Sovereign Class Probes

USS Challenger-A
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A probe is a device that contains a number of general purpose or mission specific sensors and can be launched from a starship for closer examination of objects in space.

There are nine different classes of probes, which vary in sensor types, power, and performance ratings. The spacecraft frame of a probe consists of molded duranium-tritanium and pressure-bonded lufium boronate, with sensor windows of triple layered transparent aluminum. With a warhead attached, a probe becomes a photon torpedo. The standard equipment of all nine types of probes are instruments to detect and analyze all normal EM and subspace bands, organic and inorganic chemical compounds, atmospheric constituents, and mechanical force properties. All nine types are capable of surviving a powered atmospheric entry, but only three are special designed for aerial maneuvering and soft landing. These ones can also be used for spatial burying. Many probes can be real-time controlled and piloted from a starship to investigate an environment that is dangerous, hostile, or otherwise inaccessible for an away-team or starship.

The nine standard classes are:

Class I Sensor Probe:

• Range: 2 x 10^5 kilometers
• Delta-v limit: 0.5c
• Powerplant: Vectored deuterium microfusion propulsion
• Sensors: Full EM/Subspace and interstellar chemistry pallet for in-space applications.
• Telemetry: 12,500 channels at 12 megawatts.

Class II Sensor Probe:

• Range: 4 x 10^5 kilometers
• Delta-v limit: 0.65c
• Powerplant: Vectored deuterium microfusion propulsion, extended deuterium fuel supply
• Sensors: Same instrumentation as Class I with addition of enhanced long-range particle and field detectors and imaging system
• Telemetry: 15,650 channels at 20 megawatts.

Class III Planetary Probe:

• Range: 1.2 x 10^6 kilometers
• Delta-v limit: 0.65c
• Powerplant: Vectored deuterium microfusion propulsion
• Sensors: Terrestrial and gas giant sensor pallet with material sample and return capability; onboard chemical analysis submodule
• Telemetry: 13,250 channels at ~15 megawatts.
• Additional data: Limited SIF hull reinforcement. Full range of terrestrial soft landing to subsurface penetration missions; gas giant atmosphere missions survivable to 450 bar pressure. Limited terrestrial loiter time.

Class IV Stellar Encounter Probe:

• Range: 3.5 x 10^6 kilometers
• Delta-v limit: 0.6c
• Powerplant: Vectored deuterium microfusion propulsion supplemented with continuum driver coil and extended deuterium supply
• Sensors: Triply redundant stellar fields and particle detectors, stellar atmosphere analysis suite.
• Telemetry: 9,780 channels at 65 megawatts.
• Additional data: Six ejectable/survivable radiation flux subprobes. Deployable for nonstellar energy phenomena

Class V Medium-Range Reconnaissance Probe:

• Range: 4.3 x 10^10 kilometers
• Delta-v limit: Warp 2
• Powerplant: Dual-mode matter/antimatter engine; extended duration sublight plus limited duration at warp
• Sensors: Extended passive data-gathering and recording systems; full autonomous mission execution and return system
• Telemetry: 6,320 channels at 2.5 megawatts.
• Additional data: Planetary atmosphere entry and soft landing capability. Low observatory coatings and hull materials. Can be modified for tactical applications with addition of custom sensor countermeasure package.

Class VI Comm Relay/Emergency Beacon:

• Range: 4.3 x 10^10 kilometers
• Delta-v limit: 0.8c
• Powerplant: Microfusion engine with high-output MHD power tap
• Sensors: Standard pallet
• Telemetry/Comm: 9,270 channel RF and subspace transceiver operating at 350 megawatts peak radiated power. 360 degree omni antenna coverage, 0.0001 arc-second high-gain antenna pointing resolution.
• Additional data: Extended deuterium supply for transceiver power generation and planetary orbit plane changes

Class VII Remote Culture Study Probe:

• Range: 4.5 x 10^8 kilometers
• Delta-v limit: Warp 1.5
• Powerplant: Dual-mode matter/antimatter engine
• Sensors: Passive data gathering system plus subspace transceiver
• Telemetry: 1,050 channels at 0.5 megawatts.
• Additional data: Applicable to civilizations up to technology level III. Low observability coatings and hull materials. Maximum loiter time: 3.5 months. Low-impact molecular destruct package tied to antitamper detectors.

Class VIII Medium-Range Multimission Warp Probe:

• Range: 1.2 x 10^2 light-years
• Delta-v limit: Warp 9
• Powerplant: Matter/antimatter warp field sustainer engine; duration of 6.5 hours at warp 9; MHD power supply tap for sensors and subspace transceiver
• Sensors: Standard pallet plus mission-specific modules
• Telemetry: 4,550 channels at 300 megawatts.
• Additional data: Applications vary from galactic particles and fields research to early-warning reconnaissance missions

Class IX Long-Range Multimission Warp Probe:

• Range: 7.6 x 10^2 light-years
• Delta-v limit: Warp 9
• Powerplant: Matter/antimatter warp field sustainer engine; duration of 12 hours at warp 9; extended fuel supply for warp 8 maximum flight duration of 14 days
• Sensors: Standard pallet plus mission-specific modules
• Telemetry: 6,500 channels at 230 megawatts.
• Additional data: Limited payload capacity; isolinear memory storage of 3,400 kiloquads; fifty-channel transponder echo. Typical application is emergency-log/message capsule on homing trajectory to nearest starbase or known Starfleet vessel position