My inner Mulder wants to believe, but my inner Scully remains skeptical.
A paper has been leaked with early testing results, and more new regarding the launch of a test vehicle in the near future. I noted that someone pointed out that after ~1000 days of continuous operation this drive would be propelling a 1KG mass at 0.35C (~1/3 the speed of light.) This places interstellar exploration of nearby star systems well within reach, and within a rough time-frame comparable to current long-distance probes.
See here for a summary and link to the given paper: http://www.sciencealert.com/leaked-n...ally-does-work
So a few hopeful researchers are resorting to CUBESAT, a private company that launces shoebox sized payloads for anyone that can pay. That suggests the EM Drive to be tested will be very small. But with luck able to prove proof of concept in a zero G environment.
I think it is Earthman, a member here at TOP Forum, that has a UFO spotter device as payload scheduled with the Same company in 2017?
Anyway, too bad NASA, or some large academic entity with the financial resources is not involved to make a more concerted effort at legitimizing the project.
While it does sound promising, guess it is still considered fringe science until a few peer reviews are published (the one in this article appears to be among the first, hopefully many more positive reviews to come) eliminating more mundane explanations for the results.
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but
progress. -- Joseph Joubert
Attachment 1008
That sounds quite promising. At 1/3 the speed of light we could conceivably get a probe to Proxima Centauri B in less than two decades. Or examine any new planets in our own solar system should we find them. Now the tricky part is building a probe that 's under 5 KG.
My inner Mulder wants to believe, but my inner Scully remains skeptical.
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but
progress. -- Joseph Joubert
Attachment 1008
A lighter probe would require less energy to propel, but unfortunately would also have less equipment. 5 Kg was just a rough estimate on my part, to propel a 25 Kg probe I'm guessing would require 5 times the needed energy so sending a probe weighing a ton or more like some of the others we have sent out may be too much mass to accelerate quickly.
My inner Mulder wants to believe, but my inner Scully remains skeptical.
Here's an article from space.com
Test of 'Impossible' EmDrive Space Engine Passes Peer Review
My inner Mulder wants to believe, but my inner Scully remains skeptical.
The Chinese are currently testing their own version of the EM Drive, including on their space station, and have apparently been successful:
Original article: http://digitalpaper.stdaily.com/http...004.htm?div=-1
Interpretation in English from Popular science: http://www.popsci.com/emdrive-engine...-china-success
No pictures from the Chinese, unfortunately, but it does suggest that a race to a practical implementation is underway; despite others in the scientific community suggesting it is impossible.
The EMDrive is now being developed for a third generation version, further details are available here: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/emdrive-des...vealed-1634322
Current progress is getting more exciting now.
from space.com
'Impossible' EmDrive Space Thruster May Really Be Impossible
It would be a shame if they are unable to get it to work.
My inner Mulder wants to believe, but my inner Scully remains skeptical.