Orbital Probe Cannon

The Orbital Probe Cannon is a large Nomai satellite found in orbit around Giant's Deep, designed to launch a probe from orbit at great speed. The Cannon fires at the beginning of every cycle in a random direction and breaks apart, but its ruins and most of its modules still remain in orbit around Giant Deep.

Features
The Orbital Probe Cannon consists of three main modules as well as the cannon structure itself: the Control Module, the Launch Module, and the Probe Tracking Module. The modules are intended to be accessed from a central hub, with individual airlocks.

At the start of every time loop, the Cannon launches a probe in a random direction in hopes of finding the Eye of the Universe orbiting the system. The probe's data is recorded and sent to the Ash Twin Project. The Project is then able to send the data of the launch, and all previous launches back in time to the beginning of the loop. From this, the cannon is able to repeat the probe launch millions of times with new directions, continuously building off of the data gathered in previous loops.

Due to Mallow and Avens's "enthusiasm", they set the energy level of the gravity cannon higher than the already lowered recommended settings in hopes of finding the Eye quicker; this causes the satellite to violently break apart upon launching the probe. Two of the three modules are still present in the ruins, as well as a still functional gravity landing pad. Due to the similarities in structural design and method of launch, it can be surmised that the Gravity Cannons served as precursors to the Orbital Probe Cannon's technology.

Eye of the Universe Probe
The probe is seen being launched at the start of each time loop. While itself not crucial, it is possible to catch up to it with a very long burn in the spaceship.

Control Module
The Control Module is the only module that is undamaged and which has an unbroken connection to the station's centre in orbit. Information about Mallow's override for additional power to gain additional speed for the probe and the random firing direction are found here, revealing the cause of the Cannon's destruction.

Launch Module
The Launch Module is in orbit with the Control Module, but being heavily damaged, cannot be accessed from the station's central hub, with its connection being broken. However, the module can be accessed from space by entering from the outside through the module's broken window. Details of overloading power to the cannon and only needing to be fired once are expanded upon here.

Probe Tracking Module
The Probe Tracking Module is the module that receives and transmits the probe's data, but it is the only module missing after the firing of the cannon.

The module can be tracked down and found within Giant's Deep's core. The data found here reveals that readings matching the Eye of the Universe were discovered by the 9,318,054th probe. The module system provides the Eye's coordinates in the form of three hexagonal characters. An activated Nomai Memory Statue can be found in the module, connected to an active mask in the Ash Twin Project and being the method by which the probe data is sent back in time.

Texts and recordings
{| role="presentation" class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"

Control Module

 * Cannon components
 * Cannon components

AVENS: Mallow, my better 50 percent! Cassava is sending the last of the cannon components. Soon (relatively speaking), we’ll know the Eye ’s precise location!


 * MALLOW: The thought of concluding our elders’ curious and challenging search increases my heart’s temperature, my love!


 * AVENS: Cassava tells me he and the Construction Yard crew have determined a power setting we are not, under any circumstances, to go above.


 * MALLOW: I see! And am I right to think that, consequently, we’ll be ignoring that setting?


 * AVENS: I can posit with nearly 100 percent certainty our friends have accounted for our natures, so I suggest we do!


 * AVENS: Giving the Orbital Probe Cannon all the power it can structurally withstand creates the greatest chance of finding the Eye of the universe.


 * MALLOW: Yes, the probe must travel as fast as it can, as far as it can. I’ll make some adjustments!

Orbital Probe Cannon put on hold

CASSAVA: I have bad news, Avens. Yarrow says there was a problem with the proposed power source, so the Orbital Probe Cannon won’t be asked to fire.


 * AVENS: I hope you’re pulling my locomotive limb here, Cassava.


 * CASSAVA: I wish I were, my friend, but no. They aren’t certain they can fix the problem, so the Orbital Probe Cannon is on indefinite hiatus.


 * CASSAVA: Tell Privet and Mallow they should return from the cannon . My spouse and I will remain at the Construction Yard, for now.


 * AVENS: An update: Mallow and I will join you and Daz. Privet left to visit her brother. She fears Idaea may feel responsible.

Launch orders (dependent on how much in-game time has passed)

First recording

X MINUTES, X SECONDS AGO: Request to launch probe received from Ash Twin Project.

Cannon aligned with randomly selected probe trajectory. Gravity field activated.

Second recording

BEGIN LAUNCH LOG: Orbital Probe Cannon. Launch request received. Probe launch successful.

Probe Tracking Module is receiving data from probe.

WARNING: Orbital Probe Cannon structure compromised during launch. Damage to multiple modules detected.

Third recording

ORBITAL PROBE CANNON DAMAGE REPORT: Severe structural stress detected. Assessing damage to modules...

Control Module : Intact. No structural damage.

Launch Module : Viewport window fractured. Module exposed to vacuum of space.

Probe Tracking Module : MISSING.
 * }

{| role="presentation" class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"

Launch Module

 * Cannon components
 * Cannon components

AVENS: Mallow, my better 50 percent! Cassava is sending the last of the cannon components. Soon (relatively speaking), we’ll know the Eye ’s precise location!


 * MALLOW: The thought of concluding our elders’ curious and challenging search increases my heart’s temperature, my love!


 * AVENS: Cassava tells me he and the Construction Yard crew have determined a power setting we are not, under any circumstances, to go above.


 * MALLOW: I see! And am I right to think that, consequently, we’ll be ignoring that setting?


 * AVENS: I can posit with nearly 100 percent certainty our friends have accounted for our natures, so I suggest we do!


 * AVENS: Giving the Orbital Probe Cannon all the power it can structurally withstand creates the greatest chance of finding the Eye of the universe.


 * MALLOW: Yes, the probe must travel as fast as it can, as far as it can. I’ll make some adjustments!

Orbital Probe Cannon's structural integrity

MALLOW: Imagine, Privet: the Probe Tracking Module will be the first to know the coordinates of the Eye of the universe ! You’ll be the first to see them!


 * PRIVET: I am honored and terrified!


 * PRIVET: You won’t ask the Orbital Probe Cannon to use so much power that it breaks, will you?


 * MALLOW: Fret not, my nervous friend! We only need to fire the probe once, anyway, so who minds if it compromises the Orbital Probe Cannon ’s structural integrity slightly?


 * PRIVET: I would mind, Mallow! I would mind, because we won’t be capable of receiving our probe’s data if the Probe Tracking Module is destroyed!


 * }

{| role="presentation" class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"

Probe Tracking Module

 * Ash Twin Project and probe
 * Ash Twin Project and probe

YARROW: I have exciting news, Privet: The Ash Twin Project is almost prepared to receive the probe data from the Orbital Probe Cannon.


 * YARROW: Ramie is adding some finishing touches here, but she’ll be finished soon. Are you and the Orbital Probe Cannon well?


 * PRIVET: We are! The Probe Tracking Module is ready to record each launch’s flight trajectory and will automatically transmit all relevant data to you.


 * PRIVET: Once the probe determines the location of the Eye of the universe, I’ll send an alert directly to you and Ramie.


 * PRIVET: On the other appendage, I’m now worried about this cannon ’s structural integrity and its crew’s moral integrity.

Orbital Probe Cannon's structural integrity

MALLOW: Imagine, Privet: the Probe Tracking Module will be the first to know the coordinates of the Eye of the universe ! You’ll be the first to see them!


 * PRIVET: I am honored and terrified!


 * PRIVET: You won’t ask the Orbital Probe Cannon to use so much power that it breaks, will you?


 * MALLOW: Fret not, my nervous friend! We only need to fire the probe once, anyway, so who minds if it compromises the Orbital Probe Cannon ’s structural integrity slightly?


 * PRIVET: I would mind, Mallow! I would mind, because we won’t be capable of receiving our probe’s data if the Probe Tracking Module is destroyed!

Eye of the Universe coordinates (total probes are dependent on number of time loops completed)

First recording

Receiving data from probe 9,31X,XXX.

Visualizing current trajectory of probe 9,31X,XXX.

Second recording

Retrieving previous launch data from Ash Twin.

Total number of probes launched: 9,31X,XXX

Deep space anomaly matching all known criteria for the Eye of the universe found by probe 9,318,054.

Third recording

Retrieving stored coordinates from Ash Twin.

Displaying coordinates for the Eye of the universe.
 * }

Notes & Trivia

 * Getting the coordinates is not necessary for the ending; they will stay the same.
 * As exactly 9,318,054 probe launches were attempted before finding The Eye, and each loop lasts 22 minutes, this means that the Hearthians (and the universe) were in a time loop for 389 years, 276 days, 21 hours, and 48 minutes before the Nomai Statue activates and the Player becomes aware of the loop.
 * There are in total 9823 = 946,966,168 coordinates that can be encoded into the three hexagons. So the 9,318,054th launch is still within the first 1% of all possible trajectories.
 * This assumes that the empty hexagon is a valid coordinate.
 * There are 6! (6*5*4*3*2*1) different ways to draw a coordinate that uses six vertices of the hexagon, 6! / 1! ways to draw a coordinate that uses five vertices of the hexagon, 6! / 2! ways to draw a coordinate that uses four vertices of the hexagon, etc, all the way down to 6! / 6! ways to draw a coordinate that uses one vertex of the hexagon.
 * However, for all of the ways to draw the hexagon that involve more than one vertex, the opposite ordering is equivalent (you can draw a sequence of lines starting at either end).
 * So, the final number of ways to encode into a single hexagon is:
 * (6*5*4*3*2*1 + 6*5*4*3*2 + 6*5*4*3 + 6*5*4 + 6*5) / 2 + 6 + 1 = 982,
 * where the number in the parenthetical is 6! + 6!/1! + 6!/2! + ..., and the final 1 is the coordinate with zero vertices highlighted.