Uploaded August 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Sources and anticipated FAQ below!
Q: Why isn’t [insert spacecraft name] included?
A: My original list of spacecraft contained over twice the number that made it into the video. The main problem is finding out how fast these things are supposed to go. For example, I couldn’t find the speed of Fireball XL5 anywhere. Similarly, Babylon 5 proved difficult to find speed data for. If you find out a source for the speed of your preferred spacecraft, send me a link and I can incorporate it into the image file
Q: I disagree with the speed you've put for [spacecraft name(s)]
A: And probably someone will disagree with the speed you've determined. There is much disagreement about speeds, particularly in the Star Trek universe which is horribly inconsistent (even taking account for the separate TOS and TNG warp factor scales).
Q: What's the "Spaceship" just before the light speed barrier meant to be?
A: Ahh.. that, my friend, is from John Conway's Game of Life!
SOURCES :
Curiosity Rover en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curiosity_%28rover%29
Walking (average) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orders_of_magnitude_%28speed%29
Lunar Roving Vehicle (intended top speed) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_rover
Standard TGV en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orders_of_magnitude_%28speed%29
Blue Falcon fzero.wikia.com/wiki/Blue_Falcon
X-wing (in atmosphere) starwars.wikia.com/wiki/T-65_X-wing_starfighter
Colonial Viper (atmosphere) tecr.com/galactica/fighters/viper1.htm
Space Shuttle spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/basics/launch.html
Apollo 10 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_10
Thunderbird 3 thunderbirds.wikia.com/wiki/Thunderbird_3
Voyager 1 voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/didyouknow.html
Red Dwarf reddwarf.wikia.com/wiki/Red_Dwarf_%28ship%29
Serenity laughingsquid.com/the-ultimate-spaceship-face-off-interactive-guide-for-comparing-the-speeds-of-famed-sci-fi-ships
Eagle en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_Transporter
Spaceship (lightweight) conwaylife.com/wiki/Spaceship
Jupiter 2 lostinspace.wikia.com/wiki/Jupiter_2_%28TV_series%29
Nostromo avp.wikia.com/wiki/USCSS_Nostromo
Enterprise (TOS) laughingsquid.com/the-ultimate-spaceship-face-off-interactive-guide-for-comparing-the-speeds-of-famed-sci-fi-ships
Covenant Destroyer halo.wikia.com/wiki/Covenant_destroyer
Repear masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/FTL
Star Destroyer theforce.net/swenc/search.asp?page=1&t=hyperdrive&EandD=&no=10&e=&s=&c=&p=&a=
Millennium Falcon: based on the hypothesis that a Class 0.5 hyperdrive allows twice the speed of a Class 1, and Class 1 allows twice the speed of Class 2, the value was calculated from the fact that a Star Destroyer equipped with a Class 2 hyperdrive can travel 127 light years per day.
Battlestar Galactica laughingsquid.com/the-ultimate-spaceship-face-off-interactive-guide-for-comparing-the-speeds-of-famed-sci-fi-ships
Voyager en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Warp_factor
Subspace Comms en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Warp_factor
Planet Express en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Express_Ship
Heart of Gold laughingsquid.com/the-ultimate-spaceship-face-off-interactive-guide-for-comparing-the-speeds-of-famed-sci-fi-ships
TARDIS en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TARDIS
Sources and anticipated FAQ below!
Q: Why isn’t [insert spacecraft name] included?
A: My original list of spacecraft contained over twice the number that made it into the video. The main problem is finding out how fast these things are supposed to go. For example, I couldn’t find the speed of Fireball XL5 anywhere. Similarly, Babylon 5 proved difficult to find speed data for. If you find out a source for the speed of your preferred spacecraft, send me a link and I can incorporate it into the image file
Q: I disagree with the speed you've put for [spacecraft name(s)]
A: And probably someone will disagree with the speed you've determined. There is much disagreement about speeds, particularly in the Star Trek universe which is horribly inconsistent (even taking account for the separate TOS and TNG warp factor scales).
Q: What's the "Spaceship" just before the light speed barrier meant to be?
A: Ahh.. that, my friend, is from John Conway's Game of Life!
SOURCES :
Curiosity Rover en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curiosity_%28rover%29
Walking (average) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orders_of_magnitude_%28speed%29
Lunar Roving Vehicle (intended top speed) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_rover
Standard TGV en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orders_of_magnitude_%28speed%29
Blue Falcon fzero.wikia.com/wiki/Blue_Falcon
X-wing (in atmosphere) starwars.wikia.com/wiki/T-65_X-wing_starfighter
Colonial Viper (atmosphere) tecr.com/galactica/fighters/viper1.htm
Space Shuttle spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/basics/launch.html
Apollo 10 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_10
Thunderbird 3 thunderbirds.wikia.com/wiki/Thunderbird_3
Voyager 1 voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/didyouknow.html
Red Dwarf reddwarf.wikia.com/wiki/Red_Dwarf_%28ship%29
Serenity laughingsquid.com/the-ultimate-spaceship-face-off-interactive-guide-for-comparing-the-speeds-of-famed-sci-fi-ships
Eagle en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_Transporter
Spaceship (lightweight) conwaylife.com/wiki/Spaceship
Jupiter 2 lostinspace.wikia.com/wiki/Jupiter_2_%28TV_series%29
Nostromo avp.wikia.com/wiki/USCSS_Nostromo
Enterprise (TOS) laughingsquid.com/the-ultimate-spaceship-face-off-interactive-guide-for-comparing-the-speeds-of-famed-sci-fi-ships
Covenant Destroyer halo.wikia.com/wiki/Covenant_destroyer
Repear masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/FTL
Star Destroyer theforce.net/swenc/search.asp?page=1&t=hyperdrive&EandD=&no=10&e=&s=&c=&p=&a=
Millennium Falcon: based on the hypothesis that a Class 0.5 hyperdrive allows twice the speed of a Class 1, and Class 1 allows twice the speed of Class 2, the value was calculated from the fact that a Star Destroyer equipped with a Class 2 hyperdrive can travel 127 light years per day.
Battlestar Galactica laughingsquid.com/the-ultimate-spaceship-face-off-interactive-guide-for-comparing-the-speeds-of-famed-sci-fi-ships
Voyager en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Warp_factor
Subspace Comms en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Warp_factor
Planet Express en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Express_Ship
Heart of Gold laughingsquid.com/the-ultimate-spaceship-face-off-interactive-guide-for-comparing-the-speeds-of-famed-sci-fi-ships
TARDIS en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TARDIS
