Thanks 2ndDivisionVet, earlier on FR: NASA Confirms The Plausibility of Reactionless Drives??!!
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Posted on 08/02/2014 12:16:09 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Until yesterday, every physicist was laughing at this engine and its inventor, Roger Shawyer. It's called the EmDrive and everyone said it was impossible because it goes against classical mechanics. But the fact is that the quantum vacuum plasma thruster works and scientists can't explain why.
Shawyer's engine is extremely light and simple. It provides a thrust by "bouncing microwaves around in a closed container." The microwaves are generated using electricity that can be provided by solar energy. No propellant is necessary, which means that this thrusters can work forever unless a hardware failure occurs. If real, this would be a major breakthrough in space propulsion technology.
Obviously, the entire thing sounded preposterous to everyone. In theory, this thing shouldn't work at all. So people laughed and laughed and ignored him. Everyone except a team of Chinese scientists. They built one in 2009 and it worked: They were able to produce 720 millinewton, which is reportedly enough to build a satellite thruster. And still, nobody else believed it.
Now, American scientist Guido Fetta and a team at NASA Eagleworks—the advanced propulsion skunkworks led by Dr Harold "Sonny" White at the Johnson Space Center—have published a new paper that demonstrates that a similar engine working on the same principles does indeed produce thrust. Their model, however, produces much less thrust—just 30 to 50 micronewtons. But it works, which is amazing on its own. They haven't explained why their engine works, but it does work:
Test results indicate that the RF resonant cavity thruster design, which is unique as an electric propulsion device, is producing a force that is not attributable to any classical electromagnetic phenomenon and therefore is potentially demonstrating an interaction with the quantum vacuum virtual plasma.
The entire idea that we have found something that seems to go against the the principle of conservation of momentum just seems crazy to me. But the fact that it has worked for two independent parties can't be denied. That's the laboratory speaking. Then again, perhaps both labs made a mistake. I'm sure this will be tested by the Russians and the Europeans too, but at least I'm glad we are working on it.
But the fact that we may be witnessing something completely new, something that may push us forward into sci-fi territory once again, is very exciting.
Just using what is in abundance. Plenty of space in space.
Who is the idiot who wrote this article?
I doubt “every physicist” was laughing at Roger. Scientists are expected to be skeptical and demand proof. That is what the scientific method is all about.
Two experiments showed an extremely tiny amount of thrust. Not enough to be of any practical use but potentially a breakthrough. Physicists recognized the potential. More work needs to be done.
It may be it is a theoretical advance that if improved has the potential to change space travel or it may be just a very small error by the labs.
It is an interesting concept but get rid of the drama queen who wrote the article. He provided no scientific analysis. He just a made up story about scientists bullying this poor guy.
Had to re-read that. First glance had it ...
720 milliwonton. :)
Would someone please ping me when this engine can power a spaceship? Thanks in advance.
5.56mm
Given that this news is valid, what are students being indoctrinated with in “science” classes in USA schools?
Political hacks have already begun thinking of ways to tax it!
I wondered why my microwave was levitating.
Seriously, this is quite fascinating.
Write that yourself?
Then,it must have been created in India!
That would mean that 0bama is “impossible”.
Thanks 2ndDivisionVet, earlier on FR: NASA Confirms The Plausibility of Reactionless Drives??!!
It’s from The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
And reaction mass, because you need so much of it, is the limiting factor.
Hey, these guys are messing with “settled science’”. Someone call Obama!
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Operational Dyson Sphere (Ideal for quantum Vacuuming, plus containing other particulate matter -- Dark or not...)
That being said, if it's not a lab error redux, it is fascinating news. I always thought that when people/scientists said that aliens couldn't get here because of the vast distances, I thought of the arrogance of the human race. "We haven't discovered it, so it can't be done."
No doubt that way back when, if you told scientists that sound and images could be transmitted over the air, you'd have been laughed at - or burned at the stake.
Generally its believed to require far to much mass-energy equivalence to be practical but some researchers appear to have discovered a way to get a tiny curvature of space with considerably less mass energy. (Nanometers at this point)
++++
Are you saying that since M = E/C2 then you are not going to get enough bang for the buck? Too much E to get a bit of M? If so, how do you get around that except by the expenditure of time?
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