Orbital Beacon
| Small Orbital Beacon | |
|---|---|
| Type | Communications Gear |
| Tech Level | TL–9 |
| Cost | Cr1,021 |
| Size | 30 liters |
| Weight | 25kg |
| Large Orbital Beacon | |
|---|---|
| Type | Communications Gear |
| Tech Level | TL–9 |
| Cost | Cr3,090 |
| Size | 300 liters |
| Weight | 115kg |
Orbital Beacons are small spheres dotted with solar panels, containing a battery and a radio transmitter. The purpose of an orbital beacon is to provide in-system navigation. The signal they emit is a very simply encoded current time based upon an internal clock. This allows a navigator (or navigation program) to calculate a ships location and orbital path within a few minutes.
It is designed to emit a 1 second pulse every 10 seconds at the habitable orbit range of a star. The pulse length and interval vary if the beacon is placed either closer in or further out. The signal is usually transmitted on one or more standard navigation frequencies.
Most systems with a class C or better Starport usually have several orbital beacons in solar orbits.
- Thomas L. Bont, Robert Prior, Christopher Thrash. Starships (Steve Jackson Games, 2003), 69.