| Location: Visuvu System, Doza Sector | Stardate: 92632.7 | Report Submitted: Captain Welhuph |
Classification: NONE
Mission: Observe Rocket Launch from Pre-warp Civilization
Overall Statement: 38th fleet ships observed a successful rocket launch from Visuvu. There were no indications they detected our presence in orbit.
On the above stardate the USS Atlas and the USS Hyperion proceeded to the Visuvu system to observe the planned launch of a chemical rocket from the pre-warp species, the Visuvu. The Visuvu have only been experimenting with traveling beyond their planet for the past decade, and their chemical rocket technology has been slow to develop, though they have not had any catastrophic setbacks.
The Atlas and Hyperion arrived in the system and took up geosync orbits to best observe the launch. Launch was detected on the surface and a large three-engine rocket lifted off of the planet with an individual payload on top.
Instruments observed that there were three smaller boosters that aided lift off for the first thirty seconds of flight. After that the main stage engines continued to burn for another three minutes before cutting off and separating from the payload. The payload appeared to be nothing more than passive instruments or possibly nothing at all. It is suspected that this might have been a launch capability test, and not an attempt to place payload in orbit. This is further supported by the fact that the payload did not obtain a stable orbit at re-entered after just one orbit. It's highest altitude was approximately 95,000 meters.
There were no electromagnetic emissions that would indicate that the Visuvu detected our ships in orbit. We broke orbit and returned to base shortly after the launch. Long range sensors detected the payload re-entry of the planet shortly after we left.
Scientific data is being transmitted to the fleet science department.
End initial report.
Daemedus Welhuph
Captain, USS Atlas
38th Fleet Argo