Jump Drive

The Jump Drive is a technology that opens a transition to jumpspace, which allows for Faster-than-light (FTL) travel, making space travel, exploration, and colonization vastly quicker and more efficient than pre-FTL NAFAL starship engines.

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Please refer to the following AAB library data for more information:

• Starship
  • NAFAL
  • FTL
    • Battle Tender (Carrier)
    • Jump Conveyor
• Jump Drive
  • Jump Bridge
  • Jump Damper
  • Jump Dimming
  • Jump Drive History
  • Jump Drive Key Resources
    • Lanthanum
    • Zuchai Crystal
  • Jump Projector
  • Jump Space

Description (Specifications)

Ships in jump are isolated, and can not detect or communicate anything; they are totally isolated in a small bubble of space until they reemerge into our universe again. Even if two ships side by side (far enough apart to avoid field interference) jump at the same instant, they are totally alone.

• Cases of field overlap (interference) have been known to result in direction error, range error, system damage, or ship destruction, and is advised against.

TL-15 Jump Drive Specifications
(Starship Propulsion)

Category	Specifications	Remarks
Name	Jump Drive	Only the six Major Races are believed to have independently developed FTL propulsion. Jump travel is not well understood. Most believe it to be a gravitic effect.
Drive Type	Jump Space Traverse	Jump Space, also known as (J-Space or Tau (τ)-Space), is not well understood. Starships enter this other dimension where Light Speed can be exceeded or is otherwise undefined relative to N-Space. This contrasts with conventional relativistic space, also known as Normal Space (N-space).
Velocity	Multiples of Light Speed	One parsec (3.27 light-years or 1 astrographic hex) per week per drive rating.
Duration	Determinant (fixed) [168 hours (+/- 10%)]	Starships can coordinate jump travel with exact timing. While jumps can be coordinated, ships cannot travel together. All starships in J-space appear alone and isolated.
Hazards	Gravity wells Sophont-made obstructions	Misjumps can vary greatly in their effects. Some misjumps seem to involve chronotaxistic (time dilation) effects. Many misjumps involve unintended travel distances out of all proportion within J-6 limitations.
Physical Constraints	Minkowski (Special relativity)	Four-dimensional travel (3 of space, 1 of time) known as Space-time. Not purely Euclidean in nature.
Geometry	Hyperbolic (Lobachevsky)	J-Space does not seem to be constrained by conventional space-time limitations.
Levels	64+	It is conjectured that higher J-Space levels have tighter weaves. This is conjectured to allow exponentially faster travel. J-6 drives can only travel through the first six levels.
Entry	Non-determinant (not fixed) (Non-gravitic space)	(100 diameter constraint)
Exit	Non-determinant (not fixed) (Non-gravitic space)	(100 diameter constraint)
Fuel	Hydrogen (Electrical energy)	Fusion powerplants are used in most starships for electrical power generation. Higher rated jump drives require much larger fuel supplies. A basic rule of thumb is that a starship requires fuel storage equal to its rating as a percentage of mass. Thus, a J-6 equipped starship will require 60% of its mass in fuel while a J-1 only requires 10%. Collectors possible at TL-14+ Antimatter conjectured to be available at TL-19+
Resource Requirements	Lanthanum Zuchai Crystals	Strategic resources vital to the manufacture of Jump Drives.
Inventor	Various	Some have conjectured that the Ancients created the first Jump Drive.
Characteristics	(No FTL communication possible) (No FTL weaponry possible)	Sophont minds seem to be required for jump travel. Jump drive-equipped starships cannot be manufactured under 100 tons. FTL weaponry does not exist with current technology. Jump torpedos or drones do not work with current technology.

Travel Duration

Every ship stays in jump for around one week before entering normal space again.

Travel Range

The distance travelled during this time depends on the jump rating of the drive. A ship with a Jump 1 Drive will travel one parsec, a ship with a Jump 2 Drive two parsecs and so on. The maximum jump rating at the tech level of the Third Imperium is 6.

Misjumps

Study of misjump reports suggests that much greater distances are possible, but at present no way to achieve them in a controllable way is known. Research is ongoing on the matter. The maximum misjump reported is 36 parsecs. The average misjump is aproximately 12.25 parsecs, deduced from the study of statistical records.

J-7 Drive and Up

Jump-7 drives are a TL16 technology; the pre-Maghiz Darrians had some J7 ships. Jump-8 is (presumably) available at TL17, and Jump-9 at TL18.

Fuel Requirements

Starships must generate immense amounts of power to jump; usually, this power is supplied by the standard ship's power plant. In this case, additional fuel must be allocated for employment of the jump drive, at the rate of 10% of the ship's tonnage per parsec to travel via jump.

Ships of lower performance mounting drop tank fittings draw at least a cursory inquiry as to why they are required; a simple form explaining the need is usually all the customer needs to file- and this is quietly checked out to see if it looks legitimate. As there are many situations which benefit from long range ships, these are USUALLY approved of. Having a LOW social standing or a criminal background however will result in such special feature applications being declined. USUALLY.

Alternate Energy Sources

There are two other sources of energy sufficient to power the jump drive: Collectors, a TL14+ technology, which can power the jump drive but not the rest of a ship's systems; and Antimatter power plants, a TL19+ technology. Antimatter power plants use antimatter as a fuel source, while Collectors are charged by opening their canopies to space for about one week.

Lanthanum

Jump drives rely on the rare earth element Lanthanum.

• Please see Lanthanum for more information.

History & Background (Dossier)

Please see Jump Drive History for more information.

Astrogation

Jump distances are calculated in parsecs (3.27 light-years), which therefore is the scale of a subsector mapping grid. Jump-1, for example, indicates the ability to jump one parsec, or one mapping hex. Astrogation maps are based on this fact and are not accurately scaled maps for astronomical purposes.

• Please see Astrography for a related science.

Risks

Although jumps are usually entered at low velocities, the speed and direction which a ship held prior to jump is retained when it returns to normal space. This fact is often employed for tactical purposes. Ships exiting jump space are vulnerable to collision with objects around an exit point.

It is not a safe practice, as the emergence point tends to have other ships approaching it for intended use; therefore emergence at speed is known to have resulted in fatal mishaps, and is therefore a serious violation of civil navigation codes with stiff penalties.

Jump Point Defenses

It is not a safe practice, as the emergence point tends to have other ships approaching it for intended use; therefore emergence at speed is known to have resulted in fatal mishaps, and is therefore a serious violation of civil navigation codes with stiff penalties.

These do not apply to the Navy of course... who tend to place obstacles around possessed jump points with exactly this sort of thing in mind.

Civilian Starships

Most civilian starships have a jump rating of 1 or 2, with rare vessels equipped for express work carrying systems capable of 3 or 4; such ships operate for premium fees on long routes where speed is of the essence. Long routes tolerating longer delivery times use the usual jump1, but additional tankage to permit crossing voids to other lucrative destinations.

• It is so uncommon for a civilian ship to mount J5 or J6 that it draws the attention of Imperial authority as a curiosity worthy of review, if not close monitoring.

References & Contributors (Sources)

This article has metadata.

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.

• Traveller 5th Core Rules
• MegaTraveller Referee's Manual
• MegaTraveller Starship Operator's Manual
• Periodical: Journal of the Travellers Aid Society No. 24
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science