A Starfleet class closely related to the Galaxy-class, with a single saucer and a mission pod above it, seen widely from The Next Generation to Picard.
The Nebula-class is a 24th-century Starfleet starship class that shares many parts with the Galaxy-class. It has a saucer section, a short secondary hull and two warp nacelles, with a large mission pod mounted over the hull that can be fitted for sensors, weapons or other roles. This modular design lets each ship be adapted for its mission.
The USS Sutherland, commanded by Data during the Klingon Civil War, is a well-known member of the class. Other ships, such as the Phoenix, captained by Benjamin Maxwell during his unauthorised attack on the Cardassians, appeared in The Next Generation, and many Nebula-class ships fought in the major fleet battles of the Dominion War on Deep Space Nine.
The class is an important part of the Starfleet fleet in the late 24th century. It provides a versatile alternative to the large Galaxy-class and ships of the class remain in service in later shows such as Picard.