Ship Sensor Suite

A Ship Sensor Suite is the detection package equipped in most, but not all ships.

• It is comprised of a number of different sensors including Densitometers, RADAR, LIDAR, and more.
• It is an item of Ship Equipment.
• Sensors utilize metrics to quantify their readings and data.
• Please also see AAB article: Sensor.

Description (Specifications)

Ship sensor suites are available in three different qualities:

1. Civilian Quality Sensor Suite: sometimes referred to as a "basic sensor array".
2. Paramilitary Quality Sensor Suite: sometimes referred to as a "standard sensor array".
3. Military Quality Sensor Suite: sometimes referred to as an "advanced sensor array".

Notes: The actual quantity and quality of sensors within the suite may vary from model to model, and between ship class, manufacturer's lot, or block. There may be other subtle distinguishments such as characteristic faults or "blind spots" in coverage.

• Onboard and internal sensor devices may be tied in to the ship's Anti-hijack Program.

Computer Control Standards

Computer Controls: In almost all cases where the ship's computer can control a given ship function (gravity, doors, etc.), orders from the central bridge computer take precedence over those fed in at local controls - this precedent is inherent in shipboard sensor systems. Some ships have been known to be built with a different system set-up, but this arrangement is commonplace on most vessels within Charted Space.

• The computer will always retain central control of a vessels sensor systems. Any attempt to operate a sensor device independently will be overridden unless the computer is inoperative or the sensor device is physically separated from the ship's internal computer network.

Sensor Types

Ancillary Equipment

• Antenna, dishes and aerials (transmitters and receivers). A concentration of such equipment may be referred to as an "antenna farm".

Acoustic Equipment

• Audio Pinger (does not function in a vacuum: it relies on a gas, a fluid or a solid to carry sound) (Active Sensor)
• Audio Sensor (microphone, listening device) (does not function in a vacuum: it relies on a gas, a fluid or a solid to carry sound) (Passive Sensor)

Electromagnetic Spectrum Sensors

• Active IR (infrared radiation, thermal imaging) (Active Sensor)
• Laser / Light Sensors (Passive Sensor)
• LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) – also called LADAR (Laser Detection and Ranging) (Active Sensor)
  • Prismatic (anti-laser) aerosol (countermeasure)
• Magnetic Sensor (Passive Sensor)
• Neutrino Sensor (Passive Sensor)
• Passive IR (infrared radiation, thermal imaging) (Passive Sensor)
• RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging) (Active Sensor)
  • All-weather RADAR (improved function in a variety of environmental conditions) (Active Sensor)
  • RADAR Direction Finder (Passive Sensor)
  • RADAR Jammer (Active ECM)
• Radiation Sensor (Passive Sensor)
• Radio Detector (Communications Equipment) (Passive Sensor)
  • Radio Direction Finder (Passive Sensor)
  • Radio Jammer (Active ECM)
• UV Detector (ultraviolet radiation) (Passive Sensor)

Gravitic Equipment

• Densitometer (gravitic sensor) (Passive Sensor)

Navigational Aids

• Inertial Locator (navigational aid, data improvement)

Optical Instruments

• Cameras and Telescopes sensitive to energy across the visible spectrum. (Passive Sensors)
  • Image Enhancement - a process to digitally manipulate a stored image using computer software. (Data Improvement)
• Light Amplification. (Data Improvement)
• Lights (visible wavelengths of light: a torch or a spotlight). (Data Improvement). (Active Sensor)
• SIID (Starship Image Identification) (may also be referred to as SOIID – Space Object Image Identification). (Passive Sensor)
  • SIID Enhancer (SIIDX) (data improvement)

Security Sensors

• Motion Detector (Passive Sensor).
• Pressure Sensor (Passive Sensor).

Survey Equipment / Environmental Sensors

• Anemometer (wind speed meter) (Passive Sensor).
• Planetary Surface Elevation Scanner (surveying equipment) (Active Sensor)
• Seismometer (earthquake measurement device) (Passive Sensor).

Virus Detectors

Specialized systems developed following the Collapse and the release of Virus, at the end of the Second Civil War.

• Active Exploratory Canary.
• Passive Exploratory Canary.

Volatiles Testers / Biosensors

• Atmosphere Tester (sample analysis) (Passive Sensor)
• Bioscanner (sample analysis) (Passive Sensor)
• Neural Activity Sensor (passive Sensor)

EMS Sensor Packages

An EMS (Electromagnetic Spectrum) Sensor Package is a comprehensive and optimized collection of sensors and electronic systems assembled as a single compact unit.

• EMS Packages are available "off the shelf" in a wide variety of "basic", "standard" and "advanced" types.

Sensor Packages

• EMS Active Array (Broad Electromagnetic Spectrum) (Active Sensors)
  • Includes RADAR, all-weather RADAR, LADAR, RADAR jammer, radio jammer, active IR imaging, and image enhancement.
• EMS Passive Array (Broad Electromagnetic Spectrum) (Passive Sensors)
  • Includes Laser Sensors, RADAR Direction Finder, Radio Direction Finder, Radiation Sensor, Passive IR, optical instruments and cameras, light amplification, and image enhancement.

Electronic Countermeasures Package

• EMS Jammer (Broad Electromagnetic Spectrum) (Active ECM)

Accessories

• Astronics (Electronics used for astrogational purposes).
• Avionics (Electronic systems that coordinate and manage navigation within a planetary environment).
• Self-Diagnostic Trouble Shooter

History & Background (Dossier)

Except for a few gifted sophont species, most NILs lack the bodily ability to sense more than a very limited part of the electromagnetic spectrum. As technology develops, particularly to the construction of electronics in the TL:7-9 technological epoch, sophonts create sophisticated devices to sense that which their bodies cannot and translate that data into information that they can.

Generalized Overview of Sensor Capabilities

Sensor Detection:

• Ordinary or commercial starships (typically equipped with "basic" grade sensors) can detect other ships out to a range of about one-half light-second; about 150,000 kilometers.
• Scout or mercenary starships (utilizing "standard" grade sensors) and Military vessels (mounting "advanced" grade sensors) have detection ranges out to two light-seconds; 600,000 kilometers.
  • Advanced grade sensors give better resolution and more precise data.

Active Sensors

• Ships using active sensors or broadcasting using Communications Equipment are significantly more easy to detect: they are advertising their presence.

Silent Running:

• Ships which are maintaining complete silence (relying on passive sensor systems) cannot be detected at distances of greater than half detection range; ships in orbit around a world and also maintaining complete silence cannot be detected at distances greater than one-eighth detection range.
• Ships may power down onboard systems, such as the power plant, to reduce their emitted signature.
• Ships may attempt to use planetary masses and stars for concealment. A ship hidden "behind" such an object will almost always be completely concealed from detection.

Vessel Tracking:

• Once a vessel has been detected, it can be tracked by anyone up to three light-seconds (about 900,000 kilometers).

Ship Sensor Suite Development Sequence

• Bodily Sensor → Navigation Aid → Optical Instrument → Electromagnetic Spectrum Sensor → Biosensor → Gravitic Sensor → Psychotronic Sensor

Technological Overview of Ship Sensor Suite Evolution

Ur Period

TL:1-3:
Optical Telescope

TL:4-6:
Binoculars, IR Sensors, Radio Communications (giving rise to RADAR).

TL:7-9:
LIDAR.

Interstellar Period

TL:10-12:
Neutrino Sensor

TL:13-15:
Densitometer, Neural Activity Sensor.

TL:16-18:
Beyond current norms.

References & contributors (Sources)

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Marc Miller. Starships (Game Designers Workshop, 1977), 32.
• Marc Miller. Referee's Manual (Game Designers Workshop, 1987), 68.
• Gregg Giles. "In Storage: Starship Sensor Equipment." Security Leak 02 (1987): TBD.
• Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), 352.
• Chuck Kallenbach. SORAG (Paranoia Press, 1981), 23, 24
• Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master Scout Emeritus Adie Alegoric Stewart of the IISS
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science