Quantum Slipstream Drive

A ship in quantum slipstream.

The quantum slipstream drive is an advanced form of interstellar propulsion that achieved and exceeded what failed Federation attempts using transwarp were meant to do: exceed the warp speed barrier. Originally developed by an advanced species native to the Delta Quadrant, the technology was obtained by the USS Voyager in 2374 and used for an aborted test in early 2375 that nearly destroyed the ship.

The slipstream is a narrowly-focused, directed warp field that is initiated by manipulating the fabric of the space-time continuum at the quantum level. It works by focusing a quantum field through a deflector dish to generate massive changes in local space curvature; this creates a subspace tunnel, which is projected in front of the vessel. Once a ship has entered this tunnel, the forces inside propel it at incredible speed. In order to maintain the slipstream a ship has to constantly modify the quantum field with its deflector dish; however, the calculations involved were too complicated for 24th century Star Fleet technology, and the time available was too short before the vessel out-paces the tunnel, collapsing the slipstream.

By 2415, thanks to decades of increased military spending, Star Fleet believed they had cracked the mystery of Slipstream Drive: generating the slipstream corridors required more processing power than forming warp fields; the computational power required is directly related to the frontal geometry of a vessel and lesser to the ship geometry. Therefore, slipstream propelled ships are generally narrow and compact with aerodynamic lines. However, they are also more energy-efficient than warp drive. The first tests had not taken geometry into account and failed, sometimes spectacularly, but the first Slip Vessel to successfully maintain a slipstream corridor was launched in 2416.

The first ships to receive Slipstream Drive were the Vesta Class Explorers, but Star Fleet has plans to gradually phase out older designs and replace them with newer Slipstream-capable vessels.

Slipstream Velocity Scale

VELOCITY (WF EQUIVALENT)	x LIGHT-SPEED	TO NEAR STAR	ACROSS SECTOR
Warp 11	32,561	1.3 Hours	5.4 Hours
Warp 12	47,474	55 Minutes	3.7 Hours
Warp 13	67,156	39 Minutes	2.6 Hours
Warp 14	92,588	28 Minutes	2 Hours
Warp 15	124,852	21 Minutes	1.4 Hours
Warp 16	165,140	16 Minutes	1 Hour
Warp 17	214,756	12 Minutes	49 Minutes
Warp 18	275,115	9 Minutes	38 Minutes
Warp 19	347,749	7 Minutes	30 Minutes
Warp 20	Infinite	0	0