A Miranda-class Federation starship patrolling near the Neutral Zone in 2286, the first vessel to meet the alien probe heading for Earth and the first to be left powerless by it.
The USS Saratoga appears at the start of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. On patrol in 2286, it detects a huge cylindrical probe moving through Federation space and transmitting a signal no one can interpret.
As the probe passes, its transmission drains the Saratoga's power systems. The ship is left adrift on emergency reserves, and its captain reports to Starfleet Command that the crew are trying to survive on what little energy remains. The same fate then overtakes every ship and station in the probe's path.
The unnamed captain was the first woman shown commanding a Federation starship in the film series. This ship should not be confused with the later Saratoga on which Benjamin Sisko served at Wolf 359.