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| NASA's researchers have confirmed the possibility of Fuel-less RF Space Drive. (Image Credit: NASA/Glenn Research Center) |
NASA’s researchers have performed an experiment and
demonstrated the possibility of fuel- less space drive which could be propelled
just by the momentum transfer via the quantum vacuum virtual plasma. The thrust
for the space drive will be provided by the oscillating waves in Radio Frequency
(RF) Resonant Cavity. The possibility of this fuel-less space drive could
change the future of space technology, where distances could be travelled much
faster and solar sail will not be just a fictitious dream. This space drive is
assumed to be “impossible” because this violates the law of conservation of
momentum. This fuel-less drive is named as “Cannae drive”.
Cannae drive has a design based on the “EmDrive” originally proposed
by the British
scientist Roger Shawyer. EmDrive is believed to convert
electrical energy into thrust by bouncing microwaves on the walls of the resonant
cavity. The electrical energy could be obtained by solar panels. In other words solar energy can be used to propel
space drive which would be much lighter because of the reduced fuel mass.
In a conference in Cleveland, Ohio, scientists of NASA Lyndon B.
Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas have presented a paper which describes the
eight day experiment, in which they have observed a small thrust on the torsion
pendulum generated by the Radio Waves bouncing off the walls of the resonant
cavity. A thrust of 30 – 50 μN was measured on the torsion pendulum which is
capable of detecting a single digit μN thrust.
Two different test articles were designed by Cannae LLC of
Doylestown, Pennsylvania, of which one was
predicted to produce a thrust while the other wasn’t. The latter was also
called the ‘null’ test article. The torsion pendulum was designed and operated
by Eagleworks Laboratories at the NASA Johnson Space Center of Houston, Texas. The
preparation for the experiment was done for six days followed by two days of
test operations during which technical issues were discovered and resolved.
The displacements of torsion pendulum were used to measure
the thrust generated. Both the test articles showed the generation of thrust
which as predicted should not have been generated in the case of the null
article.
The paper describes that
“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. Future test plans
include independent verification and validation at other test facilities.”
As this propulsion violates the law of Conservation of
Momentum, this idea had been rejected for many years. In 2012, Chinese researchers
had performed independent experiments and observed the 720 mN thrust which is practically
sufficient for satellite propellers weighing half the mass of the satellite.
Their results were not accepted by the scientific community but now NASA has
also observed much smaller but a significant thrust.
NASA’s researchers have refused to give any theoretical
explanation for this experiment. “This
paper will not address the physics of the quantum vacuum plasma thruster, but
instead will describe the test integration, test operations, and the results
obtained from the test campaign.”
The RF fuel-less space drive will revolutionise space travel
where we will be able to reach the planet Mars within a few weeks rather than
months and travel to the nearest star will require just about 30 years.
The violation of the law of conservation of momentum
indicates that either there is an error in the experimental data or there may
be a possibility of some new phenomena. Whatever be the case, the continuous
effort of the researchers shows that we are progressing towards a better future
space travel.