Transwarp vs Slipstream
- Thread starter Photon
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I think 1/2 hr one time at Slipstream got them 300 LY @ the end of Season 4.
In Timeless they were able to knock 10 years off, but nothing was said about how long they were in the slipstream.
In Timeless they were able to knock 10 years off, but nothing was said about how long they were in the slipstream.
They just make these things up, you know. They're as fast as the script needs them to be. It's not like there are actual technical specs written down somewhere.
I just spent the last 20 minutes attempting to do the math, and I've come to the conclusion that there is no definite answer to the question, as Starfleet's knowledge of both technologies still requires a lot of research.
It can be said at this point though, that warp technology does hold the possibility of infinite speeds (while at signifigant danger to humanoid life forms). Transwarp, relative to warp drive, is more efficient.
"In general, transwarp factors require much higher engine power to maintain than the equivalent warp factor - for example holding Warp 13 requires 50,000 times as much power as holding Warp 3 does. But in terms of the power required to hold a specific speed, transwarp is far more efficient. The power needed to hold Warp 13 with a transwarp drive could maintain Warp 9.82 with standard warp drive, but while Warp 9.82 equates to 2,530 times lightspeed, Warp 13 is 28,561 times lightspeed - an increase in speed of almost 1,130%." quote
So, while the Borg have access to both technologies, the efficiency of transwarp is obviously more desirable than the possible speeds of Quantum Slipstream. It also would suggest that the Q/S technology is one that even the Borg have yet to completely develop.
It can be said at this point though, that warp technology does hold the possibility of infinite speeds (while at signifigant danger to humanoid life forms). Transwarp, relative to warp drive, is more efficient.
"In general, transwarp factors require much higher engine power to maintain than the equivalent warp factor - for example holding Warp 13 requires 50,000 times as much power as holding Warp 3 does. But in terms of the power required to hold a specific speed, transwarp is far more efficient. The power needed to hold Warp 13 with a transwarp drive could maintain Warp 9.82 with standard warp drive, but while Warp 9.82 equates to 2,530 times lightspeed, Warp 13 is 28,561 times lightspeed - an increase in speed of almost 1,130%." quote
So, while the Borg have access to both technologies, the efficiency of transwarp is obviously more desirable than the possible speeds of Quantum Slipstream. It also would suggest that the Q/S technology is one that even the Borg have yet to completely develop.
According to dialogue and things seen in the episode:
NotAdmiralHayes says in the briefing in Hope and Fear that it'll take the crew three months in Slipstream to reach Federation Space in Hope and Fear.
In Voyager we saw the ship travel to the Alpha Quadrant in the Transwarp Conduit in the period of an episode.
NotAdmiralHayes says in the briefing in Hope and Fear that it'll take the crew three months in Slipstream to reach Federation Space in Hope and Fear.
In Voyager we saw the ship travel to the Alpha Quadrant in the Transwarp Conduit in the period of an episode.
The enterprise went even faster. It went to the center of the galaxy in a single episode, and, it went to a different galaxy in another. When it went to the different galaxy Date reported back it would take at maximum warp over 350 years to return back into federation space. Heck, even in that single episode it went to the edge of the universe. How would you like to go more than 10 billion light years in a single episode?
I'd love to see an episode that long. 
There appear to be various different ways to do transwarp, such as entering a premade conduit in a "standard" ship (like E-D in "Descent"), creating your own conduit with a transwarp coil (like Delta Flier in "Dark Frontier"), or creating your own conduit with Federation technology (as attempted in "Day of Honor" and "Timeless"). No doubt these different approaches result in different achievable speeds...
But certainly the best transwarp performance we have seen has been orders of magnitude faster than the best slipstream performance. Or any performance save for the E-D's "Where No One Has Gone Before" sleigh ride.
Timo Saloniemi
There appear to be various different ways to do transwarp, such as entering a premade conduit in a "standard" ship (like E-D in "Descent"), creating your own conduit with a transwarp coil (like Delta Flier in "Dark Frontier"), or creating your own conduit with Federation technology (as attempted in "Day of Honor" and "Timeless"). No doubt these different approaches result in different achievable speeds...
But certainly the best transwarp performance we have seen has been orders of magnitude faster than the best slipstream performance. Or any performance save for the E-D's "Where No One Has Gone Before" sleigh ride.
Timo Saloniemi
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