Object

Primitive 21st‑Century Satellite

A compact, battered 21st‑century communications satellite the size of a small van, its pitted aluminum shell and collapsed solar panels streaked with micrometeoroid scars. It broadcasts a steady carrier on an obsolete frequency that the Enterprise isolates on the viewscreen. Data pins the signal as historically significant; Riker debates risk while Worf prepares the short recovery mission.

3 appearances

Purpose

To transmit a carrier‑frequency communications/telemetry signal as a primitive orbital relay or probe.

Significance

Acts as an irreplaceable historical artifact and narrative catalyst: the satellite's obsolete carrier forces a preservation‑versus‑procedure decision, authorizes a time‑limited retrieval, and directly precipitates the off‑ship investigation that uncovers preserved cryonics containers and deeper plot revelations.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

3 moments

S2E18 · STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION — Up the Long Ladder

Detection, Ultimatum, and the Rush to Transport

The primitive 21st‑century monitoring satellite is identified by Riker and referenced on the bridge as the means by which the colony was detectable; narratively it transforms the planet from unknown to contactable and provides the clue that triggers the rescue.

Before: Orbiting and broadcasting an obsolete carrier signal; detected by Enterprise sensors.

After: Still broadcasting in orbit; its signal has prompted immediate rescue operations and remains a diagnostic clue rather than a hindrance.

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S2E18 · STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION — Up the Long Ladder

Evacuation Before Diplomacy

The primitive 21st‑century monitoring satellite is referenced as the clue that revealed the colony's presence; its signal enabled the Enterprise to locate the caverns but also implies the colony's technological isolation.

Before: Broadcasting a thin distress/monitor signal in orbit; detected by Enterprise sensors.

After: Still broadcasting (implied); served its narrative function as locator; no direct physical change described.

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S2E18 · STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION — Up the Long Ladder

Transporter Stampede: Bringloidi Barnyard Chaos

The primitive 21st‑century monitoring satellite is the discovery clue that alerted Starfleet to the colony's plight and triggers the rescue sequence; Data references it earlier as evidence of contactability.

Before: Actively broadcasting a weak distress ping; detected by Enterprise sensors.

After: Still broadcasting but functionally irrelevant to the immediate evacuation; remains as a historical/diagnostic artifact.

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