An astrogator is a device used for navigation, common on Template:ShipClass starships. (TOS: "The Gamesters of Triskelion") The pilot can change the ship's heading simply by turning the dial upon the face of the astrogator. (TOS: "And the Children Shall Lead")
- Although Franz Joseph's Star Fleet Technical Manual described this navigational device as an "astrogator," it was never actually described as such in dialogue in any Star Trek episode or film.
How An Astrogator Works:
The circular design of the "Astrogator" creates a 360 degree position reference with the starship at its center. The position pointer provides a manual representation of the vessels directional progress while the outward circles denotes fixed distance marks that can either be manually adjusted, by the pilot or automatically adjusted via the ships navigational computer. A secondary and third scale needle indicates the ships vector and axis point. By observing its position in relation to three corrisponding floating scales on the insturments outer rim you can calculate the x,y and z axis to establish the vessles flight path. Since the device is tied into the helm control, manually moving either needle will cause the ship to respond in the indicated direction.
