Star Treks Starships travel vast distances across the galaxy thanks to faster-than-light travel known as warp speed. in the Star Trek universe, the invention of warp drive technology is often used to determine whether a culture is ready to learn that other life exists in the galaxy. The Vulcans made first contact with Earth, for example, just after Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell) completed humanity’s first successful warp flight. Starfleet’s Prime Directive states that official first contact should occur only after a civilization has achieved faster-than-light travel.
The universe is incomprehensible huge, meaning It would take ships life to travel between inhabited planets without warp speed. Warp speed is measured by warp factors, with warp 1 being the lowest and warp 10 being the highest (theoretically). Star Trek Hasn’t always been consistent in explaining exactly how warp speed works, but warp-capable ships use a warp drive that generates a subspace barrier around the ship. In the 24th century, warp technology was the most common means of propulsion and allowed for interstellar exploration and commerce.
Warp factor 10 is the highest in Star Trek (in theory)
The definition of warp factor speeds has changed over time
Warp factor 10 is meant to be the highest possible warp speed, but the definition of various warp factors has changed over Star Trek History. in Star Trek: The Original Series, Captain James T. Kirk’s (William Shatner) USS Enterprise has traveled at Warp 10 or faster on multiple occasions. As starship technology continued to improve, the definition of warp factors was updated. According to the 24th century definition, warp 10 corresponded with infinite speed, Meaning a ship traveling in Warp 10 occupied all points in the universe simultaneously.
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According to the 24th century definition, A starship could theoretically reach speeds of warp 9.99…, but never actually reach warp factor 10. In Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1, Episode 6, “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” The Traveler (Eric Mniuk) uses his abilities to send the USS Enterprise-D to the very edge of the universe. Although the ship’s speed registers as off the scale, it is possible that the Traveler pushed the Enterprise as close to warp 10 as possible without actually breaking the transwarp barrier.
How fast warp factor 10 is supposed to be
Warp factor 10 is meant to equal infinite speed
Since warp 10 came to mean infinite speed, a ship traveling at warp 10 could theoretically travel anywhere in the universe instantly. The speed was purely theoretical, and even by the 25th century Star Trek: Picard, 9.99 was the fastest speed Starfleet ships could reach. in Star Trek: Voyager Season 2, Episode 15, “Threshold,” Lt. Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeil) successfully reached Warp 10 in a specially modified shuttle, breaking the transwarp barrier, but he suffered disastrous side effects.
Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and the crew of the USS Voyager hoped they could find a way to travel faster than warp 10, and Tom Paris wanted to be the first person to cross the transwarp barrier. While he managed to achieve this feat, Voyager’s crew quickly discovered that travel at these speeds resulted in hyper-evolution. In other words, traveling in Warp Factor 10 caused Paris and Janeway to evolve into amphibious creatures, putting an end to that particular technology.
Star Trek was as high as warp factor 36
Some aliens have found ways to travel at faster speeds
On Star Trek: The Original Series And Star Trek: The Animated SeriesThe USS Enterprise achieved speeds as high as warp factor 22, while other ships were even faster. Outside forces or advanced aliens modified the Enterprise to travel faster than Warp 10 in TOS Season 2, Episode 8, “The Changeling,” Season 2, Episode 21, “By No Other Name,” and Season 3, Episode 15, “Let This Be Your Last Battlefield.” in TOS Season 3, Episode 14, “That Which Survives,” The Enterprise was sabotaged and pushed to Warp 14.1, which nearly destroyed the ship.
Captain Kirk’s Enterprise achieved its fastest recorded speeds in Star Trek: The Animated Series Series Finale, “The Counter-Clock Incident.” When the Enterprise encounters a strange ship traveling in Warp 36, they lock onto a tractor beam only to find themselves pulled into an anti-matter universe where everything is reversed. When they were towed along by the little ship, The Enterprise reached speeds upwards of Warp 22. The high numbers represent changes in the way warp speed is measured, and not known Star Trek The ship successfully traveled faster than Warp 10 without catastrophic consequences.