She first appears in Mass Effect as the SSV Normandy SR-1, the product of a joint venture between the human Systems Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy, and described as the most advanced military stealth starship in the galaxy within the series.
An improved version of the ship known as the Normandy SR-2, though no longer a commissioned spaceship of the Alliance Navy, is later constructed by the anthropocentric paramilitary organization Cerberus and appears from Mass Effect 2 onwards.
She functions as the primary means of transport and base of operations for the player, in the role of Spectre Commander Shepard, and their crew, as they travel throughout the Milky Way and fight hostile aliens such as the Reapers.
By temporarily "tucking in" and "storing" the heat energy produced within her hull to evade detection, Normandy can travel undetected or drift passively for a lengthy time of observation, though this technique is not without danger.
Combined with her speed and maneuverability, Normandy is now capable of significant offensive feats, equipped with Javelin disruptor torpedoes, point-defense lasers, and the Thanix cannon, a Reaper-based weapon.
The Illusive Man had Cerberus build the SR-2 as the headquarters of the Lazarus Cell—the newly-revived Commander Shepard and his/her team—to aid them in their mission to stop the Collectors' galaxy-wide campaign of human abductions.
As part of the final mission of Mass Effect 2, the severity of the damage Normandy receives while fighting the Collectors is heavily dependent on how many upgrades the player managed to research and purchase for the ship.
In Mass Effect 2, the Mako can be found at the crash site of the destroyed SSV Normandy on Alchera, partially encased in ice and rock but otherwise almost completely intact.
[4] Ease of navigation of the ship's interior as well as a sense of familiarity for returning players were prioritized as the SR-2 is supposed to feel like a more technologically advanced version of the SR-1, albeit with increased space and rooms for up to one dozen squad mates that Shepard could recruit in Mass Effect 2.
[4] A "muscle car" element to the ship's painted exterior was considered in order to give Normandy a more aggressive feel than a typical spaceship or fighter craft.
[4] For Mass Effect 3, the design team wanted to convey the sense that Normandy had been captured and studied by the Alliance; red and blue color changes were originally thrown into concept to show that the ship is always in high alert as it is operating during wartime.
[2] Alex Donaldson of RPG Site stated that he found few hub areas "as memorable and special" as the Normandy SR-1, calling it "integral to the player's view of the Mass Effect universe".
[12] SSV Normandy SR-1, the first iteration of the ship, is featured as an easter egg in the science fiction survival game No Man's Sky as part of a crossover event in May 2021.