Ship Sensor Suite

A Ship’s 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.

Description (Specifications)

Ship sensor suites tend to come in two to 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 package may vary from model to model, ship class, manufacturer's lot, block, and other distinguishments.

Sensor Types

• Audio Pinger (relies on a gas or a fluid to carry sound: echolocation) (Active Sensor)
• Audio Sensor (microphone, listening device) relies on a gas or a fluid to carry sound) (Passive Sensor)
• Densitometer (gravitic sensor) (Passive Sensor)
• LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) – also called LADAR (Laser Detection and Ranging) (Active Sensor)
  • Laser Sensor (Passive Sensor)
  • Prismatic (anti-laser) aerosol (countermeasure)
• Magnetic Sensor (Passive Sensor)
• Neural Activity Sensor (passive Sensor)
• Neutrino Sensor (Passive Sensor)
• Optical Instruments (telescopes, cameras and devices sensitive to energy across a broad spectrum) (Passive Sensors)
  • Lights (Active Sensors)
  • Image enhancement (data improvement)
  • Passive IR, UV-sensitive equipment (Passive Sensors). Active IR (Active Sensor)
  • Light amplification (data improvement)
• RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging) (Active Sensor)
  • All-weather RADAR
  • RADAR Jammer (Active ECM)
  • RADAR Direction Finder (Passive Sensor)
• Radiation Sensor (Passive Sensor)
• Radio Detector (Communications Equipment) (Passive Sensor)
  • Radio Direction Finder (Passive Sensor)
  • Radio Jammer (Active ECM)

Vessels may mount other small, specialized sensors such as anemometers, motion detectors or pressure sensors.

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 sensor, RADAR direction finder, radio direction finder, radiation sensor, passive IR, optical instruments, light amplification, and image enhancement.

Sensor Detection

Sensor Detection:

• Ordinary or commercial starships can detect other ships out to a range of about one-half light-second; about 150,000 kilometers.
• Military and scout starships have detection ranges out to two light-seconds; 600,000 kilometers.

Vessel Tracking

Vessel Tracking:

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

History & Background (Dossier)

Silent Running:

• Ships which are maintaining complete silence 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.
• Planetary masses and stars will completely conceal a ship from detection.

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 Mongoose Publishing 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.
• Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science