The EmDrive Just Won't Die

When DARPA put money behind the controversial EmDrive in 2018, it looked like a big gamble. Many physicists had dismissed the revolutionary space drive as simply fake science. Now its EmDrive project is greenlit for Phase 2, DARPA told Popular Mechanics in February this year. Meanwhile, other teams are hoping to reach a final demonstration of the technology later this year. "This is a technology which could transform space travel and see craft lifting silently off from launchpads and reaching beyond the solar system," says Mike McCulloch, a lecturer in geomatics at the University of Plymouth, U.K., and leader behind DARPA’s EmDrive project. “We can also get an unmanned probe to Proxima Centauri in a (long) human lifetime, 90 years.” But DARPA is tempering that idealistic vision. “Theoretical model-based predictions of performance have led to new thruster designs, and these new designs may help inform future development and testing activities,” a DARPA spokesman told Popular Mechanics. With two ongoing studies rigorously testing the EmDrive’s “impossibility,” the controversial drive that’s hung around astro-engineering circles for more than two decades is only months away from its do-or-die moment. [View in Browser]( [Popular Mechanics]( [SHOP]( [EXCLUSIVE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [The EmDrive Just Won't Die]( [The EmDrive Just Won't Die]( When DARPA put money behind the controversial EmDrive in 2018, it looked like a big gamble. Many physicists had dismissed the revolutionary space drive as simply fake science. Now its EmDrive project is greenlit for Phase 2, DARPA told Popular Mechanics in February this year. Meanwhile, other teams are hoping to reach a final demonstration of the technology later this year. "This is a technology which could transform space travel and see craft lifting silently off from launchpads and reaching beyond the solar system," says Mike McCulloch, a lecturer in geomatics at the University of Plymouth, U.K., and leader behind DARPA’s EmDrive project. “We can also get an unmanned probe to Proxima Centauri in a (long) human lifetime, 90 years.” But DARPA is tempering that idealistic vision. “Theoretical model-based predictions of performance have led to new thruster designs, and these new designs may help inform future development and testing activities,” a DARPA spokesman told Popular Mechanics. With two ongoing studies rigorously testing the EmDrive’s “impossibility,” the controversial drive that’s hung around astro-engineering circles for more than two decades is only months away from its do-or-die moment. [Read More]( [Backcountry Is Having a Huge Clearance Sale on Must-Have Outdoor Clothes and Gear]( [Backcountry Is Having a Huge Clearance Sale on Must-Have Outdoor Clothes and Gear]( Score up to 60% off on brands like Patagonia, The North Face, and more. [Read More]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [The Inside Story of PayPal & the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley]( [In Partnership with Simon & Schuster]( [The Inside Story of PayPal & the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley]( The Founders chronicles how Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and the PayPal Mafia created a company that changed the world. [Read More]( [ICYMI Amazon Has a Secret Coupon Page Filled With Amazing Deals]( [ICYMI Amazon Has a Secret Coupon Page Filled With Amazing Deals]( Time to get clipping and save huge! [Read More]( [10 Best Foam Mattresses that Will Improve Your Sleep]( 10 Best Foam Mattresses that Will Improve Your Sleep]( Getting a good night’s rest has never been easier. [Read More]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [Russia’s ‘Vacuum Bombs’ Could Unleash Hell on Ukrainian Civilians]( [Russia’s ‘Vacuum Bombs’ Could Unleash Hell on Ukrainian Civilians]( The TOS-1A heavy flamethrower system is meant to take on fortified enemy positions. Used against civilians, it would almost certainly amount to a war crime. [Read More]( [MacBook Air Vs. MacBook Pro: Which Is Best For You Based On Our Testing]( [MacBook Air Vs. MacBook Pro: Which Is Best For You Based On Our Testing]( With the power of M1, your decision comes down to portability versus power (and your budget). [Read More]( Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice/Notice at Collection]( PopularMechanics.com ©2022 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019