Warp Travel
Travel through space using warp technology has been by far the most commonplace method of traversing vast distances in the galaxy, with many corporations and governments having their own warp drive production and research programs. A ship equipped with a warp drive can turn an interstellar journey of centuries into just a few hours or days, allowing relatively fast access to most areas in the Titanus Arm.
Perhaps ever since the first invention of the airplane, most intelligent species have longed to make their mark on the universe and explore deep into the vastness of space. Space travel initially was an extremely greuling process, taking years of preparations, planning, and research in order to commit then-called Astronauts (individuals who's employment was space travel, before most common folk had access to it) to a journey of months or years only to reach another planet in their home star system. Chemical rocket propulsion was the primary method used to transport cargo and passengers, but quickly more early forms of propulsion like ion engines and nuclear rockets entered the scene.
Eventually, the explorers of a species would reach the end of what would be possible to reach in their own star system, and so a select few of them began efforts to push past the Interstellar Barrier as it was then called. As technology developed further, the first interstellar missions typically made use of fusion and antimatter drives, resigning huge colony ships filled with people to journeys of decades or centuries just to reach the nearest star system. The Saathid, Kenjodan, and Humanoid species of Tirer are known for using this method of early interstellar travel to a large extent- many of the interstellar megacorporations still around today were founded originally in this manner.
Regardless of its prevelence, slower-than-light travel was a nightmare for most people involved, and scientists in many different nations eventually began working on the ultimate solution- the Warp Drive.
The first warp drive in modern history dates back to the Yarmorian Imperial Union in 70 BGE, when the first succesful test of a warp-enabled ship was conducted. After this, warp technology began to spread rapidly around that area of the galaxy. Independently of Yarmoria, the Kenjodan developed their own warp drives rather than having it introduced to them by an alien species and they also quickly capitalized on its use before the T'Kiri Sacred Imperium allegedly stole the technology and began their conquests.
Discovery
An early Tirerian interplanetary transfer ship.Eventually, the explorers of a species would reach the end of what would be possible to reach in their own star system, and so a select few of them began efforts to push past the Interstellar Barrier as it was then called. As technology developed further, the first interstellar missions typically made use of fusion and antimatter drives, resigning huge colony ships filled with people to journeys of decades or centuries just to reach the nearest star system. The Saathid, Kenjodan, and Humanoid species of Tirer are known for using this method of early interstellar travel to a large extent- many of the interstellar megacorporations still around today were founded originally in this manner.
Regardless of its prevelence, slower-than-light travel was a nightmare for most people involved, and scientists in many different nations eventually began working on the ultimate solution- the Warp Drive.
The first warp drive in modern history dates back to the Yarmorian Imperial Union in 70 BGE, when the first succesful test of a warp-enabled ship was conducted. After this, warp technology began to spread rapidly around that area of the galaxy. Independently of Yarmoria, the Kenjodan developed their own warp drives rather than having it introduced to them by an alien species and they also quickly capitalized on its use before the T'Kiri Sacred Imperium allegedly stole the technology and began their conquests.
Utility
Early warp drives were also sometimes called Ailduin Drives based on the original principle of bending space to 'accelerate' a vessel to speeds faster than light. As the technology matured, the Ailduin Warp Drive became less commonplace as the new Cadeye Wormhole Drive was able to create a full and stable wormhole in space around ships, cutting travel times again by a significant margine. Eventually the Cadeye Drive also matured and became known colloquially as the Warp Drive we still use today.
The modern warp drive harnesses the existing gravitational force of a star to create a wormhole through which the ship appears to 'move' through, even though by technical definition the ship to an inside observer is not under any acceleration. Though seeming to be a limitation at first, the need to be in proximity to a star is the only way that a warp drive can function without requiring astronomical levels of power, enough that even the most powerful fusion reactors cannot come close to replicating. On the other other hand, being too deep into a gravity well also has negative effects on warp travel; A 'goldilocks' zone exists around every celestial body in which safe warp travel is possible.
Modern warp drives are also limited to a range of ~12 lightyears on the most advanced models, due to Cadeye's Principle- an equation that governs the ability for space to bend to an observer. The larger the distance required to bend in order to make a wormhole through to it, the more difficult it becomes to an exponential degree. This means that attempting to warp 13 lightyears requires 10x the relativistic force that a 12 lightyear warp would, and so forth. Mass also plays an integral part in such equations, and is the current metric for the upper size limit of starships, as a starship too large to have a functioning warp drive is limited in its viability.
However limited some of this technology may seem, we are fortunate to be able to use this miracle of discovery that generations in the past would have only dreamed of in the realms of science fiction.
The modern warp drive harnesses the existing gravitational force of a star to create a wormhole through which the ship appears to 'move' through, even though by technical definition the ship to an inside observer is not under any acceleration. Though seeming to be a limitation at first, the need to be in proximity to a star is the only way that a warp drive can function without requiring astronomical levels of power, enough that even the most powerful fusion reactors cannot come close to replicating. On the other other hand, being too deep into a gravity well also has negative effects on warp travel; A 'goldilocks' zone exists around every celestial body in which safe warp travel is possible.
Modern warp drives are also limited to a range of ~12 lightyears on the most advanced models, due to Cadeye's Principle- an equation that governs the ability for space to bend to an observer. The larger the distance required to bend in order to make a wormhole through to it, the more difficult it becomes to an exponential degree. This means that attempting to warp 13 lightyears requires 10x the relativistic force that a 12 lightyear warp would, and so forth. Mass also plays an integral part in such equations, and is the current metric for the upper size limit of starships, as a starship too large to have a functioning warp drive is limited in its viability.
However limited some of this technology may seem, we are fortunate to be able to use this miracle of discovery that generations in the past would have only dreamed of in the realms of science fiction.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing of warp drives is an extremely complex and intricate process, requiring vast amounts of surrounding infrastructure to support and maintain. Due to the difficulty of manufacture, centralized production is the only way to allow enough economy of scale to provide warp drives for most consumer star vessels.
Most large governments have a small handful of secure warp manufacturing plants, often sprawling across whole regions of a host planet or even taking up the entire interior of a large asteroid. Polystar Industries currently operates the largest warp manufacturing plant in the galaxy- the Belka Warp Production Facility in the Belka system, employing almost 20% of the planet's population in at least some indirect manner.
Research facilities for warp travel are even more secure than that of producing them, meaning that public knowledge on warp research is often years behind whatever exists on the cutting edge.
Most large governments have a small handful of secure warp manufacturing plants, often sprawling across whole regions of a host planet or even taking up the entire interior of a large asteroid. Polystar Industries currently operates the largest warp manufacturing plant in the galaxy- the Belka Warp Production Facility in the Belka system, employing almost 20% of the planet's population in at least some indirect manner.
Research facilities for warp travel are even more secure than that of producing them, meaning that public knowledge on warp research is often years behind whatever exists on the cutting edge.
Social Impact
Much as the airplane made many species' homeworlds smaller and more familiar, the core regions of the Titanus Arm became a more familiar and traversable place. International trade, immigration, cultural exchange, criminal activity, scientific discourse, and a host of other subjects became more commonplace as species began to live together on a scale not thought possible before the invention of the Ailduin or Cadeye Warp Drive.
Another figure commonly credited is Dr. Meni Cadeye, a Kenjodan physicist who worked closely with her partner Dr. Turoo Tuun to develope the equations and applications necessary to make the first warp drives in the Federation of Orassia. Dr. Cadeye's work on early Ailduin-style warp drives was notable, but her cementing in the history books came after several decades of additional work- resulting in the first practical application of the Cadeye Drive, stable wormhole-based warp travel. Dr. Cadeye passed away in 22 GE at the age of 138, before seeing the full impact of her invention.
Martellum and Cadeye are both remembered alongside each other despite originating from vastly different cultures and areas of the galaxy. Their contributions to life in the galaxy as we know it cannot be understated.
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