Probe


 * You may be looking for the Pocket Books novel, Probe.

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

Such tasks included:
 * Collecting information in environments that were too small for starships to examine
 * Collecting information in environments that were too dangerous for starship to examine
 * Extreme long-term deep space exploration
 * Recording and transmitting remote sensor telemetry to a starship or base that is occupied with other mission objectives.

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 Starfleet. 

Some probes used by Starfleet were modified photon torpedo casings with extended sensor equipment and no warhead. Deep space probes had casings that contained radioactive material that could potentially contaminate the biosphere of planets if they crash landed on the surface. 

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, in order 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 (2370) into the corona of the Trialan sun in order to scan the sun's core. 

Probe was also the designation of some manned space craft, such as the Borg probe, a starship class used by the Borg Collective, and the Earth-Saturn probe, the first manned flight to Saturn. 

Starfleet probe classes

 * Class-1 probe
 * Class-2 probe
 * Class-3 probe
 * Class-4 probe
 * Class-5 probe
 * Class-6 probe (see: Warning buoy)
 * Class-7 probe
 * Class-8 probe
 * Class-9 probe (see: Log buoy)
 * Class-A probe
 * Class-4 probe
 * Class-5 probe
 * Class-6 probe (see: Warning buoy)
 * Class-7 probe
 * Class-8 probe
 * Class-9 probe (see: Log buoy)
 * Class-A probe
 * Class-7 probe
 * Class-8 probe
 * Class-9 probe (see: Log buoy)
 * Class-A probe
 * Class-A probe

Other Federation probes

 * Atmospheric probe
 * Deep space probe
 * Quadros 1
 * Vega 9
 * Interface probe
 * Microprobe
 * Multispatial probe
 * Reconnaissance probe
 * Scanner probe
 * Sensor drone
 * Class-5 intelligence drone
 * Sensor probe
 * Solar probe
 * Telemetry 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 series
 * 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 (Bajoran)
 * Whale Probe
 * Tan Ru
 * Transwarp probe
 * Possible alien probe destroyed by a Cardassian ATR-4107
 * Extra galactic probe encountered by USS Greyhound

Background information

 * Detailed information on the types of Federation probes are given in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual.
 * Several early Earth probes were seen on computer screens during "The Cage".
 * The "class V planetary probe" in "Blink of an Eye" is the same graphic as the "multiphasic probe" in "Extreme Risk".

Raumsonde Sonde