Posted on 07/30/2002 8:22:27 AM PDT by Fitzcarraldo
Boeing, the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer, has admitted it is working on experimental anti-gravity projects that could overturn a century of conventional aerospace propulsion technology if the science underpinning them can be engineered into hardware.
As part of the effort, which is being run out of Boeing’s Phantom Works advanced research and development facility in Seattle, the company is trying to solicit the services of a Russian scientist who claims he has developed anti-gravity devices in Russia and Finland. The approach, however, has been thwarted by Russian officialdom.
The Boeing drive to develop a collaborative relationship with the scientist in question, Dr Evgeny Podkletnov, has its own internal project name: ‘GRASP’ — Gravity Research for Advanced Space Propulsion.
A GRASP briefing document obtained by JDW sets out what Boeing believes to be at stake. "If gravity modification is real," it says, "it will alter the entire aerospace business."
GRASP’s objective is to explore propellentless propulsion (the aerospace world’s more formal term for anti-gravity), determine the validity of Podkletnov’s work and "examine possible uses for such a technology". Applications, the company says, could include space launch systems, artificial gravity on spacecraft, aircraft propulsion and ‘fuelless’ electricity generation — so-called ‘free energy’.
Although he was vilified by traditionalists who claimed that gravity-shielding was impossible under the known laws of physics, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) attempted to replicate his work in the mid-1990s. Because NASA lacked Podkletnov’s unique formula for the work, the attempt failed. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama will shortly conduct a second set of experiments using apparatus built to Podkletnov’s specifications.
Boeing recently approached Podkletnov directly, but promptly fell foul of Russian technology transfer controls (Moscow wants to stem the exodus of Russian high technology to the West).
The GRASP briefing document reveals that BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin have also contacted Podkletnov "and have some activity in this area".
It is also possible, Boeing admits, that "classified activities in gravity modification may exist". The paper points out that Podkletnov is strongly anti-military and will only provide assistance if the research is carried out in the ‘white world’ of open development.
Podkletnov maintains that a laboratory installation in Russia has already demonstrated the 4in (10cm) wide beam’s ability to repel objects a kilometre away and that it exhibits negligible power loss at distances of up to 200km. Such a device, observers say, could be adapted for use as an anti-satellite weapon or a ballistic missile shield. Podkletnov declared that any object placed above his rapidly spinning superconducting apparatus lost up to 2% of its weight.
Latest Podkletnov Results:
It is nothing to boggle about. Standard sort of thing: Tinkerer makes a claim, usually pretty outlandish and impossible. People look into it. Happens all the time. Usually find that the experiment producing the anomaly is defective in someway.
"Even HAVING Podkletnov’s unique formula for the work, the attempt failed again!!"
A team at NASA tried to reproduce Dr. Podkletnov's results but were unable to.
I wonder if this is like that anti gravity ship we used to see in the Dick Tracy mewspaper cartoon?
Not necessarily. Could they be counting on investor speculation driving up the stock price? All they need now is for Steve Jobs to talk about how "cities will someday be designed around this technology" and they would carry the Dow to 20k singlehandedly, LOL!
Turns out there really are theoretic bases for this phenomenon, and, although Podkletnov is apparently difficult to work with, his observations really should be taken seriously. For example:
"The London equations for superconductors in a gravitational field." D K Ross, J. Phys A: Math Gen. 16 (1983) 1331-1335."Gravitational shielding." Donald H. Eckhardt, Physical Review D v. 42 n. 6 (15 Sep 1990) 2144-2145.
"Effects of a gravitomagnetic field on pure superconductors." N. Li and D. G. Torr, Physical Review D v. 43 n. 2 (15 Jan 1991) 457-459.
"Interaction between gravity and moving superconductors." H. Peng, G. Lind, and Y.S. Chin, Univ. Alabama (CSPAR), General Relativity and Gravitation v. 23 (11), p. 1231-1250, 1991
"Absorption of gravitational waves" Corneliu D. Ciubotariu, Physics Letters A v. 158, 19 Aug 1991, 27-30.
"Gravitational effects on the magnetic attenuation of superconductors." N. Li and D. G. Torr, Physical Review B v. 46 n. 9 (1 Sept 1992) 5489-5495.
"Absence of a Gravitational Analog to the Meissner Effect." C. Ciubotariu and M. Agop, Technical University of Iaso (Romania), Department of Physics, General Relativity and Gravitation v.28 (4), p. 405-412, Apr 1996.
"Does a Superconductor Shield Gravity?" C.S. Unnikrishnan, Physica C v. 266 (1-2), p133-137, 20 Jul 1996.
"A Unified Theory Based on SO(5) Symmetry of Superconductivity and Antiferromagnetism." Shou-Cheng Zhang, Science, v. 275, 21 Feb 1997.
"Superconductor-mediated modification of gravity? AC motor experiments with bulk YBCO disks in rotating magnetic fields." David Noever, Ron Koczor, and Rick Roberson*, NASA MSFC ES76, Space Sciences Lab, Huntsville, AL 35812, *Tomorrow Tools, NASA MSFC, Huntsville, AL 35812. To be presented on Monday, July 13 in Cleveland at the 34th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit, Cleveland Convention Center Cleveland, OH July 12-15, 1998, Special Session of Breakthrough Propulsion Physics (Session 6-APC-1), Monday Morning, 9:00 AM Chaired by: M. MILLIS, NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH, 10:30 AM AIAA-98-3139
Paging Harlan Ellison. It's time to design a new civilization. Again.
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