Colonial FTL jump

An FTL, or “Faster Than Light”, Drive is a fictional propulsion technology from the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series that allows space ships to achieve superluminal travel. They are fueled by a refined version of the fictional ore Tylium. Image File history File links FTL_Jump_--_Battlestar_Galactica_(2004). ... Image File history File links FTL_Jump_--_Battlestar_Galactica_(2004). ... This article is specifically about the 2004 Battlestar Galactica television series; for more information about the re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica, see Battlestar Galactica (re-imagining); for the miniseries that led to this television series, see Battlestar Galactica (TV miniseries); for other versions, see the main Battlestar Galactica disambiguation page. ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... Faster-than-light (also superluminal or FTL) communications and travel are staples of the science fiction genre. ... Tylium is a fictional ore in both versions of the science fiction series Battlestar Galactica. ...

The verb Jump is commonly used to describe the process of traveling via FTL drive. Dialog implies that the drive itself consists of large spinning electromagnetic coils in combination with other more exotic technology.^[1][2]

The term FTL was never used in the original Battlestar Galactica movie and television series, instead the term "light speed" was used, in context, this appeared to be standard acceleration based travel, although the Galactica and its fleet moved at sub-light speeds as a norm as the fleet was unable to travel at "light speed"^[3] Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction television series, produced in 1978 by Glen Larson and starring Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict. ...

Physics

The exact nature of FTL physics remains unexplained, and what information exists has been extrapolated from on screen dialog.

Little time appears to pass on a ship during a jump and objects within a ship do not appear exhibit the usual signs of momentum/inertia associated with acceleration/deceleration. In classical mechanics, momentum (pl. ... The principle of inertia is one of the fundamental laws of classical physics which are used to describe the motion of matter and how it is affected by applied forces. ...

Side effects

Some people experience nausea during FTL travel.^[1]

Navigation

Owing to difficulties navigating while using an FTL drive, ships wishing to make an FTL jump must calculate their speed, trajectory and jump duration prior to activating their FTL drive. Failure to do so can lead to ships jumping into poorly charted areas where non-FTL navigation is difficult, or into dangerous areas such as those containing asteroid fields, gravity wells, or even inside a planets atmosphere.^[4]

A ship making a properly calculated jump can arrive safely in planetary orbit, or alongside other ships. Ships using the same calculations can also safely jump together. Uncalculated jumps are possible.

Because little is known about the physics of the FTL drive, it is not clear whether ships must plot a course around large physical objects, such as suns and gas giants, or if they have to adjust their course to take local gravitational variants into account. It is also not known whether a ship can correct its course mid jump.

Jump co-ordinates must be constantly updated to allow for changes in a ships position, and for stellar drift.^[5]

Limitations

FTL drives come in a variety of sizes. The larger the drive, the further a ship can travel. Smaller are only capable of making short FTL jumps, colloquially known as Jumps, while the larger drives fitted to warships and commercial transport ships are capable of traveling far greater distances,^[4] the exception to this being Cylon ships, which are capable of making longer jumps as shown in Starbuck's first return to Caprica in a captured Cylon Raider.

A small ship, or ship with a less capable FTL drive must make several Jumps in order to travel the same distance as a larger ship. Leaving it vulnerable to detection or attack.^[4]

Limits in Colonial technology mean that it is uneconomical to produce an FTL drive small enough to fit the Viper as standard. Though drives can be made sufficiently small enough to be fitted to Raptors.^[6] Side view (behind the scenes) Raptor taking off (behind the scenes) Cockpit view with pilot and ECO The Raptor is a multipurpose military spacecraft of the new Battlestar Galactica. ...

The safe limit of an FTL drive is known as the 'Red Line', a ship jumping beyond this limit risks damaging its FTL drive or going off course due to compound errors in its jump calculation.^[7]

Cylon Technology

Cylon FTL systems work on the same principles as Colonial versions, and also uses refined Tylium ore as its primary fuel.^[8] Cylon Raiders are also FTL "Jump" capable.^[1] Tylium is a fictional ore in both versions of the science fiction series Battlestar Galactica. ... The Cylon Raider is the standard starfighter used by the Cylons, in the various Battlestar Galactica movies and television series. ...

The FTL systems of the Cylons are much more advanced than that of the Colonials, allowing them to travel further in far fewer "Jumps" and also more accurately, and to be fitted to smaller ships as standard.^[4]

References

The Battlestar Galactica (2003 miniseries) is a three-hour miniseries written & produced by Ronald D. Moore and directed by Michael Rymer, that was a part of the Battlestar Galactica (Re-imagining) reimagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series and served as a backdoor pilot for the 2004 television series. ... The Battlestar Galactica (2003 miniseries) is a three-hour miniseries written & produced by Ronald D. Moore and directed by Michael Rymer, that was a part of the Battlestar Galactica (Re-imagining) reimagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series and served as a backdoor pilot for the 2004 television series. ... Scar is an episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. ... This article is specifically about the 2004 Battlestar Galactica television series; for more information about the re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica, see Battlestar Galactica (re-imagining); for the miniseries that led to this television series, see Battlestar Galactica (TV miniseries); for other versions, see the main Battlestar Galactica disambiguation page. ... The following is a complete list of episode titles for the Original Continuity of Battlestar Galactica. ... Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction television series, produced in 1978 by Glen Larson and starring Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict. ... Lay Down Your Burdens, Parts I and II are episodes of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. ... This article is specifically about the 2004 Battlestar Galactica television series; for more information about the re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica, see Battlestar Galactica (re-imagining); for the miniseries that led to this television series, see Battlestar Galactica (TV miniseries); for other versions, see the main Battlestar Galactica disambiguation page. ... Scattered is an episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica televison series. ... This article is specifically about the 2004 Battlestar Galactica television series; for more information about the re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica, see Battlestar Galactica (re-imagining); for the miniseries that led to this television series, see Battlestar Galactica (TV miniseries); for other versions, see the main Battlestar Galactica disambiguation page. ... The Captains Hand is an episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica televison series. ... This article is specifically about the 2004 Battlestar Galactica television series; for more information about the re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica, see Battlestar Galactica (re-imagining); for the miniseries that led to this television series, see Battlestar Galactica (TV miniseries); for other versions, see the main Battlestar Galactica disambiguation page. ... The Battlestar Galactica (2003 miniseries) is a three-hour miniseries written & produced by Ronald D. Moore and directed by Michael Rymer, that was a part of the Battlestar Galactica (Re-imagining) reimagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series and served as a backdoor pilot for the 2004 television series. ... The Battlestar Galactica (2003 miniseries) is a three-hour miniseries written & produced by Ronald D. Moore and directed by Michael Rymer, that was a part of the Battlestar Galactica (Re-imagining) reimagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series and served as a backdoor pilot for the 2004 television series. ... There are two Battlestar Galactica episodes with the title The Hand of God: The Hand of God (1978 Battlestar Galactica) - old continuity 1979 episode The Hand of God (2003 Battlestar Galactica) - new continuity 2005 episode Categories: | ... This article is specifically about the 2004 Battlestar Galactica television series; for more information about the re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica, see Battlestar Galactica (re-imagining); for the miniseries that led to this television series, see Battlestar Galactica (TV miniseries); for other versions, see the main Battlestar Galactica disambiguation page. ...

External links

• FTL at the BattlestarWiki.