Jump Governor

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A Jump Governor is a device that regulates Jump Drive performance. It is generally considered a subcomponent of a Jump Drive.

Description[edit]

A Jump Drive produces a Jump approximately equal to its Jump number in parsecs. There are limits to an un-goverened jump drive's performance. A jump of a specified size covers a range of distances from slightly more than the next smaller size to the specified size. For example, Jump-4 can reach from slightly more than 3 parsecs to 4 parsecs. [1]

A Jump Governor modifies the operation of a Jump Drive allowing any jump performance equal to or less than the drive's rating, including micro jumps within the same system, only using the fuel needed for the number of parsecs actually crossed. A Jump-4 drive by itself can only perform Jump-4; equipped with a Jump Governor, it can perform Jump-3, Jump-2, or even Jump-1. [2]

It is theoretically possible to use a Jump Governor to emerge from jump at exactly the same location as jump entry occurred. Effectively, the ship spends a week in jumpspace but does not actually move relative to a designated celestial body. (The celestial body - usually a planet or asteroid - is moving during the jump, as all celestial bodies do. Its motion is plotted and the jump follows approximately the same course, typically using the celestial body to precipitate out of jumpspace at the end.) This is sometimes called a "zero jump" or a "null jump", and is among the simplest jumps for an astrogator to plot (since, typically, nothing but the starship, the celestial body, and the system's stars need be considered), so plotting these is a common exercise in astrogator training. [3]

Abusing this to save fuel - such as attempting to make three 1.33 parsec jumps to cross 4 parsecs on 3 parsecs' worth of fuel - won't work. Some have claimed the capability; though it is situational enough, as well as requiring difficult and dangerous deep space jumps, that it is generally not recommended to try even in emergencies. [4]

The best known example was when the experimental starship Kishaa ("It Runs"), testing a prototype jump governor, crossed the 4 parsecs from Ganar to Vland in -5402. The jumps came out as 1.2, 1.2, and 1.6 parsecs, requiring 1, 1, and 2 parsecs' worth of fuel respectively. A group of Sharurshid functionaries who witnessed the result recorded its failure in elaborate detail, and distributed their novel-length report widely; multiple copies survived the Long Night. (This unapproved experiment, ending at Vland itself, helped spark the Consolidation Wars. Later historians have wondered what might have been had the crew been successful.) [5]

Generally, jumps cover distances measured in parsecs, which correspond to the scale of star system and deep space hexes and common distances between stars. [6] For example, Terra to Prometheus (specifically, Sol to Alpha Centauri) is 1.34 parsecs in normal space, and therefore requires a 2 parsec jump. [7]

History & Background (Dossier)[edit]

A Jump Governor is integral to a standard or higher tech level Jump Drive. These are generally considered in the TL:10-18 range with TL:13-15 being the cutting edge of contemporary technology within Charted space and any technology at TL:16-18 or higher being considered theoretical research technologies that are being explored.

Experimental, prototype, or early Jump Drives do not have Jump Governors. [8] The very first jump drives, the prototypes and experimental ones are considered to come out in most societies at TL:7-9, with many technologists arguing that they first premier at TL–9. [9]

Historical Overview[edit]

The Jump Governor was a huge breakthrough in FTL transportation technology, which allowed far more consistent and reliable FTL travel with greatly reduced fuel usage. Early prototype jump drives were notorious fuel hogs, using far more fuel than their drive rating. Some early prototype J-1 drives could use 50% or more of a hull's tonnage in fuel. Some even used the ship's entire fuel tanks. They were notoriously unreliable and the Jump Governor helped to change that. [10]

Technological Overview of Alternate FTL Devices[edit]

References[edit]

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This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.
  1. ↑ Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), 347.
  2. ↑ Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), 346.
  3. ↑ Information provided to the library by Adrian Tymes
  4. ↑ Information provided to the library by Adrian Tymes
  5. ↑ Information provided to the library by Adrian Tymes
  6. ↑ Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), 347.
  7. ↑ Information provided to the library by Adrian Tymes
  8. ↑ Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), 346.
  9. ↑ Information provided to the library by Maksim-Smelchak
  10. ↑ Information provided to the library by Maksim-Smelchak
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