Posted on 07/28/2015 11:20:36 AM PDT by Mellonkronos
[Now this would be really cool! Hope it pans out!]
'Impossible' rocket drive works and could get to Moon in four hours
The British designed EM Drive actually works and would dramatically speed up space travel, scientists have confirmed
By Sarah Knapton, Science Editor 6:04PM BST 28 Jul 2015
Interplanetary travel could be a step closer after scientists confirmed that an electromagnetic propulsion drive, which is fast enough to get to the Moon in four hours, actually works.
The EM Drive was developed by the British inventor Roger Shawyer nearly 15 years ago but was ridiculed at the time as being scientifically impossible.
It produces thrust by using solar power to generate multiple microwaves that move back and forth in an enclosed chamber. This means that until something fails or wears down, theoretically the engine could keep running forever without the need for rocket fuel.
The drive, which has been likened to Star Trek’s Impulse Drive, has left scientists scratching their heads because it defies one of the fundamental concepts of physics – the conservation of momentum – which states that if something is propelled forward, something must be pushed in the opposite direction.
However in recent years Nasa has confirmed that they believe it works and this week Martin Tajmar, a professor and chair for Space Systems at Dresden University of Technology in Germany also showed that it produces thrust.
The drive is capable of producing thrust several thousand times greater than a standard photon rocket and could get to Mars within 70 days or Pluto within 18 months. A trip to Alpha Centauri, which would take tens of thousands of years to reach right now, could be reached in just 100 years.
"Our test campaign cannot confirm or refute the claims of the EM Drive but intends to independently…
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
It is not the speed it is the sudden stop at the end that’s a killer...
God .. they were so GOOD together.
It still needs a HECKUVALOTTA testing before it can be shown to do any of these things.
In my opinion, this may turn out to be a turning point moment in science when old theory fall to new ideas. When the impossible and unexplained break our collective understanding and force us to reevaluate the “laws” of science.
But where will we get the dilythium crystals to run the thing?
At 62,500 miles per hour I bet it does a mean quarter mile!
Stopping and starting gonna hurt.
1.21 Gigawatts!?!?!?!?!?!
Better double those estimates. Arriving at Mars at several million miles an hour would hurt. You’d have to turn 180 degrees mid-way and decelerate.
I want a photon rocket... if it could get to Qom....
“It produces thrust by using solar power to generate multiple microwaves that move back and forth in an enclosed chamber.”
Wait! My house has solar panels AND I have multiple microwaves! If I hook them together and move them around, my little stucco palace can SOAR!
Infinity welcomes careful drivers -red dwarf paperback.
Reportedly invented by a late 20th century chemist, Dr. Nichols, transparent aluminum is an optically transparent, structurally rigid material used for construction where a strong, clear and light weight material is needed. With many times the strength of Plexiglass, transparent aluminum has found many uses in the 23rd century, including protective coatings on computer interface panels.
Uranus.
I guessing NASCAR will require restrictor plates.
Sounds to me like the writer took the top theoretical speed of this engine and presumed that constant speed to the moon.
You would have to accelerate at a constant 3.7G (think that math is right) to reach the moon in 4 hours from a dead stop on Earth.
The problem is slowing down.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.