The Couragerous entered service on reference stardate 2/1610 along with her mk I sister ships, the USS Vindicator and the USS Redoubt. The Courageous was later refit to mk II specifications on reference stardate 2/1904. (FASA RPG module: Federation Ship Recognition Manual) By 2270, the Courageous was under the command of Captain Michael Caulder and assigned to deep space exploration near Starbase 25. She and the USS Enterprise were assigned to investigate a unknown colony in system R-855, which ended in First contact with the Bajoran people.