Jumpgate (Babylon 5)
Jumpgates are a type of faster-then-light travel mechanism that feature in Babylon 5.
Contents |
History
Jumpgates
Some of the younger alien races such as the Minbari and the Centauri discovered the gates while exploring the outer edges of their own solar systems in their early, primitive sub-light ships.
Overview
In appearance, Jumpgates were large space-based structures that allowed for intergalactic travel.
Jumpgates work by manipulating four stable, energetic forces of opposing polarity generated by each strut. These forces work against each other to create a vacuum effect, forming an unstable vortex which rips the spacetime continuum. This opens a pathway to hyperspace via a singularity. Some jumpgates use three struts instead of four, though the principle is essentially the same.
It took around four to five days in order to heat up a jumpgate. Shutting down a gate was not an easy task as it took around two days to accomplish and any attempt to do it quicker could lead to it exploding. This was due to a great deal of power present within the jumpgate. (Episode: A View from the Gallery)
Jumpgates are at the center of interstellar commerce and trade. Even vessels with built-in jump engines rely on the jumpgate network for navigation. Recording the signature of every ship that passes through, they allow the race that currently controls said gate to toll the travelers for its use and services, which are usually something arranged between governments by treaty. These treaties set tolling rates and rights to use certain trade routes, in exchange for the security codes necessary for opening the gates.
The gates also feature beacons that guide ships in hyperspace to a safe exit point. There are two types of beacons used by the jump gates: an omnidirectional one and a unidirectional one. The omnidirectional beacon indicates the nearby presence of a jumpgate, but it only works on relatively short distances of just over 1,000 km. The unidirectional beacon is what guides ships from one jumpgate to another. It was a tight-beam tachyon signal that crosses the distance between two jumpgates close to each other in the network. A ship can follow the echoing signal down a path that leads directly to the destination. However, going "off-the-beacon" causes this signal to fade and the ship can become lost in hyperspace. Certain races experienced with hyperspace travel, such as the Minbari, have shown the ability to travel quite far off the beacon without becoming lost.
Appearances
- Babylon 5: "A View from the Gallery"
External Link
This article is a stub. You can help Multiversal Omnipedia by expanding it.
