Researchers at the University of Alabama have created a numerical computational model suggesting that it might be possible to travel STL by warping spacetime. Unlike the famous FTL Alcubierre drive, this does
not require the use of negative mass.
The team did not actually attempt to construct a propulsion device. Instead, they explored various solutions to general relativity that would allow travel from point to point without a vessel undergoing any acceleration or experiencing any overwhelming gravitational tidal forces within the vessel, much to the comfort of any imagined passengers. They then checked whether these solutions adhered to the energy conditions that prevent the use of exotic matter.
The researchers did indeed discover a warp drive solution: a method of manipulating space so that travelers can move without accelerating. There is no such thing as a free lunch, however, and the physicality of this warp drive does come with a major caveat: the vessel and passengers can never travel faster than light. Also disappointing: the fact that the researchers behind the new work don’t seem to bother with figuring out what configurations of matter would allow the warping to happen.
Slower-than-light movement without acceleration sounds a lot like the original C# Aurora Lore:
https://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php?topic=10239.0A TN ship travels primarily in the Aether, with only a small intrusion into normal space to maintain a connection. Because of the compressed distance within the Aether, a ship moves much more quickly from the perspective of a viewpoint in normal space than would normally be expected given the available engine technologies. As the Aether is fluidic in nature the ship must be under constant power to maintain that speed. Unlike conventional spacecraft in normal space, ships in the Aether can use the compressed fluidic environment to change course quickly, like a ship in water.
Since the default Aurora start date is 2025, perhaps we will figure out how to implement a "constant-velocity subluminal warp drive" by the end of the year
.
