Imagine an engine that needs no propellant. It
sounds impossible, and it most likely is.
That's not stopping one NASA engineer from testing
theories around the EmDrive — a conceptual "helical" engine that
could defy the laws of physics and create forward thrust without fuel.
Such a creation would allow us to travel the far
reaches of space and would arguably be the most exciting technological
advancement of the century.
What is the EmDrive?
Back in 2001, British scientist Roger Shawyer
theorized that we could generate thrust by pumping microwaves into a conical
chamber.
Shawyer suggested that the microwaves would, in
theory, bounce exponentially off the chamber walls, creating enough propulsion
to power a spacecraft without fuel.
Some researchers do claim to have generated thrust
in EmDrive experiments. The amount was so low, though, that the detractors
believe the thrust may have even been caused by outside influences. These could
be seismic vibrations or the Earth's magnetic field.
New Research
Over the last few months, several engineers and
scientists have come out with contradictory positions on the EmDrive.
Some have claimed it's impossible, while others
continue to work at what might be a futile task, justifying their work by
saying the payoff would be enormous.
The most recent of these is NASA engineer David
Burns, as New Scientist reports.
“The engine itself would be able to get to 99
percent the speed of light if you had enough time and power,” Burns told New
Scientist.
Reference: Interesting Engineering
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