The history of the Excelsior class leaps from being a costly, embarassing failure to a solid, reliable design which has served with honor. In 2285, the prototype was selected as the tesbed for a Transwarp Drive, a revolutionary new propulsion system. Around the same time, James Kirk & his crew stole the USS Enterprise. As a precaution, Commander Montgomery Scott sabatoged the Transwarp Drive. When the Excelsior tried to effect pursuit, the whole drive shut down and Captain Styles limped back to spacedock. Engineers repairing the drive made a startling discovery, if activated, the system would cause a nacelle implosion, caused by flaws, which would destroy the ship. Over the next year, engineers struggled to bring the Excelsior up to par with little success. The spaceframe itself was solid & durable, so in 2287 the Excelsior was fitted with a standard Warp Drive and series production began not long after & continues even to this day, a remarkable record.

The Excelsior class replaced the 20+ year old Enterprise class at the head of the fleet. In 2290, Captain Sulu took over and conducted many explorotory, scientific and diplomatic missions under his command. In 2293, the Excelsior assissted the Enterprise in destroying a Klingon Bird of Prey and saving the Khitomer conference. These ships have performed remarkebly well during the Dominion War, each ship earning many kills. Many Admirals choose Excelsiors as their personal command ships. One example is Admiral Alayna Nechev and the USS Crazy Horse.