Space travel

Space travel involves the use of spaceships to journey through outer space, usually planet to planet travel. This was made possible with the creation of stabilization engines, boost fuel, and faster-than-light travel. FTL travel was developed by the Cogre to escape the destruction of their homeworld, utilizing use of jump gates to quickly travel light years across the galaxy. Since then, the Corzan, Sertons, and other species have worked to improve the technology, making many improvements over the years. The introduction of Humans and their independently developed methods of space travel and FTL travel allowed even more improvements, as the two technologies were combined and improved. Still, as advanced as the technology is, accessible ships and ship to ship combat remains limited, even as technology develops.

## Technology

The technology that makes space travel possible varies according to the specie and level of advancement. The primary components were developed and introduced by the Cogre. Later elements from the Humans were incorporated into common ship technologies.

### Stabilization Engines

Stabilization engines allow ships to mimic the effects of gravity; using circular designs, usually based off of Cogre seed ships, stabilization engines constantly spin a ship, allowing the intertia to create gravity like effects. These engines are utilized only in open space; within atmospheres, the spinning proves dangerous to the pilot and stability of the ship. Many, even in open space, opt not to use stabilization engines, as they often involve compromising the design of the ship or are difficult to pilot simultaneously.

The Humans, who developed space travel separately, instead developed a separate form of stabilization engines: g version engines. G version engines directly create gravitational fields. These engines were quickly adopted and replaced stabilization engines. Both versions are still widely used. What version is used depends on the ship purpose: small fighters or scout ships often do not use any form, larger residential ships utilize g models, space stations use s models, and transport ships vary based on their cargo.

### Boost Fuel

Boost fuel, originally refined gasoline from the Cogre homeworld, allows for temporary great increases in ship speed, essential for traveling large distances, such as through systems or cross planetary surfaces. Boost fuel serves primarily in shorter distances too short to be covered by jump rings. The original Cogre ships and the first space travel of the Orspeer and Corzan, all relied on forms of boost fuel for their first travel. However, the boosts proved too ineffective given the space between planets and systems. Only with the invention of FTL travel by the Cogre did species first interact. Still, boost fuels serve a primary purpose for planetary and short travel.

Forms of boost fuel have improved over time, becoming more efficient and effective over time. Originally, refined gasoline, hydrogen, and chlorine were used by various species in their space travel. With the discovery and colonization of Negordy providing a stable source of Negordan gas, it quickly replaced the obsolete forms of boost fuel. Negordan gas is by far the most effective form, with small chemical alterations over time developed to improve it. This makes the gas and by necessity, Negordy, highly desirable targets. While FTL travel is still more widely used, boost fuels still prove important for local, planetary based ships. Modified forms of boost fuel are used in racing, such as on Circita, for short term speed increases, though often to dangerous levels.

### Faster-than-Light Travel

The Cogre developed FTL travel to explore the galaxy for a new home. Early on, the Cogre relied on boost fuels, but the sheer vastness of space required new methods of travel. In response, the Cogre developed FTL travel through the use of jump gates. Jump gates are massive, magnetized rings. Jump gates require a parallel set to operate correctly, otherwise, the accelerated ship will fail to lose momentum.

To be launched, the ship has to be prepared and protected. To do this, jump gates are equipped with controlled environments in which smaller ships are coated with charged electrons, which absorb solar energy, radiation, and other forces during the launch. Larger ships are coated manually by automated bots in a longer process. Smaller ships, within the controlled environment, are also exposed to neutral gases, which strengthen its materials. Larger ships can usually withstand the force of the launch. If not prepared, the ship will fall apart during the launch. The opposite jump gate uses the magnets to catch and slow the ship. The path between the gates has to be completely cleared to be safe; the sheer speed of the ship destroys most smaller obstacles but larger bodies, like planets, will destroy the ship. Ulterior forces can attract the ship off of the gate pathway, leading to it missing the gate and maintaining momentum.

The most popular jump gates contain multiple rings and have multiple gates interconnected. These usually consist of trade routes and are constantly controlled and maintained by automated and hired workers. More remote gates, often smaller in scale, are prone to malfunctions. Large population centers often establish jump gates in their space territory for the sake of trade. Despite the risks and constant targeting by raiders and criminal groups, jump gates are still widely used and patrolled constantly by the SRC and other military groups. Some more popular jump gates are blocked and use tolls; some counteract this by taking longer, more remote gates.

The Humans, despite coming from another galaxy, did not have any form of FTL travel. The original Human fleet waited until the collusions of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies to expand, hence the lack of Human expansion outside of their immediate system. Humans, once entered, quickly coopted the jump gates for use.