The Luna-class was specifically designed for exploration of the Gamma Quadrant after the discovery of the wormhole in Bajoran space. Intended to support a crew for a potentially long voyage, the Luna is one of the larger science vessels and can comfortably house a crew of up to 350 individuals.

Production on the Luna-class, however, was not smooth. The Dominion War disrupted the initial plans to build several Lune-class vessels. For a time it was unclear if the ship would ever actually come to fruition. However, after the successful defeat of the Dominion, the Federation was able to restart the project.