Telemetry probe

A telemetry probe was a type of unmanned probe used by Starfleet in the late-23rd century. The probe could feed its sensor readings directly to the library computer and science officer of a starship.

In 2268, the crew of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) studied the space amoeba with telemetry probes. The first probe was destroyed before data could be gathered, but the second probe was able to burrow into the entity and retrieve information identifying it as a lifeform and on its size, outer layer, interior composition. Later, the Enterprise crew utilized a third probe by arming it with an antimatter warhead to destroy the space amoeba. The warhead was a simple magnetic bottle containing the charge, programmed with a timing detonator fuse.