Federation starship, Excelsior class, Starfleet registry number NCC-1701-B, the third starship to bear the name. The U.S.S. Enterprise-B was launched from a Spacedock orbiting Earth in 2293, with Captain John Harriman in command. Its maiden voyage was planned as a publicity junket consisting of a brief trip out past Pluto. Dignataries aboard the Enterprise-B for the occasion included Captain James T. Kirk, Captain Montgomery Scott, and Commander Pavel Chekov. During this flight, the Enterprise-B responded to an emergency distress call from two El-Aurian transport ships en route to Earth. The ships were trapped in the nexus energy ribbon and were on the verge of structural collapse. Problems with Enterprise-B equipment prevented the rescue of one El-Aurian ship, but some 47 passengers from the second ship, the S.S. Lakul, were transported to safety just before the Lakul exploded. Among those rescued were scientist Dr. Tolian Soran and future Enterprise-D crew member Guinan. Captain James T. Kirk was missing and believed killed in the incident. Kirk had been making emergency modifications to the Enterprise-B deflector system, permitting the ship to escape the ribbon. It was later learned that Kirk had not been killed, but rather had been swept into the nexus.