The panel for Star Trek: Discovery is going on right now in Hall H in San Diego. Executive Producer Alex Kurtzman has dropped some exciting news on the crowd today. The panel started with a trailer, which will be released online later this afternoon, check back shortly for our article.

Discovery universe mini-episodes

“Short Treks” are mini-episodes to help tide fans over until Season 2.

UPDATE: More information from The Hollywood Reporter:

Called Star Trek: Short Treks, each of the four-episode series will run between 10-15 minutes and feature deeper storytelling surrounding the characters and themes from Discovery and the expanding Star Trek universe. The series will launch in the fall and roll out monthly, helping to keep awareness of Discovery high before its return in January 2019.

More about the 4 episodes:

Rainn Wilson will return to reprise his role as Harry Mudd in a short he will direct. Aldis Hodge (Hidden Figures, Showtime’s upcoming City on a Hill) will star in another installment as Craft, a man who finds himself the only human on board a deserted ship. Additional episodes will explore Saru’s (Doug Jones) backstory as the first Kelpien to join Starfleet and Tilly’s (Mary Wiseman) journey aboard the USS Discovery and her friendship with an unlikely partner.

Kurtzman says S2 will air early 2019 but in December we will get 4 standalone short films. One explores Saru’s backstory. #StarTrekDiscovery #SDCC — TrekMovie.com (@TrekMovie) July 20, 2018

Alex Kurtzman reveals there will be 4 short cuts coming later this year called Short Treks. Each mini-episode will be 10-15 minutes long & will feature Tilly, Saru & Harry Mudd. #StarTrekDiscovery #SDCC2018 — Star Trek: Discovery (@startrekcbs) July 20, 2018

Number One confirmed

Mount says we will meet the original Number One who was played by Majel Barrett Roddenberry in the TOS pilot. It will be Rebecca Romijn ! #StarTrekDiscovery #SDCC pic.twitter.com/zyrIorYGcg — TrekMovie.com (@TrekMovie) July 20, 2018

Just call me “Number One!” Honored to play such an iconic character in #StarTrek Canon originally played by the First Lady of Star Trek, Majel Barrett-Roddeberry! #StarTrekDiscovery pic.twitter.com/rdpWOxBYAk — Rebecca Romijn (@RebeccaRomijn) July 20, 2018

Spock on Discovery

As we’ve been guessing for a while now, it looks like Spock will be coming to Discovery. We’re not sure if this refers to an adult Spock, or the young Spock that will appear in flashbacks that Jonathan Frakes confirmed a few months ago.

Kurtzman confirms we will be seeing SPOCK this season. #StarTrekDiscovery #SDCC — TrekMovie.com (@TrekMovie) July 20, 2018

However, maybe not right away?

In the new #StarTrekDiscovery trailer, Spock took "a leave of absence" on the Enterprise when Captain Pike beams aboard Discovery, which explains why he's not there with Pike at the start. #SDCC — Philiana (@insidethetube) July 20, 2018