on the TV show.