Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine: Difference between revisions
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{{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>}} | {{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>}} | ||
The '''Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine''' ('''SFTE'''), colloquially known as the '''slipspace drive''' and '''FTL 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.<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. | The '''Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine''' ('''SFTE'''), colloquially known as the '''slipspace drive''', '''Shaw-Fujikawa drive''' and '''FTL 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.<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. | ||
==Human== | ==Human== | ||
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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> | 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> | ||
A human 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> 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> | 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> | ||
The elements [[Wikipedia:Selenium|Selenium]] and [[Wikipedia:Technetium|Technetium]] are used to manufacture Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engines. In the 2490's, the colony of [[Levosia]] was suspected of diverting said elements to the black market. The ensuing UNSC blockade of the system and the [[Insurrectionist]] reaction eventually led to the [[Callisto Incident]], which is said to have effectively sparked the [[Insurrection]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''', ''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]'', ''page 436''</ref> | The elements [[Wikipedia:Selenium|Selenium]] and [[Wikipedia:Technetium|Technetium]] are used to manufacture Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engines. In the 2490's, the colony of [[Levosia]] was suspected of diverting said elements to the black market. The ensuing UNSC blockade of the system and the [[Insurrectionist]] reaction eventually led to the [[Callisto Incident]], which is said to have effectively sparked the [[Insurrection]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''', ''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]'', ''page 436''</ref> | ||
{{Clear}} | {{Clear}} | ||
===Dangers and risks=== | ===Dangers and risks=== | ||
Human slipspace drives are considered black boxes which are very difficult to repair or maintain after they are activated for the first time.<ref name="Ghost"/> [[Kurt-051]] considered slipspace drives dangerous,<ref name="Ghost"/> noting the aforementioned radiation and that spacetime was said to distort around an active device. [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Halsey]] also observed that in the past, several technicians had simply vanished while manually adjusting a drive.<ref name="Ghosts | Human slipspace drives are considered black boxes which are very difficult to repair or maintain after they are activated for the first time.<ref name="Ghost"/> [[Kurt-051]] considered slipspace drives dangerous,<ref name="Ghost"/> noting the aforementioned radiation and that spacetime was said to distort around an active device.<ref name="Ghosts"/> [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Halsey]] also observed that in the past, several technicians had simply vanished while manually adjusting a drive. However, such adjustments were still often necessary by the late 25th century, as the superconducting magnets that aligned the drive's acceleration coils tended to drift out of phase and the electronic systems designed to control them often malfunctioned in proximity of the drive core due to exposure the warped laws of physics around the device.<ref name="goo145">'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 145-146''</ref> | ||
A ruptured slipspace drive can create slipspace "splinters" in normal space, eventually consuming the drive and the entire ship which the drive was placed on.<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''' - ''The Mona Lisa'', ''page 332''</ref> Mechanical failures like [[Slip Termination, Preventable]], or STP, can also occur with Slipspace drives, usually resulting from poor maintenance.<ref name="Contact"/> An improperly mounted Slipspace drive can also result in catastrophic accidents. This was the case with a colony ship en route to the [[Cygnus system]] around [[2550]]: as a result of a maintenance failure, the drive transported half the ship into oblivion, killing 700.<ref name="reach">'''[[Halo: Reach]]''', campaign level ''[[Long Night of Solace (level)|Long Night of Solace]]''</ref> | |||
===Known models=== | ===Known models=== | ||
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==Forerunner== | ==Forerunner== | ||
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 | 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. | ||
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> | 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> | ||
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Although two human ships utilizing the Shaw-Fujikawa engine are suspected of having successfully executed an in-atmosphere slipspace transition, this has not been irrefutably confirmed.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''' - ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', ''page 474''</ref><ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''' - ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', ''pages 484-485''</ref> | Although two human ships utilizing the Shaw-Fujikawa engine are suspected of having successfully executed an in-atmosphere slipspace transition, this has not been irrefutably confirmed.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''' - ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', ''page 474''</ref><ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''' - ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', ''pages 484-485''</ref> | ||
[[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey]] performed a risky manual adjustment on the drive of ''[[Beatrice]]'' through a minute turn of one of the drive's supercooled superconducting magnets, resulting in a 32-percent increase in coil power.<ref name="goo145"/> She was also able to recapture the particle accelerator energy in the ship's plasma coils by plotting the exit vector through a saddle point in the mathematical function representing the jump trajectory, although there was a risk of coil overload involved.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 152''</ref> | |||
===Weaponized uses=== | ===Weaponized uses=== | ||
