Warp drive

In the fictional universe of Star Trek, the warp drive is a form of faster-than-light (FTL) propulsion. It is, however, a very serious research topic in factual science. (See Alcubierre drive)

Warp and the environment

In the Season 7 Next Generation episode "Force of Nature", it was revealed that warp drive travel can be detrimental to subspace, and in some areas it can cause subspace fissues along heavily traveled 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. However, there was a case, in an episode of TNG, of Picard ordering faster than warp 5 travel and someone reminding him of the ban. Some fans have speculated that a technological solution was found, possibly involving the warp engines on the USS Voyager. This has been confirmed by the www.startrek.comlibrary, explaining that Voyager was designed to go faster than warp 5 without causing subspace damage such as fissuring of space. The Soveriegn Class Enterprise-E also featured advanced Warp Drive engines that allow travel at very high warp velocities without damaging the fabric of space.

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