Hyperdrive
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| Date |
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4.2.2002 |
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| Submitted by |
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Norbert Frischauf |
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| Title |
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Hyperdrive |
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| Source |
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Star Wars trilogyBeck, Michael. ‘Star Wars – technisches Handbuch’, Band 1,2 & 3, Modern Graphics GmbH, Rastatt (1996) |
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| Context |
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The bigger ships utilise fusion reactors to provide the energy for the Hyperdrive (for superphotonic flight) and to power their weapon systems. |
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| Description |
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The Hoersch-Kessel Ion Drive is a ‘fusion reaction’ converting fuel into ‘charged particles’ directed by ‘baffles or so-called vectrals’ to propel the ship.Extra thrust might be provided by the injection of additional fuel in the ion engines, leading to some sort of an afterburner, as mentioned in various computer games. |
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| Comments |
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It might be interesting to have a look at the Hyperdrive entry in the Star Wars encyclopaedia:the starship engine and its components which allows the ship to travel at supralight speeds through hyperspace. It works with the ship's NavCom unit to assure direction and course changes necessary to manoeuvre through hyperspace are executed without encountering gravity shadows. Most hyperdrives require a fusion generator to propel a ship through space. The hyperdrive is built from a titanium-chromium compound that can withstand the forces needed to push through the space-time fabric of realspace into the hyperspacial continuum. The hyperdrive uses modified gamma radiation to create electromagnetic energy that, when ejected from the hyperdrive, causes the realspace time-space matrix to ripple. The hyperdrive continues to eject electromagnetic energy to push against these ripples, propelling the ship into hyperspace. However, the hyperdrive system can only work in the absence of gravity. This means that a ship must escape from a planet's gravity well before it can jump into hyperspace. Each hyperdrive system is equipped with a cut-off, which returns the ship to realspace if a gravity well is discovered in an unspecified location. This principle allowed the Empire to create the Interdictor-class cruiser as a way to drag Alliance ships out of hyperspace at a specific location. It is rumoured that the hyperdrive was invented aeons ago by a space-faring race from outside the known galaxy. When this race encountered the known galaxy, it first came upon the Corellian System. There, the aliens sold the secrets of the hyperdrive to the Corellians, who studied it for decades before producing their first, working hyperdrive. Interstellar exploration and unification began in earnest. After about 20 years, the Corellians began selling their ideas to other star systems, and a huge galactic community was born, which later evolved into the Old Republic. Hyperdrives are grouped according to their ability to exceed the speed of light, and are categorised by classes.! The lower the class number, the faster the hyperdrive can !propel the ship. For example, the Millennium Falcon can make ".5 past lightspeed," an indication that it had a Class .5 hyperdrive. This class is half- again as fast as Class 1 hyperdrive. |
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| Feasibility |
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Not able to Judge |
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| Keywords |
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space propulsion , hyperdrive |
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