Technology interstellar travel in science fiction

hyperdrive h5>
 Star Wars was not a product, invented the hyperdrive. However, they have become a classic and best-known example of this technology is so widespread that it is actually a way to get from star A to star B, the implied default.

The principle of operation is to ensure that the spacecraft with a specific generator or motor falls into a parallel reality that has different laws of physics, allowing the ship or move there much faster than light, or flying a short distance there, covering light, in ordinary space. < br />
Hyperdrive and giperspeys Star Wars, however, has its own nuance. Hyperspace and the usual space are interconnected and affect each other. Material objects discarded into hyperspace gravity "shadow", which should be avoided. The clash with the shadow leads to disastrous results, in the case of the ship and the population of the world is quite an apocalyptic event that could split the planet's crust. For this reason, all the ships are equipped with SG sewn safety systems that automatically forces the ship in normal space, if it is too close to the gravitational shadow. Some of these systems are shut off in order to fly in extreme conditions, but predictably do not last long.

Star Trek

Warp engine h5>
 Of all the ways of travel, opisnyh in this article Warp - this is probably the only technology FTL, which now has a real chance of being embodied in life. Ie it can safely be called the most realistic way to travel faster than the speed of light from all known. Let it is and remains just a formula on paper. This is the двигателе Alcubierre .



The operating principle follows from the way around special relativity postulates that nothing in the space can not move faster than the speed of light. "Path" is a postulate that this does not extend to the space itself, which can shrink and expand by different influences, for example the gravitational field of bodies. Warp engine compresses the space in front of the ship, and expands it behind the ship, moving bubble of ordinary space with the ship forward.

In the universe of Star Trek, these engines develop a fairly modest by the standards of science fiction speed - Enterprise travels were limited to one sector of the galaxy close to the solar system (~ 1500 light years) takes years, and left a bunch of white spots and unexplored areas.

Babylon 5

Jumping gates h5>
 Babylon 5 uses a network connection between the stars jump gates leading into hyperspace. Basically, it is a variation of the standard idea of ​​a hyperdrive, however there are some differences that make it more interesting option.

Firstly, most of the ships are not able to go into hyperspace own, except in the most large. So jump gate network is very much appreciated in the galaxy is considered a neutral zone and direct attacks on the gates themselves are considered a violation of the rules of warfare and all the ultimate manifestation of rudeness, because they need all the interstellar civilizations.

Secondly, the very hyper in Babylon-5 is very active and independent navigation in it is considered impossible. Conventional signals do not reach the ships, and constant changes in gravity in hyperspace blows off course, and the ships themselves. For the orientation of the spacecraft using a beam of tachyons are forwarding between beacons installed near the points of entry and exit into hyperspace jump gate, and in the case of loss of the signal beam, the ship can be considered irretrievably lost.
But apparently, this situation applies only to "new" civilizations, as all higher species like the Vorlon and Shadow use hyperspace without the need for lighthouses. The hyperspace is also some own life, which is however often remains quite indifferent to the ships flying past.

In the third, Babylon 5 is one of the very few universes in general as something affecting the economic aspect of the network of interstellar routes. During passage through the jump gate is charged with ships passing through them, as well as with the governments to which the ships belong for the possibility to use the gate on the territory of the parties will be charged. Personally, I like parts in other works I can not remember at all, and if there is something the economy, the ending to "we bought for our starship hyperdrive».

Interestingly, none of the currently existing civilizations themselves Gates did not invent the technology, but only found or bought from someone else that unites them with the setting in the following list.

Mass Effect

element zero h5>
 All spacecraft universe Mass Effect somehow use the element zero, which generates a designated mass effect or reducing the weight of the objects around it, or enhancing it. Thus, it is possible povertet relativity and exceed the speed of light.

Ordinary travel between planets and stars closely spaced are made with FTL engines are only able to reduce the weight of the ship. For interstellar overflights over long distances using Mass Relay - enormous station, built around a dense core element consisting of zero. The relay is usually tied to one or more other relays, and are able to create a corridor, in which the mass actually disappears almost instantly transferring the ship to thousands of light-years.

Many of these relays was originally for some reason, is turned off, and the Galactic Commonwealth beginning to actively explore, which can lead such a relay. This eventually led to that they met with an aggressive form of arachnids, which unleashed a merciless war with them. Subsequently, shutdown relays include a ban, because of the fear to dig in the depths of the universe which is worse. Because of this, people found near Pluto one of these relays, then initially earned a disapproval rating of the Galaxy, as began to explore the network of relay and include them right and left, which resulted in a war against one of the species turians who tried to stop it disgrace.

Stargate

Stargate h5>
 In the setting of Stargate interstellar travel a few atypical. In order to be on another planet, the spacecraft ... is not necessary. Transfers between stars by using Stargate, rings, several meters in diameter, made of exotic material, constructed of ancient extinct civilization, and themselves spaceships are not used so often.

Stargate is activated to create a stable wormhole-way between the calling and the called ring-ring, allowing you to instantly move any objects suitable size to get through the wormhole.

Unilateralism gate stems from their mode of action: the matter is not going through a transition of the wormhole, so sending the gates are reviewing passing through their facilities on subatomic particles, and take the gate reconstruct the resulting material back into matter.
Spoiler for SG-1's In addition to this, the gate can hold a information of the last pass an object within a certain time, and in an episode of the series is used to return to the life of the deceased during displacement member of the team ... That, in turn, leads me to the conclusion that every movement using the Stargate is essentially the destruction of the original and creating an identical copy of its output. In general, I would not recommend this method of travel between planets.


Each Gate has its own seven-digit number, six characters define the coordinates of the host's Gate, and the seventh character defines the transmission Gate. The eighth character is used to communicate with the Gates are outside the usual network of action - usually in another galaxy.

In addition to the Stargate used as the usual classic ships, for various reasons, such as a massive attack, or if the destination planet simply does not have the Stargate. In this case, the ships used very classic way of hyperspace, only sometimes with downright obscenely high efficiency (In one case, a space cruiser Asgard civilization was able to overcome the distance between the two galaxies in a few minutes i>). However, despite this, transportation via the Gate remains the preferred option.

Warhammer 40k

warp h5> <sup>[source] < / a> sup>

Yes, I agree, Warhammer 40k is not that fantastic, and absolutely not exactly scientific, but spaceships are there, and they use an unusual variant of FTL movement, so that it could be included in the list.

At the beginning of the article I mentioned a method using as an intermediate point of hell. Actually, since the case in Warhammer and situation (I could instead of Warhammer to use a much more realistic film Event Horizon, but "flight through hell" already firmly entrenched for Warhammer, and in the "event horizon" of his trip to the fact there was no cover ship was experimental) - as a medium for giperpereleta acts Warp, which is quite a similar hell. In addition to the sophisticated "trends", reminiscent of the turbulent river, creature living there are extremely hostile to the normal world, and tucked under any tentacle seek opportunities to get into our universe, or at least master the mind careless person. While traveling through the warp ships to protect yourself and your crew fields Geller, prevents the penetration of inhabiting warp beings called demons and gods, on board or in the minds of passengers. Himself warp may or may affect the normal universe, and he exposed the universe at him - many of the most powerful inhabitants of another reality emerged and derive their strength from the projection of the collective unconscious of entire species inhabiting the galaxy, while others derive their energy from the projections of the general fears - for example, disease and decay.

Warp is responsible as well, and for the presence of many types of psychic abilities, which are used in particular for navigation in the warp during flights. For this purpose, as a guide in the world have established Astronomican - beacon transmitting in the warp resistant and strong signal that can be seen at a distance of 80,000 light years from Earth. The specifics of the device is such that the functionality of the device to maintain the thousands of people with psychic abilities have to literally earn himself to death, fueling Astronomican his psi-energy.

In addition to the presence of hostile natives, the warp can generate a storm, sometimes breaks into reality. These phenomena are highly unpredictable, not only in time and place of formation, but also the consequences - some ships just destroyed, while others may be cast into the future. One of the most powerful Warp storms caused the initial collapse of the human interstellar civilization, cut off for centuries numerous colonies from the mother country.

Dune</sup>

Guild Navigator h5>
 Relationship Dune universe with space travel difficult. As a result, Butlerian jihad, all computer equipment was destroyed and Forbidden abbr>. Therefore, flying in space have become completely dependent on the Guild Navigators and huge cargo ships - Heighliners.
To work needed Heighliners guild navigator generator Holzman. The latter uses the effect Holzman, who "turns off" the space, bringing the two distant points of each other and allowing to make interstellar travel. Navigators use the spice drug produced at the Dune to expand their consciousness and acquire the ability to foresee the future. This allows them to safely steer the ship through space is minimized, avoiding collisions with various cosmic bodies.
Permanent overdose of spice with the subjects of their bodies strongest mutations, so that ultimately the Navigator becomes unable to live somewhere other than atomsfery supersaturated vapor spice, which would be fatal to any other creature. Deformation also exposed and their psychology that essentially allows you to classify Navigator perhaps even as a separate species.

Navigators, although they are kind of apolitical independent company, though almost the most important part of cosmic civilization Dune universe, because they allow one to exist interplanetary and interstellar communications, without which society would fall apart into separate isolated planet. Therefore, even the Padishah Emperor talks with representatives of the Guild extremely cautious.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Motor infinite improbability h5> The mind, as it were, to begin ... "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" - one of the most buggy things that I have ever read. This book hits you with his eccentric and grotesque directly into the brain, like a gold brick wrapped in a slice of lemon - that probably explains its popularity ... Engine infinite improbability works by placing a spacecraft simultaneously in all possible places in the universe of all possible options, after which returns everything as it was, but in a new place ... Something like that. In any case, I do not think that someone will be able to describe how the infinite improbability drive better than the Douglas Adams.
Hidden Text Endless Flight-probability - a new great way
overcoming the enormous interstellar distances in just one second no
without tiring-pointing blindly into hyperspace.
It was opened by a lucky chance, and after completion
Galactic Government's research group at Damograne became
a common form of transportation.
Here, in brief, the history of its discovery.
The principle of final improbability in small quantities
simply by connecting the logic circuit sub-meson brain-Shmelyutki 57 to
atomic vector plotter in an environment that provides strong
Brownian motion (for example, a large cup of hot strong tea), was,
of course, quite well known, and such generators are often used to
lighten the mood at parties - when a generator is switched on, all
molecule underwear mistress suddenly shifted simultaneously on two feet
to the left, according to the chaos theory.
Many respectable physicists said that they can not stand such
quackery - in part, because it is undermining the foundations of science, but
mainly because they are such a party was not invited.
It annoys them not only that, but the repeated failures at attempts
to create a device capable of generating the field Infinite Improbability,
you need to jump through a cosmic spaceship
publishing appalling interstellar distances. Eventually they grumpily announced
to accurately set the impossibility of creating such devices.
Then one student who once tried to clean up the lab after
particularly bad experience, began to argue as follows:
If, he thought, the inability to create such a device accurately
installed, it (creation) should have a finite improbability. So
everything you need to create it - is to calculate exactly how much is



 




 





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