(I realize everyone's drooling in anticipation of "In a Mirror, Darkly" tonight, but I thought I'd throw this out anyway.)
I don't believe we've ever seen shuttlecraft launched at warp before. Would it be possible at all? I know we've seen torpedoes launched, large ships separate, and various other things occur at warp, but not launching shuttles, so is there maybe some safety reason for having to drop to impulse first. Or possibly the shuttle wouldn't be able to keep up without tearing apart if it was launched at high warp.
The reason this popped into my head was someone was wondering (on another board) why civilians weren't offloaded on the way to Wolf 359. Obviously they were in a hurry and it would take too much time to do so, but I think if it were possible, they'd be dumping out the civilians in shuttles and possibly escape pods along the way. Thoughts?
B.J.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Hmmm...I think it would be more practical to drop from warp for about a minute and launch pre-prepared shuttles from an already open launchbay, then resume warp at a slightly increased speed to make up for the lost minute.
I dont think it's impossible though: we saw a "near warp transport" in TNG's second season (the crappy episode with Riva). By comparison, a shuttle launch would be cake (but only from ships with rear-facing shuttlebays, of course).
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
It could be even easier than stopping then launching. As long as something remains inside the ship's warp field, it will (theoretically) stay at the same speed the ship is.
ENTERPRISE $$$$$$$
We saw this in Enterprise recently when the two ships merged warp fields to transfer Trip.
So, it might be possible to launch the shuttles, keep them in precision formation within the ship's warp field, drop out of warp, the shuttles break formation, then the ship takes off again. So... that might not be easier... but it would probably be faster.
However, I think we'd have to assume a shuttle would be torn apart if it (or an escape pod) were just spat out the back into normal space while the ship was pulling warp speed. Crossing the warp field into normal space is probably a pretty rough ride.
Posted by Topher (Member # 71) on :
But in the same episode the tether and other bits detached from the ships and floated off into space with no ill effects.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
We've seen an escape pod launched while at warp. We know that properly designed objects can drop out of a warp field without being reduced to their constituent quarks.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
And, apparently, so can random debris. Take that, technical manual!
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
When was an escape launched at warp? I'm not doubting... I just don't remember.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
The One Where Trip Gets Kidnapped And Makes Out With A Haughty Alien Princess.
Who I Guess Was The Same Species As Famke Janssen?
Posted by B.J. (Member # 858) on :
Figures - that's one of two episodes I missed.
B.J.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Ah yes...
Posted by Captain Boh (Member # 1282) on :
If the shuttle was warp capable, it could probably create a sustaining field to transision out of the high speeds the ship would be traviling at (simmilar to a torpedoes sustainer fields, but with adjustments possible because the shuttle HAS warp drive)