NASA documents have leaked to the network confirming the performance of the EmDrive engine, which is capable of running without fuel. The principle of its operation has not yet been explained from the point of view of conservation laws.
According to a report from NASA's Eagleworks laboratory, the engine was able to develop 1.2 millinewtons per kilowatt of thrust in a vacuum. In comparison, a Hall effect ion thruster develops a thrust of 60 millinewtons per kilowatt. However, it should be borne in mind that EmDrive runs without fuel and the weight of the device in this case is much lower, and this compensates for its low power.
It is noted that the results of the last engine test turned out to be erroneous, since external effects were not taken into account during the experiment. Now experts have eliminated the measurement error, and the results are reliable. In theory, a flight to Mars with such an engine would only last ten weeks.
The EmDrive motor is a device consisting of a magnetron (generating microwaves) and a resonator (storing the energy of their vibrations). Outwardly, the unit resembles a bucket laid on its side. This design allows, according to Scheuer, to convert radiation into thrust.
The latest version of the engine was patented by its inventor Roger Scheuer at the end of October 2016. The new modification differs from the previous ones by the presence of a superconducting plate. According to the scientist, this makes it possible to reduce, relative to an outside observer, the change in the frequency of the electromagnetic wave during its propagation in the engine cavity and thus increase the thrust of the EmDrive.
