EmDrive engine checked in space

Cannae satellite of six CubeSat units. Render: Cannae Inc.

Since 2003, experts and enthusiasts have been arguing about the possible existence of a hypothetical "magical" electromagnetic EmDrive engine. The principle of its operation is very simple : the magnetron generates microwaves, the energy of their oscillations is accumulated in a high-quality resonator, and the fact that there is a standing wave of electromagnetic oscillations in a closed resonator of a special form is a source of thrust. This creates traction in a closed loop, that is, in a system completely isolated from the external environment , without exhaust.

On the one hand, this engine seems to violate the law of conservation of momentum, as indicated by many physicists. On the other hand, the British inventor Roger Shauer (Roger Shawyer) firmly believes in the performance of his EmDrive - and he has many supporters (see several hundred discussion pages on the NASASpaceFlight forum). The tests carried out on Earth (the results of 22 tests ) seem to confirm the performance of the EmDrive.
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It's time to end the controversy.

Guido Pett (Guido Fetta), Scheuer’s like-minded person and designer of another hypothetical Cannae Drive engine, which works on the same principle: the generation of microwaves and the creation of traction in a closed loop without exhaust, intends to put an end to the disputes.

On August 17, 2016, Guido Petta announced that he intended to launch a pilot Cannae Drive sample into orbit - and test it in action. Guido Petta is the executive director of Cannae Inc. Now Cannae Inc. licensed electromagnetic engine technology to Theseus Space Inc., which will bring the CubeSat satellite to low earth orbit.

The founders of Theseus Space are Cannae Inc. itself, as well as the little-known firms LAI International, AZ and SpaceQuest.

The launch date has not yet been announced. Perhaps enthusiasts will be able to raise money and build an experimental apparatus in 2017.

The only task for this satellite is to test the Cannae Drive engine for six months. The satellite will try to move using the Cannae Drive electromagnetic thrust.

The Cannae Drive developers claim that their engine is capable of generating thrust up to several newtons and "higher levels", which is best suited for use in small satellites. The engine does not need fuel, it has no exhaust.

The engine volume on the CubeSat satellite is no more than 1.5 units , that is, 10 × 10 × 15 cm. The power source is less than 10 watts. The satellite itself will consist of six units .


Satellite company Cannae. Render: Cannae Inc.

Immediately after a successful demonstration in orbit, the company Theseus Space intends to offer a new engine to third-party manufacturers for use on other satellites.

According to Cannae , a more massive version of an electromagnetic motor weighing 3,500 kg is capable of delivering a cargo weighing 2000 kg to a distance of 0.1 light years in 15 years. The total mass of such a device together with cooling systems and other parts will be 10 tons.


Tests of the Cannae electromagnetic engine with helium cooling. Photo: Cannae

If the performance of the engine is confirmed as a result of reliable repeated scientific experiment, then scientists will have to find an explanation for this phenomenon. Roger Scheuer himself suggests that the principle of the engine is based on the special theory of relativity. The engine converts electricity into microwave radiation, which is emitted inside a closed conical cavity, which causes the microwave particles to attach to a larger, flat part of the cavity surface, more force than at the narrower end of the cone, and thereby create cravings.

Scheuer is confident that such a system does not contradict the law of conservation of momentum.

Guido Pett offers a similar explanation in the description of US Patent No. 20140013724 , mentioning the Lorentz force, the force with which an electromagnetic field acts on a point charged particle.

NASA researchers who experience EmDrive suggest that thrust is created by the "quantum vacuum of a virtual plasma" of particles that appear and disappear in a closed contour of space-time. That is, the system is not really isolated, so it does not violate the law of conservation of momentum due to the effects of quantum physics.


Emdrive

The development of EmDrive is generally ignored by the scientific community, although some experiments are still being conducted. For example, in 2012, a group of Chinese physicists published the results of measurements of the electromagnetic motor thrust, which was 70–720 mN with a microwave emitter power of 80–2500 W, with measurement errors less than 12%. This slightly exceeds the thrust of the ion engine .

Enthusiasts are sure: if EmDrive is working, then in the future it will be possible to create not only efficient space engines, but also flying cars, as well as ships, airplanes — any kind of electromagnetic-powered transport.

The Cannae company is not the only one who wants to test the operation of an electromagnetic engine in space. German engineer Paul Kotsyla (Paul Kocyla) designed a small pocket EmDrive , and now he is raising money as part of a crowdfunding campaign. To launch a prototype into space on a PocketQube mini-satellite, it takes 24,200 euros. For three months, managed to collect 585 euros.


EmDrive prototype by German engineer Paul Kotsyly

Recently, Scheuer's research papers were published in the public domain . “Around the world, people measured traction. Some built engines in their garages, others in large organizations. They all betray the pull, there is no great mystery. Someone thinks that there is some kind of black magic, but it is not. Any normal physicist should understand how it works. If someone does not understand, it’s time for him to change jobs, ”the British engineer said categorically.