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The famous Pathfinder series of exploration and survey craft have a special place in the history of spaceflight, as they were the first to travel to other stars, and carried the first humans to make contact with other spacefaring beings.

Although built to a basic design, each ship was customised to suit its intended destination and carried a wide variety of probes, sensors, communications equipment and life support systems. The first ships, Pathfinders I and II, were never intended for interstellar travel and served only to test the various new systems that would be needed when operating so far from the solar system. The decision to use the the first generation of DeVass warp generator, together with the ion ultradrive defined the design of the craft. Pathfinder II was lost in mysterious circumstances while on an extended mission almost 1/4 light year from Earth, and this led to a substantial delay in the programme until it was determined that the design was sound, and that nothing in the design or systems were at fault.

The illustration shows Pathfinder VI, in what was the basic configuration, comprising a command module, life support, accomodation and laboratory modules, a module for the stowage and launching of planetary probes, the DeVass warp generator and associated power and control systems, and the ion and nuclear/chemical propulsion.
The large vertical arrays were radiators to dissipate the excess heat from the warp generator - a problem with the first generation that was subsequently solved in later versions. Once the ship had arrived at its destination, a detailed survey sometimes lasting 6 months or longer was undertaken, using a variety of unmanned probes, optical, electromagnetic and gravimetric sensors. Later Pathfinders had larger crews and therefore more accomodation and laboratory modules, and uprated propulsion systems. Electromagnetic survey ships deployed large arrays of booms and antennae, much like the later Astrolabs.

It fell to Pathfinder III and its crew to make the first journey to Alpha Centauri in 2036, where the now famous 'First Contact' took place. A total of 15 Pathfinder missions were launched to the nearest stars, such as Barnards star, Lalande 21185 and Tau Ceti, but it is the fate of Pathfinder IX that is usually remembered. While surveying the Proxima Centauri system in 2045, it was destroyed in an unprovoked attack that ultimately led to the dark days of the Proxima War.

Eventually the Pathfinder programme came to an end as technology advanced, leading to newer generations of both manned and unmanned explorers. Most of the ships eventually returned home, including Pathfinder III which is now on permanent display in the Mars musem of spaceflight.

Update: A recent survey of the mysterious 'Spaceship Graveyard' of Beta Pavonis has found Pathfinder 2. The craft was found completely intact and in working order, but without power. However, of the crew there was no sign, and how this ship came to Beta Pavonis remains a mystery.