Hyperspace Jump Power Requirements

[Marc Xavier]

"a single hyperspace jump requires more energy than an entire planetary nation would require in it's entire history."

Snagged from Michael January's site. I've heard statements similar to this on various websites, so I'm guessing they're variations on an actual quote. My question is, what is the *exact* quote, and where is it from? The best I could find was something that suggested the Star Wars Sourcebook, although it was not the exact quote above and was apparently a paraphrase.

[YT300000]

There are whole systems whose gross domestic product is less than the cost of a single Star Destroyer. There are entire nations that, throughout their history, do not expend as much energy as a Star Destroyer does during a hyperspace jump. Powering the 1.6 kilometer long craft is nothing short of a miniature sun -- a solar ionization reactor bulges from the ventral spine, using its raging fires to fuel the giant warship.

[Marc Xavier]

That works

[phongn]

The original citation was from the old Star Wars Technical Journal

[StarshipTitanic]

Once they reach Hyperspace, though, the engine doesn't use up much fuel. I think it's stated in either Before the Storm or Heir to the Empire.

[Mad]

Once they reach Hyperspace, though, the engine doesn't use up much fuel. I think it's stated in either Before the Storm or Heir to the Empire.

I know that's mentioned in Rogue Squadron at least once.

[Mitth`raw`nuruodo]

Once they reach Hyperspace, though, the engine doesn't use up much fuel. I think it's stated in either Before the Storm or Heir to the Empire.

I know that's mentioned in Rogue Squadron at least once.

Can't remember the page, but I remember the quote:

"Hyperspace sips fuel, while sublight guzzles it"

something like that. It was something Corran Horn was saying on the first "real" mission in the book.

[Peregrin Toker]

"a single hyperspace jump requires more energy than an entire planetary nation would require in it's entire history."

Am I the only one who finds this claim slightly exaggerated? And what does it mean by "planetary nation"??

[StarshipTitanic]

"a single hyperspace jump requires more energy than an entire planetary nation would require in it's entire history."

Am I the only one who finds this claim slightly exaggerated? And what does it mean by "planetary nation"??

It seems pretty silly. A planetary nation would most likely be a nation confined to a planet. Who knows how much of a planet, though...

[X]

Can't remember the page, but I remember the quote:

"Hyperspace sips fuel, while sublight guzzles it"

something like that. It was something Corran Horn was saying on the first "real" mission in the book.

But then again in "Bacta War" some guy got stuck on some planet because his X-Wing ran out of gas.
He couldn't get back home, but still had enough to reach a planet which coincidentally was attacked while he was on it.

But then again how canon are those X-Wing novels anyway.


Accelerating an ISD to fractional c alone takes a shitload of power, since they're actually moving in real space instead of "cheating" like Trek's "subspace" and "mass lightening".
And who knows how much energy is required to actually enter hyperspace.

[SPOOFE]

But then again in "Bacta War" some guy got stuck on some planet because his X-Wing ran out of gas.
He couldn't get back home, but still had enough to reach a planet which coincidentally was attacked while he was on it.

Compare:

-Sublight maneuvering and dogfighting for an hour, at most.

-Hyperspatial transit for as much as a couple days.

Furthermore, keep in mind that the engines also use a nice big chunk of fuel for the initial jump to hyperspace.

Now, the REAL contradiction comes from The Black Fleet Crisis, where it's stated that, to get an object into hyperspace, all it needs is a big shove, which is what they did with Nil Spaar and an escape pod. Perhaps hyperspace requires some thrust for station-keeping? That would carry the implication, however, that hyperspace has a sort of "flow" to it, and we've never seen much evidence in that regard, that I know of.

Or perhaps the thrust is done purely for additional speed. It's been stated that speed limits in hyperspace are technological rather than theoretical, implying that there's no upper-limit to hyperspatial velocity. Perhaps constant thrusting is done in hyperspace to constantly increase velocity throughout the duration of the trip, taking advantage of the lack of a "speed limit" to one's travel?

[Ender]

"a single hyperspace jump requires more energy than an entire planetary nation would require in it's entire history."

Am I the only one who finds this claim slightly exaggerated? And what does it mean by "planetary nation"??

It's only exaggerated if you don't bother to do the math.

The hyperspace jump requirements definded by that quote is 10^21 watts
The main reactor on an ISD pumps out ~2.8x10^25 watts.

Power isn't a big deal to a society that can melt the surface of planets and blow them up at will.

[His Divine Shadow]

Am I the only one who finds this claim slightly exaggerated? And what does it mean by "planetary nation"??

Saxton guesstimated it at around 10^21joules, and an ISD reactor is atleast on the order of 10^24watts, so I think it's not unreasonable.

edit:
I see this post is redundant.

[Sea Skimmer]

Now, the REAL contradiction comes from The Black Fleet Crisis, where it's stated that, to get an object into hyperspace, all it needs is a big shove, which is what they did with Nil Spaar and an escape pod. Perhaps hyperspace requires some thrust for station-keeping? That would carry the implication, however, that hyperspace has a sort of "flow" to it, and we've never seen much evidence in that regard, that I know of.

You likely need a big shove to get into hyperspace and then more power to actually go anywhere in it. Though it's made more complex by the fact that ships come out of hyperspace at whatever speed they started IIRC. Perhaps when you cut out the hyperspace drives you very rapidly slow to your initial speed and then drop out? That would seem likely.

[Ender]

Now, the REAL contradiction comes from The Black Fleet Crisis, where it's stated that, to get an object into hyperspace, all it needs is a big shove, which is what they did with Nil Spaar and an escape pod. Perhaps hyperspace requires some thrust for station-keeping? That would carry the implication, however, that hyperspace has a sort of "flow" to it, and we've never seen much evidence in that regard, that I know of.

Or perhaps the thrust is done purely for additional speed. It's been stated that speed limits in hyperspace are technological rather than theoretical, implying that there's no upper-limit to hyperspatial velocity. Perhaps constant thrusting is done in hyperspace to constantly increase velocity throughout the duration of the trip, taking advantage of the lack of a "speed limit" to one's travel?

Not a contradiction at all. It takes alot of energy to breach the barrier, but once there minimal energy is needed. Once on the other side of the looking glass as it were, a small push will send you into the void, outside the ships energy sheath, while you retain your own from passing through it.

[PainRack]

You likely need a big shove to get into hyperspace and then more power to actually go anywhere in it. Though it's made more complex by the fact that ships come out of hyperspace at whatever speed they started IIRC. Perhaps when you cut out the hyperspace drives you very rapidly slow to your initial speed and then drop out? That would seem likely.

We know the SW ships have the ability to rapidly deccelerate themselves from the Battle of Endor. It will appear more likely that the hyperdrive itself is responsible for entering and exiting hyperspace only. Other means of propulsion are responsible for the begining/end phase of a jump into/exit from hyperspace.

As for how the ship accelerates doing hyperspace, wasn't there a ISD or some other Imperial ship that could change its direction in hyperspace? Or was it exit from hyperspace and then do another rapid jump? Some Bobba Fett or Bounty Hunter novelisation.

When I was reading that passage, it seemed to me that it suggested a linear acceleration in hyperspace. Of course, I hardly remember anything about that quote...............

[Illuminatus Primus]

One can slightly adjust and steer a path through hyperspace, see Dark Empire.

And PainRack, don't even think about bringing up your ludacrious "third propulsion system" theory. We disproved that crap a long time ago.

[PainRack]

One can slightly adjust and steer a path through hyperspace, see Dark Empire.

And PainRack, don't even think about bringing up your ludacrious "third propulsion system" theory. We disproved that crap a long time ago.

Then don't. It is still a canon fact that SW ships have the ability to accelerate and deccelerate rapidly before entering or after exiting hyperspace. And it doesn't make sense for this to be some in sync law that states that a ship that enters hyperspace at this speed must leave it at that speed.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Given that it is an inherent side-affect of every single hyperjump, I'd say the massive c-range to and for accelerations are totally part of the hyperdrive.

[Marc Xavier]

an ISD reactor is atleast on the order of 10^24watts

Could you tell me what source that's from, please?

[Darth Garden Gnome]

an ISD reactor is atleast on the order of 10^24watts

Could you tell me what source that's from, please?

ICS. An Acclamator's reactor peaks at 10^23 watts. Although HDS put to the 24th; I don't know if that's a mistake or if we are assuming that the ISD must be at least that much more powerful. It certaintly can't be less powerful than an Acclamator, given either's respective roles in space.

[phongn]

I think he scaled by volume to get into the 1e24 W range.

[His Divine Shadow]

Yes, it's a minimum figure, I discussed it with Saxton and he'd wager somewhere in the 10^25w range.

[PainRack]

Given that it is an inherent side-affect of every single hyperjump, I'd say the massive c-range to and for accelerations are totally part of the hyperdrive.

And something propelled that acceleration and decceleration. And from the near light speed achieved by X-wings and other fighter craft in NJO and the "barely sublight" quote of Wedge X-wing in ROTJ, I dare say that this ability can be used independently to accelerate ships without entering hyperspace.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Idiot. There's nothing preventing multi-thousand-G acceleration ion engines from achieving that speed. Your requirement that the massive acceleration/deacceleration side-affects of all hyperjumps to be an indepedent system that can be used independent of the hyperjump despite all examples to the contrary says a lot about you.

Run off, bullshitter.