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» Flare Sci-Fi Forums » Star Trek » Starships & Technology » Actual speeds of Warp? (Page 1)

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Author Topic: Actual speeds of Warp?
P0sitr0nic
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Ive heard many varying ideas on what speed Warp actually is. Does anyone know what speed warp one is? Warp 2? Warp 3? Ect?
This has probably been asked before, but I havent seen it.

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Siegfried
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Depends on the warp scale you're using. The one from The Next Generation onwards using a very complex set of equations to figure out how many times the speed of light a warp factor is. The approximate values can be found in the TNG Technical Manual. I don't have that available at the moment, but I sure someone else here does.

On a side note, do we know when the TNG warp scale actually came into use in the Trek universe? For some reason, I seem to think that The Undiscovered Country was using the TNG scale, but I don't know why I would think that.

The TOS warp scale is a different beast that has its warp factors advance in a linear fashion with no upper limit (unlike the TNG scale which has an overall curvilinear shape that has no definite end but approaches factor 10). I believe the way of figuring out the TOS speed corrolation is to cube the factor number. Thus Warp 2 is 8 times the speed of light, Warp 3 is 27 times the speed of light, et cetra.

Both systems have one thing in common. Warp 1 is equal is to just a slight bit faster than the speed of light (because I believe its impossible to be at precisely the speed of light -- someone will correct me if I'm wrong).

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Bernd
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Basically, in the TOS scale:

Speed (in multiples of light speed) = Warp Factor^3

In TNG the scale was recalibrated. Beginning with Warp 1, all values for the speed are a bit higher at the same warp factors.

At Warp 10, finally, speed becomes infinite, which has been subject to a lot of confusion since several people claim (and VOY: "Threshold" even shows) that Warp 10 can be reached or even exceeded. That's bogus because all very fast speeds are simply "compressed" in a range between Warp 9 and Warp 10, and there is definitely nothing faster than infinite speed.

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Da_bang80
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I'm just gonna say that warp speed is really really fast. and leave it at that. but i guess there'd be no reason for this category then.

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Masao
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We should also mention that the "TOS scale" is basically a fan invention. I don't think that it was ever officially recognized (made "canon") either during the run of the show or retroactively by a later series.
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OnToMars
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Perhaps the new scale was introduced with the movie tech?

Er...and by that I mean TMP and refit Enterprise?

[ August 15, 2001: Message edited by: Stingray ]



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Mark Nguyen
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The w^3 scale isn't canon, is it? It's just accepted since Franz Joseph wrote his book over 20 years ago. Whatever they use in Enterprise, it probably won't be w^3.

Mark

[ August 15, 2001: Message edited by: Mark Nguyen ]



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Siegfried
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Ya know what? I could have sworn that I had put in there that the TOS scale system I wrote about was a fandom design. I need to start proof reading my posts a little more carefully.

Anyway, yes, the TOS scale system that uses the factor cubed is non-canon and originated in Franz Joseph's Starfleet Technical Manual (I think that part at least is correct). All we know about the TOS system is relative. In "By Any Other Name," it took Kelvan engineering to get the Enterprise up to Warp 14. Spock announced amazement in "Journey to Babel" that the Orion ship was shooting by at Warp 10.

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MinutiaeMan
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Actually, ENT seems to be planning to stick somewhat close to the WF^3 formula, based on that line from the promo: "Neptune and back in six minutes."

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Masao
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I did these calcs before:
Since Neptune is 30 AUs out from the sun, a 6-minute round trip means a speed of around 10 AU/minute or 1/6 AU per second (if we assume we're starting from the sun rather than earth. If we're leaving from earth, the trip can range from 58 to 62 AU). Light speed is 1 AU per 500 seconds or 1/500 AU per second. Therefore, Enterprise is going 500/6 x light speed or about 83.3 c. What would the speeds be on the TOS fan and TNG scales?

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Ryan McReynolds
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Quick note: the TOS scale was not invented by Franz Joseph for his Star Fleet Technical Manual. It is found in The Making of Star Trek, circa 1968. I can't remember if it is in a Rodenberry-quoted section or in the text proper. In any case, it was around during the run of the original series, whether it was ultimately used or not. Joseph just copied it from there, as with most of his stuff.

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Harry
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83.3c equals
Warp 4.36 TOS scale
Warp 3.77 TNG scale

This very slow ship would theoretically take over a year to bridge the distance to Rigel X(allegedly 15 ly, according to ENT spoilers)

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Mikey T
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I wouldn't mind seeing then the lovely effects of cabin fever on Enterprise if that became an episode.

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colin
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Yesterday morning, I read the script.

I got these bits of data.

Rigel X is 15 light years from the SS Enterprise NX-01's position. The position is never given a location or a name. By inference, I assume that the ship is in deep space.

At warp four point five, the SS Enterprise NX-01 is traveling at 13,000 kph per second. Travel time to Klingon is 4 days in, 4 days out. Travel time is based on a ship traveling at warp 4.5.


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MinutiaeMan
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At warp 4.5, they can only cover one light-year in four days. Not very far at all, is it?

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