FIGYEL II

FIGYEL II
Production information
Manufacturer Irian Technologies Technology Transfer Division[1]
Use Scientific Research
Tech Base Inner Sphere (Experimental)[1]
Chassis Type (Size) Satellite (Medium)[1]
Equipment Rating C/X-F-D[1]
Introduced 3045
Technical specifications
Mass 30 tons[1]
Structural Integrity 1[1]
Station Keeping Thrust 0.1g[1]
Power Plant Electric (Solar)[1]
Fuel (Type/Range) None[1]
Armament None[1]
Heat Sinks None[1]
Armor None[1]
Crew None[1]


Description[edit]

The FIGYEL II science satellite rose to public attention when Interstellar Expeditions began seeding the Inner Sphere with the satellites, ostensibly for the purposes of "mapping and navigation". While IE insisted to the various governments of the Inner Sphere that the FIGYEL II was essentially a rehashed version of a pre–Star League design used for exploration, those governments were far from happy, particularly after it was discovered that the satellites were manufactured by the Technology Transfer Division of Irian Technologies, who had been publicly involved in a media scandal involving allegations of industrial espionage; the fact that attempts to capture satellites had resulted in them self-destructing prompted IE to announce during a press conference that the self-destruct devices were considered a "drastic, but sadly necessary precaution against abuse by unauthorized parties".[1]

While the FIGYEL II would have been unremarked before the Star League, satellites used for purely scientific purposes had become very rare by the end of the Succession Wars era. Science satellites had been heavily used for a range of benign purposes, from charting new worlds and star systems for exploration down to weather monitoring, atmospheric sampling, geological surveys and every other activity conceivable in the physical sciences field, but the switch from expansion by exploration and colonization to expansion by conquest had sounded the death knell for science satellites, as they were increasingly repurposed for military purposes, be it monitoring jump points, espionage or tracking enemy units.[1]

Equipment and Capabilities[edit]

The FIGYEL II lacks any armor and is equipped with 15 tons of solar panels for generating power. Incorporated into the front of each satellite is a 5 ton Infrared Imager and a 2.5 ton hi-res imager; the remaining 3 tons of space is taken up by a booby trap intended to prevent the satellite from being recovered.[1]

Variants[edit]

At this time there are no known variants of the FIGYEL II.[1]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 Technical Readout: Vehicle Annex Revised, p. 132: "FIGYEL II Science Satellite"

Bibliography[edit]