Sub-light Drives

Starships fly at slower-than-light (STL) speeds using sublight drives.

Type classification

There are two types of sublight drives, type A and type B.

Type A sublight drives are used to propel a starship from a planetary surface into orbit, and from there into open space, where a ship can engage its FTL drive or type B sublight drive also known as a Long-Haul Drive. Long-Haul Drives consume more energy than Type A sublight drives and are less maneuverable, but faster, designed to reach distances beyond local planetary orbits.

Simply put, Type A's are used in short-range travel and type B's are used in inter-planetary travel.

Technological progression

Low tech

• Solar sail
• Chemical rockets

Intermediate tech

• Plasma thrusters
• Ion drive
• Muon drive
• Gluon drive

Advanced tech

• Impulse engine
• Gravimetric engines
• Subspace Distortion Engine