Standard orbit?
Posted by Temporary-Art-7078@reddit | TNG | View on Reddit | 33 comments
Does anyone care to conjecture what a “standard orbit” is? We hear it every time the Enterprise rolls up on a planet.
Picard: Ensign, put us in standard orbit.
Ensign: Aye captain, standard orbit.
LGBT-Barbie-Cookout@reddit
It feels like its a polite way of saying 'I dont care'.
For most operations the orbit is really irrelevant, very rarely does it seem like the planet is getting in the way of the transporter. Sure things have been known to hide in a planets shadow - but the ship never needs to orbit the planet to complete a scan for life forms or practically anything.
By saying standard orbit, no special requirements are needed.if i wanna be geosynchronus ill ask for it. If I wanna be in tight or far ill order it.
If I dont care, it doesnt matter - just do it. Then standard orbit applies and the helmsman can use whatever discretion they want.
bRKcRE@reddit
I'm trying to think if they did any episodes dealing with the inadvertanly pulling into a designated handicapped or other zone where an otherwise "standard" orbit would create issues due to whatever technobabble was chosen that week. I feel like maybe it did happen in VOY or ENT, but it's been a while since I watched...
Menzicosce@reddit
Always figured it was a geosynchronous orbit with where they were beaming to or Starfleet had a standard apogee, perigee, distance etc that was used for most not so circumstances.
Batgirl_III@reddit
There’s probably a longstanding and well-established set of protocols and procedures that every Helmsman / Flight Control Officer is expected to have (mostly) memorized. Dictating precisely where a starship should be placed in orbit based on traffic patterns, astrophysical conditions, mission parameters, starship class, weather, debris fields, et cetera et cetera.
But the Captain knows his helmsman is a trained and competent professional, so he or she doesn’t need to be told precisely what to do.
When I was in the Coast Guard, the commanding officer of a ship or small craft didn’t need to tell the helmsman every step of the process for standard ship handling procedures. “Bring us alongside the oil tanker.” “Aye, sir.” Done.
Temporary-Art-7078@reddit (OP)
I like this answer a lot. Thank you.
naraic-@reddit
I suspect its geosynchronous orbit over a certain point. There are reasons why it would make sense to be at the same point relative to the surface all the time.
This means its a different orbit on every planet so the helmsman has to work it out.
DinosaurSHS@reddit
If it were a geosynchronous orbit, wouldn't we constantly see the same part of the planet in the viewscreen? Often, what we see is the spinning of the planet surface.
Also, if the planet were anything like Earth's development, that narrow band that can be geosynchronous will be so crowded there wouldn't be room for a ship.
not_so_wierd@reddit
That must be an optical illusion or something.
Watching the show it's very clear that the inhabited part of any given planet is only as large as 1 or 2 average warehouses or sound stages. It would make sense to syncronize orbit over that location.
ComprehensiveCup7104@reddit
And Starfleet is basically like our Coast Guard - a multi-mission maritime service where ships generally operate on their own (unlike that "other" sea service):
Missions
ReBoomAutardationism@reddit
And by a strange coincidence cases of Romulan Ale never have 12 bottles......
ComprehensiveCup7104@reddit
It comes in cases? I don't think I ever saw that scene!
FunnyMTGplayer75@reddit
Yup. Just remember rule of acquisition 3- never trust any Ferengi to give you the full case. A std. Case is 12 bottles , Ferengi always sell 11 as a case.
ComprehensiveCup7104@reddit
Well, bless your lobes - I need to watch DS9 on streaming, never caught more than occasional episode on broadcast.
ReBoomAutardationism@reddit
IMO they missed a whole subplot with Odo and a petty officer who does deals with Quark.
Lost_Shelter_6636@reddit
In addition to the excellent answers above, I'd like to add one based on 'A Night in Sickbay' (ENT): standard orbit keeps the ship's day cycle (mostly) synced to the planet's capitol region, ensuring the captain and command crew are on duty when the planet's leaders are active.
Temporary-Art-7078@reddit (OP)
That makes a lot of sense. Thanks!
hellfootgate@reddit
Standard orbit, Captain?
No ensign, I want to be skimming the treetops one minute, and be halfway to Neptune the next. Make it so!
FunnyMTGplayer75@reddit
Ok, 1 random orbit about the planet, full power to LOWER deck shields, deploying ablative armor to lower decks, and hailing all spaceports to warn them we are just trimming trees, definitely not buzzing the tower.
Jourbonne@reddit
My guess is a Lagrange point.
Stretch5701@reddit
Doesn't it mean orbit over where it is daytime, bright and sunny, and always springtime below?
Unlikely_Afternoon94@reddit
"Standard" is just a brand name. Like "Standard Fireworks" https://youtu.be/VKdotYZaJ70?si=yLECmruZKb6AGvgd
Zealousideal-Deer724@reddit
Somewhere it was stated that there are two 'standard orbits' as Starfleet understands it. One of them being fixed on one point in relation to the planet and the other orbiting around the planet.
The officers at the helm are supposed to decide in their own which one to use based on the situation if the commanding officer does not state a specific type of orbit
l008com@reddit
i suspect its not a specific altitude. I suspect its a range that the helmsman has to determine on the fly, based on how thick the atmosphere is, where the satellites are, where the planets moons are. So just a stable orbit where they're close enough to transport, but high enough to not fall out of orbit or be in the way of anything else.
It probably wouldn't typically mean geostationary orbit, although it kinda would have to for transporting reasons.
MidnightAdventurer@reddit
They don’t seem to have any problem transporting to the other side of a planet until they suddenly can’t get part way inside
We also know from first contact that they weren’t doing a geostationary orbit since Geordi makes a passing comment about the enterprise being up soon. Picard also points out continents to Lilly as they go past from orbit
AeroSigma@reddit
I'd say they're in a mid-altitude orbit, depending on planetary characteristics like you mentioned. This is consistent with the view in most establishing shots, and is where I'd put 'standard' for an arbitrary planet. Also in equatorial or low-inclination depending on planetary approach and helmsman prerogative as suggested by another comment.
However, I don't know the constraints of transporter technology, which, of course, would have a large influence on star fleet procedure. Do they prefer a shorter distance through a planetary core, or a longer distance through open space? (Perhaps a bigger trekkie can answer this for me) If the latter, geo sync would make the most sense, but there are other orbits like the Molniya Orbit that could be good standards by giving a close approach for sensors, but then a long dwell time for direct transporter coverage.
froot_loop_dingus_@reddit
Pretty sure it just means a synchronous orbit
cobaltbluetony@reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/startrek/s/bNEiJkJEDt
Temporary-Art-7078@reddit (OP)
Thanks for posting that, Cobalt. I searched this sub to see if the topic was covered but didn’t think to query this sub’s cousins.
cobaltbluetony@reddit
If you search all of Reddit, it will come up easier that way.
I found this Reddit link by simply typing the question into Google.
Used-Gas-6525@reddit
Could just be determined by gravity and whether they want to keep a geosynchronous orbit or not. Even if they didn't, math would dictate the distance from the body in terms of actually staying in orbit without bothering to use impulse power or thrusters. Or they just have a standard distance and I'm overthinking it.
jtrades69@reddit
i think it's equatorial
Wonderful_Pension_67@reddit
Standard orbit one that does not decay geo synchronous
Malnurtured_Snay@reddit
I believe sometimes we hear about parking and stationary orbits...