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| {{Status|Canon}} | | {{Era|Forerunner|Covenant|Human|UNSC|HCW|Post}} |
| {{Center|This article is about the in-universe slipstream space transportation device. For the graphics engine, see [[Slipspace Engine]].}}
| | [[File:HaloReach - Uppercut Slipspace Drive.jpg|thumb|250px|A human-made Slipspace drive.]] |
| {{Quote|They have opened a path to the stars for all of us.|Dedication to Tobias Fleming Shaw, ScD, QeD, FRS (January 30, 2220–November 10, 2317), and Wallace Fujikawa ScD, QEnD (April 20, 2215–February 18, 2318)<ref name="Orbital">'''[[Halo 3]]''', multiplayer level ''[[Orbital (level)|Orbital]]''</ref>}}
| | A '''Slipspace drive''' is a device designed to make transitions in and out of an alternate plane known as [[slipstream space]], allowing faster-than-light travel. |
| A '''slipspace drive''' is a spacecraft propulsion system capable of making transitions to and from [[slipstream space]] and by extension allowing faster-than-light interstellar travel. The device functions by creating ruptures between normal space and slipspace. The nonstandard physics of slipspace allow it to be used as a shortcut realm, facilitating interstellar travel between distant regions in reasonable time.<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''page 141''</ref> | |
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| == Human == | | ==Overview== |
| [[File:SFTE.png|thumb|250px|A Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine.]]
| | A slipspace drive functions by creating ruptures between normal space and slipspace.<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''page 141''</ref> The nonstandard physics of slipspace allow it to be used as a shortcut realm, facilitating interstellar travel between distant regions in reasonable time. |
| {{Main|Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine}}
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| Humans created the [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]]. The Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine functions by creating ruptures, referred to in some sources as wormholes, between normal space and an alternate plane known as slipspace (also known as slipstream space and Shaw-Fujikawa space).<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''page 141''</ref> The engine creates ruptures by using high-power cyclic particle accelerators to generate microscopic black holes. Because of their low mass, [[Hawking radiation]] gives them a lifetime of around a nanosecond (or potentially a little longer than a whole second)<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,483477,00.html?=done '''FoxNews''': ''Scientists Not So Sure 'Doomsday Machine' Won't Destroy World'']</ref> before they evaporate into useless thermal energy. In that nanosecond, the engine manipulates them into forming a coherent rupture between normal space and the slipstream.<ref name="Ghost">'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 53''</ref> A major component of the drive is a set of "slipspace capacitors" which have to be charged before a jump.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 192'' (2003 edition)</ref><ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''pages 295, 376''</ref>
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| The Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine generates a quantum field, which prevents the ship and its occupants from being directly exposed to the eleven-dimensional space-time of slipspace, instead translating the ship's presence to the foreign physics of the Slipstream and "squeezing" it through the higher dimensions.<ref name="quantumfield">'''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]''', ''December 25, 2534''</ref> Maintaining the quantum field requires an enormous amount of constant calculations, with larger vessels requiring significantly more such calculations than smaller ones. For example,
| | A slipspace drive does not actually "accelerate" a spacecraft through slipstream space; this is performed by the ship's conventional reaction thrusters. Thus, ships with more powerful conventional engines are also faster within the slipstream.<ref>'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', ''Page 23''</ref> As [[astrogation]], the coordination of slipspace jumps, cannot be successfully done by a human, the calculations involved in a jump are done by a [[navigation computer]] or an [[Artificial intelligence|AI]].<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 96''</ref> |
| the slipspace translations for a {{class|Phoenix|colony ship}} require 4.3 quadrillion calculations of the quantum field per second.<ref>'''Halo Wars: Genesis'''</ref> | |
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| A human slipspace drive does not actually "accelerate" a spacecraft through slipstream space; this is performed by the ship's conventional [[Fusion drive|reaction thrusters]]. Thus, ships with more powerful conventional engines are also faster within the slipstream.<ref>'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', ''page 23''</ref> When active, a Shaw-Fujikawa engine emits alpha (helium nuclei) and beta particles (fast electrons).<ref name="Ghosts">'''Halo: Ghost of Onyx''', ''pages 145-146''</ref> The coordination and plotting of slipspace jumps, referred to as [[astrogation]], requires an enormous amount of calculations which require a [[navigation computer]] or an [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] to successfully conduct.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 96''</ref> However, the basic jump parameters can be calculated by a human.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', ''"The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole"'', ''page 426''</ref>
| | ==Human== |
| | {{Main|Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine}} |
| | Developed in [[2291]] by the physicists [[Tobias Fleming Shaw]] and [[Wallace Fujikawa]], the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine generates ruptures by using high-power cyclic particle accelerators to generate microscopic black holes. The technology is still limited, however, and jumps typically take months or over half a year. |
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| The elements [[Wikipedia:Selenium|Selenium]] and [[Wikipedia:Technetium|Technetium]] are used to manufacture Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engines.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', ''"The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole"'', ''page 436''</ref> Despite being considered inferior to Covenant slipspace drives, their simplistic and straightforward technical architecture and substantial room for improvements are considered useful properties to both the UNSC and [[Kig-Yar]] pirate clans.<ref>''Halo: Warfleet'', p. 10</ref>
| | ==Covenant== |
| {{clear}}
| | [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] slipspace drives, often referred to as "jump drives",<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 136''</ref> are capable of velocities far greater than human drives. In addition to their more powerful [[Repulsor engine|thruster engines]], it has been theorized by the UNSC that Covenant drives generate several "microjumps" within a single slipspace transition to measure the dilation involved in a jump, allowing them to reach their destinations faster.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike (2010)''', ''[[Tug o' War]]''</ref> Instead of simply tearing a hole into Slipspace, Covenant slipspace drives cut a very fine hole in the fabric of space-time and slip into Slipspace with precision. It exits with the same pinpoint accuracy, takes less time during travel, and is able to plot a course with error not exceeding an atom.<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', ''page 86''</ref> |
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| == Covenant ==
| | ==Forerunner== |
| [[File:Covenant Slipspace Drive.jpg|thumb|150px|An ''Ophon''-pattern Borer.]]
| | Forerunner understanding of the mechanics of slipspace far exceeded that of the UNSC or the Covenant. While little is know of the inner workings of Forerunner drives, they used "slipspace flakes" chipped from the [[Slipspace core]], a crystal held in a location only known to the [[Master Builder]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Cryptum]]''', ''page 124''</ref> |
| {{Main|Borer}}
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| The [[Covenant]] and its [[Covenant remnants|remnants]] created [[Borer]]s. Being more technologically advanced than humanity, the [[Covenant]] have numerous advantages in slipspace propulsion systems. Whilst the human Shaw-Fujikawa engine is said to “punch” a hole between realms using brute force, Covenant engines instead take a small rupture and delicately enlarge it with surgical precision. This allows the latter to execute far more accurate slips.<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', ''page 86''</ref> Covenant slipspace drives are often referred to as "jump drives".<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 136''</ref> In addition to their more powerful [[Repulsor engine|thruster engines]], it has been theorized by the UNSC that Covenant drives generate several "microjumps" within a single slipspace transition to measure the dilation involved in a jump, allowing them to reach their destinations faster.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike (2010)''', ''[[Tug o' War]]''</ref>
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| Covenant drives are generally more flexible and powerful than those of humans. They have thrice been seen to execute in-atmosphere slipspace transitions<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]'''</ref><ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', level ''[[Delta Halo]]''</ref> (although the first time the drive in question was controlled by [[Cortana|a human AI]]). In addition, Covenant drives can execute successful slips even if underpowered.
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| Covenant slipspace drives can also be refitted to human ships, as seen during [[OPERATION: FIRST STRIKE]], where the UNSC fitted ''[[Ascendant Justice]]''{{'}}s slipspace drive to the {{UNSCShip|Gettysburg}} to escape ''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]'' and reach Earth faster.
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| {{clear}}
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| == Forerunner == | |
| [[File:Forerunner Slipspace Drive.jpg|thumb|150px|A Forerunner Crystal resonance chamber.]]
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| Forerunner understanding of the mechanics of slipspace far exceeded that of the UNSC or the Covenant. They used [[Slipspace flake|small crystals]] embedded in their slipspace drives to manipulate slipspace,<ref>'''[[Halo: Cryptum]]''', ''page 124''</ref> allowing smoother transitions.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 104-105''</ref> They had a superior grasp of [[reconciliation]], the ability to correct or otherwise manipulate the causal effects of slipspace travel.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 240''</ref> This was useful when carrying out large-scale coordinated military campaigns or simply moving across enormous distances. | |
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| Forerunner ships are also extremely fast, as seen when the ''[[Mantle's Approach]]'' was able to travel from the vicinity [[Installation 03]] to [[Earth]] in a matter of minutes. Forerunner ships rely on their energy shields to keep them safe during the journey, unlike UNSC ships, which rely on just their armor.<ref>'''[[Halo 4]]''', level ''[[Midnight]]''</ref> | |
| {{clear}}
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| ==Trivia==
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| *In real-world physics, black holes have been identified as a possible vector for constructing traversable wormholes, specifically through the use of the [[Wikipedia:Kerr metric|Kerr metric]].
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| ==Gallery==
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| <gallery>
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| File:HWF SlipspaceDrivesConcept.jpg|Early concepts for the slipspace drives featured in ''[[Halo: Warfleet]]''.
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| File:Human Slipspace Drive.jpg|A CODEN Series IV Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine.
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| File:H4-SpOps-Invasion ForerunnerEngine.png|The Mark X Macedon/Z-PROTOTYPE #78720HDS drive aboard [[UNSC Infinity|UNSC ''Infinity'']]
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| </gallery>
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| ==List of appearances==
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| {{Col-begin}}
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| {{col-2}}
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| *''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' {{1st}}
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| *''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''
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| *''[[Halo: The Flood]]''
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| *''[[Halo: First Strike]]''
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| *''[[I love Bees]]''
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| *''[[Halo 2]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''
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| *''[[Halo 3]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''
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| *''[[Halo Wars: Genesis]]''
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| *''[[Halo Wars]]''
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| *''[[Halo Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
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| **''[[Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian]]''
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| *''[[Halo Legends]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Reach]]''
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| **''[[Data pads]]'' {{Mo}}
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| {{Col-2}}
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| *''[[Halo: Glasslands]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''
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| *''[[Halo 4]]''
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| **''[[Spartan Ops]]''
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| *''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]'' {{Mo}}
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| *''[[Halo: Shadow of Intent]]'' {{Mo}}
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| *''[[Halo Mythos]]'' {{Mo}}
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| *''[[Halo: Tales from Slipspace]]''
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| **''[[Something Has Happened]]'' {{Mo}}
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| *''[[Halo: Smoke and Shadow]]'' {{Mo}}
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| *''[[Halo Wars 2]]'' {{C|Holographic projection only}}
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| *''[[Halo: Envoy]]'' {{Mo}}
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| *''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'' {{Mo}}
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| *''[[Halo: Renegades]]'' {{Mo}}
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| *''[[Halo: Meridian Divide]]'' {{Mo}}
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| *''[[Halo: Epitaph]]'' {{Mo}}
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| {{col-2}}
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| {{col-end}}
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| ==Sources== | | ==Sources== |
| {{Ref/Sources|2}}
| | <references/> |
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| [[Category:Propulsion]] | | [[Category:Propulsion]] |
| [[Category:Slipspace]]
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