Mapping

A page to describe how the Alliance handles surveying, mapping, and updating astrographic charts.

History

How was this done in the past and how does it affect existing charts. Probably a lot of this started with (outdated and patchwork) maps grabbed from Earth by the Pelted on their way off the planet, and then the automated data gathering done by their vessels during the Exodus. The data they gathered in the early days of the Alliance was limited by time and attention (busy colonizing planets and building a new coalition) and technology, since the Well drive was young tech not too long into the Alliance's formation. Fleet's size limited exploration initially, since Fleet's second task (after "keep the humans from re-enslaving us if they come after us") was to find new worlds for the Pelted to colonize.

Alliance Procedure

The galaxy is a big place, and the Pelted are dedicated to exploring it. This section discusses how the Alliance handles its mapping activities. I should probably consider whether I want to talk about how other alien races handle this. Maybe a separate section.

Remote Data Gathering

• Observatories
• Orbital telescopes
• Remotes and drones

In-person Data Gathering

• Survey ships
• Mapping stations
• Fleet activities
• Private or corporate activities

Administrative

• Updates of charts
• Naming of features (sectors, planets, etc)
• Promulgation of data
• Planetary assessments: habitability, terraforming potential, Mediger Scale measurements
• Planetary assessment: flora (useful? toxic?)
• Planetary assessment: fauna (potentially sapient?)
  • If there might be native races, then procedure for how to handle that based on their technology level

Interface with Alien Powers

• Data sharing agreements
• Naming rights
• Claims of habitable worlds and disputation resolution

Agencies

The various entities that use this data, or contribute to it. Other than these, which are already on the wiki, there are probably astrogation oversight groups and navigator's guilds (which interface with merchant and private vessels as well as Fleet); schools that need this information to train navigators and surveyors; companies that handle creation of and maintenance of repeater networks for the Well-pushed comm system; charities that use this data; and political agencies that publish when borders change/are re-negotiated. Travel companies and commercial carriers will need updated charts when planning routes like the ones mentioned when Jahir and Vasiht'h are traveling toward Sharsenne prior to the outbreak of the First Chatcaavan War.

• Colony Bureau
• Fleet

Dependencies

Don't have a better name for this section yet, it's 'these are other pages that are affected by this.'

• Known Space
• Alliance

Cultural

Not sure whether I'll fold this section into the rest of it once it's filled out more, but this would be where I put mentions of the fine art renditions of star maps, like the ones in Alon Levy's office on the border.

Meta

According to the author's notes, the galaxy doesn't map directly to ours.