USS Challenger (NCC-71099)

The USS Challenger is a Galaxy-class starship, Starfleet registry NCC-71099. Constructed in the latter part of the 2360s, she was commanded by Captain Simm. After the destruction of the Enterprise-D, the Challenger returned from her mission in the Gamma Quadrant to pick up her new First Officer, Commander William Riker. Cmdr. Riker invoked the official secrets regulation of stardate 7500, took command of the Challenger, and brought Dr. Julian Bashir, Cmdr. Deanna Troi, and Capt. James T. Kirk onboard. He ordered the ship from Deep Space 9 to Starbase 804, where Capt. Jean-Luc Picard, Dr. Beverly Crusher, and Ambassador Spock were recovered. The Challenger engaged the Romulan warbird Avatar of Tomed, acting as a decoy so that the USS Monitor could defeat it. The Avatar took heavy damage, but was able to escape using its borg transwarp drive. Commander Riker's stay on the Challenger was short-lived: within a year he transferred to the Enterprise-E. (Hardcover: The Return)

By 2375, the Challanger was commanded by Captain Garret Damon, a section 31 operative, and was part of the seventh fleet during the Dominion War. It led an ill-fated mission deep into Cardassian space early that year. The Challanger barely escaped destruction. (novel: "Transcendence")

In 2378, the Challeger was part of a fleet which destroyed Borg Sphere 634. (VOY Episode: Endgame)

Alternate Timeline
In an alternate timeline of 2390, the Challenger was commanded by Geordi La Forge. Former USS Voyager crew members Chakotay and Harry Kim successfully restored the timeline dispite the Challenger's orders to take them into custody. (VOY episode: "Timeless")

External link

 * USS Challenger (and other ships of the same name) at Memory Alpha