Difference between revisions of "Jump Drive"
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Revision as of 13:29, 11 September 2019
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.
- It is a type of Interstellar Drive.
- It is sometimes known as the J-Drive or Star Drive.
- In engineering terminology, an engine or power plant produces energy, and a drive creates propulsion. In common language, the terms are used interchangeably.
- It is a kind of Ship Equipment.
Library Data Referral Tree
Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information:
Starship:
- Speed of Travel
- Astronomical Unit (AU)
- FTL
- Light Speed (c)
- Light-week (lw)
- Light-year (ly)
- NAFAL (STL)
- Parsec (pc)
Description (Specifications)
Jump technology enables a ship to transition into Jump Space and emerge some great distance away within a reasonable time [...effectively multiples of 170 times the speed of light over 168 hours (+/- 10%)]. Jump drive, and its many variations, makes interstellar flight practical. Those who do not discover the jump drive are condemned to snail-paced NAFAL movement between the stars. [1]
Ships in jump are isolated, and can not detect or communicate anything; they are totally isolated in a small bubble of jumpspace 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.
A standard Imperial jump drive consists of four components:
- A high-yield fusion power plant
- An energy sink of zuchai crystals
- A jump governor
- A lanthanum-doped hull grid
Jump Drive Specifications
Jump Drive Specifications (Starship Propulsion) | ||
---|---|---|
Category | Specifications | Remarks |
Name | Jump Drive | Only the six Major Races are believed to have independently developed FTL propulsion.
|
Drive Type | Jump Space Traverse | Jump Space, also known as (J-Space or Tau (τ)-Space), is not well understood.
|
Velocity | Multiples of Light Speed
|
One parsec (3.27 light-years or one Astrographic Hex) per week per drive rating.
|
Duration | Determinate (fixed)
|
Starships remain in jump space for roughly a week no matter the distance traversed by the jump. |
Hazards | Misjumps can vary greatly in their effects.
| |
Physical Constraints |
Minkowski (Special relativity) | Four-dimensional travel (3 of space, 1 of time) known as Space-time.
|
Geometry | Hyperbolic (Lobachevsky) | J-Space does not seem to be constrained by conventional space-time limitations. |
Levels | 90+
|
It is conjectured that higher Other-Space levels have tighter weaves.
|
FTL Calculations |
30 minutes to 24 hours estimated |
Jump calculations can differ greatly depending on the skill of the astrogator, the quality of the astrogational computer & related astronics, and a variety of other factors.
|
Entry | Non-determinant (not fixed)
|
Entry into Jump Space has a (100 diameter constraint of a gravity well). |
Exit | Non-determinant (not fixed)
|
Exit from Jump Space has a (100 diameter constraint of a gravity well). |
Fuel |
|
Fusion Plus powerplants are used in most starships for electrical power generation.
|
Resource Requirements |
Strategic resources vital to the manufacture of Jump Drives.
| |
Inventor/s | Various | Some have conjectured that the Ancients created the very first Jump Drive known to higher intelligent life (Sophonts) and Charted Space.
|
Characteristics |
|
Sophont minds seem to be required for efficient jump travel. Non-sophont-crewed starships seem to function far less reliably.
|
Jump Drive Travel Time Table
Jump Drive (FTL) Estimated Travel Times Distance: Jump-1 Jump-2 Jump-3 Jump-4 Jump-5 Jump-6 54 parsecs (1 sector)
54 weeks 1 year
27 weeks ½ year
18 weeks 4.5 months
14 weeks 3.5 months
11 weeks 2.75 months
9 weeks 2.25 months
108 parsecs (2 sectors)
108 weeks 2 years
54 weeks 1 year
36 weeks 9 months
27 weeks 6.75 months
22 weeks 5.5 months
18 weeks 4.5 months
162 parsecs (3 sectors)
162 weeks 3 years
81 weeks 1.5 years
54 weeks 1 year
41 weeks 10.25 months
33 weeks 8.25 months
27 weeks 6.75 months
216 parsecs (4 sectors)
216 weeks 4 years
108 weeks 2 years
72 weeks 1.5 years
62 weeks 15.5 months
44 weeks 11 months
36 weeks 9 months
270 parsecs (5 sectors)
270 weeks 5 years
135 weeks 2.5 years
90 weeks 22.5 months
68 weeks 17 months
54 weeks 1 year
45 weeks 11.25 months
Jump Drive Travel Time Constants # Note Remarks 1. Jump Duration: 1 week (168 hours +/- 10% variance) 2. Jump Velocity: 170.0c (+/- 20.0c variance) 3. Month (Time): 4 weeks (28 days by Imperial calendar) 4. Assumptions: (Top efficiency, near-instantaneous refueling, no crew fatigue, etc.) 5. Sector (Area): (size of a sector in 2D parsecs x & y coordinates) 6. Galaxy (Area): Milky Way Galaxy (estimated 55 kiloparsecs in diameter) (…over 1,000 years at J-1)
Jump Drive Notes
A number of lesser facts about jump drives are noted here:
Jump Drive Notes # Note Remarks 1. Alternate Energy Sources: There are two other sources of energy sufficient to power the jump drive: Collectors, a TL–14 technology, which can power the jump drive but not the rest of a ship's systems; and Antimatter power plants, a TL–19 technology. Antimatter power plants use antimatter as a fuel source, while Collectors are charged by opening their canopies to space for about one week. 2. 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. 3. J-7 Drive and Up: Jump-7 drives are a TL–16 and TL–17 technology; the pre-Maghiz Darrians had some J-7 ships. Jump-8 is theoretically possible at TL–18, and Jump-9 at TL–19. 4. Strategic Resource: Lanthanum Most conventional jump drives rely on the rare earth element Lanthanum. - Please see Lanthanum for more information.
5. 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 concerning the matter. The maximum misjump reported is 36 parsecs. The average misjump is approximately 12.25 parsecs, deduced from the study of statistical records. 6. Travel Duration: Every ship stays in jump for around one week before entering normal space again. 7. Travel Range: The distance traveled 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 attainable tech level of the Third Imperium is six parsecs at J-6 and TL-15.
History & Background (Dossier)
The Jump Drive was first discovered by the Ancients more than 300,000 years ago. With it they explored the greater part of Charted Space. At the conclusion of the Final War, the Ancients' jump technology was lost, although intact (damaged) artifacts were found later on, and reverse-engineered to create jump drives of a more primitive nature than their source technology.
- Please see Jump Drive History for more information.
Technological Overview of Projected Propulsion Technology
Expected Drive Development Sequence: NAFAL to FTL
- Relativistic Drive (NAFAL) → Jump Drive → Hop Drive → Skip Drive → Leap Drive → Bound Drive → Vault Drive → Six Drive → Seven Drive → Eight Drive → Nine Drive
Jump Drive Basics
Jump Drive Basics | ||
---|---|---|
# | Topic | Remarks |
1. | Basic 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 up to one parsec, or one mapping hex. Astrogational maps are based on this fact and are not accurately scaled maps for astronomical purposes.
|
2. | Civilian Starship Drives | 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 rifts or voids to other lucrative destinations.
|
3. | Jump Point Defenses | 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. |
4. | Jump Tracking | Extremely talented astrogators can make a reasonably accurate guess as to the destination of a jumping ship if it is observed before jumping. This is based on observation of neutrino emissions and the shape of the inflating hydrogen bubble as well as the heading at the time of jump. What is true is that starships maintain the same general heading, attitude, and velocity at the time of egress from jumpspace as it had upon entry.
|
5. | Jump Travel Risks | General 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. |
6. | Manoeuvre Whilst in Jump | A ship may change it's vector and velocity while in Jump Space.
|
Jump Drive Technology Timeline
These are some of the important dates recorded as to when certain sophont cultures have acquired the jump drive:
- Please note that not all dates may be entirely accurate.
Jump Drive Technology Timeline (Imperial Dates) | ||
---|---|---|
Date | Culture | Remarks |
c. −350 000 * | Droyne | Droyne achieve TL-10 on their homeworld; although Jump drive is often available at that level, they have not yet discovered it. [2] |
c. −320 000 * | Ancients | The Ancients inhabit the general region of the Spinward Marches and explore all of Charted Space. [3] |
−9300 * | Geonee | The Geonee on Shiwonee reach early TL-9. [4] |
−9270 * | Geonee | Geonee discover a derelict Ancient starship in a planetoid belt in the Shiwonee system. [5] |
−9240 * | Geonee | Geonee starships, based on reverse-engineered Ancient technology, explore the Stenardee cluster, and discover Ancient artifacts, and remains of Geonee and Chirpers. [6] |
−9235 * | Vilani | The Vilani on Vland discovers the Jump-1 drive. [7] |
c. −9000 * | Vilani | Vilani explorers contact the Geonee, and discover that they have Jump technology not of Vilani origin. [8] |
c. −8600 * | Vilani | Vilani discover that the Geonee Jump drive was reverse-engineered from a derelict Ancient starship. [9] |
c. −7000 * | Droyne | Droyne first observed using Jump technology; new colonies established, including Vanejen. [10] |
c. −6000 * | Vegan | Vegans receive Jump technology from Vilani traders. [11] |
−5450 * | Luriani | Luriani receive Jump technology from an unknown race. [12] |
−5435 * | Luriani | A Sharurshid fleet discovers that the Luriani have acquired Jump technology. The Vilani launch an investigation to discover who gave Jump technology to the Luriani. [13] |
−5430 * | Vilani | Vilani develop the first known (post-Ancients) Jump-2 drive, but keep the technology secret from non-Vilani trading partners; Vilani core worlds reach TL-11. [14] |
−5415 * | Zhodani | The Zhodani develop a Jump-1 drive on Zhdant while working on fusion power sources in their asteroid belt. [15] [Adventure 6 Expedition to Zhodane, GDW, 1981, p. 41.] |
NOTES: * These dates were inferred by Donald McKinney and Maksim-Smelchak, the authors of the Integrated Timeline, in that book. The book is also the immediate source of the entries in this table.
References & Contributors (Sources)
This article has metadata. |
- This article is an amalgamation of many different materials published since 1977.
- Loren Wiseman. "Jumpspace." Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 24 (1985): 34—38.
- Marc Miller. Referee's Manual (Game Designers Workshop, 1987), 52.
- John B. King. "Jump Fuel Allocation." Jumpspace 2 (1987): TBD.
- Rob Caswell, William W. Connors, Joe Fugate, Gary L. Thomas. Starship Operator's Manual (Digest Group Publications, 1988), 10—24.
- Michelle Sturgeon. "Going Places (Barely)." Challenge 55 (1991): TBD.
- Don Perrin. Starships (Imperium Games, 1996), 70.
- Loren Wiseman. GURPS Traveller Core Rules (Steve Jackson Games, 1998), TBD.
- Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), 333—341.
- Marc Miller. Agent of the Imperium (Far Future Enterprises, 2015), TBD.
- Citation Missing - Traveller Integrated Timeline
- Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
- Author & Contributor: WHULorigan
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), 502.
- ↑ Marc Miller. Secret of the Ancients (Game Designers Workshop, 1984), 42.
- ↑ Marc Miller. The Kinunir (Game Designers Workshop, 1979), 38.
- ↑ Loren Wiseman, Jon F. Zeigler. Humaniti (Steve Jackson Games, 2003), 68.
- ↑ Loren Wiseman, Jon F. Zeigler. Humaniti (Steve Jackson Games, 2003), 68.
- ↑ Loren Wiseman, Jon F. Zeigler. Humaniti (Steve Jackson Games, 2003), 68.
- ↑ John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Library Data (A-M) (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), 27.
- ↑ Gary L. Thomas. The Travellers' Digest 11 (Digest Group Publications, 1989), 8.
- ↑ James Holden, Joe D. Fugate Sr., Terrance McInnes. Vilani & Vargr (Digest Group Publications, 1990), 18.
- ↑ Marc Miller. Research Station Gamma (Game Designers Workshop, 1980), 43.
- ↑ John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Library Data (N-Z) (Game Designers Workshop, 1982), 29.
- ↑ Martin Dougherty, Hunter Gordon. Gateway to Destiny (QuikLink Interactive, 2004), 9.
- ↑ Martin Dougherty, Hunter Gordon. Gateway to Destiny (QuikLink Interactive, 2004), 9.
- ↑ Gary L. Thomas. The Travellers' Digest 05 (Digest Group Publications, 1986), 49.
- ↑ Frank Chadwick. Mercenary (Game Designers Workshop, 1978), 5.