Ion drive

• Commonly seen alternative to matter/antimatter-based warp drive in early phases of technological development (SCE Short Story: "Foundations")

Technical

• Fundamental operation essentially identical to M/AM warp drive (SCE Short Story: "Foundations")
  • Operations are powered via streams of ionized gasses directed at extreme velocities through magnetic field manipulation rather than matter/antimatter interactions (SCE Short Story: "Foundations")
• Construction simpler, requiring fewer exotic materials and components (SCE Short Story: "Foundations")
  • Speed fairly limited without strong external source of energy (SCE Short Story: "Foundations")
  • Incredibly sensitive to ion storms, which can result in hyperefficiency potentially beyond the capabilities of a vessel's superstructure to support (SCE Short Story: "Foundations")
• Most often used as transitional technology prior to invention and/or development of more traditional methods of FTL propulsion (SCE Short Story: "Foundations")

Cascading ion drive

• Variation on the standard ion drive
  • Ion streams alternate charges, are directed in incredibly precise cascading patterns (ENT Novel: Daedalus)
    • Successive streams held apart from one another until "the last possible second", at which point they release their full energy in a single burst (ENT Novel: Daedalus)
• Capable of much higher speeds than standard ion drive, potentially reaching warp 7.6 (OS) (ENT Novel: Daedalus)
• Rarely implemented, as technologies required to moderate ion stream interactions are complex enough, traditional warp drive generally preferable
• Presumably, functioning of a cascading ion drive is similar to the negative interactions with ion storms seen in traditional ion drives

History

• October 5, 2140: Loss of the Daedalus, a testbed spaceframe for the Daedalus-class bearing the prototype cascading ion drive as developed by Victor Brodesser (ENT Novel: Daedalus, Daedalus's Children)
  • Theoretical projections suggested the engine capable of speeds up to warp 7, but on activation, ion-cascade reaction resulted in inadvertent cross-universal rift (ENT Novel: Daedalus, Daedalus's Children)
• Late 2140s: Suliban terrorists provided with 28th century cascading ion drive technology for use on their vessels (ENT Novel: Daedalus)