USS Constellation
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Three ships of the United States Navy have borne the name USS Constellation, in honor, according to the US Congress, of the "new constellation of stars" on the flag of the United States.
- The original Constellation, a 38-gun frigate, was the first ship to be commissioned in the United States Navy; the first US Navy vessel to put to sea; and the first US Navy vessel to engage, defeat, and capture an enemy vessel. Built in Baltimore at David Stoddards Shipyard in Canton, a hamlet just east of Fells Point, and launched on September 7, 1797, the Constellation set sail under the command of Thomas Truxtun.
- The second Constellation was a sloop of war that served from 1855 to 1933, and is preserved as a National Historic Landmark in Baltimore, Maryland. From 1854 to 1991, the Navy maintained that the second ship was the same as the first; this resulted in considerable damage to the ship, especially when as a museum ship she was "restored" to her "former appearance" as a frigate.
- A battlecruiser Constellation (CC-2) was laid down in 1920 but cancelled in 1923.
- The third Constellation (CV-64) was a Kitty Hawk-class steam turbine propelled aircraft carrier which served from 1961 to 2003.
In addition:
- A fictional starship called USS Constellation (NCC-1017) was in the Star Trek episode "The Doomsday Machine".
- Also in Star Trek, a Constellation class of starships existed, of which Captain Jean-Luc Picard's former ship, USS Stargazer, was a member.
