franchise-star-trek-tng-technical-manual1

3.7 COMMAND STATIONS 3.8 SCIENCE STATIONSThe Main Bridge command stations provide seating andinformation displays for the Commanding Officer (normallythe captain) and two other officers, typically the First Officerand the counselor. The command stations are centrallylocated, designed to maximize interaction with all key bridgepersonnel, while permitting an unobstructed view of the mainscreen.The captain's chair features armrests that incorporateminiaturized status displays, and simplified Conn and Opscontrols. Upon keyboard or vocal command, the captain canuse these controls to override the basic operation of thespacecraft. Such overrides are generally reserved for emergencysituations. The other two seating positions in thecommand area include somewhat larger information displayterminal screens, which permit these officers to access andmanipulate data as part of their duties.Cruise Mode operating rules require a shift CommandingOfficer to be on duty at all times, although the presence ofother command personnel is optional, depending on specificmission requirements. Yellow and Red Alert operating rulesgenerally require the presence of at least two commandpersonnel, in addition to Conn and Ops.Science stations I and II are the first two aft stationslocated directly behind the Tactical station on the upper levelof the Main Bridge. They are used by bridge personnel toprovide realtime scientific data to command personnel. Thesestations are not assigned full-time technicians, but are availablefor use as needed.In some cases, the science stations are used by personnelattached to secondary missions including researchers,science officers, mission specialists, and others who need tocoordinate operations closely with the bridge. A typicalexample might be an ongoing study of stellar composition,normally handled down in the stellar spectroscopy lab, butwhich has occasional periods of large-volume observationsbetter managed from the bridge. Another example would bethe control of an automated probe, gathering interstellar dustsamples from a hazardous area, later requiring specific shipmaneuvers in order to successfully recover the probe and itssamples.Science I and II are generally configured for independentoperation, but can be linked together when two researcherswish to work cooperatively. The aft Science stations havepriority links to Conn, Ops, and Tactical. During Alert status,science stations can have priority access to sensor arrays, ifScience Iaft stationSciencedepartmentsBattleBridqeLateral arrays(saucer)Lower sensorarrayLong-rangesensor arrayNavigationalsensorsMission-specificsensors3.8.1 Sensor tie-ins to bridge science stations