Is NASA Moving Toward a Hyperspace Drive?
Interesting news out of NASA’s Johnson Space Center this week: A
group of researchers has reportedly tested an electromagnetic (EM) propulsion
drive that could potentially facilitate practical space travel in and around
the solar system.
According to a report
from industry watcher NASASpaceFlight.com, the EM drive could
take a spacecraft to the moon in a matter of hours, and a trip to Mars in 70
days. It’s not exactly a hyperspace drive, but it’s surely a step in the right
direction.
The idea of an EM drive isn’t new — scientists in the American,
British and Chinese space programs have been investigating the concept for a
while.
The basic gist — it gets
complicated — is
to create a form of propulsion that doesn’t require the use of propellant.
Instead, electromagnetic microwaves are bounced around a conical cavity in such
a way that electrical energy is converted directly into thrust.
The technology is
largely theoretical, but initial test results have been Officially Presented, by both NASA and
Chinese space agencies. The idea is also quite controversial, since it seems to
violate certain Newtonian law of physics.
According to the
report, the significance of the new research is that NASA has successfully
tested EM propulsion in a hard vacuum for the first time. Previous tests were
conducted in atmospheric conditions.
Bear in mind that none
of this information is coming from NASA directly, and the numbers regarding
solar system travel come from the extremely busy forums at NASASpaceFlight.com.
But it’s clear that EM
drive research is ongoing at several different agencies, those forums are
legit, and hey, sometimes news does leak out through unofficial channels. Just
ask — oh, I don’t know — every single government agency on the planet.
Comments
Post a Comment