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+ | '''Astrogation''' is the [[navigation]] of a vessel among the [[star]]s. It was common for [[starship]]s to have an [[astrogation plotter|officer assigned to astrogation]]. ({{TOS|The Gamesters of Triskelion}}; {{VOY|Parallax}}) |
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− | '''Navigation''' is the science of locating the position and plotting the course of [[ship]]s, [[aircraft]], and [[spacecraft]]; in the latter case, the proper term is sometimes referred to as '''astrogation'''. |
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+ | == See also == |
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− | By the mid-[[23rd century]], the [[Medusan]]s had developed interstellar navigation to a fine art. ({{TOS|Is There in Truth No Beauty?}}) |
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+ | * [[Astrogator]] |
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− | [[Hikaru Sulu]] was considered a [[specialist]] in navigation and [[weapon]]s. ({{TOS|The Way to Eden}}) |
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− | ==Navigating== |
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− | Historically, the [[navigator]] was responsible for the navigation aboard sea going vessels, and later lighter than air craft. |
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− | During ancient times [[mariner]]s navigated by the [[star]]s. Later [[map]]s and [[globe]]s would be utilized, and with the advent of advanced [[technology|technologies]], the use [[radar]]. ({{VOY|Year of Hell}}) |
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− | Once beings began to travel the stars, the navigator continued the role in [[space]], while new technologies were developed to aid in that advancement. |
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− | An early form of navigation technology, referred to by [[Chakotay]] as "the old-fashioned way", was by use of [[optical scanner]]s. ({{VOY|Unity}}) [[LIDAR]] was another form of early navigational technology. ({{VOY|One Small Step}}) |
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− | By the [[22nd century]], [[auto-navigation]] systems were utilized aboard starships. ({{ENT|Doctor's Orders}}, et al.) |
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− | [[Image:Astrogator.jpg|thumb|The [[astrogator]], a [[23rd century]] navigational component.]] |
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− | The [[astrogator]] was used in plotting courses aboard {{ShipClass|Constitution}} starships and [[Class F shuttlecraft]]s during the mid-23rd century. ({{TOS|And the Children Shall Lead|Metamorphosis}}) |
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− | [[Subspace sensors]] would later become a key external component in assisting [[starship]] navigation. ({{VOY|Year of Hell|The Fight}}) When the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701}} was taken beyond the [[galactic barrier]], they were unable to return due to the unfortunate lack of lack reference points on which to plot a return course, which came as a result of the extreme sensory distortion, originally caused by crossing the barrier. ({{TOS|Is There in Truth No Beauty?}}) |
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− | ==Alternative navigation== |
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− | On occasion, when navigational sensors became inaccurate, inoperative or obsolete, alternative means could be used to assist in navigation. |
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− | In [[2268]], the [[Federation]] considered the possibility of employing Medusan navigators aboard starships as a means of solving many navigational problems. ({{TOS|Is There in Truth No Beauty?}}) Prior to this, the ship's [[computer bank]]s were utilized to "solve our problems of navigation." ({{TOS|The Way to Eden}}) During a ruse performed by [[Captain]] [[James T. Kirk]] in [[2268]], where the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701}} crossed into the [[Romulan Neutral Zone]], Kirk explained to the [[Unnamed Romulans (23rd century)#Romulan Commander (female)|Romulan Commander]] that the inadvertent excursion across the zone was due to an "''instrument failure caused navigational error.''" When the [[Romulan]] [[Commander]] questioned how an instrument failure as radical as Kirk suggested |
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− | went unnoticed until you were well past the neutral zone, Kirk explained that "''Accidents happen. Backup systems malfunction. We were due for overhaul two months ago.''" When again questioned by the Romulan Commander regarding the ''Enterprise''{{'}}s ability to navigate with said malfunction, Kirk explained that "''the error was corrected.''" ({{TOS|The Enterprise Incident}}) |
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− | During the [[Cardassian]] [[Occupation of Bajor]], [[Kira Nerys]] learned "a little trick" that was used to evade the [[Cardassian starships|Cardassian ships]] while hiding in the [[Badlands]]. In effort to compensate for the limited [[sensor]] range in the Badland, the [[Bajoran]] [[pilot]]s used an [[active scan system]] to navigate, a system which worked by [[echo location]]. According to Kira, this was accomplished by sending out "''a modulated [[tetryon pulse]] and if it reflects off the [[hull]] of a ship we can approximate its location.''" To prevent the pulses from giving away the ship's position, they would alter course and speed following every [[scan]]. ({{DS9|Starship Down}}) |
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− | In [[2374]], [[Seven of Nine]] and [[Harry Kim]] merged [[Starfleet]] and [[Borg]] ingenuity to create this new technology that incorporated "returning to that tried-and-true method" of navigating by the stars. The technology worked by using the [[astrometric sensors]] to measure the [[radiation|radiative flux]] of up to three billion stars at one time. The ship's [[computer]] would then calculate the ship's position relative to the [[galactic core|center of the galaxy]]. The new mapping technology was considered to be ten times more accurate than current technology, and was able to eliminate five years from the ship's journey to Earth through the [[Delta Quadrant]]. ({{VOY|Year of Hell}}) |
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− | The [[2375|following year]], when the {{USS|Voyager}} became trapped in [[chaotic space]], it was suggested that they "drop a series of [[stationary beacon|beacon]]s" to assist in their navigation out of that region of space. ({{VOY|The Fight}}) |
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− | ==Terminology== |
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− | * [[Azimuth]] |
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− | * [[Bearing]] |
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− | * [[Course]] |
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− | * [[Heading]] |
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− | * [[Mark (navigation)|Mark]] |
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− | ==Related links== |
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− | * [[Circumnavigation]] |
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− | * [[Coordinates]] |
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− | * [[Galactic plane]] |
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* [[Star chart]] |
* [[Star chart]] |
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− | ==External |
+ | == External link == |
− | * {{ |
+ | * {{Wikipedia}} |
− | * {{wikipedia|Astrogation}} |
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− | * {{wikipedia|Celestial navigation}} |
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− | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Mathematics]] |
Revision as of 20:53, 7 June 2008
Astrogation is the navigation of a vessel among the stars. It was common for starships to have an officer assigned to astrogation. (TOS: "The Gamesters of Triskelion"; VOY: "Parallax")