Joshua Tyler | Posted
To travel through space you need a ship. For now, the only ships we can really build are slow, fat fire-breathing rockets. Science fiction makes space travel much faster.
Some stories are better when things move slowly, but science fiction is most fun when things move at a fast pace. But which sci-fi spaceship is the fastest?
It depends on what you are asking. For example, a fighter is faster than a capital ship in normal space, but a capital ship that can enter hyperspace is an easy winner. So for the purposes of this list, we’re purely measuring how fast a ship can get from point A to point B.
This is the fastest spaceship in science fiction.
8. Rex (Rex)
that rex It is a biomechanical spacecraft that can travel faster than light. LEXX moves through space via a biological propulsion system. This organic propulsion allows the spacecraft to travel across galaxies and even between universes at speeds that, while not precisely quantifiable, are far superior to most conventional spacecraft in the universe.
Although it lacks the complex navigation systems typical of mechanical spacecraft, its biological design complements its natural affinity for spatial movement. The ability to cross galactic and interdimensional boundaries implies a highly advanced and extraterrestrial understanding of the spatial physics encoded in organic systems.
Despite its unmatched speed, the LEXX lacks the cognitive ability for strategic decision-making, often requiring guidance from its crew to determine its destination. The ship’s blend of organic propulsion and intuitive navigation makes the LEXX one of the greatest ships in science fiction, even if it is buggy.
7. Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda)
that Andromeda Ascendant is a Glorious Heritage-class heavy cruiser designed as part of the Systems Commonwealth’s High Guard fleet. When the Commonwealth collapsed, Andromeda was the only one of her kind left.
Andromeda’s propulsion relies on the Slipstream Drive, a technology that enables faster-than-light travel through a network of naturally occurring pathways called slipstream routes. Unlike traditional FTL systems, wake navigation requires an intuitive pilot to chart a course through these unstable paths. The chaotic nature of wake physics makes accurate calculations impossible.
Andromeda’s AI must work with human pilots to effectively and quickly navigate this complex system.
6. Planet Express Ship (Futurama)
that planet express ship A state-of-the-art delivery spacecraft designed by the brilliant yet eccentric Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth.
The spacecraft is powered by a dark matter engine that provides near-infinite fuel efficiency and operates by moving space around the spacecraft rather than moving it through space. This unique propulsion system allows the Planet Express Ship to achieve virtually infinite speeds relative to itself, enabling instantaneous or near-instantaneous interstellar travel.
The ship’s engines are fueled by dark matter, a substance purified from the excrement of Nibblonian species, making it both efficient and strange.
5. Event Horizon (Event Horizon)
that event horizonfeatured in the 1997 science fiction horror film of the same name, is an experimental spacecraft designed to test an innovative propulsion system known as the Gravity Drive. This drive allows for faster-than-light travel by creating artificial black holes and folding space-time so that two points are instantaneously connected.
The core of the Gravity Drive uses singular matter and advanced energy manipulation to create singularities and shrink the distances between locations in space. In doing so, Event Horizon does not move in the traditional sense. Instead, it “jumps” from one point to another, completely bypassing the intermediate space. The Gravity Drive is housed in a special, creepy space at the rear of the ship, surrounded by containment fields and reinforced structures to manage the extreme energies and gravity generated.
Everything seems fine and good, except there are some horrible side effects. To travel between the two points, the Event Horizon must first go through what is essentially Hell. As you might imagine, that doesn’t work out.
Still, Event Horizon can get you where you’re going really quickly. By the time you get there you will probably be crazy or dead.
4. Discovery (Star Trek: Discovery)
that USS Discovery (NCC-1031) to Star Trek: Discovery One of two Crossfield-class starships built by Starfleet. Both were equipped with an experimental propulsion system called the Spore Drive, but only Discovery made it operational.
This experimental drive utilizes the Mycelium Network, a region of subspace comprised of vast spore webs that span the entire galaxy. Yes, you basically fly using space mushrooms.
The Spore Drive’s biologically enhanced systems incorporate supercomputer-like organisms. Living navigators, particularly the Ripper and above, a tardigrade-like creature, interface with Commander Paul Stamets, who uses infused spores to connect to the network. By accessing this mycelial network, Discovery can instantly “jump” to any location in space, bypassing traditional warp speed constraints and enabling unparalleled tactical and navigation capabilities.
The mechanism of the Spore Drive is based on advanced technology, where the ship essentially repositions itself through microscopic conduits in spacetime rather than traversing middle space. While typical Star Trek warp drives rely on matter-antimatter reactions and the manipulation of space-time through dilithium crystals, the spore drive operates completely outside of this paradigm, providing instantaneous travel without the effects of time dilation.
3. Guild Line (sand dune)
guild shipping sand dune A massive starship utilized by the Interstellar Guild for instantaneous interstellar travel, a cornerstone of the Empire’s economy and governance.
This vessel uses spatial folding technology made possible through the use of psychoactive spice melange. This ability grants the Guild Navigator the foresight to plan a safe path through folded space. This process, known as Holtzman Drive-based spatial folding, shrinks the vast distance between two points, effectively eliminating travel time.
Guild ships are operated by mutant human navigators who develop superhuman cognitive abilities and physical deformities after prolonged exposure to the spice. These abilities allow them to recognize the complex and changing paths of folded space and avoid catastrophic collisions with celestial bodies.
These massive cylindrical ships can carry entire fleets or enormous amounts of cargo, making them indispensable for trade, war, and rule.
2. TARDIS (Doctor Who)
TARDIS It refers to the relative dimensions of time and space. The Doctor’s vehicle made its maiden voyage long before the events seen on screen in Doctor Who. The incredibly old vehicle is the Type 40 Time Capsule, built by the Time Lords of the planet Gallifrey.
The TARDIS is alive and incredibly intelligent. It exists in multiple dimensions simultaneously and is therefore larger on the inside. This multidimensional nature allows it to avoid typical constraints of both time and space.
When the Doctor sets coordinates for a new location in time or space, the TARDIS dematerializes from its current location, travels through a “time vortex”, and then rematerializes at its destination. The process is almost instantaneous. Time vortices can be thought of as highways that instantly connect different points across the space-time continuum, regardless of distance or temporal separation in the “normal” universe.
1. Heart of Gold (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)
The space is big. You won’t believe how massive, huge, and mind-bogglingly large it is. I mean, you might think it’s a long road to becoming a chemist, but it’s just a small step to getting into space.
So if you want to travel through space, you need something fast. There’s nothing faster than that heart of gold. It’s probably number one on our list.
That’s because The Heart of Gold is powered by the Infinite Improbability Drive, an incredible new way to traverse vast distances in less than a second without tedious interruptions in hyperspace.
The drive takes advantage of the natural chaos of the universe by passing through every conceivable point in every conceivable universe almost simultaneously. A typical sci-fi engine might fight against the laws of physics, but the Infinite Improbability Drive throws the engine out the window and causes chaos. The key is that it is unlikely.
The origins of the Heart of Gold are as unusual and confusing as the ship itself. The ship was designed and built on the planet Damogran, where it was to be launched with great fanfare in a ceremony attended by Galactic President Zaphod Biblebrox. Unfortunately, in a completely unlikely move, Zaphod stole the Heart of Gold and was transported to an unknown region.
Zaphod stole it because he knows what you know now. If you’re a Hoopy Frood who knows where your towel is, there’s no faster way to travel through space than aboard the Heart of Gold.
