Although not peer reviewed or replicated, a NASA veteran claims their Propellantless Propulsion Drive, that physics says shouldn’t work, just produced enough thrust to overcome Earth’s gravity

Lugh@futurology.today · 11 个月前

Although not peer reviewed or replicated, a NASA veteran claims their Propellantless Propulsion Drive, that physics says shouldn’t work, just produced enough thrust to overcome Earth’s gravity

jordanlund@lemmy.world · 11 个月前

They did this on Mythbusters in small scale years ago and the science of it is fascinating.

I don’t think it would do much to break orbit, but once IN space it could be interesting.

https://youtu.be/UCiU96rJJoo

This is what they were testing:

https://youtu.be/006d36WWyaQ

You take a lightweight balsawood frame, wrap it in tinfoil and lightweight wire, then pump high voltages through it.

https://hackaday.com/2016/07/13/expanding-horizons-with-the-ion-propelled-lifter/

macarthur_park@lemmy.world · 11 个月前

Note that what the mythbusters looked at was a form of ion propulsion. The high voltage on the sharp boundary of the aluminum foil repels air molecules. If you put one of those in a vacuum (or space) it wouldn’t have any thrust.

threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works · 11 个月前

If you put one of those in a vacuum (or space) it wouldn’t have any thrust.

IIRC, the MythBusters did exactly that later in the episode. Unsurprisdngly, the devices produced no thrust in a vacuum chamber.

ferret@sh.itjust.works · 11 个月前

That isn’t propellant-less. The propellant is air, and in space where there is no atmosphere they typically use xeon gas

Although not peer reviewed or replicated, a NASA veteran claims their Propellantless Propulsion Drive, that physics says shouldn’t work, just produced enough thrust to overcome Earth’s gravity

Although not peer reviewed or replicated, a NASA veteran claims their Propellantless Propulsion Drive, that physics says shouldn’t work, just produced enough thrust to overcome Earth’s gravity

NASA Veteran’s Propellantless Propulsion Drive That Physics Says Shouldn’t Work Just Produced Enough Thrust to Overcome Earth’s Gravity - The Debrief