Although his condition stabilized, continued experimentation into spore technology became morally unacceptable, even in dire situations. That, too, caused considerable problems, and Stamets nearly lost his life. The creature was set free once Discovery learned of its torment, and Paul Stamets, the drive’s designer, took its place by infusing himself with Ripper’s DNA. Initially, it required a being called Ripper – living in symbiosis with the spores – who suffered agonizing pain whenever it was connected to the drive. The drive exhibited serious in-world design flaws that made using it ethically questionable at best. RELATED: Star Trek: Why The Original Series' Klingons Look So Different But beneath that first impression lie a number of strong reasons why it couldn’t bring Voyager home, owing both to the specifics of the spore drive and the unique circumstances of Captain Janeway’s crew. Furthermore, Voyager itself utilized cutting-edge technology, which the Federation was presumably willing to risk a great deal for, even resurrecting banned technology.

The spore drive could've solve the problem, and even with records of it scrubbed and Discovery itself launched into the 32nd century, the option still conceivably existed. On the surface, the logic of the question is sound.

The spore drive, with its ability to travel anywhere in the galaxy in a matter of seconds, could have resolved their dilemma instantly, but it didn't. That crew spent the entirety of its seven-year run trying to get home from the Delta Quadrant. Star Trek: Discovery’s spore drive is a strong example, particularly when it comes to the dilemma of an earlier show, Star Trek: Voyager. One of the challenges of long-running franchises like Star Trek is coming up with new ideas that don’t contradict previous material.

Forgotten spore