5.2 Stellar Explorations: Vulcan
The harsh desert world Vulcan, third planet of the Epsilon Eridani binary system and a founding member of the Federation, is profiled alongside an account of how warp drive made Earth a member of the interstellar community.
Vulcan
Vulcan is a founding member of the United Federation of Planets. Appearing deep red from space, the planet is a harsh and, in some places, extremely hostile world with half its land mass made uninhabitable by volcanoes and dust storms. Vulcan is the third planet in the Epsilon Eridani binary star system and is slightly larger in mass than the Earth and closer to its Sun. The atmosphere is thin by Earth standards and surface temperatures vary from 10° to 60°C in the temperate regions to temperatures in the desert regions as high as 120°C.
Epsilon Eridani contains seven planets: one habitable (H); one potential (P); five uninhabitable.
Earth Joins the Interstellar Community
With warp drive capability, Earth became a member of the interstellar community. This remarkable means of propulsion allowed man to begin diplomatic relations and trade with several star systems, which inevitably lead to greater dependence on one another.
As this undeclared alliance of worlds grew, voyages of up to twenty light-years became commonplace for Earth starships, as their velocity and range were continually uprated. In this era, man was traveling between stars the way his previous generation traveled between planets. A jump never seen before, or since.