Excelsior class starship

Infobox Fictional Spacecraft
name = "Excelsior" class

---

caption = The Excelsior class starship "Excelsior"
first = ""
last = "Endgame"
status =
affiliation = Starfleet
launched =
decommissioned =
auxcraft =
armaments = Phasers
Photon torpedoes
Quantum torpedoes
defense = Deflector shields
propulsion = Warp drive
Sublight engines
length = 467 meters
primeref = "Star Trek III"
"Paradise Lost"The "Excelsior" class is a fictional class of starship in the science fiction franchise Star Trek. The USS "Excelsior" was designed by Industrial Light and Magic's Bill George for '. It appears in subsequent films, and the model was re-used for other ships in episodes of ' and ', as well as the finale of '. The film "Star Trek Generations" also uses the same model, with various additions designed by John Eaves, for the USS "Enterprise"-B.

Design

The basic "Excelsior"-class design includes a circular primary hull with a bridge at the center of the dorsal side, a sensor dome at the bottom of the ventral, and impulse engines at the aft end. The saucer is attached to a backward-angled neck extending downward from the aft of the ventral side to the secondary hull, which is roughly tubular with a flat platform on the dorsal side; the hull has a navigational deflector at the bow and a shuttlebay aft. Two warp nacelles are above the secondary hull, slightly above the primary hull, supported by pylons that attach to a bulge on the top of the secondary hull, run to the sides, and go upward from an angle (slightly more than 90°) to the nacelles. A semi-circular cargo bay lies at the bottom of the secondary hull.

The model was altered for use as the "Enterprise"-B in "Generations"; this variant includes two additional impulse engines running aft from the saucer on both sides of the original impulse system, different warp nacelles, and an enlarged engineering hull along both sides of the deflector dish. The USS "Lakota" in "Deep Space Nine"'s "Paradise Lost" is the same model.

ervice

The pathfinder USS "Excelsior" is also a testbed for transwarp drive.

"Excelsior"-class ships have been the workhorses of Starfleet, being in service for over 148 years after the "NX-2000 USS Excelsior"'s commissioning. Numerous "Excelsior" class starships see service during the Dominion War including the USS Excelsior NCC-2000 which was soon decommissioned for heavy damage to its hull.

Known "Excelsior"-class vessels

To date, 25 "Excelsior"-class ships have been named; each either shown on-screen, mentioned in dialogue, or listed on a display. For some, all details other than the name come only from the "Star Trek: Encyclopedia".

Of the 25 known ships:

* 13 were shown to have the original hull configuration: USS "Cairo", USS "Crazy Horse", USS "Excelsior", USS "Farragut", USS "Fearless", USS "Fredrickson", USS "Gorkon", USS "Hood", USS "Malinche", USS "Melbourne", USS "Potemkin", USS "Repulse", and USS "Valley Forge"
* 2 were shown to have a variant hull configuration: USS "Enterprise"-B, and USS "Lakota"
* 10 were only mentioned in dialogue or text, and their hull configuration is unknown: USS "Al-Batani", USS "Berlin", USS "Charleston", USS "Crockett", USS "Grissom", USS "Intrepid", USS "Livingston", USS "Okinawa", USS "Roosevelt", and USS "Tecumseh"

; USS "Al-Batani" (NCC-42995): Named for astronomer al-Battānī. Although it never appeared on screen, the Al-Batani was mentioned in dialogue throughout Star Trek: Voyager as the first ship aboard which Kathryn Janeway served, as science officer under Tom Paris' father Captain Owen Paris. [cite episode|title=Caretaker|episodelink=Caretaker (Voyager episode)|series=|network=UPN] [cite episode|title=Shattered|episodelink=Shattered (Voyager episode)|series=|network=UPN] The "Al-Batani" was once trapped by gravimetric forces inside a proto-nebula for three days before escaping. [cite episode|title=Bride of Chaotica!|episodelink=Bride of Chaotica!|series=|network=UPN] Never defined on screen, the class and registry number come from the non-canon Star Trek Encyclopedia.cite book|author=Okuda, Michael & Denise|authorlink=Michael Okuda|title=Star Trek Encyclopedia|location=New York | publisher=Pocket Books|year=1994,1997,1999|id=ISBN 0-671-03475-8]

; USS "Berlin" (NCC-14232): Named for the city of Berlin, the starship "Berlin" is stationed near the Romulan Neutral Zone in 2364 ("": "Angel One") and in 2368 ("TNG": "Brothers"). The "Berlin" is assigned to a task force with the starships "Sutherland" and "Aries" to defend against a Cardassian attack on the Minos Korva system in Federation space ("TNG": "Chain of Command").

; USS "Cairo" (NCC-42136): Named for the city of Cairo, the starship "Cairo" is commanded by Captain Edward Jellico in 2367 and meets with the "Enterprise"-D carrying Vice Admiral Alynna Nechayev. Shortly afterward, Jellico transfers to and commands the "Enterprise" in Captain Jean-Luc Picard's absence ("TNG": "Chain of Command"). Later commanded by Captain Leslie Wong, the "Cairo" disappeared on patrol near the Romulan Neutral Zone, presumably destroyed by the Jem'Hadar ("": "In the Pale Moonlight").

; USS "Charleston" (NCC-42285): Named for the city of Charleston, the starship "Charleston" transports three cryogenically frozen 20th century people to Earth while heading to Arloff IX in 2364 ("TNG": "The Neutral Zone"). The "Charleston" is later involved in the Romulan tachyon blockade at the outbreak of the Klingon Civil War in 2368 ("TNG": "Redemption, Part II"). In 2369, the "Charleston" is assigned to a deep space exploration mission to sector 22055 ("TNG": "Brothers").

; USS "Crazy Horse" (NCC-50446): Named for Oglala Sioux chief Crazy Horse, the starship "Crazy Horse" is part of a fleet sent to face an anticipated Borg invasion in 2369 ("TNG": "Descent, Part I"). The "Crazy Horse" rendezvouses with the "Enterprise"-D in Sector 1607 in 2370 to pick up Rear Admiral Erik Pressman ("TNG": "The Pegasus").

; USS "Crockett" (NCC-38955): Named for American folk hero, soldier, and politician David Crockett, the starship "Crockett" transports Admiral Mitsuya to Deep Space Nine in 2370 ("DS9": "Paradise").

; USS "Enterprise" (NCC-1701-B): Named for several naval vessels in Earth history as well as several previous Starfleet vessels, the "Enterprise"-B is commissioned in 2293 and commanded by Captain John Harriman at its launch ("Star Trek Generations"). The "Enterprise"-B either was decommissioned, went missing, or was destroyed; the ship was succeeded by the USS "Enterprise" (NCC-1701-C) some time in the 24th century ("TNG": "Yesterday's Enterprise"). This vessel had a unique variation of the "Excelsior" design, including minor differences in the exterior of the primary and secondary hull (see above image).

; USS "Excelsior" (NX-2000, changed to NCC-2000): According to the ship's dedication plaque, the USS "Excelsior" is the first ship of its class, launched from the San Francisco Fleet Yards. The ship first appears in "Star Trek III" under the command of Captain Styles. Later commanded by Captain Hikaru Sulu in "", it spent three years cataloging gaseous planetary anomalies in the Beta Quadrant. In 2293, the "Excelsior" encounters the shock wave from the explosion of Praxis. Shortly afterward, in the "Voyager" episode "Flashback", the "Excelsior" is involved in a failed attempt to rescue Captain James T. Kirk and Dr. Leonard McCoy and is attacked by several K't'inga class starships. The "Excelsior" later plays a vital role in defeating General Chang over Khitomer during the signing of the First Khitomer Accords. Vice Admiral James T. Kirk refers to the "Excelsior" as "The Great Experiment" in "Star Trek III".

; USS "Farragut": Named for Admiral David Farragut, the starship "Farragut" transports several genetically enhanced humans to Deep Space Nine in early 2375 ("DS9": "Chrysalis").

; USS "Fearless" (NCC-14598): Named for the HMS "Fearless", the starship "Fearless" was used for testing engine and software upgrades in 2364 ("TNG": "Where No One Has Gone Before"). The "Fearless" is assigned to planetary mapping in the Beta Mahoga system ("TNG": "Brothers").

; USS "Fredrickson" (NCC-42111): The starship "Frederickson" briefly docks at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards in 2371 ("Voy": "Relativity") and serves during the Dominion War ("DS9": "A Time to Stand", "Sacrifice of Angels"). The "Fredrickson" is seen being towed by a "Klingon" tug-tender in ("DS9": "A Time to Stand") after several months of battle with the "Dominion".

; USS "Gorkon" (NCC-40512): Named for Klingon Chancellor Gorkon, the starship "Gorkon" is the flagship of a fleet sent to face an anticipated Borg invasion circa in 2369 ("TNG": "Descent, Part I").

; USS "Grissom" (NCC-42857): Named for astronaut Gus Grissom, the starship "Grissom" assists the "Enterprise"-D during a contamination problem on Beta Agni II in 2368 ("TNG": "The Most Toys"). The "Grissom" was destroyed by Jem'Hadar forces in the battle of Ricktor Prime in 2375 during the Dominion War. Only six crewmembers survived, including Vulcan science officer Lieutenant Chu'lak, who later murders several Starfleet officers on Deep Space Nine ("DS9": "Field of Fire").

; USS "Hood" (NCC-42296): Named for HMS "Hood", the starship "Hood" is commanded by Captain Robert DeSoto and was Commander William Riker's assignment before his transfer to the "Enterprise-D" in 2364. The "Hood" is sent to the Romulan Neutral Zone to help ward off a possible Romulan attack in 2366 ("TNG": "The Defector (TNG episode)"). The "Hood" is on a terraforming project on Browder IV ("TNG": "Allegiance"). The "Hood" transfers Tam Elbrun to the "Enterprise"-D in the Hayashi system ("TNG": "Tin Man"). In 2368, the "Hood" undergoes a systems upgrade at Starbase 174 ("TNG": "Brothers") and is later involved in the Romulan tachyon blockade at the outbreak of the Klingon Civil War ("TNG": "Redemption, Part II"). The "Hood" is part of Operation Return during the Dominion War ("DS9": "A Time to Stand", "Sacrifice of Angels") and fights at the First Battle of Chin'toka ("DS9": "Tears of the Prophets"). The ship is part of Battle Group Omega sent to intercept the Reman warship "Scimitar" in 2379 ("Star Trek Nemesis").

; USS "Intrepid" (NCC-38907): The starship "Intrepid" responded to a Klingon distress call from the Khitomer outpost following a Romulan attack in 2346 ("TNG": "Sins of the Father", "TNG": "Redemption, Part I"). As an in-joke, the ship's captain was named on a bridge display as Drew Deighan, one of the writers of "Sins of the Father". Presumed decommissioned, destroyed, or missing to give her name to the "Intrepid" class starship.

; USS Lakota (NCC-42768): Named after one of the Sioux Indian groups from North America, the "Lakota" under the command of Captain Erika Benteen intercepts the USS "Defiant" on the latter's way to earth during Vice Admiral Leyton's attempted coup ("DS9": "Paradise Lost"). She also shared the same design variation as the "Enterprise"-B as seen in "Generations".

; USS Livingston (NCC-34099): Ostensively named for Robert R. Livingston (1746–1813), an American politician who signed the Declaration of Independence, the "Livingston" most likely was actually named for TNG producer David Livingston (as was Picard's fish). Benjamin Sisko was assigned to the "Livingston" upon being promoted to the rank of lieutenant. Sisko and Curzon Dax first met aboard the ship when they served together there during the 2360s, leading to a lifetime friendship. An episode of "DS9" ("DS9": "Invasive Procedures") described an incident they witnessed while serving aboard in which the "Livingston"'s science officer, Kustanovich, performed a stunt involving the consumption of eight helpings of Andorian redbat.

; USS "Malinche" (NCC-38997): Named after the 16th-century Mexican princess Malinche. Under the command of Captain Sanders, the "Malinche" is transferred from its patrol near the Gamma 7 outpost to the task of capturing Michael Eddington. The ship is ambushed and disabled by a group of Maquis raiders led by Eddington soon after ("DS9": "For the Uniform").

; USS "Okinawa" (NCC-13958): Named after the Japanese location and/or battle. She was an early assignment of Benjamin Sisko, who served on her in the 2360s. ("DS9": "Homefront", "Paradise Lost").

; USS "Potemkin" (NCC-18253): Named after the Russian battleship. In 2361, she contacted the failed colony on Turkana IV. ( ["TNG": "Legacy") During 2361, Lieutenant William T. Riker was assigned to her, and during this assignment was unknowing split in to two individuals. ("TNG": "Second Chances"; "DS9": "Defiant"). On board the "Potemkin", Riker started his regular poker game ("TNG": "Lower Decks"), and developed starship tactics. ("TNG": "Peak Performance").
In 2368, the ship brought Dr. Toby Russell, to the "Enterprise"-D so that he could help Lt. Worf's recover from a severe spinal injury. ("TNG": "Ethics").
She was part of the Ninth Fleet around Bajor in 2374. ("DS9": "You Are Cordially Invited...")

; USS "Melbourne" (NCC-62043): Named after the city of Melbourne, the "Melbourne" is Admiral J. P. Hansen's flagship at the Battle of Wolf 359, where it is destroyed by the Borg ("TNG": "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II", "DS9": "Emissary, Part I").

; USS "Repulse" (NCC-2544): The "Repulse" was Katherine Pulaski's assignment prior to joining the "Enterprise"-D crew ("TNG": "Unnatural Selection") and is listed on the mission status chart seen on screens from season 4 of "TNG" onward ("TNG": "Brothers"). It also appears on a casualty report seen in "DS9" ("In the Pale Moonlight").

; USS "Roosevelt" (NCC-2573): Destroyed at the Battle of Wolf 359 ("TNG": "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II").

; USS "Tecumseh" (NCC-14934): Named after Shawnee leader, an American ship, or the Canadian base. She fought in the Cardassian War and the Second Klingon War of 2373. ("DS9": "…Nor the Battle to the Strong")
Later she fought in the Dominion War of 2374–75. ("DS9": "In the Pale Moonlight", "Image in the Sand")

; USS "Valley Forge" (NCC-43305): Named after George Washington's winter camp, or the American aircraft carrier. She was heavily damaged by Cardassian orbital weapon platforms in 2374. ("DS9": "Tears of the Prophets")

References

External links