The ancient starship Destiny was launched even before the construction of Atlantis. Its purpose was to follow ships that had been launched ahead of it that were placing stargates in more and more galaxies. The ancients never boarded it however, achieving ascension first. In 2009 A.D. a group of explorers, soldiers and scientists from earth evacuated Icarus base to the ship, having been researching the purpose of the ninth chevron. They arrived on the Destiny, an ancient, decayed ship that had far outlived its sell by date.