Pegasus Stargates and Point of Origin

[Snowman37]

A while ago, I watched the "First Strike," "Adrift," and "Lifeline;" a trilogy of episodes featuring the Asurans, the departure of Dr. Weir, and Atlantis relocating to another world. In the second or third episode, there was talk of using the stargate to dial a planet, but they couldn't, because they didn't know where they were. Isn't that irrelevant if the city is not on or orbiting a planet? I think this was in "Adrift."

[Inquisitor]

They had to calibrate the DHD to their location, which they didn't yet have because they dropped out at a random location (they later found out where they were and then went to M7R-227, the Asuran homeworld via the puddle jumper's new hyperdrive).

They were also moving too fast in order to make a connection (probably relativity issues).

It was in Adrift.

[Snowman37]

I understand all of that, but my question is... why did they even discuss using the stargate when they were no where near a planet? It's been established that you can't use a stargate in deep space, so why was using it proposed?

[AlexanderD]

It's possible gates have the ability to be used sans planet now. If they didn't, the gate bridge would be an impossibility during its approach to midway station. Might have something to do with the macro Rodney wrote.

[EdenSG]

It was Adrift - early in the episode Rodney was able to establish their location. The reason they could not use the Stargate was because they were moving to fast, the needed to be in a fixed location or at least within a smaller area of space.

BYW, How do you define deep space, they were in space but still in the Pegasus Galaxy, so shouldn't they be able to dial any gate as long as it was in the PG ?


Script from Adrift about using the SG:

CONTROL ROOM. As someone sweeps up the glass on the Gateroom floor, Rodney stands nearby looking at a computer tablet that someone has brought him.

McKAY: Hmm. Yeah.

(As the man walks away, John and Teyla walk in and the three of them make their way up to the Control Room. We see that Rodney has at last had a chance to have the cuts on his face treated and cleaned up.)

McKAY: Alright. Two bits of good news. One: I have been able to calculate our exact location.

TEYLA: Does that mean we can use the Gate?

McKAY: Sadly, no. To activate the Gate, we require that we stay within a fairly small area of space. We’re moving too fast to use it.

SHEPPARD: Can we use the sub-lights to slow down?

McKAY: Well, it’d be great if they were working, but sub-light and navigation are out.

SHEPPARD: And you decided to put this in the “good news” category?

McKAY: Well, at least we’re not lost any more, right? Number two: there is nothing wrong with our hyperdrive.

TEYLA: Then why did we fall out of hyperspace prematurely?

McKAY: The damaged power conduits. We had plenty of gas in the tank, so to speak. We just couldn’t get it to the engine. We stalled out.

SHEPPARD: So if we repair the conduits, can we jump back into hyperspace?

McKAY: That’s the idea, yes. I mean, we wouldn’t be able to repair them completely, not without landing and shutting down and such, but we can definitely patch them up. Look, Zelenka and his team are working as fast as they possibly can. The problem is, we’re still leaking a lot of power.

TEYLA: Even with all the reductions?

McKAY: I’m afraid so, yes.

(He calls up an image on a screen showing power levels. The top third of the chart is red; the bottom two thirds are green. A line crosses the green area a little lower than halfway down the screen. Rodney points to the line.)

McKAY: Look, this is the minimum amount of power the city requires to execute a jump into hyperspace. If we don’t fix the power conduits inside of an hour, we’ll drop below that level. After that, we’re stuck. We’ll have, maybe, thirty hours before the shields fail and we all die in the vacuum of space.

[Snowman37]

I've seen the episode. How do I define deep space? Quite simply, anywhere outside of a solar system. My question still stands. How can the stargate be considered when they are not even in a solar system? It was established in the early seasons of SG-1 that a stargate has to be on a planet or in orbit. So... again, how can Atlantis use it's stargate?

[AlexanderD]

Being that the Pegasus gates are an upgraded later model compared to those in the Milky Way, it could be possible. When using six points in space to determine a location within a galaxy, I see nothing to prevent operation of a gate outside if a solar system.

[LT. COL. John Sheppard]

I understand all of that, but my question is... why did they even discuss using the stargate when they were no where near a planet? It's been established that you can't use a stargate in deep space, so why was using it proposed?

it probably was but the director didn't see it as relevant therefor it wasn't in the ep
i don't know it was just a guess

[gateraid]

I've seen the episode. How do I define deep space? Quite simply, anywhere outside of a solar system. My question still stands. How can the stargate be considered when they are not even in a solar system? It was established in the early seasons of SG-1 that a stargate has to be on a planet or in orbit. So... again, how can Atlantis use it's stargate?

Don't forget the Atlantis DHD is designed for a spaceship, not to be in a fixed location on a planet. As other people have pointed out, all it takes is a few keystrokes (or the ancient equivalent) to calibrate it to a fixed location. Also, it has considerably more power than the average stargate, so dialling long distance isn't an issue. Power has always been the biggest governor of exactly where a gate is able to dial.

Back on SG-1, they were working with different gates, with 'normal' DHD's. Without taking the DHD to pieces, they could only work when they were on or near a planet because those were the only co-ordinates stored within their operating systems. It'd be like using an old landline phone with a dialling ring to do your phone banking - the phone still works on the network, but not as well as one with a keypad

[stanlemon]

Well, my guess is that in the early series the writers weren't thinking about the possibility of a gate on a ship, but eventually decided to retcon it and make it so that as long as the gate is staying in a relatively stable position in space it can get a lock on the gate.

[Snowman37]

In hindsight, wasn't the city already relatively close to a solar system? If so, perhaps that's how the stargate had a point of origin?

[thekillman]

It was established in the early seasons of SG-1 that a stargate has to be on a planet or in orbit.

not entirely. a stargate adress corresponds to a point in space. based upon SG1, this " point" is a sphere of around a lightyear in diameter.

however, using the knowledge of Stargates and their system, it's possible to calculate the adress of a stargate not near a planet. thus, a gate in deep space can be dialled.