Voluntary Indication of Position
Welcome to Solaris, traveller! This is a slower-than-light science fantasy set in our own solar system.
About Solaris | Guide to Solaris | Prologue
About Solaris | Guide to Solaris | Prologue
Voluntary Indication of Position (VIP) systems are used by spacecraft to periodically broadcast their identity, position and velocity according to their internal systems, and receive positions and velocities of other nearby craft. The primary benefit of VIP is the increased safety in busy space near high-traffic stations. Station traffic controllers and pilots alike can use VIP to gain the kind of situational awareness that is not possible with radar or other sensors.
Similar systems have been in use on individual planets and moons for aircraft, sometimes even before the advent of modern spaceflight. The desire for a similar system for space had been apparent for a while but stymied because of a lack of coordination across planets.
VIP was first mandated in Jovian space, only for larger craft initially. Because this requirement applied to all spacecraft operating within Jupiter's gravity well, any craft from other planets still needed to follow these regulations. As more craft were equipped with VIP, other planets' regulatory bodies also started adopting it as an official requirement, recognizing its usefulness. It is now a standard part of spacecraft operation all across the Sol System.
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Notice: This article is a stub. If you'd like to see this article expanded, please leave a comment!
This is such a useful system to have! I can see why Jupiter mandates it.
It's based off of real-life systems like ADS-B for airplanes and AIS for ships! Jupiter unilaterally mandating it was a bit of a dick move, in a way, but it was probably also good for safety across the Sol system. It might have taken way longer for it to become a thing without that.