Propulsion

Propulsion is the act of moving something. All vehicles contain a propulsion system that makes it move. Spacecraft use the most advanced forms of propulsion systems.

Overview
A simple combustion engine to a Hyperdrive, all are forms of propulsion systems. Weather it traveling across the galaxy or maneuvering into a dry dock all are done by propulsion systems.This page gives details on the propulsions systems used by all forms of spacecraft. These can be from simple planetary ones to long distance intergalactic ships. There are many different types of engines with different classes, marks and types. All propulsion systems need a form of power. To see common forms of power generation click here.

Three Types of Propulsion Systems
Generally there are only three types of movement of ship needs to do. If a ship is to do all three then they will need three different propulsion systems, one for each type of movement.

Maneuvering
Maneuvering is the simple act of moving a ship in small incrementations. This is normally used to get ships in and out of dry docks, take off or land on planets and to stay in a correct orbit. Normally all ships would have this type of propulsion system installed.

Cruising
Cruising is used to travel small distances in and around space the size of a solar system. Using a small maneuvering system or traveling at FTL (Faster Than Light) speeds would not be sufficient so this type of propulsion was created. It is normally used to get from one planet in a solar system to another. All interplanetary vessels will have this type of propulsion integrated into them.

Traveling
When ships need to travel great distances such as from one solar system to another they use this type of propulsion system. All big ships will have it as its the only way to get to faraway places quickly. Propulsion system such as these consume a lot of power and often need onboard reactors. This type of propulsion is faster than light, yet does not break the light barrier. This type of travel is never really used in solar systems as the distance are small and the speed is very fast. Mainly used in interstellar and intergalactic ships.

Most propulsion systems are split up into Marks and Classes. Some are split up into Types.

Maneuvering
Most commonly referred to as maneuvering thrusters.


 * Chemical Thrusters
 * Ion Thrusters
 * Repulsors

Cruising
Used for traveling around solar systems.


 * Plasma Drive
 * Impulse Drive
 * Photon Drive
 * Diametric Drive

Traveling
Used for long distance, interstellar and intergalactic travel.
 * Warp Drive
 * Hyper Drive
 * Graviton Displacement Drive
 * Trans Warp Coil
 * Quantum Slip Stream Drive
 * Quantum Leap

Theoretical Maximum
Light speed (300 000 000 M/S) is the universal speed limit. It possible though to travel somewhere in a time that would say you have traveled faster then light but infact you have not. Lifeforms get past this light barrier by not making the ship move but instead warp space around the ship (See Warp Drive for details). This warping allows you to travel greater distances is quicker time. The maximum warp allowed by Warp Drives is warp 9.5. To go faster you need something like a Hyper Drive. This is just like a Warp Drive except its designed in a away that allows for speeds up to warp 15. The next form of propulsion up from this is called a Graviton Displacement Drive. This allows for warp speeds up to factor 25. After warp 25 the power required to go any faster suddenly increases extremely meaning that only warp 25 is the best warp speed available. However if you had near infinite amounts of energy the theoretical maximum warp would be factor  32.105. It is impossible to travel faster than that using warp technology.

Conduit Travel
It is physically impossible to travel faster than warp 32.105 in our universe. This is because even with infinite energy you could not go any faster than the maximum warp of 32.105. If you used any other propulsion system that does not use warp then it would be restricted by the speed of light. This means that the only way to travel faster than the universes fastest speed is to not travel in our universe.

This form of travel is known as conduit travel. Ships that generate and enter this conduit exit our normal universe and enter an entirely new universe that exist parallel to our own. This new universe is not like our normal universe, it is not a different dimension either, its just a plane of space that exists parallel to our universe. When in this conduit you automatically travel at the speed of warp 1 (Space is not warped, you are just traveling at a speed equivalent to that of warp 1) It is impossible to use any other form of propulsion when inside the conduite, activating them yields no result and trying to warp just leads to an immediate and unstable exit and collapse of the conduit. Remember that normal matter from are universe can not exist in another universe, this is why the conduite is created, to contain the matter. It the system that creates the conduit fails then it is possible to quickly return to normal space. But if it collapses before you are able to return to your normal universe then you will simply cease to exist. This conduit is a fast travel zone meaning that for every hundred light years covered in it thousands of light years in the normal universe have been covered. Think of it as two parallel line except they are curved, our normal univers is on the outside and the conduit is in the inside of the curve. Trans Warp and Quantum Slip Stream are the only forms of conduit travel.

Breaking The Maximum
Traveling faster then the maximum warp with out using conduit technology just standard warp technology is absolutely impossible. Even with infinite energy you would not be able to do it. However, a name has been given to achieving speeds faster then the theoretical maximum warp still using warp technology. It is called Quantum Leap. Quantum Leap is impossible. However the Cubix somehow is able to do it, traveling at speeds of warp factor 5 000 000. It is completely unknown how this is achieved. Remember, Quantum Leap does not mean the fastes speed of the universe or the speed at which the Cubix travels, it is just the name given to traveling faster then the maximum warp with in our universe. It just so happens that the Cubix's Quantum Leap was the fastest speed ever known in the universe.