A Fractal Interstice Transport (FIT) drive, or FIT engine, is a form of faster than light engine used by interstellar spacecraft to cross the vast distances between stars. It achieves this by shunting the spacecraft into
interstitial space.
FIT drives are only practical for traversing interstellar space, as the drive guidance systems are currently too imprecise to make jumps between planets in the same system. For these reasons, spacecraft with FIT drives are also fitted with other means of propulsion, such as
MIF drives.
History
The first person to write a paper introducing the theory of FIT drives was Suda Naoya in 3 BUE. The first spacecraft equiped with a FIT drive was the ISC Jumper, which was launched and completed the first FIT jump in 0 UE.
General Working Principle
FIT drives generate, then project Naosons around a spacecraft to push the craft into interstitial space. The method of generating these particles may differ slightly between designs, but all designs allow the craft to take advantage of the innate fractal properties of the higher dimension.
While traveling through interstitial space, FIT drives use the abundance of natural Naosons within the higher dimensional space to provide thrust while the spacecraft's navigational computers execute their pre-programmed route.
After the craft arrives at its programmed exit point, the FIT drive projects more Naosons to push the craft back into normal space at its destination.
Design
FIT drives are much larger than other forms of propulsion, usually measured between one and two kilometers in diameter and are shaped like a torus.
Within the most common drives is a particle accelerator with hundreds of electromagnets that work to create beams of charged particles and collide them rapidly to create the Naosons needed to push the spacecraft into interstitial space. By increasing or decreasing the energy given to the electromagnets within the drive, Naosons can effectively be guided around the spacecraft during the initial push, then use the abundant supply inside interstitial space to accelerate for thrust.
Surrounding the particle accelerator are several sub-critical nuclear reactors that use the neutrons released from collisions within the accelerator to sustain their fission reactions. These reactors generate the power needed to sustain the ship when their MIF drives are not in use.
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