Warriors of the Klingon Empire come to drink and sing songs of past glory

Que about braking when in Warp speed?

My husband proposed a very thought provoking question. When a ship is in warp speeds and it needs so slow down and come to a stop. How do they do that? Does the ship have braking flaps somewhere like on a jet aircraft?

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Permalink Reply by Warg on April 8, 2011 at 1:47pm

Flaps would do precious little in slowing a vehicle, as there is no atmosphere to generate resistance. Dropping out of warp is such a drastic deceleration that it often appears that the vehicle actually stops, by comparison. Reverse thrusters are designed to engage upon command, and are often utilized to halt a vessel.

This is all standard knowledge, available to any Bekk at KDF HQ.

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Permalink Reply by KMel_Tortelli on April 8, 2011 at 2:16pm

That is what I kinda thought too. Just like they would use on the Space shuttle or any other type of space craft.

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Permalink Reply by loghaD on May 12, 2011 at 5:02am

I don't think thrusters would help all that much; the main mechanism for stopping would be the collapsation of the warp field (the subspace displacement field which allows ships to travel at superluminal velocity).

Indeed, if warp drive is anything like the Alcubierre drive (and it is a matter of some dispute whether or not it is), it is not so much the ship that's moving, but the distorted region of space surrounding it.

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Permalink Reply by Warg on June 8, 2011 at 5:10pm

loghaD!

How is it that you've survived this long, paying so little note to detail?

No one has suggested that reverse thrusters be used to halt a vessel travelling at warp speed. I only even mention them as a method of halting the vehicle once it has dropped back into normal space.

The one posing the question understands My answer, and will not benefit from the muddled advice of some upstart attempting to make a name for himself amongst Warriors.

;)

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Permalink Reply by loghaD on June 9, 2011 at 10:10am

Qu'vatlh! My attention to detail is flawless, but contrary to common belief, the Fek'lhr lies not in the details but in the context in which they are communicated; I know this, for in my travels I have pursued and subdued this Fek'lhr on many occasions.

The one posing the question may or may not have understood your intentions, but when you speak publicly you must own your words in whatever ears they may land, and not only in those of the person you are addressing. A young warrior's thirst for knowledge is unquenchable, and in this age this thirst is coupled with technology that puts the galaxy's knowledge at their fingertips. Their journey is laden with obstacles, and while it does not fall on us to fight their Fek'lhri for them, it no more falls on us to instigate these encounters, but instead to arm young warriors with the weapons they need to overcome them.

You have spoken no untruth, but the context in which you mention the use of thrusters when halting a ship plants the seeds of misconception. You make no mention of the mechanism used when dropping out of warp, but instead divert the reader's attention to a technology which is irrelevant to the discussion.
There is a Fek'lhr in this room, and while you did not invite it, you have provided it with a tactical advantage.

I will not banish this Fek'lhr, for it is not my place to do so, but I intend to make sure that any who come here in search for knowledge will be equipped to fight it. Join me or step aside; I will tolerate no other action from you.

[Out of character clarification: This post is, of course, written in jest.]

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Permalink Reply by Warg on June 11, 2011 at 2:40pm

The glob flies are remarkably annoying this time of year.

If the one feels so inclined to take the hand of every cleaned-and-pressed academy graduate that wanders, bumbling, through their military career, I will certainly not stand in the way.

Disruptor fodder is an often useful commodity in warfare.

[Ditto :) ]

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Permalink Reply by Ke'reth epetai Makura on May 26, 2011 at 4:38am

What's the old rule about the Newton's First law of Motion?

If a body is at rest it remains at rest or if it is in motion it moves with uniform velocity until it is acted on by a resultant force.

With "Breaking" I wonder if they have to reverse the the direction of the the Engines, a little like throwing the vehicle into reverse, only more gradually - so that the crew doesn't turn instantly into the consistency of jam. Forcefields (structural integrity fields) stop the ship from tearing itself inside out or apart. Just a thought, I'm no engineer. . .

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Permalink Reply by loghaD on May 26, 2011 at 10:34am

Aye, but if warp drive is anything like an Alcubierre drive, decelerating the ship wouldn't necessarily require any net force on the ship itself; what you'd need to do is flatten the region of spacetime surrounding it.