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My understanding (which is very little) is that the point of NASA's recent virtual-particle engine is to convert solar energy into momentum.

That's fine, but what's the point? If the spacecraft is already receiving solar energy, can't it just carry around a mirror to reflect light and accelerate via radiation pressure?

Or is the quantum version somehow injecting "more" momentum than is actually being delivered via radiation pressure?

dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten
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user541686
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1 Answers1

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The engine isn't designed to use solar power. The thrust$^1$ is due to the motion of microwaves within a resonant cavity, and the microwaves are generated by a magnetron on the space ship. The power source for the magnetron would presumably be a nuclear generator or some other compact way of storing energy.

The original 2006 paper describing the drive is available from the New Scientist web site.

$^1$ if thrust there be
John Rennie
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