Following setbacks and losses in starship exploration, Project Odyssey was initiated at Utopia Planitia in 2375, aiming to create a successor to the Galaxy-class explorers, serving as a deep space 'mobile Starbase'. Learning from the destruction of ships like the USS Yamato and the vulnerabilities identified during the Dominion War, the design team prioritized key features for the Odyssey-class. The vessel had to match the firepower of the Sovereign-class, particularly against smaller, more agile threats. The design retained the saucer-separation ability from the Galaxy-class, allowing the primary hull to return independently to a starbase with its own warp drive. The lessons learned during the design process were applied to the Ross-class explorers, a tactical enhancement of the Galaxy class, providing a testing ground for Odyssey-class ideas. In 2379, Starfleet ordered four Odyssey-class vessels; the Odyssey, Verity, Enterprise-F, and Endurance-C.

Over the subsequent years, the Odyssey-class underwent rigorous testing, leading to the construction of multiple additional vessels. The class not only proved its mettle but also emerged as an enduring success now into the 25th century.