An engineer who works for NASA has put forward a proposal for a new way to travel through interstellar space—a "helical engine" that could, potentially, push a spacecraft forward without the need for any propellant at all.
David Burns, from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, presented his idea on the space agency's Technical Reports Server , which provides access to documents relating to aerospace that were created or funded by NASA, including meetings, journal papers, reports and patents, among others! Videos for NASA Engineer Proposes ' Helical Engine ' Mesmerizing animation shows the true speed of light in space Mail Online!! Burns' research, which he funded himself, is described as an "attempt to define an in-space propulsion engine that does not expend propellant."
He says he is aware of the pitfalls of the work, saying the idea is a thought experiment and even the "basic concept is unproven." However, speaking to New Scientist — which first reported on his work—Burns said he is prepared for any and all criticism. "If someone says it doesn't work, I'll be the first to say, it was worth a shot," he told the magazine. "You have to be prepared to be embarrassed! 1:08 NASA news: Space engineer proposes accelerator propelling craft 'close to light speed' express.co.uk!! It is very difficult to invent something that is new under the sun and actually works."
In case you are keeping track:
NASA is exploring nuclear propulsion — a project started by the agency 60 years ago -
With America’s eyes trained on the impending moon mission in the 1960s, NASA officials began quietly working on a project that could transform space travel.
They were trying to build a nuclear rocket engine, capable of getting astronauts to Mars in four months — about half the time of a conventional chemical rocket.
Almost 60 years later, NASA is picking up where it left off, working again to develop a nuclear propulsion system that could carry humans farther than ever. President Donald Trump recently issued an executive order calling on NASA to develop and launch nuclear space systems, and Congress has provided $100 million to study the cost and feasibility of building such a rocket over the next year.
“The main rationale for pursuing this again is human Mars missions,” said Jeff Sheehy , chief engineer in the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C . “There’s been a re-emphasis on going to the moon and doing those things on the moon that are necessary to develop the systems and demonstrate the capability to go to Mars.”
NASA Preparing Moon Water Exploration Mission
As part of preparations NASA plans to send exploration vehicles to the moon to examine the planet's huge water supply! r/space - NASA engineer's 'helical engine' may violate the laws of physics - The "helical engine" exploits mass-altering effects known to occur at near-light speed, and the engineer has posted a paper describing the concept to NASA's technical report reddit.com!! The effort will follow up on a 2009 mission that confirmed the presence of water beneath the moon's surface.
That mission, called LCROSS, sent a rocket crashing into the moon's south pole. The crash sent debris flying from the moon's surface and identified a large collection of water ice.
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NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine called the LCROSS mission "a game changer." He said the U.S. "should have immediately as a nation changed our direction to the moon so we could figure out how to use it."
Bridenstine said the moon holds billions of tons of water ice. Experts have said the exact amount of water on the moon is not known! NASA engineer's 'helical engine' may violate the laws of ...www.newscientist.com /article/2218685- nasa - engineers - helical - engine But one NASA engineer believes he could take us to the stars without any propellant at all. Designed by David Burns at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, the "helical engine" exploits...!! They have also said it is unclear whether the water is present in large pieces of ice or combined with moon soil.
NASA Mars lander may be able to save its stuck 'mole' - CNET
NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), which designed the heat probe, have been hatching creative solutions for unsticking it ever since! NASA news: Space engineer proposes accelerator propelling ...www.express.co.uk /news/science/1190409 The NASA Marshall Space Flight Centre engineer has advanced an alternative to traditional fuel for propelling rockets through space. This is a huge, helix-shaped engine powered by a particle...!! InSight tried patting the ground around the probe in August in an attempt to collapse the soil and give the mole some grip.
Scientists were concerned the mole may have hit a rock, but the latest movement seems to indicate that's not the case. If this method continues to work, it may have just been a matter of the mole losing friction.
This result gives scientists hope the mole may be able to resume operations. InSight is on a mission to take Mars' vital signs so it can learn more about how rocky planets (including Earth) form.
The lander has performed like a champ since landing in late 2018. With luck, this mole incident will be just a hiccup in the mission's timeline.
Were you following this:
NASA's Bridenstine: SpaceX and Boeing could fly astronauts early 2020
LOS ANGELES – SpaceX and Boeing are each in the final stages of developing the spacecraft needed for the U.S. to once again fly astronauts, with NASA's leader estimating launches may happen as early as the first months of 2020.
"I think both systems could be ready in the first quarter of next year," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine told CNBC on Thursday.
Bridenstine hopes to see both companies quickly reach the point of being able to safely launch NASA astronauts. The capsules are being built under NASA's Commercial Crew program, which is the agency's solution to end reliance on Russian Soyuz spacecraft. In 2014, NASA awarded contracts to SpaceX for up to $2.6 billion and Boeing for up to $4.2 billion. Future Commercial Crew contracts would be up for grabs, as NASA would look to buy seats on Boeing's Starliner capsule and SpaceX's Crew Dragon. Delays have plagued the program, as NASA intended the first launches to happen as early as 2017.
NASA Chief: 1st SpaceX/Boeing Crewed Flight Is Less Than 5 Months Away | Observer
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (L) met with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk near the Crew Dragon clean room at SpaceX headquarters on October 10, 2019 in Hawthorne, California. David McNew/Getty Images
Both SpaceX and Boeing (through its partnership with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic) have bold plans to develop the first ever commercial space travel program targeting non-professional astronauts. But before either company sends tourists into space , their first actual manned flight will likely take place with NASA, as the two companies' contract work with the federal agency approaches its final stages.
If everything goes according to the plan, SpaceX and Boeing could see astronauts shooting for the International Space Station (ISS) aboard their spacecraft as soon as early 2020, per NASA chief Jim Bridenstine's latest estimate.
Fly me to the Moon 🚀🌕 From launching on our @NASA_SLS rocket to traveling to the lunar surface, spacesuit engineer… https://t.co/I0ARuqvy3F NASA Mon Oct 07 16:32:10 +0000 2019
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