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'''Inertial dampers''' are a system used on almost all [[starship]]s to counter the effects of rapid acceleration/deceleration of a [[vessel]] by sustaining and absorbing the natural inertia of a vessel as it either moves through [[space]] or if it is under attack from another vessel. If a starship were to jump to [[warp speed]] without using inertial dampers, the members of the [[crew]] would almost certainly die as the rapid acceleration would throw them back in to the consoles and rear walls killing them instantly. Conversely, they would also be killed if a ship were to come out of warp but in this instance the crew would be thrown forward.
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'''Inertial dampers''' were a system used on almost all [[starship]]s to counter the effects of rapid acceleration and deceleration of a [[starship]] by sustaining and absorbing the natural inertia of a vessel as it moved through [[space]] or if it was under attack from another vessel.
   
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A [[starship]] could not jump to [[warp speed]] without inertial dampers, as the rapid acceleration would smash the crew into the walls, killing them instantly. ({{VOY|Tattoo}})
The entire crew of a [[Jem'Hadar attack ship]] (save a [[changeling]] that would later die) was killed apparently when their inertial damping system failed as the ship accelerated. ([[DS9]]: "[[The Ship]]")
 
   
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It also could not jump to warp without the external inertial dampers engaged. ({{film|11}})
Although the intertial dampers are activated by default, the crew can enable disable and configure the strength of them manually. If the inertial dampers are disabled, they can be reactivated by resetting the inertial dampening field base at three-zero-zero and re-initialising the dampers. ([[VOY]]: "[[The Cloud]]") This use of them can exaggerate the damage sustained by a starship in a battle as the ship rocks more violently when its intertial dampers are disabled. ([[TNG]]: "[[The Chase]]" and "[[Gambit, Part II]]")
 
   
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In [[2155]], while using a [[comet]] as camouflage to infiltrate [[John Frederick Paxton]]'s base on [[Mars]], [[Travis Mayweather]] disabled the inertial dampers of the {{dis|shuttlepod|22nd century}}, causing it to maintain an erratic flight path to better resemble a chunk of the comet. This caused [[Malcolm Reed]] some distress, as he had a history of gastro-intestinal problems. ({{ENT|Terra Prime}})
On [[stardate]] 50482.2, a [[cascade virus]] previously planted in the [[computer]]s of the [[USS Defiant|USS ''Defiant'']] by [[Maquis]] defector [[Michael Eddington]] wiped all systems aboard. Several days later, the inertial dampeners had not been fully repaired and, while the ship could reach warp 6, [[Miles O'Brien|Chief O'Brien]] added, "Don't expect a smooth ride. ([[DS9]]: "[[For the Uniform]]")
 
   
 
Although the inertial dampers were activated by default, the crew could enable, disable, and configure the strength of them manually. If the inertial dampers were disabled, they could be reactivated by resetting the inertial dampening field base at three-zero-zero and re-initializing the dampers. ({{VOY|The Cloud}})
[[Category:Starship components]]
 
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This use of them could exaggerate the damage sustained by a starship in a battle, as the ship rocked more violently when its inertial dampers were disabled. ({{TNG|The Chase|Gambit, Part II}})
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As a safety precaution, the inertial dampers on [[Federation]] vessels had an automatic bypass that kicked in when the system was disabled. ({{TNG|Cost of Living}})
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The entire crew of a [[Jem'Hadar attack ship]] (while saving a [[Changeling]] that later died) was killed when their inertial damping system apparently failed as the ship went into warp. ({{DS9|The Ship}})
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On [[stardate]] 50482.2, a [[cascade virus]] previously planted in the [[computer]]s of the {{USS|Defiant|2370}} by [[Maquis]] defector [[Michael Eddington]] wiped all systems aboard. Several days later, the inertial dampers had not been fully repaired and, while the ship could reach warp 6, [[Chief]] [[Miles O'Brien|O'Brien]] added, "''Don't expect a smooth ride''". ({{DS9|For the Uniform}})
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In [[2375]], [[The Doctor]] suggested that the inertial dampers aboard {{USS|Voyager}} being out of alignment could account for a spate of [[space sickness]] cases. ({{VOY|Relativity}})
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Soon after, [[Tom Paris]] simulated the effects of a [[mine]] with a disruption to ''Voyager'''s inertial dampers. ({{VOY|Warhead}})
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In [[2376]], the {{USS|Voyager}}'s inertial dampers went offline when the ship pursued the {{USS|Equinox}} into a [[planet]]'s [[parthogenic atmosphere]] ({{VOY|Equinox, Part II}})
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{{bginfo|According to the ''[[Star Trek Encyclopedia]]'' (2nd ed., p. 205), inertial dampers were "invented" by ''Star Trek'' writers to explain how the crew avoided becoming "chunky salsa" when starships accelerated or decelerated.}}
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==External link==
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*{{NCwiki|Inertial dampener}}
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[[cs:Inerciální tlumiče]]
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[[de:Trägheitsdämpfer]]
 
[[Category:Technology]]

Revision as of 14:49, 23 November 2014

Inertial dampers were a system used on almost all starships to counter the effects of rapid acceleration and deceleration of a starship by sustaining and absorbing the natural inertia of a vessel as it moved through space or if it was under attack from another vessel.

A starship could not jump to warp speed without inertial dampers, as the rapid acceleration would smash the crew into the walls, killing them instantly. (VOY: "Tattoo")

It also could not jump to warp without the external inertial dampers engaged. (Star Trek)

In 2155, while using a comet as camouflage to infiltrate John Frederick Paxton's base on Mars, Travis Mayweather disabled the inertial dampers of the shuttlepod, causing it to maintain an erratic flight path to better resemble a chunk of the comet. This caused Malcolm Reed some distress, as he had a history of gastro-intestinal problems. (ENT: "Terra Prime")

Although the inertial dampers were activated by default, the crew could enable, disable, and configure the strength of them manually. If the inertial dampers were disabled, they could be reactivated by resetting the inertial dampening field base at three-zero-zero and re-initializing the dampers. (VOY: "The Cloud")

This use of them could exaggerate the damage sustained by a starship in a battle, as the ship rocked more violently when its inertial dampers were disabled. (TNG: "The Chase", "Gambit, Part II")

As a safety precaution, the inertial dampers on Federation vessels had an automatic bypass that kicked in when the system was disabled. (TNG: "Cost of Living")

The entire crew of a Jem'Hadar attack ship (while saving a Changeling that later died) was killed when their inertial damping system apparently failed as the ship went into warp. (DS9: "The Ship")

On stardate 50482.2, a cascade virus previously planted in the computers of the USS Defiant by Maquis defector Michael Eddington wiped all systems aboard. Several days later, the inertial dampers had not been fully repaired and, while the ship could reach warp 6, Chief O'Brien added, "Don't expect a smooth ride". (DS9: "For the Uniform")

In 2375, The Doctor suggested that the inertial dampers aboard USS Voyager being out of alignment could account for a spate of space sickness cases. (VOY: "Relativity")

Soon after, Tom Paris simulated the effects of a mine with a disruption to Voyager's inertial dampers. (VOY: "Warhead")

In 2376, the USS Voyager's inertial dampers went offline when the ship pursued the USS Equinox into a planet's parthogenic atmosphere (VOY: "Equinox, Part II")

According to the Star Trek Encyclopedia (2nd ed., p. 205), inertial dampers were "invented" by Star Trek writers to explain how the crew avoided becoming "chunky salsa" when starships accelerated or decelerated.

External link

  • Template:NCwiki