Hyperdrives
Hyperdrives
The hyperdrive is a miracle of technology. For over a thousand generations, it has bound the galaxy together. Powered by incredibly efficient fusion generators, hyperdrive engines hurl ships into hyperspace—a dimension of space-time that allows faster-than-light travel. The theories and realities of hyperspace travel are understood by few but highly trained hyperspace technicians in the astrophysics communities, and even they admit that certain aspects remain a mystery.
Certain things are clear, though.
Hyperspace is coterminous with realspace: each point in realspace is associated with a unique point in hyperspace, and adjacent points in realspace are adjacent in hyperspace. In other words, if you travel “north” in realspace then jump to hyperspace, you’ll be heading “north” in hyperspace as well.
Objects in realspace have a “shadow” in hyperspace. That is, there is a star (or star-like object) in hyperspace at the same location as it occupies in realspace, and this is a danger to those traveling in hyperspace. Colliding with even the smallest objects at hyperspace velocities is often deadly.
This is why astrogation and astrogation computers are so important, and why they are standard aboard most hyperdrive-equipped ships. Careful calculations must be made to assure that a hyperspace-traveling ship doesn’t smash into a planet or star while hurtling through this dimension; only the desperate—or foolhardy—attempt hyperspace jumps without up-to-date astrogation charts and astrogation droids or computers.
Many droids and astrogation computers used on starfighters are capable of containing data for only one hyperspace jump at a time; others, such as the Rebel Alliance Y-wing, can hold up to ten jumps without being reprogrammed.
Larger starships, such as Imperial Star Destroyers and similar models, have large onboard astrogation computers capable of virtually unlimited jump calculations and can store jump coordinates for almost every foreseeable destination the ship may wish to reach.
Even with sophisticated astrogation machines, mistakes are not uncommon. There are millions of stars in the galaxy, and billions of planets (not to mention asteroids and other debris), and space is not static—what was a safe course a few days ago may now be filled with debris from an exploded starship or a collision between larger bodies. Authorities estimate that the locations of more than 90 percent of all large bodies in the galaxy are unknown!
With all these variables, even the largest, most sophisticated computers, operated by the most experienced astrogators, can plot a fatal path through hyperspace—even along well-traveled routes. While it is possible to change course while in hyperspace, this tactic is especially dangerous: the most minor error can send a ship careening thousands of light years off course.
Still, space is largely empty. Millions of jumps are made daily—only a small fraction fail.
Source: REUP:416