AaS! 138: Could the "emdrive" really work?
Ask a Spaceman!
Paul M. Sutter
4.8 • 853 Ratings
🗓️ 20 October 2020
⏱️ 34 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What does the “emdrive” claim to do? How does it violate almost all of known physics? What were the problems with the experiments? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!
Support the show: http://www.patreon.com/pmsutter
All episodes: http://www.AskASpaceman.com
Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PaulMattSutter
Like on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PaulMattSutter
Watch on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/PaulMSutter
Read a book: http://www.pmsutter/book
Go on an adventure: http://www.AstroTours.co
Keep those questions about space, science, astronomy, astrophysics, physics, and cosmology coming to #AskASpaceman for COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF TIME AND SPACE!
Big thanks to my top Patreon supporters this month: Matthew K, Justin Z, Justin G, Kevin O, Duncan M, Corey D, Barbara K, Neuterdude, Chris C, Robert M, Nate H, Andrew F, Chris L, Cameron L, Naila, Aaron S, Tom B, Scott M, Billy T, Rob H Tim R, Joe R, Neil P, Bryan D, Irene P, Matt C, Iothian53, Steve P, Debra S, Ken L, Alberto M, Ron W, Chris L, Mark R, Alan B, Stephen J, David P, John F, Maureen R, Frank T, Craig B, Jesse A, Steven L, Ulfert B, Dave L, Stace J, S Stark, Richard K, Carol S, Stephen M, Grace M, Jeremy K, Russell W, David B, Tamara F, Robert B, Fr Bruce W, Catherine R, Nicolai B, Sean M, Nate H, Edward K, Ped, Chuck C, Stephen S, Elizabeth W, Eric F, Tracy F, Callan R, George, Tom G, Tom, Sarah K, Jens O, Ella F, Sarah K, JJ_Holy, G Clune, Ryan L, Cindy R, Judy D, Sam R, Tom Van S, Thomas K, James C, Jorg D, Nicole M, Syamkumar M, John S, db8y97, Fred S, COTFM, Darren W, Norm Z, Howard A, Homer V, Kevin P, Robert H, Mark D, Ron S, David W, Antonio M, Brianna V, Becky L, Bruce A, Arthur, Bill H, Justin W, Colin B, Steven M, Richard S, Brent B, Bill E, and Jim L!
Music by Jason Grady and Nick Bain. Thanks to Cathy Rinella for editing.
Hosted by Paul M. Sutter, astrophysicist and the one and only Agent to the Stars (http://www.pmsutter.com).
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | One if you could fly around space |
| 0:08.8 | Without needing to fly around space |
| 0:12.2 | Like without any rockets |
| 0:13.2 | You just have a box |
| 0:14.3 | Sitting in the middle of your spacecraft |
| 0:15.8 | And no way you go |
| 0:17.7 | Nothing comes out of the box |
| 0:19.8 | But your spaceship just moves. Sounds like |
| 0:24.3 | science fiction, and well, as we'll see in this episode, it is. I'm talking about the M drive, |
| 0:30.8 | also known as the electromagnetic drive, the RF resonant cavity, the Q drive. Some people even call it the impossible drive, |
| 0:40.1 | because it is. The concept was first introduced back in 2001, but the media world went nuts |
| 0:47.8 | back in 2016 and again in 2019, as various groups around the world claimed to build them, |
| 0:53.9 | test them, and get positive |
| 0:55.5 | results. |
| 0:57.0 | But before I go too far, I need to describe what it is. |
| 1:00.4 | It's a closed metal cavity that's narrower on one end than the other, and it's designed |
| 1:06.4 | to be pumped full of microwave radiation, or really whatever radiation you feel like at the time |
| 1:12.2 | and uh |
| 1:13.7 | um well that makes |
| 1:15.9 | a rocket engine |
| 1:17.9 | I mean it's literally a fancier version |
| 1:21.0 | of putting your microwave oven inside a rocket |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Paul M. Sutter, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Paul M. Sutter and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.