Editing Technology in Star Trek (section)

====Original warp scale (''The Original Series'', ''The Animated Series'', ''Enterprise'', and ''Discovery'')====

{{multiple image
 | direction = vertical
 | width = 258
 | image1 = StarfieldSimulation004.gif
 | caption1 = Warp effect as depicted in ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]''
 | image2 = WarpTrails001.gif
 | caption2 = Warp effect as depicted in ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]''
}}

The warp drive velocity in ''Star Trek'' is generally expressed in "warp factor" units, which—according to ''[[Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual]]''—corresponds to the magnitude of the warp field. Achieving warp factor{{nbsp}}1 is equal to breaking the light barrier, while the actual velocity corresponding to higher factors is determined using an ambiguous formula. 
According to the ''Star Trek'' episode writer's guide for ''The Original Series'', warp factors are converted to multiples of the speed of light by [[multiplication]] with the [[cubic function]] of the warp factor itself. Accordingly, "warp 1" is equivalent to the speed of light, "warp 2" is eight times the speed of light, "warp 3" is 27 times the speed of light, etc. Several episodes of ''The Original Series'' placed the ''Enterprise'' in peril by having it travel at high warp factors. However, the velocity (in present dimensional units) of any given warp factor is rarely the subject of explicit expression, and travel times for specific interstellar distances are not consistent through the various series. In the ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual]]'' it was written that the real warp speed depends on external factors such as particle density or electromagnetic fields and only roughly corresponds with the calculated speed of current warp factor. The reference work ''[[Star Trek Maps]]'' established the theory of subspace (or warp) highways. In certain regions, a spaceship can fly at a multiple of the speed that corresponds to the current warp factor.

In ''The Original Series'', warp factor{{nbsp}}6 was established as the common speed of the USS ''Enterprise'' NCC-1701. In some cases, the starship traveled at warp{{nbsp}}7 or above, but with risk of damaging the ship or the engines. Warp{{nbsp}}8 in ''The Original Series'' was the "never exceed" speed for the hulls and engines of ''Constitution-''class starships. Warp{{nbsp}}6 was the maximum ''safe'' cruising speed for that vessel class.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Whitfield, Stephen E.|title=The making of Star trek|others=Roddenberry, Gene|isbn=0-345-02697-7|edition=First|location=New York|oclc=23859|year=1968}}</ref>

Later on, a prequel series titled ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'' describes the warp engine technology as a "Gravimetric Field Displacement Manifold" ([[Trip Tucker|Commander Tucker]]'s tour, "[[Cold Front (Star Trek: Enterprise)|Cold Front]]") and describes the device as being powered by a matter/anti-matter reaction which powers the two separate nacelles (one on each side of the ship) to create a displacement field. ''Enterprise'', set in 2151 and onward, follows the voyages of the [[Enterprise (NX-01)|first human ship]] capable of traveling at warp factor 5.2, which under the old warp table formula (the cube of the warp factor times the speed of light), is about 140 times the speed of light (i.e., 5.2 cubed). In the series pilot episode "[[Broken Bow (Star Trek: Enterprise)|Broken Bow]]", [[Jonathan Archer|Capt. Archer]] equates warp 4.5 to "[[Neptune]] and back [from Earth] in six minutes" (which would correspond to a distance of 547 light-minutes or 66 [[astronomical unit|au]], consistent with Neptune's being a minimum of 29 au distant from Earth).