Sensors and scanners

These systems are the sense organs of a spaceship. While not important to the average sapient, for spacefarers there is a key distinction between sensors and scanners. Sensors receive emissions while scanners create them.

Navigation Scanner
These are a suite of short ranged broad spectrum detection systems including radar and lidar used for local navigation required by all starships.

Gravitic Sensor
mass detector blah blah

Planetary Scanners
A suite of mainly passive detection systems optimised for tight focus, primarily used for survey and prospecting work.

Because the active components allow the system to substitute as a very short ranged fire control system, it is generally regarded as a hostile act to focus planetary scanners on another spacecraft

Passive Sensors
A suite of broad coverage passive detection systems intended for combat

Active Scanners
modern radar, lidar etc active emitters intended for combat fire control.

All vessels with any type of functioning sensors will notice active scanners in use at a great distance although only passive sensors will garuantee whether the sensors are deliberately "painting" the targeted vessel. A good analogy is a man with a torch ... he can better see what the torch is focussed on but everything with eyes will see the torch from much further away

Sensor/scan Masking