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   The Excelsior Class began as a propulsion project known as the Transwarp Development Project with USS Excelsior, bearing registry number NX-2000, as the prototype. The Excelsior was commissioned by Starfleet in 2284. After about three years of testing, the project was concluded as being unsuccessful. However, Starfleet felt that the Excelsior's design was good enough to allow the ship to enter regular service. Along with some minor changes in design, Excelsior was retrofitted with standard warp drive and then entered into regular service with the registry number NCC-2000 in 2290.

   Three years later in late 2293, the third starship to bear the name Enterprise was commissioned, bearing registry number NCC-1701-B. This Enterprise was built as the first vessel of a new variant (or subclass) of the Excelsior-class. Enterprise-B and other Excelsior-class ships constructed in the variant design were equipped with additional impulse engines, modified warp nacelles, and extensions to the secondary hull which allowed for advance scanning technologies or additional cargo space.

   Throughout the early half of 24^th Century and despite more advanced starships being constructed, large numbers of Excelsior-class starships were built using the original and variant designs with many of them sill in Starfleet service in a variety of capacities by the end of 2375.

Ships of the Class

NOTE: In the Star Trek: The Next Generation seventh season episode "Interface", the Excelsior participates in the search and rescue of USS Hera. Based on the episode, it is unclear if this ship is the original or a successor. If it is the original, the vessel would be approximately 85 years old at the time of the episode. However, the Star Trek wiki, Memory Alpha indicates that the Excelsior mentioned in the episode is a successor to the original bearing the registry number NCC-21445. It is currenty not known if this vessel is an Excelsior-class starship or some other class.