Brief Description of Probe

The probe is defined by it's spherical nose-cone and cylindrical fuselage. When all instruments are retracted, it resembles a very large, wingless dragonfly. The front of the sphere is thicker than the rear parts of the assembly, shielded because of the higher particle collision rate of the front and also for a single use atmospheric entry. The ability to function over a small area after entry is one of the most impressive features of the Project Daedalus probes. Unfortunately, because of the time invested in travel and the inability of the probes to return to space after atmospheric entry, the option to land was more tantalizing than utilized. In fact, the AI that regulates the probe in the absence of human commands (essential due to increasing communication delays over larger distances) does not even have the capacity to initialize the entry sequence.

Each probe was equipped with an extensive list of sensors and tools. The midsection of the fuselage contains two retracting solar panels. On the rear of the front sphere are several compartments that house a three-jointed arm, a camera, a microphone, an EM antennae, a microscope and a gas spectrometer.

The solar panels are used to power the shuttle inside of solar systems and to drive the instruments when stationary. For higher speeds in deep space, a nuclear explosion engine is used. The effects of the nuclear test ban treaty prohibited the use of the nuclear engines within the solar system. It was these restrictions that led the developers to opt for a two power source option. This configuration also allows for operation even if on of the systems are compromised, adding even more durability to a probe that depends on continuous operation without any servicing or maintenance.