Star Trek‘s Starships travel vast distances across the galaxy using faster-than-light speeds known as warp speed. Within Star Trek Universe, the invention of warp drive technology is often used to determine whether a culture is ready to learn about the existence of other life in the galaxy. For example, the Vulcans first made contact with Earth immediately after Zephram Cochrane (James Cromwell) made humanity’s first successful warp flight. Starfleet’s Prime Directive states that formal first contact should only occur once a civilization has achieved faster-than-light speed.
The universe is incomprehensibly huge, which means ships would take a lifetime to travel between habitable planets without warp speed. Warp speed is measured by warp ratios, with warp 1 being the slowest 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 warp drive, which creates a subspace barrier around the ship. By the 24th century, warp technology had become the most common means of transportation and enabled interstellar exploration and trade.
Warp factor 10 is the highest in Star Trek (theoretically)
The definition of strain rate rate has changed over time
A strain factor of 10 implies the maximum possible strain rate, but the definition of the various strain factors has changed over time. Star Trek story. IN Star Trek: The Original Series, Captain James T. Kirk’s (William Shatner) USS Enterprise has traveled at warp 10 or faster on several occasions. As starship technology continued to improve, the definition of warp factors was updated. According to the 24th century definition, Warp 10 corresponded to infinite speed, this means that a ship traveling through warp 10 simultaneously occupied all points of the Universe.
According to the 24th century definition, a starship can theoretically reach warp speed 9.99…, but will never reach warp factor 10. Star Trek: The Next Generation In Season 1, Episode 6, “Where No Man Has Been Before,” the Traveler (Eric Menyuk) used his powers to send the USS Enterprise-D to the very edge of the universe. Although the ship’s speed is extreme, it is possible that the Traveler pushed the Enterprise as close to warp 10 as possible without actually breaking the transwarp barrier.
How fast should the warp factor be 10
Warp factor 10 should 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. This speed was purely theoretical, and even by the 25th century Star Trek: Picard, 9.99 was the maximum speed Starfleet ships could achieve. 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 through the transwarp barrier, but suffered catastrophic 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 become the first person to break the trans-warp barrier. Although he managed to achieve this feat, The Voyager crew quickly discovered that traveling at such speeds resulted in hyperevolution. In other words, traveling with a warp factor of 10 caused Paris and Janeway to turn into amphibious creatures, ending that particular technology.
Star Trek reaches warp factor 36
Some aliens have found a way to travel at higher speeds
On Star Trek: The Original Series And Star Trek: The Animated SeriesThe USS Enterprise reached speeds reaching a warp factor of 22, while other ships were moving even faster. External forces or advanced aliens modified the Enterprise to allow it to travel faster than warp 10. V Terms of Use season 2, episode 8, “Changeling”, season 2, episode 21, “By Any Other Name” and season 3, episode 15, “Let This Be Your Last Battlefield.” IN Terms of Use In season three, episode 14, “What Survives”, the Enterprise was sabotaged and forced into Warp 14.1, nearly destroying the ship.
Captain Kirk’s Enterprise reaches record speed in Star Trek: The Animated Series series finale “The Clock Incident”. When the Enterprise encountered a strange vessel traveling through Warp 36, they became latched on to a tractor beam, only to find themselves pulled into an antimatter universe where everything was reversed. When they were towed by this small ship, The Enterprise reached speeds above warp 22. These high numbers reflect changes in the way warp speed is measured. Star Trek the ship successfully exceeded Warp 10 without catastrophic consequences.