Star Trek warp travel calculator
Compare fictional warp factors, multiples of light speed and travel times using named Star Trek models. Drag the graph handles to change inputs and explore the result.
Your inputs
Choose a preset or enter a distance. Presets are comparison references, not live routes. Results update as you edit.
Calculations run in your browser. Inputs are not saved or sent to analytics.
How it works
- Original series · w³: v = c × w³
- Next Generation · 1–9: v = c × ^(10/3)
- One-way travel time = ÷ v; Round-trip duration = 2 × ÷ 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))
Input and formula key
Your result
Complete the inputs to see your result.
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/JPL — planetary mean orbital distances Sources reviewed: 2026-10-07
- NASA — Proxima Centauri b Sources reviewed: 2026-10-07
- NASA — Large Magellanic Cloud Sources reviewed: 2026-10-07
- NASA — Andromeda, nearest large galaxy Sources reviewed: 2026-10-07
- OurAirports — public-domain airport coordinates Sources reviewed: 2026-10-07
- 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
