NASA engineer creates propulsion system that defies the laws of physics

A NASA engineer and co-founder of Exodus Propulsion Technologies has claimed that his company’s propellantless propulsion drive system has generated enough thrust to counteract Earth’s gravity.

This discovery, which appears to defy the known laws of physics, could potentially revolutionize space travel for the next millennium.

Dr. Charles Buhler, a veteran of prestigious NASA programs such as the Space Shuttle, the International Space Station (ISS), The Hubble Telescope, and the current NASA Dust Program, believes that this fundamental new force represents a historic breakthrough.

“The most important message to convey to the public is that a major discovery occurred,” Buhler told The Debrief. “This discovery of a New Force is fundamental in that electric fields alone can generate a sustainable force onto an object and allow center-of-mass translation of said object without expelling mass.”

EmDrive and the quest for propellantless propulsion

The concept of a propellantless drive, also known as the “impossible drive,” was first introduced in 2001 by British Electrical Engineer Roger Shawyer.

The EmDrive, as it was called, claimed to be reactionless, requiring no propellant and defying the known laws of physics, specifically the conservation of momentum. Despite two decades of testing, the EmDrive was ultimately deemed bunk in 2021.

However, the dream of a propellantless machine persisted, and now, a new challenger has emerged with the backing of a former NASA scientist.

Buhler, who helped establish the Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, claims that his team at Exodus Propulsion Technologies has created a drive powered by a “New Force” outside our current known laws of physics.

How the EmDrive supposedly works

The EmDrive consists of a conical cavity filled with microwaves. The device’s inventor, British engineer Roger Shawyer, proposes that the microwaves bouncing inside the cavity can create a difference in radiation pressure, resulting in a net thrust towards the narrow end of the cone.

This concept challenges our understanding of physics, as it suggests that a closed system can generate propulsion without any external reaction mass.

Controversy and skepticism

The scientific community remains highly skeptical of the EmDrive’s claimed capabilities. Many physicists argue that the concept violates the well-established laws of physics, particularly the conservation of momentum.

They maintain that any apparent thrust measured in EmDrive experiments is likely due to experimental errors, such as air currents or thermal effects.

Experimental results and challenges

Several research teams have attempted to replicate the EmDrive’s purported thrust, with varying results. In 2016, a team from NASA’s Eagleworks laboratory claimed to have measured a small but consistent thrust from an EmDrive device. However, their findings were not peer-reviewed and faced criticism for potential methodological flaws.

Subsequent independent studies have failed to reproduce the claimed thrust. In 2021, a team from the Dresden University of Technology conducted a comprehensive study of the EmDrive, finding no evidence of any anomalous thrust.

They concluded that the device does not produce any measurable net thrust, attributing previous positive results to experimental errors and noise.

Theoretical explanations and criticisms

Proponents of the EmDrive have proposed various theoretical explanations for its supposed thrust, often invoking concepts such as quantum vacuum fluctuations or the pilot-wave interpretation of quantum mechanics.

However, these explanations have been met with skepticism from the mainstream scientific community, as they lack rigorous mathematical formulation and experimental support.

Critics argue that the EmDrive concept is fundamentally flawed and that any attempts to explain its operation using fringe theories are misguided. They emphasize the need for extraordinary evidence to support such extraordinary claims, which has not been forthcoming.

Current status and future prospects for the EmDrive

Despite the lack of convincing evidence and the overwhelming skepticism from the scientific community, research into the EmDrive continues.

Some enthusiasts and fringe scientists remain committed to investigating the concept, hoping to uncover new physics or validate the claimed thrust.

However, given the mounting evidence against the EmDrive and the absence of a plausible theoretical foundation, the device’s prospects for practical application appear bleak.

The consensus among physicists is that the EmDrive is an experimental artifact rather than a genuine propulsion breakthrough.

Discovery of a “New Force”

Buhler’s team, comprised of individuals from NASA, Blue Origin, and the Air Force, investigated propellantless drives for decades before focusing on electrostatics.

Their devices initially produced negligible thrust but saw increases with each iteration. In 2023, their “New Force”-powered drive generated enough thrust to overcome Earth’s gravity.

“Essentially, what we’ve discovered is that systems that contain an asymmetry in either electrostatic pressure or some kind of electrostatic divergent field can give a system of a center of mass a non-zero force component,” Buhler explained to The Debrief. “So, what that basically means is that there’s some underlying physics that can essentially place force on an object should those two constraints be met.”

Cautious optimism and the need for verification

While Buhler’s claims are intriguing, the history of propellantless drives is filled with seemingly positive results that are eventually debunked by scientific reality.

The EmDrive, for example, initially showed promise after NASA’s Eagleworks team claimed to measure thrust in 2016. However, subsequent studies found zero thrust.

Before celebrating this potential breakthrough, rigorous, third-party research must verify the results repeatedly. Although it’s not impossible that Buhler’s team stumbled upon an unknown quirk of physics, it remains an extremely unlikely outcome.

Buhler himself acknowledges the need for further study, stating, “It’s going to take a physicist much smarter than me to come up with all of that.” He believes that other scientists are in the perfect position to test and study their results to uncover the nature of this newfound force.

The future of space travel? Only time will tell

In summary, the scientific community eagerly awaits further developments and the opportunity to study this potential breakthrough in greater detail.

In the meantime, one thing remains clear: the discovery of a new force capable of generating thrust without propellant could reshape our understanding of the universe and revolutionize space travel for generations to come.

While rigorous testing and verification lie ahead, the possibility of a propellantless propulsion system that defies our current understanding of physics sparks excitement and anticipation among scientists, engineers, and space enthusiasts alike.

As we stand on the brink of what could be a scientific revolution, the future of space exploration looks brighter than ever before.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–