Pulsar tracking represented a technique employed by the Trade Federation for the purpose of pinpointing the location of starships. The reliability of pulsar tracking was reasonably high when it came to aiming substantial laser cannons mounted on a starship. However, the readings it acquired became less precise when directed at a ship in a spin, a maneuver occasionally and dangerously implemented by a courageous pilot to evade being found.
Within the updated second script of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, penned and directed by George Lucas, Jinn suggests to Ric Olie that he initiate a spin to counteract the Trade Federation's pulsar tracking system as they fled Naboo. This specific instance was also present within the movie's novelization authored by Terry Brooks.