Star Trek warp travel calculator
Compare fictional warp factors, multiples of light speed and travel times using named Star Trek models.
Your inputs
Choose a preset or enter a distance. Presets are comparison references, not live routes. Results update as you edit.
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Your result
Complete the inputs to see your result.
How it works
- Original series · w³: v = c × w³
- Next Generation · 1–9: v = c × w^(10/3)
- One-way travel time = d ÷ v; Round-trip duration = 2 × d ÷ v
- References: NYC–LA 3,940 km (illustrative); Earth–Moon 384,400 km (mean); Sun–Earth 1 AU; one light-year = c × 31,557,600 seconds.
- Worked example: w = 8 → 512 c (w³); w = 8 → 1,024 c (w^(10/3))
Assumptions and limitations
Independent fictional comparison. The original-series cubic convention uses v/c = w³ for factors 1–10 in this tool. The TNG power-law convention uses v/c = w^(10/3) only for factors 1–9; factors above 9 are rejected, with no invented near-10 interpolation. These are declared models, not guarantees of consistency with every episode. Constant speed excludes acceleration, obstacles, energy use and relativistic effects. One light-year uses a 365.25-day Julian year. Presets are reference distances, not live routes or astronomical positions.
Sources
- NASA — speed of light and astronomical units Sources reviewed: 2026-10-06
- NASA — mean lunar distance Sources reviewed: 2026-10-06
- The Star Trek Guide — original-series production model, p. 8 Sources reviewed: 2026-10-06
- Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual — warp reference table, §5.1 Sources reviewed: 2026-10-06
