Starbase 3 was one of the first Federation starbases, and was built around reference stardate 1/90, and finally entered active service on stardate 1/9708. (FASA RPG[citation needed])
It was completed in 2158. (ST reference: Federation: The First 150 Years)
Starbase 3 is situated in close proximity to the Vestios system. In the year 2246, following an altercation with a Vestian ship, the USS Aldrin managed to reach Starbase 3 on auxilary power. (TOS novel: Burning Dreams)
In 2269, the USS Enterprise docked at Starbase 3, after completing a massive benchmark survey in sector 3. (TOS novel: The Starless World)
A few months later, Starbase 3 was the first Federation facility to receive a distress call from Outpost Hadrian, following an attack by the powerful super-computer, Nagha. (TOS - The New Voyages 2 short story: "The Sleeping God")
Starbase 3 was still operational in the 2370s, and was located near the Beltos system in Orion territory. (TNG novel: The Best and the Brightest)
