Speed of light

The speed of light, also referred to as light speed, or the warp threshold, is the velocity that light travels in a vacuum. This constant, usually denoted c, is exactly 299,792,458 meters/second.

The Phoenix, piloted by Zefram Cochrane, was Earth's first ship to be successfully equipped with a faster-than-light propulsion system.

The ability to travel faster than light was considered to be a major technological milestone in a species' development. The Federation typically subdivided civilizations and cultures on whether they had developed technology to exceed the speed of light. The species that had not yet achieved the level of technology required were placed in the pre-warp civilization category.