Changes: Inertial damping system

Latest revision as of 03:58, 29 March 2024

Multiple realities
(covers information from several alternate timelines)

Inertial damping system, inertial dampers, or inertial dampeners, were a system used on almost all starships to counter the effects of rapid acceleration and deceleration by sustaining and absorbing the natural inertia of a vessel as it moved through space or if it was under attack from another vessel.

A starship could not jump to warp speed without inertial dampers, as the rapid acceleration would smash the crew into the walls, killing them instantly. (VOY: "Tattoo")

For USS Voyager to prepare to land on a planet, it was required for the ship to adjust its inertial dampers to maximum. Once landed, the ship released inertial dampers and adjusted them to match the planet's gravity. To depart from the surface, the inertial dampers were set to flight configuration. (VOY: "The 37's")

In 2155, while using a comet as camouflage to infiltrate John Frederick Paxton's base on Mars, Travis Mayweather disabled the inertial dampers of the shuttlepod, causing it to maintain an erratic flight path to better resemble a chunk of the comet. This caused Malcolm Reed some distress, as he had a history of gastrointestinal problems. (ENT: "Terra Prime")

Although the inertial dampers were activated by default, the crew could enable, disable, and configure the strength of them manually. If the inertial dampers were disabled, they could be reactivated by resetting the inertial dampening field base at three-zero-zero and re-initializing the dampers. (VOY: "The Cloud")

This use of them could exaggerate the damage sustained by a starship in a battle, as the ship rocked more violently when its inertial dampers were disabled. (TNG: "The Chase", "Gambit, Part II")

In an alternate timeline, after the USS Enterprise was struck by the USS Bozeman in the starboard nacelle, the impact caused the Enterprise's inertial dampers to fail, and it to lose attitude control. (TNG: "Cause And Effect")

As a safety precaution, the inertial dampers on Federation vessels had an automatic bypass that kicked in when the system was disabled. (TNG: "Cost Of Living")

The entire crew of a Jem'Hadar attack ship was killed when their inertial damping system apparently failed as the ship went into warp. A Changeling that was aboard initially survived, but later died of its injuries. (DS9: "The Ship")

On stardate 50482.2, a cascade virus previously planted in the computers of the USS Defiant by Maquis defector Michael Eddington wiped all systems aboard. Several days later, the inertial dampers had not been fully repaired and, while the ship could reach warp 6, Chief O'Brien added, "Don't expect a smooth ride". (DS9: "For the Uniform")

In 2375, The Doctor suggested that the inertial dampers aboard USS Voyager being out of alignment could have accounted for a spate of space sickness cases. (VOY: "Relativity")

Soon after, Tom Paris simulated the effects of a mine with a disruption to Voyager's inertial dampers. (VOY: "Warhead")

In 2376, Voyager's inertial dampers went offline when the ship pursued the USS Equinox into a planet's parthogenic atmosphere. (VOY: "Equinox, Part II")

Appendices

Backgound information

According to the Star Trek Encyclopedia (2nd ed., p. 205), inertial dampers were "invented" by Star Trek writers to explain how the crew avoided becoming "chunky salsa" when starships accelerated or decelerated.

External link

Inertial dampener at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{multiple}}
-'''Inertial dampers''' were a system used on almost all [[starship]]s to counter the effects of rapid acceleration and deceleration of a [[starship]] by sustaining and absorbing the natural inertia of a vessel as it moved through [[space]] or if it was under attack from another vessel.
+'''Inertial damping system''', '''inertial dampers''', or '''inertial dampeners''', were a system used on almost all [[starship]]s to counter the effects of rapid [[acceleration]] and deceleration by sustaining and absorbing the natural [[inertia]] of a vessel as it moved through [[space]] or if it was under [[attack]] from another vessel.
-A [[starship]] could not jump to [[warp speed]] without inertial dampers, as the rapid acceleration would smash the crew into the walls, killing them instantly. ({{VOY|Tattoo}})
+A starship could not jump to [[warp speed]] without inertial dampers, as the rapid acceleration would smash the crew into the walls, killing them instantly. ({{VOY|Tattoo}})
+For {{USS|Voyager}} to prepare to land on a planet, it was required for the ship to adjust its inertial dampers to maximum. Once landed, the ship released inertial dampers and adjusted them to match the planet's [[gravity]]. To depart from the surface, the inertial dampers were set to [[flight configuration]]. ({{VOY|The 37's}})
-It also could not jump to warp with external inertial dampers engaged. ({{film|11}})
-In [[2155]], while using a [[comet]] as camouflage to infiltrate [[John Frederick Paxton]]'s base on [[Mars]], [[Travis Mayweather]] disabled the inertial dampers of the [[shuttlepod]], causing it to maintain an erratic flight path to better resemble a chunk of the comet. This caused [[Malcolm Reed]] some distress, as he had a history of gastro-intestinal problems. ({{ENT|Terra Prime}})
+In [[2155]], while using a [[comet]] as camouflage to infiltrate [[John Frederick Paxton]]'s base on [[Mars]], [[Travis Mayweather]] disabled the inertial dampers of the {{dis|shuttlepod|22nd century}}, causing it to maintain an erratic flight path to better resemble a chunk of the comet. This caused [[Malcolm Reed]] some distress, as he had a history of gastrointestinal problems. ({{ENT|Terra Prime}})
 Although the inertial dampers were activated by default, the crew could enable, disable, and configure the strength of them manually. If the inertial dampers were disabled, they could be reactivated by resetting the inertial dampening field base at three-zero-zero and re-initializing the dampers. ({{VOY|The Cloud}})
@@ Line 11: / Line 12: @@
 This use of them could exaggerate the damage sustained by a starship in a battle, as the ship rocked more violently when its inertial dampers were disabled. ({{TNG|The Chase|Gambit, Part II}})
+''In an [[alternate timeline]], after the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701-D}} was struck by the {{USS|Bozeman}} in the [[starboard]] [[nacelle]], the impact caused the ''Enterprise''{{'}}s inertial dampers to fail, and it to lose [[attitude control]].'' ({{TNG|Cause And Effect}})
-As a safety precaution, the inertial dampers on [[Federation]] vessels had an automatic bypass that kicked in when the system was disabled. ({{TNG|Cost of Living}})
+As a safety precaution, the inertial dampers on [[Federation]] vessels had an automatic bypass that kicked in when the system was disabled. ({{TNG|Cost Of Living}})
-The entire crew of a [[Jem'Hadar attack ship]] (while saving a [[Changeling]] that later died) was killed when their inertial damping system apparently failed as the ship went into warp. ({{DS9|The Ship}})
+The entire crew of a [[Jem'Hadar attack ship]] was killed when their inertial damping system apparently failed as the ship went into warp. A [[Changeling]] that was aboard initially survived, but later died of its injuries. ({{DS9|The Ship}})
-On [[stardate]] 50482.2, a [[cascade virus]] previously planted in the [[computer]]s of the {{USS|Defiant|2370}} by [[Maquis]] defector [[Michael Eddington]] wiped all systems aboard. Several days later, the inertial dampers had not been fully repaired and, while the ship could reach warp 6, [[Chief]] [[Miles O'Brien|O'Brien]] added, "''Don't expect a smooth ride''". ({{DS9|For the Uniform}})
+On [[stardate]] 50482.2, a [[cascade virus]] previously planted in the [[computer]]s of the {{USS|Defiant|2370}} by [[Maquis]] [[defector]] [[Michael Eddington]] wiped all systems aboard. Several days later, the inertial dampers had not been fully repaired and, while the ship could reach warp 6, [[Chief]] [[Miles O'Brien|O'Brien]] added, "''Don't expect a smooth ride''". ({{DS9|For the Uniform}})
-In [[2375]], [[The Doctor]] suggested that the inertial dampers aboard {{USS|Voyager}} being out of alignment could account for a spate of [[space sickness]] cases. ({{VOY|Relativity}})
+In [[2375]], [[The Doctor]] suggested that the inertial dampers aboard {{USS|Voyager}} being out of [[alignment]] could have accounted for a spate of [[space sickness]] cases. ({{VOY|Relativity}})
-Soon after, [[Tom Paris]] simulated the effects of a [[mine]] with a disruption to ''Voyager'''s inertial dampers. ({{VOY|Warhead}})
+Soon after, [[Tom Paris]] simulated the effects of a [[mine]] with a disruption to ''Voyager''{{'}}s inertial dampers. ({{VOY|Warhead}})
-In [[2376]], the {{USS|Voyager}}'s inertial dampers went offline when the ship pursued the {{USS|Equinox}} into a [[planet]]'s [[parthogenic atmosphere]] ({{VOY|Equinox, Part II}})
+In [[2376]], ''Voyager''{{'}}s inertial dampers went offline when the ship pursued the {{USS|Equinox}} into a [[planet]]'s [[parthogenic atmosphere]]. ({{VOY|Equinox, Part II}})
-{{bginfo|According to the ''[[Star Trek Encyclopedia]]'' (2nd ed., p. 205), inertial dampers were "invented" by ''Star Trek'' writers to explain how the crew avoided becoming "chunky salsa" when starships accelerated or decelerated.}}
-==External link==
+== Appendices ==
-*{{NCwiki|Inertial dampener}}
+=== See also ===
+* [[External inertial dampener]]
+* [[Inertial coupling]]
+* [[Inertial micro-damper]]
+=== Backgound information ===
+According to the {{ste|2|205}}, inertial dampers were "invented" by ''Star Trek'' writers to explain how the crew avoided becoming "chunky [[salsa]]" when starships accelerated or decelerated.
+===External link===
+*{{mbeta|Inertial dampener}}
 [[cs:Inerciální tlumiče]]
 [[de:Trägheitsdämpfer]]
+[[Category:Propulsion technology]]
 [[Category:Technology]]