Probe

File:Erickson's probe.jpg

A 22nd century probe

A probe is an automated spacecraft used to gather information. Probes are often used for tasks that starships are not suited to handle.

Such tasks are:

• Collecting information in environments that are too small for starships to examine
• Collecting information in environments that are too dangerous for starship to examine
• Extreme long-term deep space exploration.

The United Earth Space Probe Agency (or UESPA) was an Earth organization responsible for the exploration of space during the early 22nd century, and was later combined with Star Fleet.

Several probes used by Star Fleet are modified torpedo casings with extended sensor equipment and no warhead. Some deep space probes have casings that contain radioactive material that could potentially contaminate the biosphere of planets if they enter and remain in the atmosphere.

Two probes were deployed by the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D to scan the region of space close to a cosmic string which led to the discovery of a species of two-dimensional lifeforms.

A probe was launched by the Enterprise-D to follow the radioactive trail left behind by the Kataan probe to trace its origins.

It was speculated that a small glowing ball of energy that left a spatial rupture created by solanogen-based lifeforms shortly before it was closed, was a probe of some kind.

A probe was launched by the USS Defiant into the corona of the Trialan sun in order to scan the sun's core.

Star Fleet probe types

File:Probe launch meridian.jpg

Probe launched by the USS Defiant NX-74205

• Class-1 probe
• Class-2 probe
• Class-3 probe
• Class-4 probe
• Class-5 probe
• Class-6 probe
• Class-7 probe
• Class-8 probe
• Class-9 probe
• Class-A probe

Other Federation probes

• Atmospheric probe
• Class-5 intelligence drone
• Class V planetary probe
• Deep space probe
• Interface probe
• Microprobe
• Multispatial probe
• Quadros-1 probe
• Sensor probe
• Vega Nine probe

Ancient Earth probes

• Earth-Saturn probe
• Friendship 1
• Mariner 2
• Nomad
• Pioneer spacecraft
  • Pioneer 5
  • Pioneer 10
• Ranger spacecraft
  • Ranger Block I
  • Ranger Block II
    • Ranger 5
• Sputnik I
• Voyager 6

Alien probes

• Barzan probe
• Iconian probe
• Cytherian probe
• Ilia probe
• Kataan probe
• Kukulkan's probe
• "Pup"'s probe
• orbital probe (Romulan)
• science probe
• Whale Probe
• Tan Ru
• Transwarp probe
• Possible alien probe destroyed by a Cardassian ATR-4107

See also

• Bio-probe, a multi-purpose Vidiian device
• Borg probe, a starship
• Cortical probe, a medical instrument
• Duotronic probe, a small tool
• Electro-dynamic probe, a tool
• Hunter probe, a ranged weapon device
• Romulan mind probe, an interrogation device
• Subdermal probe, a medical device
• United Earth Space Probe Agency, an exploration agency
• Xindi probe, a spatial weapon