Is Space Propulsion Possible Without Fuel? Pentagon and UK Scientists to Find Out
Could the spacecraft and satellites of the future be launched into space without fuel? Scientists at the UK’s University of Plymouth say that it’s a distinct possibility. They are about to spend the next four years testing this idea, with the help of a $1.3 million grant from the United States Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA).
The grant recipient is Dr. Mike McCullough, who first hypothesised that light can be converted into thrust in 2007. The gist of his idea of quantised intertia (QI) lies in that the difference in the intensity of Unruh radiation in space — the Unruh waves — can be influenced. According to the hypothesis, if a damper is placed above the object, it will be propelled upward.
In the University’s press release, McCullough says that: “I believe QI could be a real game changer for space science. I have always thought it could be used to convert light into thrust, but it also suggests ways to enhance that thrust. It is hugely exciting to now have the opportunity to test it.” If it works, the spacecraft and satellite propulsion industry would experience a significant drop in cost. Chemical rockets are very expensive because of the explosive propellant they need, so this new kind of thruster would be much cheaper and safer as it would only need a source of electrical power to accelerate the core of a thruster.
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/fnNKC82wUmY
The idea of propulsion without using fuel is not new — in fact, several scientists have engaged in the search for new propulsion systems in the past. In 2001, Britain’s Roger Shawyer developed a radio frequency (RF) resonant cavity thruster, the EmDrive. While initial tests showed a small thrust, later tests repeated in 2018 failed to replicate the initial results. In 2006, Guido Fetta built the Cannae Drive that was based on Shawyer’s concept. In China, Yue Chen has also filed several patent applications for RF resonant cavity thruster designs.
In the meantime, researchers from the University of Plymouth are busy developing the predictive theoretical model for light-matter interactions, followed by a series of experiments.
“Ultimately, what this could mean is you would need no propellant to launch a satellite,” Dr. McCulloch said. “But it would also mean you only need a source of electrical power, for example solar power, to move any craft once it is in space. It has the potential to make interplanetary travel much easier, and interstellar travel possible.”
On 25 June 2018, during his inauguration as Asgardia’s Head of Nation, Igor Ashurbeyli said that it is extremely important to create an Asgardian infrastructure that is independent of planet Earth. This will include low orbit satellites and various other space technologies, as well as, eventually space arcs. For the technological goals of Asgardia, the current research offers much promise.
