Pilots in Star Wars enter a dimension, hyperspace, to travel between distant worlds. To merge onto this cosmic highway, ships are equipped with special engines called hyperdrives. With the push of a lever, the spacecraft zooms faster than the speed of light, traversing between star systems in just hours or days. Han Solo and his sidekick Chewbacca make the jump to hyperspace look easy (at least when the Millennium Falcon is in working order).
But Star Wars breaks the laws of physics to achieve such a feat. Off-screen, the technology to reach another star system doesn’t yet exist. However, emerging propulsion methods could brighten the future of interstellar travel.
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