Navigation was the science of locating the position and plotting the course of ships, aircraft, and spacecraft; in the last case, the term was sometimes referred to as astrogation. Travel from one star system to another was called intersystem navigation.
By the mid-23rd century, the Medeusans had developed interstellar navigation to a fine art. During this time, Hikaru Sulu was considered a specialist in space navigation and weapons. (TOS: "Is There in Truth No Beauty?", "The Way to Eden")
It was also at this time that the Federation maintained an automatic communications and astrogation station on the uninhabited planetoid of Gamma II. (TOS: "The Gamesters of Triskelion")
Lieutenant Commander T. Grodnick was an Instructor of Astrogation at Starfleet Academy in 2285. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
Navigating
In the era of pre-spacefaring Humanity, the navigator was responsible for navigating either sea vessels or aircraft. (VOY: "The 37's")
Also during more ancient times on Earth, mariners navigated by the stars. Later, maps and globes were used, and with the advent of more advanced technologies such as the compass, sextant – and much later, RADAR and SONAR, Earth navigators gained access to more precise tools. (VOY: "Year of Hell"; ENT: "Borderland"; DS9: "Explorers")
Once beings began to travel the stars, the navigator, or "astrogation plotter", continued the role in space, while new technologies were developed to aid the role.
An early form of space navigation technology, referred to by Chakotay as "the old-fashioned way", were optical scanners. (VOY: "Unity") LIDAR, which used lasers, was another form of air and extra-atmospheric detection and ranging – especially for navigation – technology. (VOY: "One Small Step")
By the 22nd century, auto-navigation systems were utilized aboard starships. (ENT: "Doctor's Orders", et al.)
The astrogator plotted courses aboard Constitution-class starships and Class F shuttlecraft during the mid-23rd century. (TOS: "And the Children Shall Lead", "Metamorphosis")
Subspace sensors later became a key external component in assisting starship navigation. (VOY: "Year of Hell", "The Fight") When the USS Enterprise was taken beyond the galactic barrier, they were unable to return because of the lack of reference points on which to plot a return course; this arose from the extreme sensory distortion, caused by the initial crossing of the barrier. (TOS: "Is There in Truth No Beauty?") Photic sonar was also used during this period. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
In 2367, navigation on Galaxy-class starships was managed by the navigational subsystem. In that year, when Data hijacked the USS Enterprise-D, he issued a command override on this subsystem giving him complete control of the system from the bridge. (TNG: "Brothers")
Alternative navigation
Terminology
Measurements
Occupations
Related links
- Circumnavigation
- Coordinates
- Galactic plane
- Navigational computer
- Navigational control
- Navigational control post
- Navigational control satellite
- Navigational deflector
- Navigational log
- Navigational scan
- Navigational sensor
- Navigation beacon
- Navigation beam
- Navigation console
- Navigation grid
- Star chart