U.S.S. ENTERPRISE NCC-1701-B
The Excelsior-class Starship Development Project began in 2273, with construction beginning in 2275. The U.S.S. Excelsior NX-2000 prototype was launched in 2284 under the command of Captain Styles. Newly promoted Captain Montgomery Scott oversaw the engineering team. The Excelsior included a prototype for the unsuccessful Transwarp Drive Development Project. The Transwarp Drive, developed by Dr. Jeffries, was Starfleet's attempt to create a new warp drive that was faster and more efficient than the current Zefram Cochrane-based design.
In 2287, during testing of transwarp drive, the Excelsior transwarp core breached and had to be ejected. The ship suffered a complete systems failure. After repairs, the Excelsior returned to Earth under impulse power. The Transwarp project was deemed a failure and the project was cancelled. The Excelsior was refit with a standard warp drive and was officially commissioned in 2290 as the U.S.S. Excelsior NCC-2000 under the command of Captain Hikaru Sulu.
Despite the failed Transwarp drive, the Excelsior became the prototype for many Starfleet vessels. More Excelsior-class starships have been commissioned than any other class.
The Excelsior-class has received several refits during its life of service. More recent Excelsior-class starships, such as the U.S.S. Lakota NCC-42768 and U.S.S. Hood NCC-42296, have upgraded warp cores, using Galaxy-class starship cores and upgraded weapon systems, including quantum torpedoes.
The most famous of the Excelsior-class refit starships is the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-B, launched in 2293, commanded by Captain John Harriman. Launched with great fanfare, Captains James T. Kirk and Montgomery Scott and Cmdr. Pavel Chekov where on board for her maiden voyage.
The maiden voyage was interrupted by a distress call from El-Aurian refugees. Though the ship was not fully equipped, the Enterprise-B warped to aid the ships, which were threatened by an energy ribbon. The ribbon collided with the Enterprise-B and Captain James T. Kirk was lost in the damage.
In 2287, during testing of transwarp drive, the Excelsior transwarp core breached and had to be ejected. The ship suffered a complete systems failure. After repairs, the Excelsior returned to Earth under impulse power. The Transwarp project was deemed a failure and the project was cancelled. The Excelsior was refit with a standard warp drive and was officially commissioned in 2290 as the U.S.S. Excelsior NCC-2000 under the command of Captain Hikaru Sulu.
Despite the failed Transwarp drive, the Excelsior became the prototype for many Starfleet vessels. More Excelsior-class starships have been commissioned than any other class.
The Excelsior-class has received several refits during its life of service. More recent Excelsior-class starships, such as the U.S.S. Lakota NCC-42768 and U.S.S. Hood NCC-42296, have upgraded warp cores, using Galaxy-class starship cores and upgraded weapon systems, including quantum torpedoes.
The most famous of the Excelsior-class refit starships is the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-B, launched in 2293, commanded by Captain John Harriman. Launched with great fanfare, Captains James T. Kirk and Montgomery Scott and Cmdr. Pavel Chekov where on board for her maiden voyage.
The maiden voyage was interrupted by a distress call from El-Aurian refugees. Though the ship was not fully equipped, the Enterprise-B warped to aid the ships, which were threatened by an energy ribbon. The ribbon collided with the Enterprise-B and Captain James T. Kirk was lost in the damage.
SPECIFICATIONS
| NAME/REGISTRY | U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-B |
| CLASSIFICATION | Excelsior-Class (Refit) Explorer |
| YEAR COMMISSIONED | 2293 |
| LENGTH | 469 M |
| WIDTH | 180 M |
| HEIGHT | 78 M |
| WEIGHT | 2,400,000 MT |
| DECKS | 15 |
| CREW COMPLIMENT | 570 |
| PRIMARY PROPULSION | Matter/Antimatter Reactor (warp core) |
| SECONDARY PROPULSION | Deuterium Fusion Drive motors (impulse engines) |
| WARP FACTOR | 8.0 (Cruise Velocity); 9.2 (12 hours); 9.5 (Max) |
| ARMAMENT | Type-VIII Phaser Arrays (5.1 MW); 4 Mark-VIII and Mark-IX Photon Torpedo Launchers |
| COMPUTER CORE | Primary computer core. Isolinear optical circuits |
| AUXILIARY CRAFT | Up to 10 shuttlecraft |
NOTABLE EXCELSIOR-CLASS (REFIT) STARSHIPS
| REGISTRY | DESIGNATION | CMD. OFFICER | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCC-1701-B | U.S.S. Enterprise | Capt. John Harriman | Rescued El-Aurian refugees on the SS Lakul from the Nexus in 2293 (Star Trek: Generations) |
| NCC-42768 | U.S.S. Lakota | Capt. Erika Benteen | Refit with upgraded weapons, warp core ("Paradise Lost") |