Star Trek: Every Starfleet Starship Class Ranked Worst To Best

The Hiawatha type of starship was in service in the 2250s, though it was utilising out of date technology. It, like the Walker class, used Lateral vector transporters which were considered obsolete by the 2240s. The Hiawatha type were officially designated as medical frigates, although this didn't protect them from Klingon attacks during the war.

The USS Hiawatha was discovered crashed onto the surface of an asteroid. The ship's engineer, Jett Reno, had managed to keep several injured crewmen alive using the tools aboard ship, treating them much as she would a broken component.

While the ship itself was unsalvagable, the ship had been sturdy enough that, despite its downed state, Reno had been able to survive the harsh conditions long enough to be rescued.