The warp 10 barrier is a theoretical barrier for a starship with warp drive. Warp 10 is regarded as infinite velocity, so theoretically any vessel travelling at warp 10 would exist at all points in the universe at once, the scale is asymptotic, so Warp 9.99999 is many times faster than just Warp 9.9
History[]
In 2267, the USS Enterprise exceeded warp 10 (old scale) during its encounter with the Nomad probe. Upon hearing that the ship was traveling at over warp 10, Montgomery Scott stated that it was impossible. (TOS episode: "The Changeling")
Later that year, the Enterprise was attacked by an Orion scout ship that was traveling at close to warp 10. (TOS episode: "Journey to Babel")
In 2268, the Enterprise once again approached warp 10, after being commandeered by Bele. (TOS episode: "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield")
The Daystrom Institute's transwarp project was designed to break the warp ten barrier. Torias Dax was critically injured during a test of the technology aboard the shuttlecraft Infinity. (DS9 - The Lives of Dax short story: "Infinity")
In 2364, the USS Enterprise-D travelled at speeds nearing warp 10 when it was caught in a gravimetric wave. It was only able to break free by using the slingshot effect. (TNG - The Space Between comic: "History Lesson"). It also appeared to travel in excess of Warp 9.99999 repeating during the Kosinski experiments (TNG episode: "Where No One Has Gone Before")
In 2372, the warp 10 barrier was broken by Lieutenant Tom Paris using the shuttlecraft Cochrane and a rare form of dilithium that was discovered in the Delta Quadrant by the USS Voyager. While Paris successfully broke the barrier, it was later discovered that the effect caused hyper-evolution in the humanoid body, and later tests were abandoned. (VOY episode: "Threshold")
Alternate reality[]
In the Kelvin timeline created by Nero, Section 31 agent, Lieutenant John Harrison was able to revamp the USS Vengeance's warp drive to give it unprecedented capability. Lieutenant Yuki Sulu estimated that Harrison's work made it possible for Vengeance to get close to warp 10. (TOS - Khan comic: "Issue 4")
Background[]
The Enterprise's rate of speed on stardate 5630.7, estimated at the "old scale" of warp factor eleven, is approximately warp 8 by 24th century standards. (TOS episode: "Is There in Truth No Beauty?", ST reference: The Star Trek Encyclopedia)
By the 25th century, in an alternate universe warp (or transwarp) engines have the capability to reach factors in excess of Warp 9.99999. Other drives such as a Transwarp Drive and Quantum Slipstream drive use a different scale. (TNG episode: "All Good Things...")
External link[]
- Warp 10 article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.