Gravity, Gizmos, and a Grand Theory of Interstellar Travel
For decades, Jim Woodward dreamed of a propellantless engine to take humans to the
stars. Now he thinks he’s got it. But is it revolutionary—or illusory?
"Instead of propellant, it relies on electricity, which in space would come from solar
panels or a nuclear reactor. His insight was to use a stack of piezoelectric crystals and
some controversial—but he believes plausible—physics to generate thrust. The stack
of crystals, which store tiny amounts of energy, vibrates tens of thousands of times
per second when zapped with electric current. Some of the vibrational frequencies
harmonize as they roll through the device, and when the oscillations sync up in just
the right way, the small drive lurches forward.
This might not sound like the secret to interstellar travel, but if that small lurch can be
sustained, a spacecraft could theoretically produce thrust for as long as it had electric
power. It wouldn’t accelerate quickly, but it could accelerate for a long time, gradually
gaining in velocity until it was whipping its way across the galaxy. An onboard nuclear
reactor could supply it with electric power for decades, long enough for an array of
MEGA drives to reach velocities approaching the speed of light. If Woodward’s device
works, it’d be the first propulsion system that could conceivably reach another solar
system within the lifespan of an astronaut. How does it work? Ask Woodward and he’ll
tell you his gizmo has merely tapped into the fabric of the universe and hitched a ride
on gravity itself."
See:
https://www.wired.com/story/mach-eff...tellar-travel/