Any one here remember any trek episode that has a starship using impulse drive in
reverse ? Thank you in advance
reverse ? Thank you in advance
Starship going using impulse drive in reverse
- Thread starter Bernard Guignard
- Start date
Yes, any time they slow to a full stop.
In TOS, plenty of times. Specific episodes:
"Who Mourns for Adonais" - impulse engines to rock the ship forward and back.
"The Immunity Syndrome" - impulse engines used to keep from falling into space ameoba and specifically used to back out of the amoeba at the end.
"The Paradise Syndrome" - Enterprise appears to be traveling backwards on impulse to the planet after failing to split the asteroid.
In TNG - IIRC "Relics". Scotty and Laforge examine a sensor scan of the E-D using full impulse in reverse.
Thank you for those examples.
Yes... there are several examples in both TOS and TNG.
Impulse engines are basically field generators/manipulators. Similar to a Warp bubble, a starship generates a low level subspace field around itself which lowers its inertial mass, which then allows it to travel at speeds of 1 quarter of light speed (at least).
Its also worth noting that what ships are doing is manipulating the field around them, giving them omnidirectional range of movement (same thing was done with Warp drive when it was used in reverse too in TOS).
Field manipulation.
I also posit that in sublight, thrusters are used in combination with impulse engines for extremely fast/nimble maneuvering (thanks to the reduced inertial mass).
I wouldn't be surprised if there was a "Gravimetric Drive" like Babylon 5 that allowed Omni-Directional movement & Rotation, but wasn't great at linear acceleration.
While Impulse Drive was great at Linear Acceleration.
Combined, you have modern STL movement.
keep in mind that thrust reversers are something that might well be included on impulse engine systems. and there might be smaller impulse drives mounted around the ship as well, not just thruster packs.
and while there are indications that subspace field trickery is involved with impulse systems, the official description of them is that of fusion rockets. any subspace stuff is clearly secondary or tertiary to how they operate, not the primary method of propulsion.
and while there are indications that subspace field trickery is involved with impulse systems, the official description of them is that of fusion rockets. any subspace stuff is clearly secondary or tertiary to how they operate, not the primary method of propulsion.
Generations - Enterprise-B at the Nexus - "All engines, full reverse!"
In addition to the thrust reverser idea mentioned above, it's possible there is some forcefield directed thrust vectoring of the impulse exhaust so that it can be aimed to the sides, forward, up or down for greater maneuverability.
In addition to the thrust reverser idea mentioned above, it's possible there is some forcefield directed thrust vectoring of the impulse exhaust so that it can be aimed to the sides, forward, up or down for greater maneuverability.
Similar to the thrust reversers on an airplane.
^ Yep - Impulse is a gravitic drive. There may be 'Impulse Rockets' as well for low-speed work, but it's impractical to go anywhere near 40-50% light speed on reaction drives.
Just look at DS9 when they moved the station. That's basically how impulse works.
The drive forms a bubble, but it's not powerfull enough for FTL
The drive forms a bubble, but it's not powerfull enough for FTL
Considering that the TOS Enterprise has no obvious thrusters on the model I suspect there is nothing to retcon. Although we do know from dialogue that the ship generates thrust in impulse and warp.
Or they are just plain "rockets" for emergencies on Pike's Enterprise (Spock calls for "rockets"). YMMV...
Any chance that the two big triangular features on the underside of the TOS saucer may be two (impulse) thrusters for steering, reversing plus extra thrust for breaking orbit? These triangular features are dropped on the Enterprise refit/A maybe with the addition of the RCS thrusters (also installed at an angle to forward flight.) Further, the "linear" feature on the top-rear of the TOS saucer could have been part of the maneuvering system (I call it the impulse keel/rudder) which also disappeared with the refit. Was the other RCS thrusters added to the refit saucer and warp nacelles to replace the old TOS impulse steering system? YMMV
.Any chance that the two big triangular features on the underside of the TOS saucer may be two (impulse) thrusters for steering, reversing plus extra thrust for breaking orbit? These triangular features are dropped on the Enterprise refit/A maybe with the addition of the RCS thrusters (also installed at an angle to forward flight.) Further, the "linear" feature on the top-rear of the TOS saucer could have been part of the maneuvering system (I call it the impulse keel/rudder) which also disappeared with the refit. Was the other RCS thrusters added to the refit saucer and warp nacelles to replace the old TOS impulse steering system? YMMV
The two big triangular features on the underside of the TOS saucer could be what you describe but then I'd also would like to see it on the top of the saucer as well. Personally I find the TMP Enterprise a major step backwards in technology with the introduction of the RCS thrusters (even their placement is unbalanced).
I do tend to think of the "linear" feature on the top-rear of the TOS saucer as part of the FTL Impulse system. From directly above it resembles the Excelsior's warp nacelle from the side...
It is entirely possible that like her phasers, the thrusters that work with the TOS' impulse and warp engines are hidden from view and only expose themselves when necessary which would keep to the idea that everything is serviceable from the safety of the inside of the ship. IMHO
Those triangle shapes have long been identified as landing gear, going back at least til the 1970s and I feel like I've even read somewhere that it was Jefferies intention that they be such (though I can't back that up as I can't recall where I may have heard that).
Although this was still assumed when the TMP ship was being designed, as four of the rectangle shapes on the lower saucer were intended to also be landing gear.
---Alex
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