FTL Factor

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FTL Factors are a system introduced by Kit Fernel for describing the speed of a starship traveling faster than light (FTL). FTL factors are not absolute, and determine how fast a spacecraft is moving relative to the speed of light and not any specific object.

FTL Factors Chart

The Gudersnipe Foundation created a chart of specific factors which was later adopted by the Alliance Space Comission.

FTL Factor Times LS
1 100
2 900
3 2600
4 3200
5 5000
6 5400
7 6200
8 8000
9 10000
10 10400
11 11000
12 11700
13 13000
14 15600
15 16000
16 16800
17 17300
18 18000
19 20200
20 22400


This chart does not account for time spent accelerating decelerating. Based on these speeds a ship traveling at FTL Factor 20 would need approximately 4.5 years to cross an average-sized galaxy. FTL factors are only used within galaxies.

FTL in the Void

FTL factors were established by Kit Fernel in the early Golden Age in order to help ships determine maximum safe speeds. A typical FTL drive, if given sufficient power, can travel much faster than Factor 20, but gravitational fields of stars and planets cause unpredictable bursts of acceleration and deceleration, making accurate navigation impossible past Factor 20.

However, in the voids between galaxies, where much greater distances must be crossed by graviational interfearance is not an issue, dramatically greater speeds are possible.

There is no factor system, however a System X is sometimes employed by the Gudersnipe Foundation. Under System X, speeds are calculated according to a number(x) times FTL Factor 20, an expressed as 20x(X). FTL Factor 20x20 is 22,400 times the speed of light times 20, or 448,000 times the speed of light.

Intergalactic crossings can typically be made significantly faster than galactic crossings, with an average trip between galaxies being made at FTL Factor 20x80, or about 1,292,000 times the speed of light.

Because of the extreme speeds attained, a ship might travel above a galaxy until coming to a point relatively near it's destination, before slowing to resume velocities in the normal FTL Factor scale.

The highest velocity ever recorded was by a specially built Gudersnipe School ship Galaxy Chaser powered by eight Zero-Point Generators, she ship reached FTL Factor 20x102, or 22,848,000 times the speed of light.