Hyperspace

[Arioch]

Some xkcd-style musings on failure modes of jump travel.



(Split into a new thread to avoid dragging the other one further off topic.)

[Siber]

Got a good laugh out of the ones past the star

[osmium]

whiff

doink

liberate

What happens in these cases?

whiff/ doink you get back in but in the wrong system? or you * might* very unlikely end up in the wrong system but probably end up forever in hyperspace a la liberate.

-O

[dex drako]

this was a good laugh! lol

whiff

doink

liberate

What happens in these cases?

whiff/ doink you get back in but in the wrong system? or you * might* very unlikely end up in the wrong system but probably end up forever in hyperspace a la liberate.

-O

both are equaly possible but both will also end up with the unlucky ship unable to ever get back home to tell anyone about it.

[Arioch]

If a hyperspace trajectory has enough momentum in the +hyperspace direction, it may never return to the plane of realspace.

If the trajectory does intersect realspace again, there are three possible outcomes: successful entry, a skip or "doink", or "liberation"... exit from hyperspace into "somewhere else." A doink might lead to another doink, or any of the other possible outcomes.

Since there is no feedback from anyone who has experienced a failed jump, there are no details or confirmations on these theoretical outcomes.

[fredgiblet]

Since we have a post about hyperspace here. What happens if a ship drops out of hyperspace into an area occupied by something else?

[Arioch]

Since we have a post about hyperspace here. What happens if a ship drops out of hyperspace into an area occupied by something else?

As mentioned in the Insider page on FTL, the result is an ordinary collision.

[sunphoenix]

So any close Hyperspace precipitation into normal space that is trajectory-wise tangent to the gravity well is mostly safe {see collisions}, but any hyperspace precipitation into normal space into a perpendicular gravity well in relation to trajectory is... well ...VERY BAD! In such cases ships usually are lost... elsewhere...

How... intriguing.

"I have no intention of leaving her, Doctor. I will take the Lewis and Clark to a safe distance, and then I will launch TAC missiles at the Event Horizon until I'm satisfied she's vaporized!"

[Voitan]

Ah, this is much better.

Can ships in hyperspace observe and interact with other ships/objects in hyperspace?

Is it possible to sling back and forth perpetually in hyperspace between one star and the origin star?

If a ship should say, fire onto another ship in hyperspace, anything different in comparison to real space?

[Karst45]

If you jump on a vector pointed at a star from inside that star's gravity well, the exit point from hyperspace is going to be very close to the star's center of mass. Most likely inside the star itself.

Nova bomb anyone?

what about twins star? would the jump end up between both star?

[Arioch]

During a successful jump, the amount of time spent in hyperspace is very short, a fraction of a second. During that time the transiting ship is completely blind (since it's traveling faster than the speed of light). It's theoretically possible for two objects to collide in hyperspace, but it's very unlikely.

Is it possible to sling back and forth perpetually in hyperspace between one star and the origin star?

I'm not sure exactly what you mean. Momentum is retained upon re-entry into normal space, so to jump back to your original star, you must first cancel out your velocity and re-accelerate to an opposite vector. This takes time and energy, and the jump itself takes energy.

[Cdr Straker]

Okay, so the "whiff" guys- Do they even know that they're screwed? Are they all looking at their watches going "man, this commute gets worse every day!".

[Voitan]

During a successful jump, the amount of time spent in hyperspace is very short, a fraction of a second. During that time the transiting ship is completely blind (since it's traveling faster than the speed of light). It's theoretically possible for two objects to collide in hyperspace, but it's very unlikely.

Is it possible to sling back and forth perpetually in hyperspace between one star and the origin star?

I'm not sure exactly what you mean. Momentum is retained upon re-entry into normal space, so to jump back to your original star, you must first cancel out your velocity and re-accelerate to an opposite vector. This takes time and energy, and the jump itself takes energy.

Not exiting hyperspace, patrolling between the two stars.

Then maybe do something diabolical, like put a psychic loroi mind in a torpedo that "patrols" hyper space and looking for unrecognizable "alien" minds to hunt.

[Ktrain]

Not exiting hyperspace, patrolling between the two stars.

Then maybe do something diabolical, like put a psychic loroi mind in a torpedo that "patrols" hyper space and looking for unrecognizable "alien" minds to hunt.

I doubt given Loroi culture such an "innovative" weapon would be employed. They are not as big on bio-engineering as the Bugmen.

[Arioch]

Not exiting hyperspace, patrolling between the two stars.

No. You're essentially ballistic in hyperspace. There's no way to turn around.

[icekatze]

hi hi

I would think that since the hyper-space trajectory keeps going and is influenced by gravity that eventually, after a well nigh infinite distance, practically instantly, subjected to well nigh infinite gravitational perturbations, the traveling ship would exit hyperspace somewhere. Even if that somewhere is a galaxy far far away.

[Voitan]

hi hi

I would think that since the hyper-space trajectory keeps going and is influenced by gravity that eventually, after a well nigh infinite distance, practically instantly, subjected to well nigh infinite gravitational perturbations, the traveling ship would exit hyperspace somewhere. Even if that somewhere is a galaxy far far away.

Or this galaxy's super massive blackhole.

[Karst45]

How is energy consumption of the Jump drive?

because i assume it do consume energy. Do it suck up energy along the way but it seem weird since it instantaneous, do you need to charge it prior to the jump?

The answer could mean that when you miss a jump. your energy reserve will drain until your force out of Hyperspace, that could mean destruction. But on the other hand, if travel is instantaneous wouldn't all the energy be consumed (no exit point)? making the jump dull and leaving the ship strangled at the jump point?

[Voitan]

Not exiting hyperspace, patrolling between the two stars.

No. You're essentially ballistic in hyperspace. There's no way to turn around.

True, that is basically a 180 degree turn there.

However, if say you continued to aim yourself to the next grav well (if at all possible while still within hyperspace) and not exit hyperspace, can you "curve" yourself back to a home system to restart the process all over again?

I just imagine if such hyperspace "mines/torpedos" exhist, going into hyperspace for the enemy would be like Russian roullette for individual ships in the fleet, and see a glorious explosion from a ship that got hit, or see it smoking and wrecked upon exiting hyperspace.

Maybe not possible, or present now in Outsider, but perhaps in the future, a Historian weapon?

[icekatze]

hi hi

Hey, a super massive black hole is technically somewhere.

I think what happens as far as energy expenditure is that energy is expended to enter hyperspace, but it is only the force of gravity at the destination that pulls you back out again. So presumably, once you're in hyperspace, you stay in hyperspace unless pulled out by something in realspace.

I get the impression that hyperspace travel is pretty much instant from the point of view of the traveler, so there's no real chance of doing anything other than suddenly finding yourself at your destination.