The USS Kitty Hawk (NCC-1552) was the prototype of the Kitty Hawk-class cruiser and saw service with the Federation Starfleet during the 23rd century. In 2231, the Kitty Hawk undertook a five-year mission to catalogue Alpha Quadrant nebulae. Following this assignment it spend five years patrolling the spinward sections of the Federation's rimward border. In 2243, the Kitty Hawk was involved in the Battle of Sidron XII against the Klingons. (Ship Recognition Manual, Volume 4: Starships of the Original Series Era)