Spaceships in the Dune universe primarily travel vast interstellar distances by folding space, a method enabled by the Holtzman engine.
The Holtzman Engine and Space Folding
Instead of conventional propulsion methods that require traversing the immense void between stars, Dune's spaceships achieve rapid interstellar travel by using a technology that bends space itself.
- Mechanism: The core technology is the Holtzman engine.
- Function: This engine allows a ship to "fold" the fabric of space, bringing two distant points together virtually instantaneously. The ship then passes through this fold, appearing at its destination without traversing the intervening distance in real-time.
- Creator: According to the Legends of Dune prequel trilogy, the unappreciated scientist Norma Cenva was responsible for creating the Holtzman engine.
- Result: This process facilitates instantaneous travel over great distances, which is crucial for commerce, communication, and conflict across the vast reaches of the Known Universe.
This space-folding capability, powered by the Holtzman engine, is the fundamental method by which spaceships "fly" or navigate between star systems in Dune.
