Starship Warp Speeds

Helm warp 1 Engage! Captain Picard gave this order in the movie Star Trek Generations. The Enterprise NCC 1701-D escaped the deadly heat of the imploding Amargosa star and subsequent level 12 shockwave. The Enterprise which was in orbit of the Armagosa Observatory had only five minutes to reach safety.

The order "warp 1 Engage!" alerted the navigation officer. The fact Captain Picard said "Engage" meant " Now, on the double." instructing the helm to make it so. Picard usually does'nt stand up to give simple commands, so this only tripple emphasized the hidden meaning - Lets get the hell out of here!

Image Copyright Belongs To Paramount Pictures.

Warp Factor 1 is a unit of measurement determining warp speeds. Its been used since Kirk left spacedock with his galant crew on the first stardate 2323. On stardate 3045.6 the episode "Arena" TOS established for the first time that warp factor six was the normal maximum cruising speed of the Enterprise NCC 1701 and that its panic stations when you reach a maximum speed of warp 8.

Tv viewers also found out that the transporters don't work when the shields are up. The Enterprises encounters with various alien lifeforms enabled the ship to exceed warp 10 reaching warp 14.1. Scotty's complaining about the engines blowing up always prompted Captain Kirk to take corrective action.

Image Copyright Belongs To Paramount Pictures.

By the 24th century starships were bigger and faster. The Galaxy Class was luxurious and spacious compared to Kirks 23rd century Constitution Class where they packed the crew in. A new warp scale was introduced in Picards time, while still making warp 1 the equivilent to the speed of light, warp 10 was theoretically impossible.

Until Lt Tom Paris of Voyager NCC- 74556 ran some extraordinary tests in a shuttle craft and succeeded in reaching the Warp 10 speed. This placed him in all points in the universe at the same time. Had he achieved this record in federation space it would have made him famous.

Under the new warp formula Picard's U.S.S. Enterprise Ncc 1701-D cruising speed of warp 6 is equivilent to Kirk's Enterprise Ncc 1701-A of warp 7.3 on the old scale. The maximum normal warp 9.2 velocity is equal to 11.8 under the old warp system. Alot of advances were made in the last 78 years, starship technology being one.

Due to increased space travel, it was discovered that warp fields were wearing away the fabric of the space time continum. A new upper warp speed was established in " Force of Nature - TNG" for all starships. Unmodified warp engines were limited to warp 5.

I guess all they needed was a good catalytic converter. Problem easily solved for Starfleets Core of Engineers. Poor Geordi, stuck in engineering warping around at W5, man he must have been sooo depressed...wheres the fun, if you can't go for a spin anymore?

Live Long and Prosper Trekkers!

Voyager I and II's Interstellar Journey

Mans thirst for knowledge of the outer planets, interstellar space bodies and our galaxy led to the approval of Voyager Mission in 1972.

The Voyagers probes I and II are nearly identical and were overseen by the engineers at the Jet Propulsion Labratory (JPL). Launched using Titan/Centaur rockets in August and September of 1977 these satelites are really big with 65,000 individual parts.

The satelites are able to generate their own electrical powered energy from the natural radioactive decay of plutonium into electricty to power the satelites instruments, computers, radio and other craft systems.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

How Satelites Work from Satelite to Ground


The Voyager spacecraft will discontinue around 2020 because its Radioisotopes will cease. Sad really because these machines are Earth's first spectacular interstellar explorers.

Voyagers Grand Tour Of Space

Above is Voyager 1's actual farewell view of the earth and its moon. This was relayed to earths ball of beings in a single frame on september 1977 as it continued on its journey into the vast expanse of space.


Image credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech.

Voyager Specifications

Voyager Mission Satelites.

High Gain Antenna.
Wide Angle Camera.
Narrow Angle Camera.
Plasma Detector.
Cosmic Ray Detector.
Housing Electronics Bus.
Ultraviolet Spectrometer.
Infrared Spectrometer and Radiometer.
Low Energy Charged Particle Detector.
Photopolarimeter.
High Field Magnetometer.
Low Field Magnetometer.
Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator.
Planetary Radio Astronomy and Plasma Ware Antenna



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Voyager Finds Three Surprises

Spock goes on an adventure of his own. Spacesuited he leaves the Enterprise NCC 1701-A and investigates the unknown chambers of Vger. Inside the Vger vessel he finds to his amazement a world of the mechanical and organic beings. Llia is one of the organics stored as a perfect 3D electrical energy pattern.


" Jim, Vgers programming is incomplete. Vger is cold, barren. This simple feeling - not possible."
"Vger's asking questions, is this all that I am, is there nothing more?" - Spock

The poor machine was longing for human company all along.

Live Long and Prosper Trekkers!

Worf's Klingonspeak

The Klingon Language was invented for Star Trek The Motion Picture by James Doohan. He became famous for Scotty's highlands accent and getting the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 out of scrapes.

Except for peoples names the Klingon language was never spoken before Star Trek 1. In the Search for Spock, the linguist Marc Okrand developed James Doohans Klingon Language. The dialogue evolved.


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Worf and Martok in Deep Space 9's Holosuites

Taking half a dozen words Okrand identifed the command form of words. Core words were key. He was able to elaborate and add sounds and grammatical structure. Klingonspeak is a real Language with words and grammar not just sounds.

Sins of the father in Star Trek's TNG was Worfs story and a relaunch of the Klingon Mythos. The Klingon Dictionary is the Official Guide to Klingon words and phrases. It explains how the grammar works for all you aspiring Klingons! The TNG used the dictionary.

Michael Dorn Flies a Military Training Jet F-86!

Michael Dorn has read the book. In an interview given by the actor, "Worf" happily mentions the Klingon Dictionary, its description of Klingons and their behaviour. Michael freely admitted that the book helped him develop his Klingon character and got him the part for the Star Trek's TNG. Marc Okrand can be pleased for his contribution replied Michael Dorn smiling. Its hard to picture, but yes, Worf was smiling!

Live Long and Prosper, Trekkers!