Sensors

### Sensor Systems

The term sensor, also referred to aboard starships as subspace sensors or sensor probes, was used to refer to any device that was used to scan, record, or otherwise observe any aspect of an environment surrounding a starship, space station, or person. This could be as simple a device as a manual camera or light sensor, or as complicated as the myriad devices designed to scan many aspects of the matter and energies of subspace, space, time, and stellar bodies that make up all of existence.

Sensors of various types played roles in almost every aspect of space travel. Every type of sensor from navigational sensors to ARA sensors created data to be interpreted by the vessels computers and operators. In most situations, the sensor data revealed information that was not apparent through other data collecting means, such as visual observations.

### Sensor Types

There are three primary sensor systems aboard the Solstice. The first is the long-range sensor array located at the front of the ship Near the Deflector Array. This package of high-power devices is designed to sweep far ahead of the ship's flight path to gather navigational and scientific information.

The second major sensor group is the lateral arrays.These include the forward, port, starboard, and aft arrays on the rim of the Primary Hull. Additionally, there are smaller upper and lower sensor arrays located near Deck 4 on the Primary Hull, providing coverage in the lateral arrays' blind spots.

The final major group is the navigational sensors. These dedicated sensors are tied directly into the ship's Flight Control systems and are used to determine the ship's location and velocity. They are located on the forward, upper port, upper starboard, aft, and upper and lower arrays.

In addition, there are several packages of special-purpose and engineering sensors such as the subspace flow sensors located at various points on the ship's skin. The sensor systems provide the Solstice and its crew with extensive capabilities in areas including:

* Astronomical observation. This includes optical and wide band EM scanning capabilities for the study of stellar objects and other phenomena across light year range. Capabilities include wide-angle scan ability for automated starmapping functions and a wide range of individually controllable instruments for mission-specific studies.
* Planetary surface analysis. A broad range of shortrange sensors provide extensive mapping and survey capabilities from planetary orbit. Besides high-resolution optical and EM scanning, virtual neutrino spectrometers and shortrange quark resonance scanners provide detailed geologic structure analysis.

* Remote lifeform analysis. A sophisticated array of charged cluster quark resonance scanners provide detailed biological data across orbital distances. When used in conjunction with optical and chemical analysis sensors, the lifeform analysis software is typically able to extrapolate a bioform's gross structure and deduce the basic chemical composition.

### Sensor Scans

There were two basic types of sensor arrays employed: passive and active. A passive scan was less obtrusive than an active scan, and might not be detected by the subject being sensed. Sensors were divided further into short- and long-range types and low and high energy types.

Long-range sensors picked up information about targets that were on occasion several hours travel time distant from the sensing ship.

Short-range sensors seemed to be restricted to a range consistent with the immediate environment of the sensing ship (the term "immediate" being relative), and are most often mentioned being used to scan the surface of planets from orbit or to target weapons fire.

This uncertainty extends to the difference between low and high energy scans. While there are many ways to mask a sensor scan, sensor screens were the most commonly used. One could also mask a sensor scan with certain materials, or radiation. Sensors and communications can also be disrupted by interference from a planet's troposphere and ionosphere.

### Types of Scans

* antiproton beam
* autonomic response analysis
* geological scan
* high-resolution scan
* passive high-resolution series
* internal scan
* long range sensor scan
* magneton scan
* navigational scan
* multiphasic scan
* subspace differential pulse
* Inverse tachyon pulse
* virtual positron imaging scan