Picard's first command, where he made a name for himself with the 'Picard Maneuver'.
The USS Stargazer was a Constellation-class starship of the twenty-fourth century and the first command of Jean-Luc Picard. She was a smaller, older ship than the vessels of her time, and Picard served on her for many years, first as a junior officer and then as captain after the death of her commander.
Picard gained a reputation during the Stargazer's service for tactical genius. In a battle with an unknown vessel, he used a manoeuvre that created an illusion of two ships, now known as the Picard Maneuver, to defeat the enemy. The ship's service, however, was ended after the damage she took in that fight and she was abandoned.
Years later, the Stargazer was found by the Ferengi, who used it to lure Picard into a trap. Picard recovered his old ship and was reminded of the choices of his youth. The ship's name stood for the beginning of a long career and for one of Starfleet's most famous captains, and it became part of the Enterprise family's history.