Following the formation of the Federation in 2161, the Federation decided to make their headquarters on Earth, in the city of San Francisco. By the 32nd century, fearing what happened during the Burn could happen on Earth, the Federation decided to move Federation Headquarters to a space station hidden somewhere in the Alpha Quadrant.

This space station also served as Starfleet Headquarters. Further, the Federation's executive branch and presumably the Federation Council were located here as well. Starfleet operated this facility, which was protected by a distortion field to keep its location a secret. It had a main habitable section with twisting structures enclosing streamers of field generation energy at the station's center. The streamers of field generation energy at the station were connected by thin energy cables to the hulls of ships. The collective energy of these ships sustained the distortion field.

Following the collapse of the Emerald Chain, the cloaking field surrounding the station was dismantled and new structures were added to the station. Starting in 3190, this station would be the home for a reestablished Starfleet Academy. A new spacedock, the Archer Spacedock, was built within visual range of the station.