[Travellers' Aid Society - Traveller](https://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Travellers'_Aid_Society)
transponder buoys? is there a nautical equivalent i could look up the name of?? navigation buoys?
Almost always near an inhabited world, broadcasting the planet’s trade code, laws, and starport(s) information.
The TAS has been planting buoys throughout known space for over two centuries. The goal is to have a buoy in every system, inhabited or not, and as much space between them as it can manage to cover.
The typical buoy broadcasts location information, including basic information about the surrounding region for navigation purposes. Also, data updates for TAS books such as Felox carries, with information about all systems in the Trojan Reach (by which I mean the information we look up in the Pirates of Drinax - Book 2 - The Trojan Reach).
And I think the network of buoys should be used for communications, too. I’d have to work out the practical details.
The concept of TAS buoys in your campaign sounds intriguing! In modern terms, these buoys could be somewhat analogous to GPS satellites or even the concept of geostationary communication satellites. They provide essential navigation and communication services across a vast area, akin to how GPS satellites enable global positioning and communication satellites facilitate worldwide communication.
For naming ideas, "TAS Beacons" or "TAS Relays" could also work, emphasizing their role in signaling and relaying information across space. They serve as essential waypoints and information hubs, much like modern-day navigational aids and communication networks.
If you're thinking about practical details for communication, these buoys could use advanced technology for interstellar communication, perhaps using quantum entanglement or subspace communications, depending on the tech level in your campaign universe.