Red Line
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The Red Line is an imaginary sphere enclosing a vessel which denotes the maximum safe limit for an FTL jump. It is described in an early draft of the script for the Mini-Series as follows:
- "There are computational errors in every Jump. The further out you Jump, the greater the error. Jump past the red line and it may be almost impossible to find your way back."
Jump limits are most likely the result of a combination of factors including:
- The power available to a vessel to maintain a stable wormhole
- Local graviational forces (such as nearby planets, etc.) which must be compensated for at either end of the Jump
- The overall mass of the vessel itself
- The accuracy and detail of data concerning the emergence zone at the far end of the jump.
The Red Line would appear to be defined within the overall safe operational tolerancies of Colonial FTL technology, given that it can be exceeded if required. However, the potential for damage to, or complete disabling of, Jump drive systems is possible from frequent, repetitive Jumps, as indicated in "33".
When attempting to escape the Cylons after their devastating attack on the Twelve Colonies, and with the future of 50,000 survivors on his hands, Commander Adama orders a Jump "beyond the Red Line" to the Prolmar Sector. Given the nature of Colonial technology and vessels, it is possible this particular limit reflected the overall capabilities of the Fleet as a whole, and may not represent the maximum distance over which Galactica herself might be capable of Jumping.
The Red Line may also refer to an imaginary border drawn around all space that the Colonials had charted. The Jump to Promar Sector was beyond the Red Line, likely indicating the border between charted and uncharted space. Such a Jump, while possible, increases the chance for collision or near-intersection with uncharted celestial phenomenon.
In the mini-series (and an early trailer for the mini), Adama speaks to the gathered crowd following their large jump saying, "We jump into unchartered space..." Also indicating that the Red Line may be a point beyond what has been explored by the Colonies.