EMDrive "could work in space", scientists say

BTN News
Wednesday, 29 July 2015
A derided, controversial design for an advanced type of high-speed space travel does in fact work, according to German and other scientists.

The EMDrive propulsion system - which converts electrical energy into thrust without the need for rocket fuel - would see rockets travel at science-fiction-like speeds and researchers say the technology could power trips to the moon in as little as four hours.

The concept is relatively simple. It provides thrust to a spacecraft by bouncing microwaves around in a closed container. Solar energy provides the electricity to power the microwaves, which means that no propellant is needed.  

Martin Tajmar, professor and chair for Space Systems at the Dresden University of Technology in Germany, said studies indicated thrusts were "as expected".

There has been scepticism surrounding the EMDrive, but Nasa now says it "defies expectations that such a closed (microwave) cavity should be unusable for space propulsion because of the law of conservation of momentum".

Tajmar added: "Additional tests need to be carried out to study the magnetic interaction of the power feeding lines used for the liquid metal contacts.

"Nevertheless, we do observe thrusts close to the magnitude of the actual predictions after eliminating many possible error sources that should warrant further investigation into the phenomena.

"Next steps include better magnetic shielding, further vacuum tests and improved EMDrive models with higher Q factors and electronics that allow tuning for optimal operation."

EMDrive "could work in space", scientists say

BTN News
Wednesday, 29 July 2015
A derided, controversial design for an advanced type of high-speed space travel does in fact work, according to German and other scientists.

The EMDrive propulsion system - which converts electrical energy into thrust without the need for rocket fuel - would see rockets travel at science-fiction-like speeds and researchers say the technology could power trips to the moon in as little as four hours.

The concept is relatively simple. It provides thrust to a spacecraft by bouncing microwaves around in a closed container. Solar energy provides the electricity to power the microwaves, which means that no propellant is needed.  

Martin Tajmar, professor and chair for Space Systems at the Dresden University of Technology in Germany, said studies indicated thrusts were "as expected".

There has been scepticism surrounding the EMDrive, but Nasa now says it "defies expectations that such a closed (microwave) cavity should be unusable for space propulsion because of the law of conservation of momentum".

Tajmar added: "Additional tests need to be carried out to study the magnetic interaction of the power feeding lines used for the liquid metal contacts.

"Nevertheless, we do observe thrusts close to the magnitude of the actual predictions after eliminating many possible error sources that should warrant further investigation into the phenomena.

"Next steps include better magnetic shielding, further vacuum tests and improved EMDrive models with higher Q factors and electronics that allow tuning for optimal operation."