Starfleet probes

• Standard varieties of probes in use by Starfleet
• Basic structure designed to be compatible with standard torpedo launch systems
• Known references
  • Series Alpha (MA Short Story: "Things Fall Apart")
    • Intended for investigation of areas deemed too dangerous for direct starship investigation due to spatial conditions, radiation, etc. (MA Short Story: "Things Fall Apart")
• Varieties by 24th century standardization
  • Class 1
  • Class 2
  • Class 3
  • Class 4
    • Largely intended for investigation of stellar phenomena (TNG: "Relics", "Rascals"; DS9: "If Wishes Were Horses", "Rejoined"; VOY: "Elogium")
    • Has atmospheric variant (SCE Short Story: "Wildfire, Book 2")
    • Detection suite includes magneton scanner (SCE Short Story: "Wildfire, Book 2")
  • Class 5
  • Class 6
    • Designed for long-term observation, transmission
    • Commonly used for warning buoys around dangerous phenomena (TNG Technical Manual)
  • Class 7
  • Class 8
    • Designed for long-distance travel via warp sustainer coils allowing continued travel at launch velocity up to warp 9 (TNG: "The Emissary")
  • Class 9
    • Emergency log capsules capable of independent travel at high warp velocity (TNG Technical Manual)
    • More commonly referred to as log buoys (TNG Technical Manual)