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Operation Watson

Earth calling Voyager

Operation Watson was an effort undertaken as part of the Pathfinder Project in the 24th century. It was the first attempt by Starfleet Communications in 2378 to successfully create a communications link between Earth in the Alpha Quadrant and the USS Voyager, thirty thousand light years away in the Delta Quadrant. The project itself was devised by Harry Kim and Seven of Nine, who coordinated with Reginald Barclay.

USS Voyager powering up its deflector dish

Voyager's deflector during Operation Watson

It involved bouncing the signal off a quantum singularity using the Mutara Interdimensional Deep Space Array System. In the Delta Quadrant, a phased tachyon beam containing an encoded triaxilating signal was detected. This could sustain a live link for eleven minutes each day.

On stardate 54732.3, Barclay and Admiral Owen Paris from Starfleet Command successfully communicated with Captain Kathryn Janeway for the first time. (VOY: "Author, Author")

According to the Star Trek Encyclopedia (4th ed., vol. 2, p. 107), Operation Watson was "presumably named for Thomas Watson, who assisted Alexander Graham Bell in the invention of the telephone."

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