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Kukulkan's probe

detailing the 's route through .

Star chart detailing the probe's route through Federation space.

Kukulkan's probe was an interstellar probe launched by Kukulkan's starship in the year 2270.

History and specifics[]

The highly-advanced probe was capable of erratic movement at extremely high warp speeds.

In 2270, regions and planets within the Romulan Star Empire, Klingon Empire, and then the Federation were surveyed by the probe. It moved too fast for Starfleet vessels to follow it, ignoring all hails and attempts to capture it. The Federation Council finally chose to order the probe destroyed, but even a fleet of vessels were unable to pursue it.

After scanning Earth, it transmitted a high-frequency energy burst for several minutes into deep space, then self destructed, triggering auroras on Earth and damaging sensitive communications systems on Luna. The direction of the burst was triangulated by monitors on Luna, Earth, and Titan. The USS Enterprise followed the burst's course, uncertain if it would lead outside the galaxy. (TAS - Log Six novelization: How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth)

The probe was known to have traveled through the general vicinities of Alpha Centauri, Beta Geminorum, Capella, Kaferia, Pollux, Regulus, Sol, Tau Ceti, Tellar, Wolf 424, and Vulcan. (TOS reference: Star Trek Maps)

Conflicting with the novelization, one Federation star chart indicated a return course for the probe past the point when it self destructed. This route may denote its projected course, or the direction of the probe's final transmission that the Enterprise followed.

The Enterprise finally encountered Kukulkan's starship, and Kukulkan eventually admitted he sent the probe to find out why nobody had reached out to him in the centuries that had passed since he visited that portion of the galaxy. (TAS episode & Log Six novelization: How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth)

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Connections[]

Interstellar and deep space probes
United States (NASA) Pioneer 10 • Voyager series (Voyager 1 • Voyager 2 • Voyager 6) NASA emblem icon image.
United Earth Milky Way probe • Stellar series (Nomad • UNSS U Thant) • Wells series (Drake probe) {{{2}}} icon image.
Federation Starfleet gravimetric microprobe • Kepler series (Orpheus) • Quadros series (1 • 3 • 4) • Starfly One Bioprobe {{{2}}} icon image.
Others Barzan probe • C/2018-G2 • Cetacean Probe • Conqueror VI • Cytherian probe • Janvar Five • Kataan probe • Kelvan Expeditionary Return Probe • Kukulkan's probe • "Pup" • Tan Ru {{{2}}} icon image.