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astrogation

astrogation

1 9.9
Skill in guiding a spaceship through space
  • noun
  • /ˌæstrəˈɡeɪʃən/
  • Specialized
: navegación espacial
  • The search cascaded across its processors, the decompressed data of its libraries clobbering astrogation calculations it had performed only hours before.
  • ship's astrogation

Examples

  • In the control room, glimpsed only briefly before the duty tech looked up at the camera, frowned, and cut it from the circuit, the ship's full astrogation team hunched over the consoles, comparing the readings from the buoys at the edge of the Exchange Point's parent system with the numbers already plugged into their equations.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • After years of training, she mastered the complex techniques of astrogation required for deep space travel.

  • Must I explain the basic elements of astrogation to you?

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The bear went silent, as did the ship's astrogation panel.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • What's marching got to do with astrogation or flying clippers?

    Fiction book (1999)
  • No matter; ancient human-built artificial intelligences performed all necessary astrogation.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Gunnery was unmanned, and Plotting, Engineering, Battle Comp, Astrogation...

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Astrogation, communications, shipyard repairs, and medical care - all these are only possible because of computers strung like beads of water on a net between the stars.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • In terms of skills, he gets four career skills (Astrogation, Pilot (Space), Knowledge (Outer Rim), and Charm), two bonus 'Trader' career skills (Deceit and Negotiation), and a choice of two non-career skills because of the special ability for humans (Streetwise and Mechanics).

    Blog text (21)
  • The AI delved into its package of pedagogical visualization software, applied its tremendous processing power (sufficient for the occult mathematics of astrogation), and rendered the spectacles of that long, slow trip.

    Fiction book (2000)

Synonyms

navigation
vsastrogation
  • Specialized
96 3.6

Planning and guiding vehicles like ships or planes from one place to another

is limited to steering and navigating specifically in outer space
astronautics
vsastrogation
  • Specialized
2 7.9

The study of how to build and use spacecraft for travel beyond Earth

is specifically about the skill and process of steering craft in space
celestial navigation
vsastrogation
  • Specialized
1 7.7

A way to find where you are at sea by using stars, the Sun, and the Moon

covers overall space navigation skills rather than just position finding methods
astronavigation
vsastrogation
  • Specialized
1 9.9

Finding a place and direction by looking at stars

focuses more widely on guiding vehicles through space beyond just star methods
cosmonautics
vsastrogation
  • Specialized
1 8.2

The science and technology of traveling and exploring space beyond Earth

focuses specifically on the practical skill of steering vehicles through space
celestial guidance
vsastrogation
  • Specialized
9.9

A way to guide a vehicle like a spaceship using stars and planets

is the broader skill and process of steering vehicles in space

How Specialized

astrogation
  • Specialized
1 9.9
aeronautics
  • Specialized
11 6.3
navigation
  • Specialized
96 3.6

Surface Forms

astrogation singular
astrogations plural

Morphology

astrogation = navigate (semi-transparent) = astro + navig + ation

The meaning is fairly clear from astro- plus the navigation base, but the surface form is irregular and clipped rather than a fully regular derivation.

Etymology

Astrogation combines astro- ('star')—the same astro- in astronomy and astronaut—with navigation ('to steer' or 'find a way'). So, astrogation means the skill of steering or finding a path among the stars, which is why it refers to navigating a spacecraft.