Friday, June 12, 2020

The propulsion concept known as EmDrive gets a real test.

A Mythical Form of Space Propulsion Finally Gets a Real Test - Scientists have debated for decades whether the propulsion concept known as EmDrive is real or wishful thinking. A sensitive new tool may at last provide an answer.
https://www.wired.com/story/a-mythical-form-of-space-propulsion-finally-gets-a-real-test/#intcid=recommendations_wired-homepage-right-rail_427cb660-2c1b-45e9-95d2-1fa0abedba19_popular4-1
"First described nearly two decades ago, the EmDrive works by converting electricity into microwaves and channeling this electromagnetic radiation through a conical chamber. In theory, the microwaves can exert force against the walls of the chamber to produce enough thrust to propel a spacecraft once it's in space. At this point, however, the EmDrive exists only as a laboratory prototype, and it's still unclear whether it's able to produce thrust at all. If it does, the forces it generates aren't strong enough to be registered by the naked eye, much less propel a spacecraft."

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