FTL Drive (Alcubierre Drive)

The Alcubierre Drive a.k.a. FTL Drive, instead of actually going faster than light speed's (theoretically impossible in normal spacetime), contracts and expands space around a ship/object allowing it to go faster than light distances.

The Alcubierre Drive was first theorized in 1994, but only became a moderate reality in 2410, Koa'Tor and Human scientists have been working on it for 200 years. They have achieved the technology but have had so many disasters happen with the Drive that no ship has permanently had it installed.

They believe that a unknown type of exotic matter is needed to achieve long term use. This is actually a special point mission objective for The U.S.F. Odyssey.

At the present time, 99% of test ships of overloaded and been destroyed during tests, only 3 have successfully achieved duration flight and even they were heavily damage after the test.

The successful achievement of long term duration flights using the FTL Drive would mean minimal use for the hyperspace gates.