In-Universe Context
| Registry | NCC-42044 |
| Class | Centaur-class |
| Type | Medium cruiser |
| Active | 2373 to 2378 |
| Decks | 16 |
| Length | Approximately 450m |
| Capacity | 390 humanoids 1800 humanoids maximum limit |
| Max. Speed | Warp factor 9.2 |
| Max. Cruising | Warp factor 8.8 |
| Armament | Phasers (x11 phaser arrays) Photon torpedoes (x2 launchers) |
Following the successful transwarp experiments of the U.S.S. Ardennes, Starfleet designed the Excelsior to be the first of a new wave of starships built to take advantage of the new four fourth generation warp drive (which necessitated the adoption of a new warp scale). The first ship of the Excelsior-class, the U.S.S. Excelsior, was launched in 2285, and it was the first of many. The Excelsior-class rapidly became the "face" of the United Federation of Planets, as it proved to be one of the most capable starship designs in Federation history and was soon a ubiquitous part of the fleet. The Excelsior remained at the forefront of the Federation's exploratory and military efforts throughout the 23rd and 24th centuries, and the Excelsiors combined participated in more first contacts than any other starship class to date.
The U.S.S. Chiron, launched during the third Federation-Klingon War that precipitated the Dominion War in 2372, was the first Type-D Excelsior-class starship built. Assigned to the Federation's seventh fleet, the Chiron was one of only 14 ships to survive a disastrous counterattack operation in the early months of the war. The Chiron's secondary hull was lost in the battle, and the Chiron became one of the first Excelsiors to be refitted into a Centaur-class starship. As a centaur-class starship, the Chiron served the remainder of the war in a support capacity, and eventually restored after the war.
