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Encyclopedia > Warp drive (Star Trek)
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In the fictional universe of Star Trek, the warp drive is a form of faster-than-light (FTL) propulsion. It is generally portrayed as being capable of propelling spacecraft or other objects to many multiples of the speed of light, while avoiding the problems associated with time dilation. It is also featured in the Stars! computer game, and in the motion picture Starship Troopers, both unrelated to Star Trek. It is not generally capable of instantaneous travel between points at infinite speed, as has been suggested in other science fiction using theoretical technologies such as Hyperdrive and Jump Drives. It is called FTL in the Titan novels. One difference between warp drive and hyperspace is that unlike hyperspace, the ship does not enter a different universe or a different dimension, it merely creates a small "bubble" of normal space time. Ships in warp can interact with objects in normal space. The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction franchise. ... The starship Enterprise as it appeared on Star Trek Star Trek is a culturally significant science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry in the 1960s. ... Star Trek: The Animated Series is an animated science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. ... List of Star Trek: The Animated Series episodes This is a list of episodes from the fictional animated television, Star Trek: The Animated Series, set in the Star Trek universe. ... The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ... Space station Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (ST:DS9 or STDS9 or DS9 for short) is a science fiction television series produced by Paramount and set in the Star Trek universe. ... The starship Voyager (NCC-74656), an Intrepid-class starship. ... The starship Enterprise (NX-01) Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. ... This list of Star Trek: Enterprise episodes is accompanied by each episodes original airdate on UPN in the United States, along with its Nielsen rating, and number of viewers. ... Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Paramount Pictures, 1979; see also 1979 in film) is the first feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series and is released on Friday, December 7. ... Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (Paramount Pictures, 1982; see also 1982 in film) is the second feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ... Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Paramount Pictures, 1984; see also 1984 in film) is the third feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ... Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Paramount Pictures, 1986; see also 1986 in film) is the fourth feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ... Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (Paramount Pictures, 1989; see also 1989 in film) is the fifth feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ... Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Paramount Pictures, 1991; see also 1991 in film) is the sixth feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ... Star Trek: Generations (Paramount Pictures, 1994, see also 1994 in film) is the seventh feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ... Star Trek: First Contact (Paramount Pictures, 1996; see also 1996 in film), is the eighth feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ... Star Trek: Insurrection (Paramount Pictures, 1998) is the ninth Star Trek feature film. ... Star Trek Nemesis (Paramount Pictures, 2002; see also 2002 in film) is the tenth feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ... Not to be confused with Star Trek: The Motion Picture. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article or section may need to be cleaned up and rewritten because it describes a work of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. ... In the Star Trek science fiction universe, Humans/Terrans (Homo sapiens sapiens) are one of the races undertaking interstellar travel. ... It has been suggested that Tplana-hath be merged into this article or section. ... Romulans are a fictional alien species in the Star Trek universe. ... In the Star Trek universe, the Q Continuum is an extradimensional plane of existence inhabited by a race of seemingly omnipotent, immortal and omniscient hyperintelligent godlike beings known as the Q. Although they have individual, flawed personalities (they seem prone to arrogance, for instance, although they would argue that an... This article is about the fictional race. ... Cardassians are a spacefaring race in the fictional Star Trek universe. ... Bajorans, a race of humanoids in the fictional Star Trek universe, were introduced in the Next Generation series and played an integral part in the Deep Space Nine series. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Ferengi are a fictional extraterrestrial race from the Star Trek universe. ... In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Dominion is a ruthless and militaristic Gamma Quadrant state, consisting of many different races, with ultimate power held by the xenophobic Changelings. ... The Mirror Universe (MU) is a fictional parallel universe in which the plots of several Star Trek television episodes take place, named for Mirror, Mirror, the original series episode in which it first appeared. ... The Star Trek franchise has produced a large number of novels, comic books, video games, and other materials, which are generally considered non-canon. ... 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This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... It has been suggested that Other Starfleet ship classes be merged into this article or section. ... This article is becoming very long. ... In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Planet Classification System is a system developed by the Federation to categorize planets by many factors, such as atmospheric composition, age, surface temperature, size, and presence of life. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Star Trek is one of the most culturally influential television shows[]. The original series, which aired in the late sixties, has since spawned five successor series, ten movies, a plethora of merchandise, and a multibillion dollar industry collectively known as the Star Trek franchise (owned by CBS Paramount Television). ... Gene Roddenberry was an ardent proponent of egalitarian politics, and frequently used the shows to showcase his vision of a future society based on those principles. ... Trekkie (or Trekker) is a term that in recent decades has been used to describe a fan of the Star Trek science fiction franchise. ... The term Trekdom refers to Fandom in association to Star Trek. ... Where no man has gone before is a saying used in the introductory sequence of all but one of the episodes of the original Star Trek science fiction television series. ... A fictional universe is a cohesive imaginary world that serves as the setting or backdrop for one or (more commonly) multiple works of fiction. ... The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction franchise. ... Faster-than-light (also superluminal or FTL) communications and travel are staples of the science fiction genre. ... A line showing the speed of light on a scale model of Earth and the Moon The speed of light in a vacuum is an important physical constant denoted by the letter c for constant or the Latin word celeritas meaning swiftness. It is the speed of all electromagnetic radiation... Time dilation is the phenomenon whereby an observer finds that anothers clock which is physically identical to their own is ticking at a slower rate as measured by their own clock. ... It has been suggested that Mystery Trader be merged into this article or section. ... A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ... Starship Troopers is a 1997 film directed by Paul Verhoeven, written by Edward Neumeier, and starring Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer and Denise Richards. ... Hyperdrive is a name given to certain methods of traveling faster than light (FTL) in science fiction. ... Jump drive is a name given to a method of traveling faster than light in science fiction. ...


The concept of using spatial warping as a means of propulsion has been the subject of theoretical treatment by some physicists (such as Miguel Alcubierre, see Alcubierre drive), although no concrete technological approach has ever been proposed, nor is there any known way of inducing the effect described by Alcubierre. A remote camera captures a close-up view of a Space Shuttle Main Engine during a test firing at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Mississippi Spacecraft propulsion is used to change the velocity of spacecraft and artificial satellites, or in short, to provide delta-v. ... Miguel Alcubierre (Born 1964) is a Mexican theoretical physicist. ... This article is about the Alcubierre metric. ...

Contents

Warp in Star Trek

Development of the backstory

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Warp drive has been a feature of Star Trek since it started. The first pilot episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, "The Cage", calls it "time warp" drive, and notes that the "time barrier" had been broken, allowing a group of stranded interstellar travellers to get back to Earth much quicker than they had been previously able to. The starship Enterprise as it appeared on Star Trek Star Trek is a culturally significant science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry in the 1960s. ... The Cage is the original pilot episode of the original Star Trek science fiction series and resulting franchise. ...


The episode "Metamorphosis", from the original series, establishes a backstory for the invention of warp drive, stating that it was invented by Zefram Cochrane of Alpha Centauri. Cochrane is repeatedly referred to afterwards, but the exact details of the first warp trials were not shown until the second Star Trek: The Next Generation movie, Star Trek: First Contact. The movie depicts Cochrane as inventing warp drive on Earth in 2063 (two years after the date speculated by the first edition of the Star Trek Chronology). He used the immense power given off in a matter-antimatter reaction to give energy, which he could use to move a ship into a subspace warp bubble that could then move the ship at faster than the speed of light. This directly led to the first contact with the Vulcans. Metamorphosis is a second season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series first broadcast November 10, 1967 and repeated July 19, 1968. ... Spoiler warning: Zefram Cochrane is a fictional character from the Star Trek universe who invented warp drive in the year 2063 AD, bringing faster-than-light travel (FTL) technology to humanity; although technology to travel faster than light was developed independently by other races before and since, it is Cochrane... Alpha Centauri (α Cen / α Centauri) is the brightest star system in the southern constellation of Centaurus. ... The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ... Star Trek: First Contact (Paramount Pictures, 1996; see also 1996 in film), is the eighth feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ... This article is an attempt to list every Star Trek episode from every form of media in order by stardate. ... In particle physics, antimatter extends the concept of the antiparticle to matter, whereby a particle of antimatter is composed of antiparticles in the same way that normal matter is. ... It has been suggested that Tplana-hath be merged into this article or section. ...


The later prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise firmly establishes that many other civilizations had warp drive before humans, notably the Vulcans, who had more advanced warp drive technology than humans even in the 22nd century. Enterprise, set in 2151 onwards, shows the voyages of the first Earth ship to be capable at going at warp factor 5 (taken as one hundred twenty-five times the speed of light). The starship Enterprise (NX-01) Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. ... It has been suggested that Tplana-hath be merged into this article or section. ... The 22nd century (Gregorian calendar) will comprise the years 2101-2200. ... Adjectives: Terrestrial, Terran, Telluric, Tellurian, Earthly Atmosphere Surface pressure: 101. ...


The Next Generation era

Plots involving the Enterprise going far too fast were a frequent feature in the original series, and for The Next Generation, it was decided that these would no longer be featured. A new warp scale was drawn up, with warp 10 set as an unattainable maximum. This is described in some technical manuals as Gene's Recalibration as a homage to creator/producer Gene Roddenberry. Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Gene Roddenberry Eugene Wesley Roddenberry (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American scriptwriter and producer. ...


The warp factors above warp 10 in the TOS, such as the one above, were slower than warp 10 on the new scale. According to The Star Trek Encyclopedia, warp 6 (new scale) is equal to 392c (392 times the speed of light, c) and about warp 7.3 on the old scale, whereas warp 9.2 new, to about 1649c and warp 11.8 on the old scale. The scale reaches an asymptote at warp 10 which represents infinite speed in accordance with the speed limit imposed by the producers. The Star Trek: Voyager episode "Threshold" agreed with this, in that the characters said attaining the velocity of warp 10 was impossible (called Eugene's Limit, another homage to Roddenberry) — but then they achieved it anyway, with the side effect that they hyper-evolved (reversibly) into anthropomorphic newts. In this episode, Tom Paris describes that, while travelling at warp 10, he is concurrently in every part of the universe. At this speed, the Shuttlecraft Cochrane's sensors are able to process enormous amounts of telemetry such that the data storage of the shuttle is completely filled. TOS may refer to: Terms of Service TOSLINK a standardized optical fibre connection system. ... The Star Trek Encyclopedia: A Reference Guide to the Future is an encyclopedia of all things related to Star Trek. ... An asymptote is a straight line or curve which a curve approaches as one moves along the curve. ... The starship Voyager (NCC-74656), an Intrepid-class starship. ... Threshold is an episode of the Star Trek: Voyager television series. ... This article is about evolution in biology. ... An anthropomorphic character; a cat ascribed human characteristics. ... Eft redirects here. ... Thomas Eugene Paris, played by Robert Duncan McNeill, is a fictional character in the Star Trek television series Star Trek: Voyager. ... Shuttlecraft of the USS Voyager (NCC-74656). ...


The limit of 10 did not entirely stop warp inflation. By the mid-24th century, the Enterprise-D could travel at warp 9.8 at extreme risk, while normal maximum operating speed was warp 9.6 and maximum rated cruise was warp 9.2. The Intrepid-class starship Voyager could manage warp 9.975. USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) (commissioned 2363) is the name of the Galaxy class Federation starship that is the principal setting of the series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the film Star Trek: Generations. ... The USS Voyager (NCC-74656), an Intrepid class starship. ... The USS Voyager (NCC-74656) is an Intrepid class starship in the Star Trek fictional universe. ...


The alternate future depicted in the Next Generation episode "All Good Things..." shows Federation vessels capable of going warp 13 when Admiral Riker, commanding the Future Enterprise-D, uses this extra turn of speed to rescue the crew of the USS Pasteur. However, this episode was produced before the Enterprise-D was destroyed in Star Trek: Generations, so the two universes may diverge further than previously expected, and warp 13 may not be possible in the "real" Star Trek universe. It is unclear whether the warp 13 achieved in the possible future shown in "All Good Things..." represents a new recalibration of the warp curve or some form of transwarp, though as this future was a creation of Q it might not occur in the "real" Star Trek timeline. All Good Things. ... Introduction In the fictional Star Trek universe, the United Federation of Planets is a federation of more than 150 member planets and thousands of colonies, based in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants of the Milky Way galaxy. ... Star Trek: Generations (Paramount Pictures, 1994, see also 1994 in film) is the seventh feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction franchise. ...


Transwarp

The term transwarp has been used a number of times, referring to an advanced form of warp drive most commonly used by the Borg, but also the subject of a Starfleet development project in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. The Unicomplex, a huge Borg complex in the Delta Quadrant. ... Starfleet Command symbol In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet is the paramilitary defense, research, diplomacy, and exploration force of the United Federation of Planets (UFP) with – as of the late 24th century – hundreds of starships and starbases at its disposal. ... Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Paramount Pictures, 1984; see also 1984 in film) is the third feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ...


Episodes of TNG and Voyager seem to indicate that transwarp is best described as a wormhole-style conduit through subspace: this suggests a subsuming into subspace, rather than warping normal space via subspace. Analogy to a wormhole in a curved 2D space (see Embedding Diagram) Artists impression of a wormhole as seen by an observer crossing the event horizon of a Schwarzschild wormhole, which is similar to a Schwarzschild black hole but with the singularity replaced by an unstable path to a... Subspace is a term used in many different science fiction media to explain many different concepts. ...


Federation experiments

The USS Excelsior (NX-2000) under command of Captain Stiles was a Federation testbed for transwarp technology. Though not explained on-screen in Star Trek III, it is assumed that transwarp was a faster version of the conventional warp drive. Excelsior's first operational test failed due to sabotage by Scotty, thus preventing Excelsior from pursuing the Enterprise. The USS Excelsior in 2293 The USS Excelsior is a starship in the Star Trek fictional universe. ... Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Paramount Pictures, 1984; see also 1984 in film) is the third feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ...


By the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the Excelsior (under command of Captain Sulu) had been fitted with a standard warp drive; either the tests were unsuccessful or the transwarp described there was a new form of warp drive that other ships eventually adopted (and not the transwarp described above). Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Paramount Pictures, 1991; see also 1991 in film) is the sixth feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ...


The spin-off reference work, Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise published in 1987, suggests the project ultimately succeeded, and the Enterprise-A was indeed fitted with transwarp. Mr. ... Spoiler warning: The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) (or Enterprise-A), commissioned in 2286, is a Constitution class starship in the Star Trek fictional universe. ...


A popular concept in fan speculation (and never officially refuted) is that the Transwarp project was not the transwarp described above but instead a re-design/upgrade of standard warp design. It is believed that the Excelsior project succeeded and was adopted as the new standard for warp systems. This is supported by the re-evaluation of the warp scale at the beginning of The Next Generation.


Another idea is that, although the overall Transwarp project failed, some of the features of the new design were incorporated into the standard warp drive. This is bourn out by the arrangement of the warp core. It is longituinal, running along the secondary hull in the Enterprise in TOS, but is mounted vertically in the Enterprise A.


Susan Sackett's memoirs attribute the lack of transwarp in Star Trek: The Next Generation to Gene Roddenberry's dislike of the concept.[1] Inside Trek book cover Susan Sackett was born in Connecticut and raised in Florida. ... The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Gene Roddenberry Eugene Wesley Roddenberry (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American scriptwriter and producer. ...


Borg Conduits

The Borg (in the The Next Generation two-part episode "Descent" and in the Voyager finale Endgame) have discovered the existence of the possibility of transwarp conduits—regions in subspace that facilitate transwarp travel at up to 20 times faster than conventional warp drives. These episodes established that the Borg set up networks of these conduits between important areas in the galaxy. Borg transwarp conduits are activated by an encoded tachyon pulse. When a Borg vessel enters a transwarp conduit, it is subject to extreme gravimetric shear. To compensate, the Borg project a structural integrity field ahead of the vessel. Artificial conduits are linked together with transwarp hubs. Six hubs were known to exist, but in "'Endgame" one was destroyed, along with the Unicomplex due to the neurolytic pathogen with which Admiral Janeway infected herself. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Descent is a two-part episode from the sixth/seventh season of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. ... Endgame is the title of the final episode in the Star Trek spin off series, Star Trek: Voyager. ... A tachyon (from the Greek takhús, meaning swift, fast) is any hypothetical particle that travels at superluminal velocity. ... Endgame is the title of the final episode in the Star Trek spin off series, Star Trek: Voyager. ... Spoiler warning: The Unicomplex is a location in the fictional Star Trek universe. ... Neurolysis is the destruction of nerves or nerve tissue or freeing a nerve from inflammatory adhesions by radio frequency, heat, cutting or by chemical injection. ... A pathogen or infectious agent is a biological agent that causes disease or illness to its host. ...


Quantum Slipstream

See Slipstream (science fiction) Slipstream is a science fiction term for a fictional method of faster-than-light space travel, similar to hyperspace travel, warp drive, or transfer points from David Brins Uplift series. ...


Quantum Slipstream Technology is presumed to be the standard interstellar propulsion method used by Species 116 (of which Arturis was a member) prior to their assimilation by the Borg. In the Voyager episode "Hope and Fear", Seven of Nine remarks that the technology involved is not dissimilar to Borg transwarp technology. Spoiler Warning: Arturis is a fictional character from the Star Trek universe, portrayed by Ray Wise. ... The starship Voyager (NCC-74656), an Intrepid-class starship. ... Hope and Fear is an episode of Star Trek: Voyager, from the programs fourth season. ... Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero-One, or often referred to simply as “Seven”, is a fictional character from the Star Trek universe, played by Jeri Ryan in the television series Star Trek: Voyager. ...


Warp velocities

Warp travel velocity in Star Trek is generally described in "warp factor" units - according to the Star Trek Technical Manuals, warp factors relate to the strength of the warp field in "Cochranes" (from now to be referred to as c) (named after the purported inventor of the warp drive), representing local minima of power usage. For example, a warp field of 10 Cochranes in Next Generation-era engines corresponds to warp factor 2. Only under average conditions does a certain Cochrane-value correspond to a multiple of c, which helps to explain the inconsistencies present in on-screen travel time during Star Trek episodes. The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ...


Achieving warp factor 1 is equivalent to breaking the light barrier, and higher factors' actual speed is determined according to an ambiguous "warp formula". Several episodes of the original series placed the Enterprise in peril by having it travel at high warp factors, (in "That Which Survives", this factor was as high as 14.1). However, the actual speed of any given warp factor is rarely explicitly stated on screen, indicating that it is not of much use to the characters. Travel times for specific interstellar distances are not quite consistent, indicating that different average speeds can correspond to the same warp factor. That Which Survives is a third season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, first broadcast January 24, 1969 and repeated July 29, 1969. ...


A ship travelling at warp or impulse speeds will not experience any form of time dilation, indicated by the numerous cases where impulse speeds were stated as being far above the limitation of 1/4c mentioned in the technical books, nor will they require huge quantities of fuel to achieve such speeds. Impulse drive is only partly conventional propulsion, the other part being based on the same technologies used in warp drive. Time dilation is the phenomenon whereby an observer finds that anothers clock which is physically identical to their own is ticking at a slower rate as measured by their own clock. ...

The Enterprise-E at warp.
The Enterprise-E at warp.

According to the Star Trek episode writer's guide for The Original Series, warp factors were supposedly converted to multiples of light speed with the cubic function s(w) = w3c. This is a screenshot of a copyrighted website, video game graphic, computer program graphic, television broadcast, or film. ... This is a screenshot of a copyrighted website, video game graphic, computer program graphic, television broadcast, or film. ... The fictional Sovereign-class USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E or Enterprise-E) is the primary setting of the films Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek: Nemesis. ... Polynomial of degree 3 In mathematics, a cubic function is a function of the form where a is nonzero; or in other words, a polynomial of degree three. ...

Warp Factor x c Velocity (all figures approximate)
Warp 1 1 c 3.0x105 km/s
Warp 1.5 3.375 c 1.0x106 km/s
Warp 2 8 c 2.4x106 km/s
Warp 3 27 c 8.0x106 km/s
Warp 4 64 c 1.9x107 km/s
Warp 5 125 c 3.7x107 km/s
Warp 6 216 c 6.5x107 km/s
Warp 7 343 c 1.0x108 km/s
Warp 8 512 c 1.5x108 km/s
Warp 9 729 c 2.2x108 km/s
Warp 9.25 ~791 c 2.4x108 km/s
Warp 9.5 ~857 c 2.6x108 km/s
Warp 9.75 ~926 c 2.8x108 km/s
Warp 10 1,000 c 3.0x108 km/s
Warp 11 1,331 c 4.0x108 km/s
Warp 14.6 ~3,112 c 9.3x108 km/s
Warp 15 3,375 c 1.0x109 km/s

However, this cannot possibly be the whole story, as it would make the Enterprise far too slow for the voyages depicted in the television series. These speeds do not even correlate with solid facts and figures in some of the episodes, for example in "That Which Survives" (1969) the Enterprise travels at warp 8.4 for 11.33 hours and traverses 990.7 light years (as indicated in Spock's dialogue), which makes the speed more than 600,000 times the speed of light; which is two orders of magnitude larger than even warp 15. There is also the fact that the Enterprise could quite easily travel to and from the edge of the galaxy at will ("Is There in Truth No Beauty" and "By Any Other Name" (1968)), a journey which should take years at the typical warp 8, if warp 8 is merely a cube of the warp factor. A line showing the speed of light on a scale model of Earth and the Moon The speed of light in a vacuum is an important physical constant denoted by the letter c for constant or the Latin word celeritas meaning swiftness. It is the speed of all electromagnetic radiation... That Which Survives is a third season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, first broadcast January 24, 1969 and repeated July 29, 1969. ... A light-year or lightyear (symbol: ly) is a unit of measurement of length, specifically the distance light travels in vacuum in one Julian year. ... For other uses, see Spock (disambiguation). ... An order of magnitude is the class of scale or magnitude of any amount, where each class contains values of a fixed ratio to the class preceding it. ... Is There in Truth No Beauty? is a third season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, first broadcast October 18, 1968. ... By Any Other Name is a second season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, first broadcast February 23, 1968. ...


This discrepancy between the behavior of warp speeds in the show and the simple formula of the warp factor cubed was picked up by fans in the 1970s and 80's who published books like Star Trek Maps — all published material is considered non-canon, even if it is by Paramount-approved Pocket Books - where the idea of an additional factor, referred to as the Chi factor or the Cochrane factor, was used in the warp calculations. The idea was that since warp drive pulls in space, you get higher speeds in areas where there is high density of mass, and lower speeds in areas of low density. If we take a warp factor and cube it, we take that product and multiply it by the number 1292.7238 (the Chi or Cochrane factor), to get the actual speed that the ship travels at—this is the number that was factored out of the factoids from "That Which Survives" (1969). The Cochrane factor represents an "average" density of space in the UFP. Other areas of space will have different values for it. This is one way to explain the relationship between stated warp factors and actual calculable speeds as given in the dialogue in the episodes. Although it is not actually canon, it at least explains how the ships behaved as they did, without having to find higher exponents to factor the warp base numbers by, as Star Trek artist Michael Okuda did later for TNG (which nobody on the show ended up paying attention to anyway). That Which Survives is a third season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, first broadcast January 24, 1969 and repeated July 29, 1969. ... Michael Okuda is an graphic designer who is best known for his work on Star Trek. ...

The new warp scale and power usage
The new warp scale and power usage

For the later series, Okuda devised a formula based on the older one but with important differences. For warp 1–9, if w is the warp factor, s(w) is the speed in km per second, and c is the speed of light, then s(w) = w^{10 over 3}c. In the half-open interval from warp 9 to warp 10, the exponent of w increases toward infinity. Thus, in the Okuda scale, warp speeds approach warp 10 asymptotically. There is no exact formula for this interval because the quoted speeds are based on a hand-drawn curve. Download high resolution version (886x532, 47 KB)This original hand drawn chart, shows the asymptotic relationship of the speed curve. ... Download high resolution version (886x532, 47 KB)This original hand drawn chart, shows the asymptotic relationship of the speed curve. ... km redirects here. ... Look up second in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A line showing the speed of light on a scale model of Earth and the Moon The speed of light in a vacuum is an important physical constant denoted by the letter c for constant or the Latin word celeritas meaning swiftness. It is the speed of all electromagnetic radiation... In elementary algebra, an interval is a set that contains every real number between two indicated numbers, and possibly the two numbers themselves. ... An asymptote is a straight line or curve which a curve approaches as one moves along the curve. ...


Here is a table with new-style warp factors and their approximate values in kilometers per second and multiples of c:

Warp Factor x c Velocity Equation
Warp 1 1 c 3.0x105 km/s w10 / 3
Warp 2 10.079 c 3.0x106 km/s w10 / 3
Warp 3 38.941 c 1.2x107 km/s w10 / 3
Warp 4 101.59 c 3.0x107 km/s w10 / 3
Warp 5 213.75 c 6.4x107 km/s w10 / 3
Warp 6 392.50 c 1.2x108 km/s w10 / 3
Warp 7 656.13 c 2.0x108 km/s w10 / 3
Warp 8 1,024 c 3.1x108 km/s w10 / 3
Warp 9 1,516.4 c 4.5x108 km/s w10 / 3
Warp 9.2 1,649 c 4.9x108 km/s w3.338
Warp 9.6 1,909 c 5.7x108 km/s w3.34
Warp 9.9 3,053 c 9.2x108 km/s w3.5
Warp 9.9753 6,000 c 1.8x109 km/s w3.7822
Warp 9.99 7,912 c 2.3x109 km/s w3.9
Warp 9.9999 199,516 c 6.0x1010 km/s w5.3
Warp 10 infinity infinity winfinity

It should be noted that warp speeds tend to warp 10 asymptotically, and at speeds greater than warp 9 the form of the warp function changes due to an increase in the exponent of the warp factor, w. Due to the resultant increase in the derivative, a small change in the warp factor corresponds to a large increase in speed. An asymptote is a straight line or curve which a curve approaches as one moves along the curve. ... In mathematics, a derivative is the rate of change of a quantity. ...


Here is a table of the times it would take to cover a number of distances. Since warp 1 is c, the distances for warp 1 (in years) is the light year distance. Earth's solar system is approximately 1.2x1010 km wide, measured as the diameter of the Oort Cloud. Major features of the Solar System (not to scale, from left to right): Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, the asteroid belt, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth & Moon, and Mars. ... This image is an artists rendering of the Oort cloud and the Kuiper Belt. ...

Warp x c Across Sol System (12 billion km) To Alpha Centauri (4.2 light-years) Across Sector (20 light-years) Across Federation (10,000 light-years) Across Galaxy (100,000 light-years) To Andromeda Galaxy (2,000,000 light-years)
Warp 1 1 c 11 hours 4.2 years 20 years 10,000 years 100,000 years 2,000,000 years
Warp 2 10.079 c 1 hour 6 months 2 years 1000 years 10,000 years 200,000 years
Warp 3 38.941 c 17 minutes 6 weeks 6 months 250 years 2,564 years 51,000 years
Warp 4 101.59 c 6.5 minutes 18 days 2 months 100 years 990 years 19,800 years
Warp 5 213.75 c 3 minutes 8.4 days 34 days 46 years 467 years 9,345 years
Warp 6 392.50 c 1.7 minutes 4.6 days 18.6 days 25 years 255 years 5,102 years
Warp 7 656.13 c 1 minute 2.8 days 11.3 days 15 years 152 years 3,048 years
Warp 8 1,024 c 38 seconds 1.7 days 7.1 days 10 years 100 years 1,953 years
Warp 9 1,516.4 c 26 seconds 1.2 days 4.8 days 6.6 years 66 years 1,319 years
Warp 9.2 1,649 c 24 seconds 1.1 days 4.4 days 6.1 years 61 years 1,217 years
Warp 9.6 1,909 c 20.7 seconds 23 hours 3.8 days 5.3 years 53 years 1,051 years
Warp 9.9 3,053 c 13 seconds 14 hours 2.4 days 3.3 years 33.3 years 660 years
Warp 9.9753 6,000 c 6.6 seconds 7.1 hours 1.2 days 1.7 years 16.9 years 335 years
Warp 9.99 7,912 c 5 seconds 5.4 hours 22 hours 1.3 years 12.8 years 254 years
Warp 9.9999 199,516 c .2 seconds 12.8 minutes 52 minutes 18 days 6 months 10 years

The later series were better at keeping to these speeds than the original; however, they were still far from perfect. Later episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (such as "Descent" (1993)) contradicted these speeds and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine depicted Federation Starfleet strategic operations (fleet movements) which would have been impossible under the Okuda scale. Star Trek: Voyager, though its premise was generally based on the Okuda scale, had several notable instances, such as in the episode "Parallax" or "The '37s" (1995), where the stated warp velocities varied wildly from the Okuda standard. KM, Km, or km may stand for: Khmer language (ISO 639 alpha-2, km) Kilometre Kinemantra Meditation Knowledge management KM programming language KM Culture, Korean Movie Maker. ... Alpha Centauri (α Cen / α Centauri) is the brightest star system in the southern constellation of Centaurus. ... Light Years is also the American name of the Rene Laloux animated film Gandahar. ... Light Years is also the American name of the Rene Laloux animated film Gandahar. ... This article or section may need to be cleaned up and rewritten because it describes a work of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. ... Light Years is also the American name of the Rene Laloux animated film Gandahar. ... Light Years is also the American name of the Rene Laloux animated film Gandahar. ... M31 in a small telescope The Andromeda Galaxy (IPA: , also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224; older texts often called it the Andromeda Nebula) is a spiral galaxy approximately 2. ... Light Years is also the American name of the Rene Laloux animated film Gandahar. ... The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ... Descent is a two-part episode from the sixth/seventh season of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. ... Space station Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (ST:DS9 or STDS9 or DS9 for short) is a science fiction television series produced by Paramount and set in the Star Trek universe. ... This article or section may need to be cleaned up and rewritten because it describes a work of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. ... The starship Voyager (NCC-74656), an Intrepid-class starship. ... Main Story Line Spoiler warning: As the Federation Starship Voyager is traveling at warp, an anomally forces voyager to drop to impulse near a black holes event horizon. ... An episode of the TV show Star Trek: Voyager, which posits that a number of people from Earth, including Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan, were captured by aliens in the year 1937 and brought to a planet in the Delta Quadrant as slave labor. ...


In general, the farther away a Star Trek show is in production date from the publish date of the Star Trek Technical Manual, the more likely a ship would be to travel at the "speed of plot". For example, in the Star Trek: Enterprise pilot episode they give a time and speed to Neptune that accords with the original series' formula, but then they estimate a trip to the Klingon Homeworld at warp 5 as a four-day journey, placing it just one light-year away from Earth—far closer than the nearest stellar system, Alpha Centauri. This plot hole has later been wrapped up by various fanon sources that suggest that there is a spatial rift that allowed the Enterprise to arrive at the Klingon homeworld in such a short length of time, and that it was the Vulcans who provided Enterprise with the whereabouts of this shortcut. However, such a high speed for warp 5 is consistent with the extremely high speed given for warp 8.4 in "That Which Survives", which has the speed at over 600,000 times lightspeed (therefore warp 5 would be 161,500 times lightspeed). In those terms, four days travel at warp 5 places the Klingon homeworld at 1,772 light years (or 536 parsecs) away from Earth. The starship Enterprise (NX-01) Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. ... Atmospheric characteristics Surface pressure ≫100 MPa Hydrogen - H2 80% ±3. ... This article is about the fictional race. ... A light-year, symbol ly, is the distance light travels in one year: exactly 9. ... Adjectives: Terrestrial, Terran, Telluric, Tellurian, Earthly Atmosphere Surface pressure: 101. ... Alpha Centauri (α Cen / α Centauri) is the brightest star system in the southern constellation of Centaurus. ... Fanon is a fact or ongoing situation related to a television program, book, movie, or video game that has been used so much by fan writers or among the fandom that it has been more or less established as having happened in the fictional world, but it has not actually... That Which Survives is a third season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, first broadcast January 24, 1969 and repeated July 29, 1969. ... Stellar parallax motion The parsec (symbol pc) is a unit of length used in astronomy. ...


This is why any theory matching a warp factor to a specific speed is inconsistent with the show. Imagine driving on a highway under ideal weather conditions: it is quite possible to order a speed of 100 km/h and expect the order to be executed. Try leaving the highway and driving on diverse terrain, and maintaining a specific speed is no longer meaningful. All one cares about is keeping the engine intact, which in Star Trek terms is equivalent to maintaining a safe warp factor and estimating travel times based on the properties of the area of space. Newer engines may allow a greater Cochrane output per warp factor and have no minimum beyond warp nine. Finally, many kinds of engines could be built over the years with different limitations and different Cochrane-levels per warp factor.


There's a simple and entirely different way to approach this question which involves looking at the many generic shots of the Enterprise zipping through space with the stars whizzing by. The astronomically measured density of stars in the Sun's part of the Milky Way gives a typical separation between them of several light years. If we take the rate at which the ship goes past the stars as about one per second, this yields a very approximate velocity of about a hundred million times the speed of light.


Warp theory and technology

For a more in-depth discussion of warp propulsion systems, refer to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual by Rick Sternbach and Michael Okuda. Chapter 5, "Warp Propulsion Systems", discusses the following topics: Richard Michael Sternbach (born in 1951 in Bridgeport Connecticut) is an illustrator who is best known for his space illustrations and his work on the Star Trek television series. ... Michael Okuda is an graphic designer who is best known for his work on Star Trek. ...

  • Warp field theory and application, including warp measurement, velocities, and limits.
  • Matter-antimatter reaction assembly, including reactant injectors, magnetic constriction segments, reaction chamber, the role of dilithium, and power transfer conduits.
  • Warp field nacelles, including plasma injection system, warp field coils, and warp propulsive effect.
  • Antimatter storage and transfer, warp propulsion system fuel supply, Bussard ramjet fuel replenishment, and onboard antimatter generation
  • Engineering operations and safety, emergency shutdown procedures, and catastrophic emergency procedures

However, the shows often contradicted both the TNG and DS9 technical manuals. Depiction of a warp bubble. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... In particle physics, antimatter extends the concept of the antiparticle to matter, whereby a particle of antimatter is composed of antiparticles in the same way that normal matter is. ... In physics, magnetism is a phenomenon by which materials exert an attractive or repulsive force on other materials. ... It has been suggested that Trilithium be merged into this article or section. ... A plasma lamp, illustrating some of the more complex phenomena of a plasma, including filamentation. ... In particle physics, antimatter extends the concept of the antiparticle to matter, whereby a particle of antimatter is composed of antiparticles in the same way that normal matter is. ... Bussard ramjet The Bussard ramjet method of spacecraft propulsion was proposed in 1960 by the physicist Robert W. Bussard and popularized by Carl Sagan in the television series and subsequent book Cosmos as a variant of a fusion rocket capable of fast interstellar spaceflight. ... Engineering is the design, analysis, and/or construction of works for practical purposes. ...


The Slingshot Effect

A side effect of Warp travel which has been shown throughout Star Trek is the "Slingshot effect." First discovered by accident in "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" (1967), one of the earlier episodes of the original Star Trek series, it is a method of using a warp drive to travel through time. Whereas the actual procedure is intentionally obscure, it involved travelling at high warp speed toward a star (established in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) to be somewhere over Warp 9.8), on a precisely calculated "slingshot" path, and if successful it can allow for travel to the future or past. The same technique was used later in the episode "Assignment: Earth" (1968) intentionally for historic research (where it is given the technical name "light speed breakaway factor"), and again in Star Trek IV (where it was called "time warp"). The technique was mentioned as a viable method of time travel in the Next Generation episode "Time Squared" (1989). It has been suggested that sling effect be merged into this article or section. ... Tomorrow Is Yesterday is a first season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. ... Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Paramount Pictures, 1986; see also 1986 in film) is the fourth feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ... Time Squared redirects here. ...


Behind the scenes explanation

Star Trek science consultant and writer André Bormanis, has revealed that in the Star Trek universe in a starship warp engine, high-energy plasma, created by a matter-antimatter reaction, is pumped through a series of warp coils cast from an artificial material called verterium cortenide. Verterium cortenide provides a bridge between electromagnetic and gravitational forces. By design, it has the property that when a high-energy plasma circulates through appropriately fashioned verterium cortenide castings, a "warp field" is generated. Electromagnetic interactions between waves of superhot plasma and the verterium cortenide coils change the geometry of space surrounding the engine nacelles. In the process, a multilayered wave of warped space is born, and the starship cruises off to its next destination at velocities equivalent to hundreds of times the speed of light. Relative to "normal" space, within the warp field, the starship does not exceed the local speed of light, and therefore does not violate the principal tenet of special relativity. [1] A plasma lamp, illustrating some of the more complex phenomena of a plasma, including filamentation. ... In particle physics, antimatter extends the concept of the antiparticle to matter, whereby a particle of antimatter is composed of antiparticles in the same way that normal matter is. ... Electromagnetism is the physics of the electromagnetic field: a field, encompassing all of space, composed of the electric field and the magnetic field. ... This article covers the physics of gravitation. ... A line showing the speed of light on a scale model of Earth and the Moon The speed of light in a vacuum is an important physical constant denoted by the letter c for constant or the Latin word celeritas meaning swiftness. It is the speed of all electromagnetic radiation... The special theory of relativity was proposed in 1905 by Albert Einstein in his article On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies. Some three centuries earlier, Galileos principle of relativity had stated that all uniform motion was relative, and that there was no absolute and well-defined state of rest...


In the Books

Some years after Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS), Pocket Books came out with a series of books based upon the Enterprise's encounters during both its first and second five year mission. In "The Wounded Sky" written by Diane Duane, the crew picks up a Hamalki engineer, which invents a new form of the Transwarp Drive. Even though such books are not considered canon, the theories proposed in the book lend to the idea of Warp and Transwarp, and further explain the properties of subspace. According to the book, Warp Drive does indeed create a bubble around the ship, however, it is explained that the ship is surrounded by a bubble of subspace- another universe where the speed of light is much faster than in ours. This lends to the theory that one cannot attain the speed of light, but it can be circumvented via alternate universes. The book further explains that the alternate universe is attuned with our own, such that planetary bodies are in exactly the same place, which makes navigation much simpler. The Transwarp Device invented by the Hamalki uses a different approach to the same idea. The Transwarp Drive in this case creates a field around the ship which allows it to enter De Sitter space- a space in which there is infinite energy, zero mass (with exceptions) and no absolute laws of physics or time. This essentially allows the Enterprise to enter De Sitter space and travel millions of times faster than light. In the book, the Enterprise manages to reach the Lesser Magellanic Cloud, another star system far outside the Milky Way Galaxy. Pocket Books is the name of a subdivision of Simon & Schuster publishers. ... Diane Duane (b. ... Screenshot (from SSCX Star Warzone). ... In mathematics and physics, n-dimensional de Sitter space, denoted , is the maximally symmetric, simply-connected, Lorentzian manifold with constant positive curvature. ... The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC for short) is a dwarf galaxy in orbit around the Milky Way Galaxy. ... The Milky Way (a translation of the Latin Via Lactea, in turn derived from the Greek Galaxia Kuklos; or simply the Galaxy) is a barred spiral galaxy in the Local Group, and has special significance to humanity as the location of the solar system, which is located near the Orion...


Warp core

A warp core is a fictional form of reactor used in the Star Trek universe. It supplies power via a matter-antimatter reaction, which gives sufficient energy to power a warp drive and allows a ship to travel faster than light. Reactor may relate to the folowing: A chemical reactor: a device for containing and controlling a chemical reaction. ... The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction franchise. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... In particle physics, antimatter extends the concept of the antiparticle to matter, whereby a particle of antimatter is composed of antiparticles in the same way that normal matter is. ... Faster-than-light (also superluminal or FTL) communications and travel are staples of the science fiction genre. ...


Mechanics

Warp cores utilize a matter-antimatter reaction that is regulated by dilithium crystals. When matter and antimatter are exposed, they annihilate each other upon contact. This annihilation releases colossal amounts of energy. Dilithium crystals are used to regulate the reaction because they are nonreactive to anti-matter when bombarded with high levels of radiation. The matter used in the reaction is usually deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen, and the antimatter is usually antideuterium, the corresponding antimatter to deuterium. The matter and anti-matter reaction inside the dilithium matrix is usually referred to as the matter-antimatter reaction assembly (MARA). The MARA is surrounded by a magnetic field to prevent the highly reactive anti-matter from escaping the assembly. The energy is then transferred into a highly energetic form of plasma called warp plasma. Dilithium is a fictional crystalline mineral in the universe of Star Trek. ... Isotopes are any of the several different forms of an element each having different atomic mass (mass number). ... This article is about the chemistry of hydrogen. ... A plasma lamp, illustrating some of the more complex phenomena of a plasma, including filamentation. ...


This warp plasma then travels to the warp nacelles via magnetic conduits. The warp coils are exposed to the warp plasma by plasma injectors, which carefully release the plasma into the coils. When exposed to such energetic plasma, the coils create an energy field called a warp bubble. The warp bubble expands space behind the vessel and contracts space in front of the vessel, and the warp bubble forms the barrier between these distortions. The bubble is accelerated while the space inside the bubble does not technically move, so the vessel does not experience time dilation, and time passes inside the bubble at the same rate as time in the other parts of the galaxy. Look up nacelle in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...


Warp cores can use other sources of energy besides a MARA, such as an artificial singularity (Romulan Warbirds). On starships, warp cores are often the main source of energy for primary systems in addition to propulsion. Singularity has several different meanings: mathematical singularity - a point where a mathematical function goes to infinity or is in certain other ways ill-behaved. ... Romulan Warbirds are starships in the fictional Star Trek universe: the term Warbird is a general reference for a Romulan (or Reman) warship. ...


Use

The warp core is one possible way to generate enough power for lightspeed travel. In case the ship needs to be destroyed, the warp core can become a powerful bomb. The USS Enterprise NCC-1701 after the Auto Destruct was used. ... The Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb produced in the United States. ...


Notable Star Trek events involving warp cores

In Star Trek chronological order; The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction franchise. ...

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
  • Star Trek: First Contact - Earth's first warp core and warp drive is tested aboard the Phoenix. A Vulcan ship, detecting the new warp signature, initiates first contact.
    • Also in this film the warp core on the Enterprise-E is used to destroy the Borg Queen when Data ruptures the warp core's coolant conduits next to her.
  • "Encounter at Farpoint" - The first episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation shows a new type of warp core capable of producing sufficient energy to cruise at warp 9. This is implied as the standard on all new Federation ships.
  • "Caretaker" - a new warp core allows Voyager to travel at a sustainable cruise velocity of warp 9.975. It is also equipped with variable geometry warp nacelles in an effort to reduce subspace damage through warp travel.
  • "Day of Honor" - An attempt to create a transwarp conduit for Voyager goes awry, forcing ejection and later retrieval of the needed core.
  • Star Trek: Insurrection - The Enterprise-E, being pursued by a deadly enemy using subspace weapons, ejects and detonates its warp core to close a quickly expanding spatial rift.
Spoilers end here.

Star Trek: First Contact (Paramount Pictures, 1996; see also 1996 in film), is the eighth feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ... The Phoenix In the science fiction series, Star Trek, the Phoenix was the first man-made spacecraft to travel beyond the speed of light. ... It has been suggested that Tplana-hath be merged into this article or section. ... First contact is a common science-fictional theme about the first meeting between humans and aliens. ... The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) is a Sovereign class starship in the Star Trek fictional universe. ... This article is about the fictional race of aliens. ... Data,[1] portrayed by Brent Spiner, is a character in the Star Trek fictional universe. ... Encounter at Farpoint was the first episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. ... The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ... Caretaker was the first episode of the television series Star Trek: Voyager. ... The USS Voyager (NCC-74656) is an Intrepid class starship in the Star Trek fictional universe. ... Day of Honor is an episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the third episode of the fourth season. ... Star Trek: Insurrection (Paramount Pictures, 1998) is the ninth Star Trek feature film. ... The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) is a Sovereign class starship in the Star Trek fictional universe. ... Subspace is a term used in many different science fiction media to explain many different concepts. ...

Trivia

  • When Stephen Hawking guest starred on the Star Trek:The Next Generation episode "Descent", he was taken on a guided tour of the set. Pausing in front of the warp core he remarked, "I'm working on that".

Stephen William Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA, (born 8 January 1942) is a British theoretical physicist. ... Descent is a two-part episode from the sixth/seventh season of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. ...

Warp and the environment

In the Season 7 Next Generation episode "Force of Nature" (1993), it was revealed that warp drive travel can be detrimental to subspace, and in some areas it can cause subspace fissures along heavily travelled routes. Travel faster than warp 5 was banned in the aforementioned episode, but there is argument among fans as to whether the ban exists only in the affected areas of space, or in all areas. If it is a universal limit, it is widely ignored and rarely even mentioned in later episodes and series. In the TNG episode "Eye of the Beholder" (1994), advance permission was required from Starfleet Command for the Enterprise to travel above warp 5 (in this case on a mission of mercy). A technological solution was found, involving the warp engines on the USS Voyager, in which the warp nacelles were slanted to prevent damage to subspace, which is why the warp nacelles move up before Voyager proceeds into warp. This has been confirmed by the www.startrek.com library, explaining that Voyager was designed to go faster than warp 5 without causing subspace damage such as fissuring of space. The Sovereign Class Enterprise-E also featured advanced warp engines that allow travel at very high warp velocities without damaging the fabric of space. Force of Nature is a seventh season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, first broadcast on November 15, 1993. ... Eye of the Beholder is an episode from the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. ... The USS Voyager (NCC-74656) is an Intrepid class starship in the Star Trek fictional universe. ... This article is on the Sovereign class ship in the Star Trek fictional universe. ... The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) is a Sovereign class starship in the Star Trek fictional universe. ...


Is a nonfictional warp drive possible?

As many Star Trek fans know, many of the futuristic technologies featured in the series have actually been created (such as the hypospray) or are currently being researched (e.g., the VISOR). In 1996, NASA established the Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Program, which sponsored some speculative work on warp drives. This program was discontinued in 2002. The hypospray is a somewhat fictionalized version of a jet injector, in the Star Trek universe. ... A VISOR as worn by Geordi La Forge. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States Government, responsible for that nations public space program. ... The Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Program (BPP) is a research program which was funded from 1996 through 2002 by NASA, in the hope of studying various proposals for revolutionary methods of spacecraft propulsion which would require breakthroughs in physics before they could be realized, hence the name. ...


While thought experiments on the wilder shores of theoretical physics continue, no scheme that may allow "warp speed" travel has yet been devised that has been accepted by mainstream science. Some physicists have proposed a model of FTL travel, formulated in the context of Lorentzian manifolds, which are used in general relativity to construct spacetime models. However, contrary to a common misunderstanding, these models are in no sense solutions to the Einstein field equation, and they give absolutely no hint of how to actually make a warp bubble. These models do however show that while it is indeed impossible to go faster than the speed of light, in principle it might be possible to circumvent the problem by suitably "warping" spacetime itself. The best known such, known as the Alcubierre drive, has the amusing feature that its terminology is in accord with Trek jargon: "warp factors" measure the warping of space (or rather spacetime), not actual speed. In philosophy, physics, and other fields, a thought experiment (from the German Gedankenexperiment) is an attempt to solve a problem using the power of human imagination. ... In differential geometry, a pseudo-Riemannian manifold or semi-Riemannian manifold is a smooth manifold equipped with a smooth, symmetric, tensor which is nondegenerate at each point on the manifold. ... General relativity (GR) [also called the general theory of relativity (GTR) and general relativity theory (GRT)] is the geometrical theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1915/16. ... In physics, spacetime is a mathematical model that combines space and time into a single construct called the space-time continuum. ... For other topics related to Einstein see Einstein (disambig) In physics, the Einstein field equation or the Einstein equation is a tensor equation in the theory of gravitation. ... This article is about the Alcubierre metric. ...


See also

This article is about the Alcubierre metric. ... ... Faster-than-light (also superluminal or FTL) communications and travel are staples of the science fiction genre. ... Timeline of black hole physics 1640 - Ismael Bullialdus suggests an inverse-square gravitational force law 1684 - Isaac Newton writes down his inverse-square Law of universal gravitation 1758 - Rudjer Josip Boscovich developes his Theory of forces, where gravity can be repulsive on small distances. ... Timeline of gravitational physics and relativity 1583 - Galileo Galilei induces the period relationship of a pendulum from observation (according to later biographer). ... Delta Vega, is a fictional planet featured in the Star Trek universe created by Gene Roddenberry. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... In the Star Trek fictional universe, a warp core breach is a serious malfunction that can occur on starships, resulting in loss of the ship, and possibly loss of life. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Mass-energy equivalence. ... Exotic matter is a hypothetical concept of particle physics. ...

References

  1. ^ Susan Sackett (2002). Inside Trek: My Secret Life With Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry. HAWK Publishing Group. ISBN 1-930709-42-0. 

External links

  • Iranian Einstein? Introducing Mohammad Mansouryar, by Tim Ventura
  • Warp drive article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki.
  • Warp core article at Memory Alpha
  • NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center's Space Transportation website
  • Special Relativity Simulator What would things look like at near-warp speeds?
  • Warp Drive, When? A NASA feasibility article
  • Alcubierre Warp Drive at the Encyclopedia of Astrobiology, Astronomy, and Spaceflight
  • Warp core schematic at LCARS.net
  • BBC News - Warp drive possible

Here is a small selection of speculative articles from the physics literature: Memory Alpha (often abbreviated to MA) is a collaborative project to create the most definitive, accurate and accessible encyclopedic reference for topics related to the Star Trek fictional universe. ... The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction franchise. ... Look up Wiki in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

  • The warp drive: hyper-fast travel within general relativity, by Miguel Alcubierre
  • Null geodesics in the Alcubierre warp drive spacetime: the view from the bridge by Chad Clark, William A. Hiscock, and Shane L. Larson
  • The unphysical nature of "Warp Drive", by Michael J. Pfenning and L. H. Ford
  • A Superluminal Subway: The Krasnikov Tube, by Allen E. Everett and Thomas A. Roman
  • Quantum Inequality Restrictions on Negative Energy Densities in Curved Spacetimes by Michael John Pfenning and L. H. Ford
  • A "warp drive" with more reasonable total energy requirements, by Chris Van Den Broeck
  • Warp Drive With Zero Expansion by Jose Notario,
  • Fundamental Limitations on warp drive spacetimes by Francisco S. N. Lobo and Matt Visser
  • Problems with Warp Drive Examined


 

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