Red Line
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The maximum radius of an imaginary sphere enclosing a vessel which denotes the maximum safe limit for an FTL jump.
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 (such as the drive coils) is unclear.
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 Promar Sector. Even 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 the Galactica herself might be capable of jumping.