Assessing Potential Propulsion Breakthroughs

Abstract

: The term, propulsion breakthrough, refers to concepts like propellantless space drives and faster‐than‐light travel, the kind of breakthroughs that would make interstellar exploration practical. Although no such breakthroughs appear imminent, a variety of investigations have begun. During 1996–2002 NASA supported the breakthrough propulsion physics project to examine physics in the context of breakthrough spaceflight. Three facets of these assessments are now reported: (1) predicting benefits, (2) selecting research, and (3) recent technical progress. Predicting benefits is challenging, since the breakthroughs are still only notional concepts, but energy can serve as a basis for comparison. A hypothetical space drive would require many orders of magnitude less energy than a rocket for journeys to our nearest neighboring star. Assessing research options is challenging when the goals are beyond known physics and when the implications of success are profound. To mitigate the challenges, a selection process is described where: (1) research tasks are constrained to only address the immediate unknowns, curious effects, or critical issues; (2) reliability of assertions is more important than their implications; and (3) reviewers judge credibility rather than feasibility. The recent findings of a number of tasks, some selected using this process, are discussed. Of the 14 tasks included, six reached null conclusions, four remain unresolved, and four have opportunities for sequels. A dominant theme with the sequels is research about the properties of space, inertial frames, and the quantum vacuum.

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“…φ . This can be achieved applying (27) in a slightly different manner, which is now between the cycle points '0' and 'e', instead of the previously mentioned 'f' and 'e'. However, the shortcoming of this choice is the backward sliding (small but negative displacement M y ) appearing in the beginning of motion, as shown in Fig.…”

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“…A characteristic of this mechanism is that the second planet gear, P2, is fixed thus causing rolling of the spin gears S1 and S2 on P2. Obviously, the rotation of the planet gear P1 enforces the spin gear S1 to rotate about its local axis (initially coinciding with the global z-axis) and also enforces the casing (11) to rotate around x-axis. When assuming the same diameters m R of the four gears (P1, P2, S1 and S2), due to the aforementioned rolling at the interface between P2 and S1, the following conditions occur:…”

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