USS Excelsior

The USS Excelsior (NX-2000, later NCC-2000) was a 23rd century Federation Excelsior Class starship, and the prototype of her class.

Dubbed "The Great Experiment," the Excelsior was conceived during the early 2280s as the first Starfleet vessel to be equipped with transwarp drive. An awe-inspiring concept to some, traditional engineers were more skeptical. Designed under radically new principles of propulsion, this ship had the potential for becoming the fastest in the Federation.

After suffering sabotage so it would not follow the Enterprise on an illegal mission, the Excelsior spent the next few years in spacedock. Prior to being re-commissioned, the ship was refitted with a new Bridge module, as well as modifications to other parts of the ship, such as the cargo bay. By 2290, the Excelsior was under the command of Captain Hikaru Sulu. Far from breaking racing records, the ship's first assignment was a three-year mission, cataloging gaseous planetary anomalies in the Beta Quadrant.

On her way back from that mission in 2293, the Excelsior was hit by a subspace shockwave, caused by the destruction of the lone Klingon moon, Praxis.

Leading up to the Khitomer Conference, the Excelsior joined the Enterprise-A in battling a rogue Klingon's Bird-of-Prey, which prevented an assassination attempt of the Federation President at the Conference.