Space Travel

Early Space Travel

Early space travel was sub-solar, with humanity struggling to reach the outer reaches of Sol 1. Various technologies were developed to push the boundaries of the solar system, using sails, fusion reactors, and various gravity assist methods. In 2147 a team of explorers and scientists (nicknamed "The Travelers") embarked on a journey to Alpha Centauri using the latest methods in propulsion. Their journey was estimated to take 207 years, using cryogenic sleep to outlive the journey. The craft lost automated contact with Earth ~2.07 light years into the 4.2 light year journey and was never recovered.

The Discovery

Only 23 years after the loss of the Traveler expedition, a major scientific discovery was made that changed the course of humanity. Intersolar travel via the use of wormholes, known as "Portals", was first demonstrated by a coalition of scientists in 2170. Scientists, assisted by AI successfully transported an Ape, "Juno", to Neptune from Earth and back in a single day proving the viability of wormhole-based space travel.

Following this breakthrough, rapid progress was made in both the discovery and reinforcement of portals that propelled the human race out of Sol 1 and into the expanse of the milky way. Within a century humanity had discovered over 500 galaxies and began to colonize distant planets.

Portals

Portals are wormholes that allow for rapid travel through enormous distances. Portals typically have a range of 1-10 light years depending on the size and stability of the wormhole's structure. Most portals are naturally occurring and generally have a lifespan of 100-200 years. While it's possible to generate artificial wormholes into new space, it requires an enormous amount of energy and the range is generally only .5-1.5 light years, although skilled portalers have shown farther distances are possible.

DM note - this could be a possible role to fill. Either discovering portals or creating them...

In order to travel across vast expanses portals are daisy-chained together and make up the "space highways" that connect sols and hubs together. Large portals are often accompanied by large stations and other infrastructure that support travelers and maintain the portal structures. These hubs are hot spots for economic and political activity.