EXTERNAL SENSORS

	The major external sensors employed at sublight include stellar 
graviton detectors, stellar pair coordinate imagers, pulsar/quasar counters, 
far infrared scanners, and Federation Timebase Beacon (FTB) receivers. 
These devices also communicate with the structural integrity field and 
inertial damping field processors, inertial sensors, and main computers to 
obtain an adjusted awareness of the shipÕs location. The wide range of 
external sensors make it possible to obtain the greatest number of readings 
under many different conditions. The standard external sensor pallet has 
been designed to insure that coarse position calculations can be made 
under adverse operating conditions: e.g., magnetic fields, dense interstellar 
dust, and stellar flares.

	While the network of FTBs operate on subspace frequencies to 
facilitate position calculations at warp, vehicles at sublight speed can, in 
fact, obtain more precise positioning data than ships at warp. In the absence 
of clear FTB signals, onboard timebase processors continue computing 
distance and velocity for later synchronization when FTB pulses are once 
again detected.

	Guidance of the USS Enterprise at higher sublight velocities couples 
the impulse engines with those systems already mentioned. External sensor 
readings, distorted by higher relativistic speeds, necessitate adjustment by 
the guidance and navigation (G&N) subprocessors in order to accurately 
compute ship location and provide proper control inputs to the impulse 
engines. Extended travel at high sublight speed is not a preferred mode of 
travel for Federation vessels, due to the undesired time-dilation effects, but 
may be required occasionally if warp systems are unavailable.

	In the Galaxy class starship, ongoing G&N system research tasks are 
handled by a mixed consultation crew of twelve Tursiops truncatus and T. 
truncatus gilli, Atlantic and Pacific bottlenose dolphins, respectively. This 
crew is overseen by two additional cetaceans, Orcinus orca takayai, or 
TakayaÕs Whale. All theoretical topics in navigation are studied by these elite 
specialists, and their recommendations for system upgrades are 
implemented by Starfleet.  Æ