Saturn
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Saturn is one of the most developed planets in the system after Earth and Jupiter, and one of the most beautiful planets in the Sol System. From the Starfleet Academy Flight Range to the settlements on Titan, this planet welcomes thousands of visitors each year.
Saturn is a Class J planet - a vast globe of hydrogen and helium - with a diameter of 120,536 km. It orbits Sol at a distance of between 9.01 and 10.04 astronomical units. At its center is an Earth-sized rocky core of ammonia, methane, and water, encased by liquid metallic hydrogen and then liquid molecular hydrogen. Saturn has the lowest density in the system, 0.7 times that of water. Powered by an internal energy reservoir, Saturn emits more radiation than it absorbs from the sun. The atmospheric convection caused by this internal heat source creates distinct cloud banks of ammonia crystals, as well as causes violent storms. From orbit, the planet appears as alternating yellowish dark and light cloud belts with vast, rotating storms appear as white spots on the surface.
The planet's most famous feature is its extensive ring system, known throughout the Federation. About 270,000 km across, along the plane of Saturn's equator, these rings are composed of ice crystals and dust (some measuring as much as several meters in size). Tilted as 27 degrees with respect to Saturn's orbital plane, one face of the rings, then the other, inclines toward the sun, which can add significantly to the planet's apparent magnitude. Millions of tourists come to visit the rings of Saturn each year.
Although the planet itself is uninhabitable, Saturn's complex orbital system of moons is home to the Academy's Flight Range. The combination of moons, rings, and gravitational effects makes for a challenging training environment. Eventually, every Academy cadet visits this facility, where they conduct flight exercises in an area reserved for their use. To prevent accidents, a perimeter of navigation buoys keeps unauthorized traffic off the range. Cadets attending flight school star on Saturn Station One, a small orbital starbase that includes accommodations for hundreds of cadets, dozens of classrooms, and recreational facilities. In addition to the hundreds of trainer craft maintained at the base, a number of service and emergency vehicles remain on station to support the flight range. From the operations deck sitting atop the station, the Academy Range Officer supervises sorties onto the range. The flight range is a hive of activity, with squadrons of tiny craft zipping around in formation or making their way to and from the range.
Saturn Station One
The Starfleet Academy Flight Range orbits Saturn, the sixth planet in the Sol System. Starfleet cadets conduct flight exercises in an area of space near the planet reserved for their use. Students learn flight basics in simulations and atmospheric experience before graduating to Academy trainer craft - small, maneuverable ships similar in instrumentation to shuttlecraft. The Flight Range offers advanced flight instruction, allowing cadets to maneuver training craft under actual flight conditions. The gravitational dynamics of Saturn and its system of moons, along with the debris of Saturn's rings, offer a suitably challenging environment for training Starfleet cadets.
Saturn Station One is the heart of Flight Range operations. The facility - similar in design and structure to orbital starbases found throughout the Federation - circles Saturn just outside the orbit of its farthest moon. The base consists of a cylindrical central core with a broad, flattened top serving as a spacedock facility. The station maintains artificial gravity in its operational areas, but not within the spacedock itself.
The spacedock holds several hundred Academy trainer craft, along with more conventional shuttles and four runabout-class vessels. A crew of Starfleet engineers and Academy cadets maintains all craft at the starbase. The base's cylinder section contains quarters for crew members and cadets, engineering facilities, testing and training facilities, and other support facilities, including the main power core. The operations control center and administrative areas are at the very top of the station.
Saturn Station One is a hub of activity. Academy training flights depart and return on a regular basis, along with maintenance ships and shuttles carrying cadets to and from the station. Starfleet vessels occasionally dock to offload equipment and personnel, but the Saturn facility does not see as much interstellar traffic as a typical starbase.
The commander and administrator of Saturn Station One is the Academy Flight Range Officer, in charge of the flight range and all its operations. Captain Nicholas M'butu currently serves as Flight Range Officer. The career Starfleet officer has experience aboard starships and starbases. An expert staff of officers helps M'butu handle the unique demands of a "teaching station."
In addition to its role in administering the Flight Range, Saturn Station One serves as an emergency resource for vessels in the Sol System, supplementing the resources of Pluto Station and the Jupiter Outposts. Vessels from the starbase can assist in rescuing and recovering damaged vessels. Since the training craft are not equipped with weapons, vessels from the Saturn Station are not involved in defensive operations.
The Academy Flight Range closes the area to all other traffic to prevent accidents. A perimeter of subspace navigational buoys clearly defines the Academy's training range. These markers transmit a constant signal on all Federation subspace frequencies, warning ships from the flight range area and directing them back toward the standard spacelanes. Proximity detectors in the buoys also detect vessels coming into range and alert Saturn NavCon.
A navigational control satellite in extended orbit around Saturn performs sensor sweeps of the entire flight range, monitoring all vessel flight paths. Saturn NavCon not only keeps a record of everything that transpires on the range, it also immediately alerts Flight Range Ops to any emergencies (such as a collision). The telemetry from NavCon allows Starbase 1 and other support facilities to react immediately to any crisis.
A small crew of three oversees the NavCon satellite maintenance and monitors flight data recording and telemetry. One of the crew members is generally an Academy cadet learning the NavCon systems and protocols. The small station provides quarters for only the three crew members on board, and they are more cramped than in accommodations found on most Starfleet vessels. Small vessels can dock with the satellite, but transporters are generally used to board and disembark. Cadet squads regularly visit the satellite for tours and briefings on the NavCon systems.
Located on the moon of the same name, the brave emergency medical technicians on Mimas stand at the ready to respond to almost any ship-based emergency in the system. Important incidents include the rescue of a Tellarite crew in 2365, in perhaps the most serious catastrophe in the system's history, and the rescue of a cadet injured on the flight range in 2368. Although we hope you never have cause to visit the facility, it's good to know it's there.
Mon Sorali Spa
You can enjoy a day of sensuous delight at this Tiburonese health spa. Facilities include aromatherapy steam rooms, zero-g relaxation rooms, and Tiburonese mud baths. The skilled staff, all from Tiburon, is attentive, friendly, and unrestrained. The Guat massage is worth the price, as the masseuses have four arms.
Ring Tours
This travel agency specializes in two- to five-hour-long guided tours of Saturn. Tours include the planet's ring system, Mimas, Hyperion, and Titan. The Ring Tour actually flies through these impressive disks of ice and dust. All tours by hopper.
Reference(s)
- Isaacs, Ross A., et al. A Cadet's Guide to Sector 001, New York: Last Unicorn Games, 1999.