EM drive, German testing and confirmation

[pantheory]

There have been other threads on EM drive here before. This is the latest asserted confirmation of the technology, an article based upon a recent German paper.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/space/11769030/Impossible-rocket-drive-works-and-could-get-to-Moon-in-four-hours.html

 

 

[swansont]

Not a confirmation. They say so in the abstract of the paper (which is not peer-reviewed)

 

http://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/6.2015-4083

 

“Our test campaign can not confirm or refute the claims of the EMDrive but intends to independently assess possible side-effects in the measurements methods used so far”

 

They identify some components which require further testing to see if they are responsible for the 20 micronewtons of thrust they measured.

 

See this for more objections

http://io9.com/no-german-scientists-have-not-confirmed-the-impossibl-1720573809

 

Such as the thrust being present when the system was turned off, and not starting up immediately when it was turned on, suggesting some of the effect is thermal in nature, and does not eliminate systematic errors.

[Greg H.]

Actually, what they said was this:

 

 

"Our test campaign cannot confirm or refute the claims of the EM Drive but intends to independently assess possible side-effects in the measurements methods used so far," said Prof Tajmar.

 

And I have been beaten to the punch by Swansont.

[timo]

Amazing. So the guy who became famous for non-reproducible anti-gravity experiments claims that there may be something to this drive because his experiments are inconclusive so far, Then, an anonymous NASA person adds that they have no idea how it could work but it could be related to the "technology manipulating subatomic particles which constantly pop in and out of existence in empty space". And then they add the very important statement that "If true, this could certainly revolutionise space travel" (at least it was a capital "If" - and I am just beginning to enjoy the expression "could certainly").

 

I have no idea on the technology. But after reading the article I literally checked if The Telegraph is a satire paper (spoiler: It's not).

[swansont]

 

I have no idea on the technology. But after reading the article I literally checked if The Telegraph is a satire paper (spoiler: It's not).

 

I expect nonsense from the Mail, but I though the Telegraph was better quality.

[MigL]

Most newspapers have a 'science and technology' section.

They've gotta put something in there on a slow news day.

[Klaynos]

 

I expect nonsense from the Mail, but I though the Telegraph was better quality.

It is better, but then the mail is a very low bar.