The warp core was the main energy reactor powering the propulsion system on warp-capable starships. The first Terran warp core was invented by Zefram Cochrane in 2061 and used in Humanity's first warp-capable vessel, the Phoenix, in 2063.

On Federation starships, the warp core usually consisted of a matter/antimatter reaction assembly utilizing deuterium and antideuterium reacting in a dilithium crystal matrix, producing a maximum output of four thousand teradynes per second.

As a safety precaution, the core could be physically ejected from the ship, should a Warp core breach occur. A breach could occur in a variety of ways, but was frequently characterized by a coolant leak from the main reaction chamber, resulting in a runaway reaction within the warp core. Antimatter containment was lost, and the resultant contact between antimatter and the normal matter of the ship destroyed the vessel.