How Can Warp Drive Travel Faster Than Light? Alcubierre Warp Drive Explained

The concept of traveling beyond the speed of light has been given theoretical grounding through the Alcubierre warp drive. Proposed by physicist Miguel Alcubierre in the 1990s, this warp drive involves creating a space-time bubble around a spacecraft. By contracting space in front of the spacecraft and expanding it behind, the ship can ride a wave of space-time, seemingly achieving faster-than-light travel without breaking the cosmic speed limit. In essence, it's the space around the ship that moves, not the ship itself, allowing for rapid traversal of vast distances.

The theoretical feasibility of the Alcubierre warp drive hinges on generating an immense amount of energy, currently beyond our technological capabilities. The ship's warp core, similar to a nuclear reactor, would utilize matter and antimatter collisions to produce the necessary energy for warping space. While this concept was initially fictional, Alcubierre proposed a solution to Einstein's Field Equation that aligned with the principles of the Star Trek Warp Drive.

NASA has recently developed a model of Alcubierre Warp Drive. Ongoing developments and models inspired by the Alcubierre Drive suggest that interstellar travel might not be confined to science fiction in the distant future.

The Alcubierre Warp Drive presents an intriguing approach to faster-than-light travel by manipulating spacetime. Unlike traditional propulsion, this theoretical model involves compressing spacetime in front of a spacecraft and expanding it behind, creating a "warp bubble." Within this bubble, the vessel remains stationary relative to its local spacetime, allowing for apparent superluminal speeds without violating Einstein's cosmic speed limit. However, the concept hinges on speculative physics, requiring exotic matter with negative energy density, a substance yet to be observed.

Can We Travel Faster Than Light Using A Warp Drive? Alcubierre Warp Drive explained in this video. Do you think traveling faster than light speed would ever be possible?

Creative Director: Lakshay
Editor: Aman Kaushal/Team 121 Creators
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Production: World Of Science Media

[TheWorldOfScienceCo]

If we had a functional warp drive today, where in the universe would be your dream destination? 🤔

[joegroup]

To get to the nearest star system of Alpha Centauri in a day, would require a spaceship travelling at 1500 times the speed of light. This show how gargantuan the spaces are between star systems.

[michaelsullivan]

Does the warp bubble prevent you from striking objects in outer space? Even hitting something microscopic at that speed would destroy your ship

[Centauri]

Does this mean that Star Trek nailed it 50 years ago? Life imitates art.

[faremuddlin]

There is grave concern over warp drive navigation and collision avoidance. If the issue can’t be resolved, it will be called the ‘Albuquerque Drive’.

[UnexpectedBooks]

One reason why the speed of light, equivalent to the speed of causality, can’t be exceeded is because that introduces logical consistencies in the universe. How does a warp bubble approach prevent these inconsistencies?

[aurinator]

The limitation AFAIK isn't the technology per se but the need for exotic and as far as we currently know nonexistent matter with negative mass. We may someday learn of a way to simulate that but it also might end up being what makes this idea impossible.

[xanapoli]

Space time and photons are just concepts within a model. Space time is made of what? Spacetimons or better gravitons. A solenoid of electrons creates a beam of photons and a toroid a spiral of photons. So a toroid of photons will create a spiral of gravitons or a worm hole and a solenoid a graviton beam, allowing travel faster than photons, because in this model the graviton is the smallest faster particle, as described at Sandaero.

[richardwarren]

The ability to bend space and create a warp bubble is fascinating. More research needs to be done.

[philschiavone]

Warp drive is possible if only you can find an exotic substance that would yield have enough energy to create a warp bubble.

[brianwalls]

A Wise Man once told me that, "Anything is possible and that Nothing is impossible."

[Subramanian.C.N]

Hi. First of all, I'm really proud to say that I'm not a physicist. I just only know basic classical physics. This is just my hypothesis. When we talk about light, we talk about massless photons. As photons are massless, the speed of light cannot be determined but, we could determine its speed because of gravity without which light would become instantaneous irrespective of distance meaning, it is the gravity that slows down light. According to Einstein's theory of general relativity, gravity has no direct effect on electromagnetic waves but, when gravity has the ability to interact with Space-Time to warp it, why can't it interact with electromagnetic waves? I certainly know that this is weird but, the fact is that our whole Universe is weird. There is another point which has to be clarified which is the reason why there can be no other thing that can travel faster than light. The basic prerequisite for a thing to travel at the speed of light is that it should be massless like photons and should be electromagnetic. But, even if something is massless, gravity remains the same and hence, if there is an another thing which is massless it can't break the record speed of light though it could travel at the same speed of light. As gravity varies at different parts of our Universe, it is wise to ask whether the speed of light is the same at all parts of our Universe. Certainly NO. Though the speed of light would vary at different parts of our Universe the difference would be very minimal because, everything in our Universe is controlled by the Great Attractor. To be honest and to put it precisely, our physicists haven't measured the speed of light at different parts of our Universe yet because, to measure it we have to travel at the speed of light which is attainable only if we become massless. The speed of light becomes the landmark of speed just because of being massless. If gravity reduces then the speed of light will increase and if gravity increases the speed of light will decrease. This doesn't apply to light alone but, to all electromagnetic waves. Heat is an electromagnetic radiation that travels at the speed of light. Sound travels slower than the speed of light because it is not electromagnetic. We all know that gravity warps Space-Time. But, I hypothesise that Time cannot exist without Gravity. Light never experiences time because, it is massless which directly imply that it is the gravity and mass that defines time. Time can be experienced only by particles with mass. A particle's maximum attainable speed is determined by its mass. If mass increases its maximum attainable speed decreases. We cannot increase the momentum of any particle with mass to travel at the speed of light though we can make any massless particle to travel at the speed of light, if we can find massless fuel and massless container to propel it. Though we've discovered and defined many things, the divine fact is that we all know NOTHING.

Another divine fact is that something will and should always remain a mystery. I don't know the meaning and purpose of opening and exploring these mysteries. These mysteries have no meaning to us and the future of our world though it means a lot to the Universe. We have got everything more than what is required for us and for the future of our world. Exploring more will only destroy us and our planet. By GOD, I admit that I know NOTHING and try to IMAGINE things as would be appreciated by Dr. Albert Einstein if he is alive.

[thomasdahl]

Short version: The limitation only applies to linear travel. A warp bubble allows you to move through space with being in contact with it and therefore not affected by it. If you squeeze a dry soap it flattens. If you squeeze a wet soap - the harder you squeez the faster it pops out.

[hnkhvn]

Astronomers have seen objects moving through space at FTL speeds. The articles have not mentioned the size or mass of the objects, nor do the articles mention the exact speeds of the objects. Since they were spotted using our conventional astronomical equipment and the distance to these objects was quite far, then I must assume the objects to be very massive. Does that mean these objects are warping space-time? If they are warping space-time, is that warping the cause of the object's FTL velocity, or is there some other cause?

[Lilmiket]

I like that the warp factor multiplies as it goes up. Because lets be honest. Space is so large light speed is nothing! its slow as hell! But 8x light speed will start ta get you places within a human lifetime.

[phoenixmotorsport]

So what we are saying is this is the space/gravity equivalent of the Biefeld–Brown effect. Negative charge at the front, positive charge at the back. The bigger the PD the greater the force the faster you go?

[johnmead]

Almost Everything we as human's use today, was once considered Science Go

[grummanfanschneid]

Having had a father in the Aerospace Industry I’m all for space travel as his company landed man on the moon - buttt let’s conquer garbage removal/ safe nuclear energy production- acts of kindness first…

[mmbbwtu]

It is said that space can be bent several times. That way you won 't spend years traveling in space!! YES IT CAN BE DONE!!

[blainejackson]

But what about black holes, meteors, how do w3 keep things from penetrating the ships hull