Space Travel 101

> Note: This Article is written in an OOC Format
>
>

## Ship Movement

The following are basic rules and mechanics of space travel in the Sword and Shield setting. Since this is an original setting, everything won’t work 100% like another universe.

### Hyperspace

Hyperspace requires a hyperdrive. A hyperdrive allows a ship to move faster than light. A hyperdrive is too large to fit on single-man crafts, such as fighters, personal orbital conveyances, etc. The smallest ship that can carry an FTL drive is 350 meters in any standard measurement. The following rules apply to Hyperspace:

* Hyperspace cannot be used within the habitable zone of a star. Within that area, sub-light only. Dispatch Boats are immune to this, due to special drives.
* A hyperdrive cannot be activated within .5 light seconds (half a light second, which is halfway between Earth and the Moon) of any large celestial body, or a large space station/ship greater than 20km, if already outside the hyper limit.
* A ship in hyperspace moves 1,000 light years in 24 Earth hours.
* Hyperdrive cannot be activated when interference is high. This is caused by increased radiation, increased gravitational fields, or powerful ECM generated by multiple Hyper-capable ships. This is usually done with small ships.
* A ship in hyperspace cannot be tracked, followed, attacked, or communicated with, meaning you never see a ship coming until it arrives. You CAN determine the direction of travel, as hyperspace is linear. This means that to change the direction of travel, you have to come out of hyperspace.
* Hyperspace travel can be interrupted (any affected ship drops into normal space) by a null zone, which is generated the same way as one uses to prevent a jump: Powerful ECM, radiation, powerful gravitational fields, etc. This is accomplished by multiple ships producing the zone. Naturally, this is produced by the radiation from a supernova and by passing too close to a black hole. The smaller the ships used to produce the null zone, the more ships you need.
* Hyperdrives have varying ranges, based on quality. The best quality hyperdrives allow for a trip of 80,000 light-years in a single jump. Lesser qualities, or older drives, have lesser range.
* All hyperdrives have a recharge time, so you cannot pop out, then pop back in. There is a 5 minute recharge time for civilian drives, 30 second recharge for modern warships.
* You cannot hide the hyper footprint (the energy bloom of a ship coming out of hyperspace). Hyperfootprints do not apply to ships entering hyperspace.
* You can come out of hyperdrive at any point, provided you are not within a star’s hyper limit or too close to a large celestial body
* All ships move at the same speed in hyperspace except Dispatch boats, as they have a unique drive that allows them faster movement.
* You cannot enter hyperspace in motion. You must be completely stopped to enter hyperspace. When you come out of Hyperspace, you are also at a complete stop.
* Hyperdrives must charge before firing. You cannot pre-charge them, but you can abort a charge.
* Coming out of hyperspace afflicts a ship with Hyperblindness. for anywhere between 10 seconds to a full minute, depending on the ship, the sensors are still fighting with the radiation of hyperspace travel to gather and compile data.

#### Hyperspace Rings

Hyperspace rings were a reward for participating in the VENGEANCE Arc, though all Hyperspace Rings require Cold Fusion to work. Rings take three months to build and alter hyperspace travel.

* Any vessel with a standard sub-light drive can enter a Hyperspace ring, regardless of size.
* Ships in hyperspace move at double the speed of normal hyperdrives.
* Rings have a max range of 500 light years
* Travel via a Ring is along a set path to the destination that was set before the ship entered the Ring.
* If a ring along the path is disabled, any ship passing through it is pulled out of Hyperspace.
* Rings can be disabled with weapon's fire or EMP, or outright destroyed.
* Once you have entered a Ring, you cannot exit until you arrive at your destination or pass through a disabled ring.
* Anyone with the proper code can shut down any ring. This code is usually only used by the controllers of the Ring.
* Communications and weapons fire CANNOT utilize the Ring.
* Rings built inside the Hyperlimit of a star cannot function.
* Once built, rings are stationary. Rings orbiting a star are considered still connected to the network.
* Any ship using a Ring can go to ANY other Ring, so long as a path exists between them. The longest single path currently possible connects Northern Saiyu to the Nestubius Nebula, via the Solarian Hyperspace Network.

### Sub-light travel

Sub-light refers to speeds slower than light, which is normal travel.

* Sub-light speeds differ based on the mass of the ship. The more mass a ship has, the slower it moves. No Battleship or Carrier should ever move faster than a Corvette at max speed.
* Stopping is not instant. You have to decelerate first, so there’s no stopping on a dime.
* The more mass a ship has, the more powerful the engine needed, as well as the more time needed to come to a full and complete stop.
* Ships 1 kilometer or larger cannot enter the atmosphere of a planet.
* Anything larger than 110km cannot orbit a planet without causing gravitational disruption, wrecking the environment.

To determine the speed of a ship in sub-light, use the following equation:

> ([Ship Length in metric] / 5) x 6
>
>

If using meters, the result is in minutes. If kilometers, the result is hours. The distance is one AU, or 149.6 million kilometers. so if the result is 15 hours, it takes 15 hours to move one AU.

## Communications

Communications refer to audio, visual, or text either broadcast or streamed. Communications move at FTL speeds, but after a light-year, you start getting an incremental delay. Meaning you eventually stop being able to directly stream. Communications come in two types: Direct and general.

### Direct

Direct communications go to a specific target or number of targets. This is normally encrypted and has a limited range. Range can be boosted by use of relays or other ships at various points. Can be picked up by anyone close enough with the right receiver tuned to the right frequency or have a line to one of the two points, though if the broadcast is encrypted, they might not be able to listen in. Range on Direct comms is 1,000LY. A friendly station or ship is required to relay the signal another 1k LY, such as the vast network of relays and listening posts in the Solarian Empire. Direct comms move at 1k LY per hour. Direct communication is Point A to Point B. To link Point C in, you have to have permission of Point A, the side that initiated the link.

### General

General communications are a general broadcast, akin to shouting out loud. Anyone can pick it up and it can have unlimited range, though the range can be shortened, with a minimum distance is about a light year. If you make a general broadcast in a star system, everyone with the right receiver can pick it up. However, it can also be blocked through the use of communication equipment designed to intercept transmissions (an example is the extensive array of listening posts scattered throughout the Solarian Empire). These broadcasts can be encrypted, but are generally less secure. General broadcasts move at normal hyperspace speeds.

## References

1. ↑ With the advent of Cold Fusion, nations with access to this technology only need 150m, instead of 350m.
2. ↑ If using a Hyperspace Ring, it's 2,000 light years in 24 earth hours.
3. ↑ The exceptions to this rule are Rings placed by VENGEANCE Forces.