Warp drive

Warp drive is a faster-than-light (FTL) spacecraft propulsion system in many science fiction works, most notably Star Trek. A spacecraft equipped with a warp drive may travel at fantasy speeds greater than that of light by many orders of magnitude. In contrast to other FTL technologies such as a jump drive or hyper drive, the warp drive does not permit instantaneous (or near instantaneous) travel between two points but involves a measurable passage of time which is problematic to the concept. Spacecraft at warp velocity theoretically continue to interact with objects in "normal space". Other science fiction in which warp drive technology is featured include Stars!, EVE Online, Earth and Beyond, StarCraft, DarkSpace, Starship Troopers, Doctor Who, WALL-E, FTL: Faster Than Light and Star Ocean. The general concept of "warp drive" was introduced by John W. Campbell in his 1931 novel Islands of Space. A similar concept known as the "hyperdrive" in the science fiction franchise Star Wars functions also in a similar manner by manipulating the dimensions of spatial vacuum in front of a spaceship and behind it, giving it immense speed by giving it around and slightly beyond light speed capability.