USS Pegasus embedded in a rockface, 2370
The USS Pegasus (NCC-53847) was an Oberth-class Federation starship in operation during the 24th century.
The Pegasus was a prototype vessel, and served as the testbed for various technologies, many of which which would later be implemented on the Galaxy class.
In 2358, the Pegasus was commanded by Erik Pressman. The crew compliment included Lieutenant Boylen and Ensign William Riker, on his first assignment out of the Academy.
During the mission, an equipment test caused an explosion in Main Engineering, and several members of the command staff mutinied against Captain Pressman, including the first officer and chief engineer. They quickly gained control of the ship, and the support of the rest of the crew. Pressman, Riker, and seven other crewmembers fled the ship in an escape pod. Not long after departing, they witnessed a large explosion in space. No wreckage was found, and the vessel was believed to have been destroyed by a warp core breach.
An inquiry into the incident concluded that the surviving officers had not been entirely truthful in their recounting of the events, and suggested a further investigation. Such an investigation never took place, and the inquiry report was quietly buried by Starfleet Intelligence.
In 2370, a Romulan vessel on a scouting mission in the Devolin system discovered a piece of wreckage from the Pegasus. This resulted in Pressman, now an Admiral, dispatching the Enterprise-D to find the vessel first. It was discovered that the Pegasus was, in fact, intact, buried within a rockface beneath the surface of asteroid gamma 601. The vessel had been the testbed for a Federation cloaking device, in violation of the Treaty of Algeron. The coverup was made public, and Pressman, amongst others, court-martialled. (TNG: "The Pegasus)
- Named after the mythological creature, a winged horse.