Starships are vehicles capable of moving people and cargo between star systems, using either Slower-than-Light (STL) drives (Technology Levels +2 to +4) such as solar/magnetic sails, or Bussard-style ramjets, or Faster-than-Light (FTL) drives (Technology Levels +5 to +10).

From TL+1 (Synthetic Age) onward, the Span Drive opened the Solar System to increasingly efficient human exploration.

From TL+2 (Stellar Age) onward, multiple technology levels become possible in a setting as different distant locations diverge in their technological capabilities and social conventions.

TL +4 heralds the discovery of Negative Space and the methods to tunnel energy/information across it for Faster than Light information exchange.

TL +5 begins when the Farspan Drive allows starships to go “over the horizon” into Negative Space, and back allowing mass to move between star systems at greater than light speed.

Farspan Drives require massive amounts of energy to operate limiting their design, building, and operation to only the largest governments and cooperatives.

The typical Farspan ship navigates inter-colony circuits jumping from star to star with significant dwell time in orbit over each system's primary star for recharging, repairs, and trade before moving on.

Farspan ships typically act as jump carriers for small fleets of Span Drive trading craft.

Extremely prosperous central colonies can construct paired Farspan gates in orbit of their stars linking direct access through Negative Space between systems for use by Span Drive equipped craft.

▲ Chronology