Starship Navigation In Space

Ensign bring us about Bearing 330 mark 15 engage. We've heard Captain Picard giving these orders on the bridge of the Enterprise, but what does it mean? The term "Bearing" is a mathematical expression which Picard gives as part of an instruction to the helm. This alerts the ensign or navigational officer of his intent to change the direction of the Enterprise from its previous heading and redirect the flightpath of the Enterprise towards the direction of the other spaceship, which is most likely visible on the viewscreen.




A bearing measures the angular difference between the current forward direction of the spacecraft (Enterprise in diagram) and the direction being described. (Khan's Botany Bay ship) The first number in a bearing of 000 mark 0 describes the direction, directly ahead of the vessel. The second number in a bearing of 330 mark 15 describes the direction to the port side ( look right) of the larger ship (Enterprise) which is the elevation value of the Enterprise towards Khans Botany Bay vessel, right above the centerline of the ship.



When the mathematical expression "Heading" is given this describes the direction of the Enterprise not in relation to any other ship or object, but to a region of space. A Heading is composed of two numbers representing an azimuth value and an elevation value in degrees. The numbers 000, mark 0 describe the ships direction towards the Geometric Center of the Galaxy. The ships degrees are from 0 to 360 in a clockwise motion and encircle the vessel.


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Stars and planets are also used as a reference guide by starships to identify a location in space or set a new ships flightpath. Federation starship computers can immediately set a ship's course direction in space, based on previously explored and mapped positions of interstellar "space bodies" otherwise known as planets, stars and even asteroid belts.



Verbal navigational mathematical instructions given by Captain Picard to the conn, have advantageously altered the U.S.S. Enterprises NCC 1701-D bearing and elevation in times crisis with enemy ships, thus averting disaster for the entire Enterprise crew.

Starship Navigation In Space

The center of the Galaxy 000, mark 0 is also used as a reference point when calculating the direction of the ships Direction of Flight towards another region of space. In the diagram with the U.S.S Enterprise NCC 1701-D and the U.S.S Yamato NCC 71807 both have an azimuth heading of 030.


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