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Device that allows super cruise travel and hyperspace jumps between star systems.

— In-Game Description

The Frame Shift Drive (FSD) is a revolutionary ship hyperdrive system manufactured by Sirius Corporation.[1] It was introduced to the market in 3297 after decades of secretive development, and promptly rendered all other hyperdrives obsolete.[2] The Frame Shift Drive features two modes: supercruise, which allows travel at faster-than-light speeds within a star system, and jumping, which allows rapid travel through hyperspace from one system to another. Most ships produced since 3297 come equipped with a Frame Shift Drive by default, and cannot be operated without one.

When in supercruise, rather than accelerating a ship through normal space, the Frame Shift Drive moves space around a ship to allow it to travel faster-than-light without using extreme amounts of energy or experiencing time distortion. This is similar in principle to the Alcubierre drive design. When traveling through hyperspace, the Frame Shift Drive opens a wormhole and forms a stable, temporary corridor between the point of departure and the destination for a ship to pass through. Most ships leave behind transient wakes after they jump.

Usage[]

In order to activate the Frame Shift Drive, Hardpoints and Landing Gear must be retracted, the Cargo Hatch must be closed, and the ship must break away from any Mass Lock caused by proximity to a nearby capital ship, station, or planetary body. Heatsink Launchers, Frame Shift Drive Interdictors, and certain Scanners still function during supercruise.

While the maximum hyperspace jump range of a ship is limited relative to the Frame Shift Drive's Class, Grade, and the total mass and available fuel of the ship, this range can be increased:

  • Engineering can increase a Frame Shift Drive's base jump range by over 60%. This modification is always active and applies to every jump unless it is removed from the module.
  • A Guardian Frame Shift Drive Booster can increase jump range by a flat amount of light years that differs based on the class of module that is installed.
  • Using Synthesis, an FSD Injection can be produced to increase jump range for a single jump. Depending on the grade of the FSD Injection, the increase is +25%, +50%, or +100%.
  • A Frame Shift Drive can be supercharged for a single jump by passing through the polar emission jets of white dwarf stars or neutron stars. This is a dangerous maneuver that strains and damages the FSD each time, but the jump range increase is considerable: x1.25 for white dwarfs and x4 for neutron stars. FSD supercharging cannot be stacked with an FSD Injection.

Hyperspace Fuel Equation[]

The effective fuel consumption of a ship traveling in hyperspace can be calculated with the help of the formula below. The formula is speculative and was in part deduced from user experimentation.[3]

  • f = fuel consumed per jump in tons
  • r = linear constant. This constant depends upon the rating of the frame shift drive.
Rating A B C D E
Linear Constant 12 10 8 10 11
  • d = jump distance in light years
  • mShip = the mass of the entire ship including its cargo in tons and before fuel is consumed for the hyperspace jump itself
  • mOpt = the optimal mass of the frameshift drive in tons as indicated in-game by the outfitters. The total mass of the ship can exceed this value.
  • p = power constant. This constant depends upon the class of the frame shift drive.
Class 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Power Constant 2.00 2.15 2.30 2.45 2.60 2.75 2.90

Specifications[]

Class Rating Mass (T) Integrity Power
Draw
FSD Optimal
Mass (T)
Max Fuel
Per Jump (T)
Value (CR)
2 E 2.50 46 0.160 48.0 0.60 1,978
2 D 1.00 41 0.180 54.0 0.60 5,934
2 C 2.50 51 0.200 60.0 0.60 17,803
2 B 4.00 61 0.250 75.0 0.80 53,408
2 A 2.50 56 0.300 90.0 0.90 160,224
3 E 5.00 58 0.240 80.0 1.20 6,271
3 D 2.00 51 0.270 90.0 1.20 18,812
3 C 5.00 64 0.300 100.0 1.20 56,435
3 B 8.00 77 0.380 125.0 1.50 169,304
3 A 5.00 70 0.450 150.0 1.80 507,912
4 E 10.00 72 0.240 280.0 2.00 19,878
4 D 4.00 64 0.270 315.0 2.00 59,633
4 C 5.00 80 0.300 350.0 2.00 178,898
4 B 16.00 96 0.380 438.0 2.50 536,693
4 A 10.00 88 0.450 525.0 3.00 1,610,080
5 E 20.00 86 0.320 560.0 3.30 63,013
5 D 8.00 77 0.360 630.0 3.30 189,036
5 C 10.00 96 0.400 700.0 3.30 567,106
5 B 32.00 115 0.500 875.0 4.10 1,701,318
5 A 20.00 120 0.600 1,050.0 5.00 5,103,953
6 E 40.00 120 0.400 960.0 5.30 199,747
6 D 16.00 90 0.450 1,080.0 5.30 599,242
6 C 40.00 113 0.500 1,200.0 5.30 1,797,726
6 B 64.00 136 0.630 1,500.0 6.60 5,393,177
6 A 40.00 124 0.750 1,800.0 8.00 16,179,531
7 E 80.00 118 0.480 1,440.0 8.50 633,200
7 D 32.00 105 0.540 1,620.0 8.50 1,899,600
7 C 80.00 131 0.600 1,800.0 8.50 5,698,790
7 B 128.00 157 0.600 2,250.0 10.60 17,096,370
7 A 80.00 144 0.900 2,700.0 12.80 51,289,110

Engineering[]

This module can be modified by Engineers to enhance its abilities.

Modifications[]

The following modifications can be applied to this module:

Experimental Effects[]

The following Experimental Effects can be applied to this module:

Purchase Locations[]

Class Rating System Station
All All Shinrarta Dezhra Jameson Memorial
All All Brestla i Sola Prospect
All All Bhritzameno Feynman Terminal
All All LHS 3595 Chaudhary Hub
All All Okinura Bennett Gateway
All All Slink's Eye Kelleam Ring
All All LFT 1103 Kirk Ring
All All Edin Viehbock Dock
All All Tellus Ahern Enterprise
All All Beta-2 Tucanae Mouchez Orbital
All All Latuba Soukup City
All All Midgard Rontgen Port

Engineered FSD V1[]

A pre-Engineered Class 5 Frame Shift Drive with Increased Range and Faster Boot Sequence named "Engineered FSD V1" can be purchased at Human Technology Brokers. Unlike unlocking most other Technology Broker items, which makes them permanently available for purchase with credits at station outfitting services, unlocking the Engineered FSD V1 immediately places one module in local storage at no additional cost. The module must also be unlocked repeatedly in order to obtain multiple copies. Applying any other Engineering modifications to this module will remove the bonus second modification, but an Experimental Effect can be safely added or replaced.

Unlocking requires the following Materials:

Notes[]

  • Being close to any mass will affect the FSD charge time. While being next to a heavier ship will merely make it charge slower, the FSD will get mass-locked should the ship be next to something extremely massive (station, asteroid field, etc.) and will be unable to charge at all.
  • The FSD generates a small amount of heat while it charges up for the impending jump. This is amplified significantly within the scooping range of stars. Multiple careless charges within the scooping radius of a star could lead to significant damage, so care should be taken when charging the FSD near stars.
  • For the original documentation of the hyperspace fuel equation, see this Reddit post.
  • Class 8 Frame Shift Drives are also available in Outfitting inventories at some stations, but because no existing ship is capable of equipping a FSD of that size, they cannot be purchased or used.

Trivia[]

  • The Frame Shift Drive is nicknamed the "Friendship Drive" due to the similar pronunciation. Some people made fan art.[4] For example: 1."My girlfriend shouts, "yay friendship drive!" whenever I charge my FSD for the first time in a session. Every time. It's like she forgets.", 2. "So funny thing, my wife asked me what game I was playing with the friendship drive. I was like, what? Now I get it.", 3. "My SO and my stepdaughter loved this. They always say Friendship Drive Engaged when I'm playing."

Videos[]

Gallery[]

References[]

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