<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

A starship is a spacecraft intended to travel interstellar distances.

In the real world of space exploration, the problem of the currently understood inability of objects with mass to travel faster than the speed of light creates a serious impediment. Even at the speed of light (which would be very difficult to achieve), the trip to the nearest star would take years.

Options for slower than light travel include:

• Robotic probes
• Generation ships (in which human reproduction occurs in flight)

In Sci Fi, many options for interstellar travel have been used, including warping space (so that shorter distances are traveled) and interdimensional travel.

The issue of faster than light limitations also affects some theories of the origin of UFO reports.

Related Terms and Articles

• Hyperdrive
• Warp Drive
• Spacecraft Category