Sometime before 2269, the Phoenix was assigned an exploratory mission at the edge of the Orion Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy. A lot of information was transmitted back to Starfleet, however that data was of little use to the USS Enterprise when they were flung into orbit of Mercan. (TOS novel: The Abode of Life) In 2269, the Phoenix was the command ship for Vice-Commodore Larry Propp while the starship orbited the planet Waycross. (TOS novel: Perry's Planet)