Design Concept of Electromagnetic Propulsion for Interplanetary Flight

Abstract

In search of creative innovations in space transportation, NASA supported the Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Project from 1996 to 2002. The following parameters were established: (1) Propulsion requires no propellant mass. (2) Propulsion attains the maximum transit speeds physically possible, and (3) Breakthrough methods of energy produce power from such devices. According to these requirements, topics of interest included experiments and theories regarding the coupling of gravity and electromagnetism, the quantum vacuum, hyper fast travel, and super luminal quantum effect. Because the propulsion goals are presumably far from fruition, a special emphasis is to identify affordable, near-term, and credible research that could make measurable progress toward these propulsion goals. The author believes that electromagnetic propulsion can satisfy these requirements. In the technological classification, two types of the electromagnetic propulsion will be applied in future interplanetary flights. One is passive electromagnetic propulsion, and the second is the active electromagnetic propulsion. This paper concentrates on the active type.