Editing Warp Drive

{{Short description|Short street in Sterling, Virginia}}
{{other uses|Warp drive (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox street
| name                    = Warp Drive
| marker_image            = 
| alternate_name          = 
| image                   = 2014-08-22 14 04 24 View north along Sully Road (Virginia State Route 28) at the Warp Drive exit in Sterling, Loudoun County, Virginia.jpg
| image_size              = 300
| image_map               = 
| caption                 = Exit sign for Warp Drive on VA 28
| map_type                = 
| latitude                = 
| longitude               = 
| map_size                = 
| map_caption             = 
| map_alt                 = 
| former_names            = Steeplechase Drive
| namesake                = [[Warp drive|Fictional faster-than-light propulsion system]] on ''[[Star Trek]]''
| type                    = 
| owner                   = [[Loudoun County, Virginia]], US
| maint                   = 
| length_ft               = 300
| length_ref              = 
| length_notes            = 
| width                   = 
| area                    = 
| steps                   = 
| postal_code             = 20166
| addresses               = 45101
| location                = [[Sterling, Virginia]], US
| metro                   = 
| coordinates             = {{coord|39.01379|-77.42991|display=inline,title}}
| direction_a             = West
| terminus_a              = [[Traffic circle]]
| direction_b             = East
| terminus_b              = Atlantic Boulevard
| junction                = [[Virginia State Highway 28|VA 28]]
| main_contractor         = 
| cost                    = 
| references              = 
| commissioning_date      = 
| construction_start_date = 
| completion_date         = 
| inauguration_date       = <!-- {{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| demolition_date         = 
| north                   = 
| east                    = 
| south                   = 
| west                    = 
| designer                = 
| known_for               = Name
| status                  = 
}}
'''Warp Drive''' is a short street in [[Sterling, Virginia|Sterling]], [[Virginia]], United States.{{efn|A Warp Drive is also found in a [[Turlock, California]], [[land subdivision|subdivision]] where other streets are named after the [[United Federation of Planets]] and characters from ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' such as [[Jean-Luc Picard]], [[Beverly Crusher]] and [[William T. Riker]].<ref name="Turlock, CA, Warp Drive">{{cite map|title=ACME Mapper|map-url=http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.47700,-120.83412&z=18&t=H |map= Warp Drive in Turlock, CA |publisher=ACME Laboratories|website=Google Maps|author-link=Google Maps|date= March 9, 2016|access-date=March 9, 2016}}</ref> The headquarters campus of [[Bigelow Aerospace]] in [[North Las Vegas, Nevada]], also has a Warp Drive that intersects with a ''[[Star Wars]]''-themed street, [[Luke Skywalker|Skywalker]] Way.<ref name="North Las Vegas, NV, Warp Drive">{{cite map|title=ACME Mapper|map-url=http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=36.21223,-115.16861&z=17&t=H |map= Warp Drive in North Las Vegas, NV |publisher=ACME Laboratories|website= Google Maps |date= March 9, 2016 |access-date=March 9, 2016}}</ref>}} Originally named Steeplechase Drive, it is located in an [[industrial park]] off Atlantic Boulevard, and primarily serves as the address for [[Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems]], an aerospace company. The street ends at a circle where an off-ramp from [[Virginia State Highway 28]] joins from the opposite direction.

In 2011, employees of [[Orbital Sciences Corporation|Orbital Sciences]]—later acquired by Northrop—asked the [[Loudoun County Board of Supervisors]] to rename their street after the [[warp drive]] that allows ships in the ''Star Trek'' [[Fictional universe|universe]] to travel [[Faster-than-light|faster than light]]. The supervisors voted unanimously<ref name="Loudoun Times-Mirror article">{{cite news|last=Owens|first=Crystal|title=Orbital boldly goes with new street name|url=http://www.loudountimes.com/news/article/orbital_boldly_goes_with_new_street_name123|newspaper=[[Loudoun Times-Mirror]]|date=December 6, 2011|access-date=March 8, 2016}}</ref> to make it so (several of them using [[make it so|catchphrase]]s associated with the franchise).<ref name="Slate article">{{cite news|title=Best Street Name Ever? Virginia's Warp Drive|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_obscura/2016/03/04/warp_drive_in_sterling_virginia_a_star_trek_tribute_by_the_rocket_manufacturers.html|newspaper=[[Slate (website)|Slate]]|date=March 4, 2016|access-date=March 8, 2016}}</ref>

==Street==
[[File:2018-07-29 14 27 34 View west along Warp Drive at Virginia State Route 1902 (Atlantic Boulevard) in Sterling, Loudoun County, Virginia.jpg|thumb|left|Warp Drive viewed from Atlantic Boulevard]]
Warp Drive's eastern terminus is a signalized three-way intersection with Atlantic Boulevard, roughly one half-mile (800&nbsp;m) north of its southern terminus at Church Road ([[List of secondary state highways in Virginia|Virginia State Route 625]]) at [[Sterling, Virginia|Sterling]]. The area is developed in a pattern typical of eastern [[Loudoun County, Virginia|Loudoun County]]'s [[Edge city|edge-city]] [[Urban sprawl|suburban sprawl]]. On either side of Atlantic at the intersection are office buildings surrounded by parking lots, all facilities of [[Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems]], with some newer residential [[land subdivision|subdivisions]] to the southeast and, across the Cabin Branch of [[Broad Run (Loudoun County, Virginia)|Broad Run]], the east. The [[Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park|Washington & Old Dominion Trail]] runs to the immediate southwest.<ref name="ACME Mapper">{{cite map|title=ACME Mapper|map-url=http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=39.01373,-77.42977&z=15&t=H|publisher=ACME Laboratories |map= Warp Drive in Dulles, VA |website= Google Maps |date= March 9, 2016 |access-date=March 8, 2016}}</ref>

To the northeast is another office building with an artificial pond. The northwest corner of the intersection, and the entire north side of Warp Drive, is a large undeveloped parcel. From the intersection, the street runs 300&nbsp;ft (100&nbsp;m) west, divided by a grass [[median strip]], to a small [[traffic circle]] that gives access to driveways into Orbital's facilities on the north and south. On the west side is the end of a one-way offramp that gives access to Warp from Sully Road ([[Virginia State Route 28]]), roughly {{convert|500|ft}} to the west.<ref name="ACME Mapper" />

==History==
[[File:2018-07-29 14 24 37 Sign at the entrance to the Northrop Grumman Space Center at Warp Drive along Atlantic Boulevard in Sterling, Loudoun County, Virginia.jpg|thumb|right|[[Northrop Grumman]] facility entrance sign using the street name]]
[[Orbital Sciences Corporation]] was founded in 1982 to provide [[rocket engine]]s and parts to [[aerospace]] and defense customers public and private. It has always been [[corporate headquarters|headquartered]] in [[Northern Virginia]], like many other [[Arms industry|defense contractors]]. In 1993 it moved into its current complex in Sterling.<ref name="Archived orbital history">{{cite web|title=Milestones|url=http://www.orbital.com/CorporateInformation/Milestones/1990-1999/|date=2014|access-date=March 9, 2016|archive-date=April 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140405071618/http://www.orbital.com/CorporateInformation/Milestones/1990-1999/ }}</ref>

At that time the short street where Orbital was located was known as [[Steeplechase (horse racing)|Steeplechase]] Drive. In 2011 the company's executives, who were [[Star Trek fandom|fans]] of ''[[Star Trek]]'', asked the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors to formally rename the street Warp Drive, after the [[faster-than-light]] "[[warp drive]]" propulsion technology used by the [[media franchise|franchise]]'s [[starship]]s. At the last meeting of the year, the board voted unanimously to grant the request.<ref name="Patch article">{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Dusty|title=For Loudoun's Steeplechase, It's Warp Drive|url=http://patch.com/virginia/ashburn/for-loudoun-s-steeplechase-it-s-warp-drive|newspaper=[[Patch Media|Ashburn Patch]]|date=December 8, 2011|access-date=March 9, 2016}}</ref>

Officially, the county said the change was made to "improve the identity and to better integrate the Orbital campus." But supervisors were less formal when discussing the issue, which had originally been on a consent agenda. Several cast their votes with [[catchphrase]]s from [[Star Trek: The Original Series|the original ''Star Trek'' series]]. "To Orbital, [[live long and prosper]]," said Stevens Miller, who lived in Sterling. Board member Eugene Delgaudio asked, "Can you give me any speed, [[Scotty (Star Trek)|Scotty]]?",<ref name="Loudoun Times-Mirror article" /> incorrectly using a [[Scottish English|Scottish accent]] as he did so.<ref name="Patch article" />

One supervisor, Jim Burton of the Blue Ridge District, tried to be serious. He reminded the board that "warp" had other meanings. "You need to think about it before you vote on it" he warned. "Would you prefer '[[Beam me up, Scotty]]?'", the board's chairman replied. In the end the vote was unanimous.<ref name="Loudoun Times-Mirror article" /> "What more uplifting motion could there possibly be than something that will literally make law out of a Star Trek joke?" concluded Miller. "It's a great idea. I look forward to driving on Warp Drive myself." Orbital agreed to reimburse the county for the approximately $500 it would cost to replace the street sign.<ref name="Patch article" />

The online ''[[Patch Media|Ashburn Patch]]'' noted how the name change reflected the changes to Loudoun County in the past two decades. While the western portion of the county has stayed largely rural and agricultural, as evoked by the street's original name of Steeplechase Drive, eastern Loudoun has grown tremendously during that same time as many businesses, in particular high-tech defense contractors like Orbital, have located in the area. "So Orbital's request to change the name of the road along its perimeter from Steeplechase Drive to Warp Drive brings to mind the county's dichotomy," it observed. "Out with the horse-racing theme and in with space."<ref name="Patch article" />

On September 18, 2017, [[Northrop Grumman]] announced plans to purchase Orbital for $7.8 billion in cash plus assumption of $1.4 billion in debt.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.orbitalatk.com/news-room/publications/files/NG_PR.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180127143225/https://www.orbitalatk.com/news-room/publications/files/NG_PR.pdf | archive-date = January 27, 2018 | title = Northrop Grumman to Acquire Orbital ATK for $9.2 Billion | publisher = Northrop Grumman Corporation | date = September 18, 2017 | location = Falls Church and Dulles, Virginia | format = PDF}}</ref> Orbital shareholders approved the buyout on November 29, 2017.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/orbital-atk-shareholders-vote-to-approve-acquisition-by-northrop-grumman|title=Orbital ATK Shareholders Vote to Approve Acquisition by Northrop Grumman|website=Northrop Grumman Newsroom | date = November 29, 2017 | location = Falls Church, Virginia | publisher = Northrop Grumman Corporation | access-date = July 23, 2018}}</ref> The FTC approved the acquisition with conditions on June 5, 2018, and one day later, Orbital was absorbed and became Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2018/06/ftc-imposes-conditions-northrop-grummans-acquisition-solid-rocket|title=FTC Imposes Conditions on Northrop Grumman's Acquisition of Solid Rocket Motor Supplier Orbital ATK, Inc.|publisher=Federal Trade Commission|date=June 5, 2018|access-date=June 6, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://spacenews.com/acquisition-of-orbital-atk-approved-company-renamed-northrop-grumman-innovation-systems/ | title=Acquisition of Orbital ATK approved, company renamed Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems | first = Sandra | last = Erwin | date = June 5, 2018 | work = SpaceNews | access-date = July 23, 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Cultural influence of Star Trek|Cultural influence of ''Star Trek'']]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{commons category-inline|Warp Drive (Sterling, Virginia)}}

{{Portal bar|Speculative fiction|Television|U.S. Roads|Virginia}}

[[Category:Northrop Grumman]]
[[Category:Orbital Sciences Corporation]]
[[Category:Star Trek fandom]]
[[Category:Streets in the United States]]
[[Category:Transportation in Loudoun County, Virginia]]