Warp Factor

Warp factor (symbolic abbreviation wf), alternatively known as time warp factor, is a unit of speed. (TOS: "The Cage"; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) Another common abbreviation is "warp". The value is given after the unit. For example "warp factor 5" or the abbreviation "warp 5". The increase in warp factor speed values corresponds to a non-linear increase in actual velocity.

The most common usage is to describe the speed of a spacecraft traveling at a faster than light (FTL) speed, using a warp drive. Sublight speeds can also be measured in warp factor values, such as "warp .5". (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)

Subspace communication signal speeds have also been given warp factor speed values in several reference materials.

Warp factors vs. speed

Warp factor	Speed (*c)	Distance traveled	Travel time	Reference
.5	0.304 - 0.496	~3.95 - 6.45 AU (Earth-Jupiter)	1.8 hours	Star Trek: The Motion Picture
3	487	4 light years	3 days	Enterprise, "Damage"
3	39	0.102 light years	23 hours	The Next Generation "The Most Toys"
4.5	79.7 - 87.2	~57.5 - 62.92AU (Earth-Neptune and back)	6 minutes	Enterprise, "Broken Bow"
8.4	765,000	~990 light years	11.337 hours	The Original Series, "That Which Survives"
9	834	approximately 300 billion kilometers (0.032 light years)	~20 minutes	The Next Generation, "Bloodlines"
9.9	21,473	about 4 billion miles (0.0007 light years)	1 second	Voyager, "The 37's"
10	∞	∞	0	Voyager, "Threshold"
n/a	8,300	2.5 million light years (to Andromeda Galaxy)	300 years	The original Series, "By Any Other Name"

"Speed" values are typically calculated from given values for travel time and distance.

Warp 10...

In 24th century warp theory, a warp factor of 10 corresponds to an infinite velocity. Theoretically, a vessel traveling at warp 10 would occupy all points in the universe simultaneously.

Although considered a theoretical impossibility at the time, Tom Paris of the USS Voyager reached the warp 10 threshold in 2372, using shuttlecraft Cochrane which was equipped with an extraordinarily rare form of dilithium discovered earlier that year. After it was discovered that such travel induces hyper-evolution, this technology was discontinued after the initial test. (VOY: "Threshold")

Kathryn Janeway once made the observation that rumors travel fast on board Voyager. Chakotay agreed with Janeway, quipping at "warp 10." (VOY: "The Voyager Conspiracy")

...and beyond

However, in the 23rd century, warp factors of 10 and higher, seemed to denote extraordinarily fast, but not infinite, speeds. In 2267, for example, Nomad fired energy bolts that traveled at warp 15, as well as made the USS Enterprise (by improving efficiency in the antimatter input valve and energy release controls) go at least warp 11 . (TOS: "The Changeling") The Enterprise also engaged an Orion scoutship capable of warp 10, if not higher speeds, since crew safety was of no concern to them. (TOS: "Journey to Babel") In 2268, the USS Enterprise achieved a speed of warp 14.1 after being sabotaged by a Kalandan planetary defense system, though at that velocity the ship came within moments of destroying itself. (TOS: "That Which Survives")

In 2270, the Enterprise encountered Karla Five's vessel, that was about to enter the Beta Niobe nova. At maximum speed, the ship was traveling at approximately warp 36. The Enterprise was accelerated to speeds in the excess of warp 22, while being linked to the ship with a tractor beam. (TAS: "The Counter-Clock Incident")

In 2364, the Enterprise-D, after modification to its warp drives by The Traveler, exceeds warp factor 10 and goes off the warp scale. (TNG: "Where No One Has Gone Before")

In an alternative future, around the turning point of the 24th to 25th century, warp factor values as high as warp 13 were routinely achieved by Federation starships. The Enterprise-D traveled at warp 13 in the incident concerning the temporal anomaly in the Devron system. (TNG: "All Good Things...")

Rather than "faster than infinite", these alternative future warp factors seemed to also point to extraordinarily fast speeds.