It’s one of the most controversial topics of science today, and it’s called the Em Drive. This spacecraft engine has physicists and astronomers turning in circles and fighting among themselves as they debate over the impossibility vs. the possibility of the controversial idea. So, what is it exactly that has people up in arms?
The Em Drive is a hypothetical engine that appears to break the laws of physics as we know it. Although many people are skeptic that the device could work, it has been tested by NASA as successful. It all started with Roger Shawyer back in 2001 when he invented and founded the Em Drive. As controversial as it is, it’s a relatively simple device when you think about it. It consists of a large, tapered cylinder that is closed either end while microwaves are generated and bounced back and forth inside the cylinder, causing it to thrust.
During testing, NASA scientists found that the Em Drive produced around 1 newton of thrust for every megawatt of power pumped into it without the use of any propellant. Some of the ideas used to explain how this works include internal vibration or heat distortion, but none of these are breaking any physics laws. So, if that is the case, then how is it done? One theory involves that of quantum mechanics and the so-called pilot wave theory. If this theory proves to be true, it would explain how the Em Drive pushes against the vacuum of space and is able to generate thrust in doing so.
But, this theory is yet to be proved right, so until then the Em Drive is still unexplainable, and even if it is proved true, it still doesn’t give an accurate explanation of how the device works. Either way, if the Em Drive engine does prove to be successful, it will open up a whole new world in the land of physics and bring many more exciting possibilities.
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