The EmDrive That Wasn't...

The EmDrive produces propulsion without propellant, according to its inventor. (Credit: SPR, Ltd)

Physicist John Baez has another, more colorful word to describe the spate of recent reports about a breakthrough space engine that produces thrust without any propellant. The word starts with “bull–.” I won’t finish it, this being a family-friendly web site and all. Baez himself has softened his tone and now calls it “baloney,” though his sentiment remains the same: The laws of physics remain intact, and the “impossible” space drive is, as far as anyone can tell, actually impossible.

The story begins several years back with a British inventor named Roger Shawyer and his EmDrive, a prototype rocket engine which he claimed generated thrust by bouncing microwaves around in an enclosed metal funnel. Since no mass or energy emerged from the engine, Shawyer’s claim was another way of saying that he’d found a way to violate the conservation of momentum. In Baez’s words, “this is about as plausible as powering a spaceship by having the crew push on it from the inside.” Shawyer argued that he was exploiting a loophole within general relativity. Baez calls his explanation “mumbo jumbo.”

I'd read about the EmDrive, and didn't blog about it, thankfully. Something about it didn't "smell right," and it put me in the mind of the whole "cold fusion" boondoggle of the late 80's - early 90's. Plus, I ran into some links that gave a "404" error, which if you're trying to convince someone to fund your project is probably not a good sell! Surprisingly, a few courageous ones are still doing work in the area. As my Air Force JROTC instructor was apt to say to disavow responsibility or knowledge in any subject: "not the kid!"

This is not to be confused with warp drive. That science is actually being done painstakingly, and the reporting as accurate as possible. Meaning: as science goes, one must report the failures as well as the successes and subject your study to ruthless peer review. It's the science equivalent of a gauntlet at a bar fight. Even 1/10th the speed of light would be a significant accomplishment, and get us to at least Alpha Centauri in a human lifetime. It would at least reduce Mars to a matter of minutes (I'll leave space tourism to the visionary).

The author, Corey S. Powell, ends his article with an appropriate Latin metaphor. The rest of the article is at the link below:

"Ad astra per aspera: through hardship, to the stars."

Discovery: Did NASA Validate an “Impossible” Space Drive? In a Word, No.
Cory S. Powell