For ages, the main issue in space traveling has been speed. We have so much distance to
travel but with the current rockets we have, every expedition is just too slow. However,
it seems that the problem will soon be solved. It has just been revealed that Elon Musk and the US
are working on a new light-speed engine that is going to revolutionize the whole space industry.
So what exactly is that new engine? When is it coming
and how does it even work? Let’s get answers to all these questions!
As I mentioned before, the main issue in space traveling is the fact that the
current technology we have to send goods or people in space is pretty slow. See nowadays,
no matter what the type of rocket is, it runs with fuel. The issue is that the larger the voyage,
the more fuel it requires, and the more fuel you load into a rocket, the heavier it gets.
Do you see the problem now? Plus fuel I s super expensive as well so each time you plan a trip,
a hefty amount of funding is required. So how does the new engine function? And does it not
use any kind of fuel? Of course, it does not! You shouldn’t be surprised since Elon
Musk is involved in this whole project. It is believed that the new engine would
be running on none other than electricity. Interesting but we are just getting started!
If you didn’t know, in this whole project Elon Musk is being accompanied directly by
none other than NASA. We all know that SpaceX and NASA have worked a lot of times before
so it should not surprise us that they are in this together. Well, since the engine is brand new,
it will also require a new rocket. We have seen SpaceX and NASA collaborate to create
a new rocket last September which they call ‘The Raptor”. This rocket is an absolute game-changer.
Unlike all the other rockets, this one does not run on kerosene but rather
liquid methane. This ensures that it can fit more fuel with less mass required. So just imagine
this already amazing rocket with an engine that’s totally next level. It’s gonna be revolutionary.
We know that the engine is gonna be working through electricity but how exactly will it do
that. Not like you can fit a giant lithium-ion battery into a rocket, can you? The technology
that comes into play is called the EM Drive or Electromagnetic Drive. EM Drive produces thrust
in a very weird way. So basically what happens is that; there would be a closed chamber and inside
of it would be microwaved that bounce back and forth. So during this motion, an electromagnetic
field is being created and since the waves are moving back and forth, it creates acceleration
in a single direction. The EM Drive is yet to be perfected, till now there have been no successful
experiments. This is due to the fact that the acceleration that is created is opposed by drag
force due to air molecules. However, there are no air particles in Space so technically this should
work. Scientists are trying to complete this experiment in Space conditions so that they can
be sure that the EM Drive works. Oh by the way, in the world of physics, the EM Drive is a device
that creates a lot of controversies. Why? It does not obey Newton’s third law of motion. According
to Newton’s third law, every action has an equal and opposite reaction; however, this device just
creates acceleration in a single direction. Pretty much defy Newtonian physics. Well, we
don’t need to care much as long as it can be used to successfully create the new light speed engine.
The engine that is being made would be light itself since it is made of carbon
fiber fuel tanks which are paired with cold gas thrusters. Another good thing about this engine
is that it has no propeller at all, therefore it doesn’t actually release
any kind of byproduct in space. The type of engine that it would be are called electric
thrusters. These are way different than the ones currently being used in other SpaceX rockets.
While other rockets create thrust using pressured gas, this engine would be using
charged plasma and of course electromagnetic fields. The whole process that the engine would
follow is extremely complex and therefore would require a hefty amount of time until completion.
If this engine can actually deliver what it claims it can do then well we would be able to
travel at 135 thousand miles per hour. To give you a perspective, the speed of light is 186,00 miles
per hour. Imagine being so close to the speed of light, this thing is literally science fiction.
We all know Elon though, he loves fiction and he loves turning it into reality even more.
So the question that appears is is it really possible to travel at such high speeds? On paper,
yes! So far there have been many theories about how we could travel close to the speed of light
and this one might be the most practical one. We are actually stepping up in space exploration
by miles if we can actually pull this off. See right now, with the kind of technology we have,
it would take around 6 months for us to reach Mars in a Rocket. Six months in a Rocket is just
not safe at all. Not only that the people inside the Spacecraft would be in direct contact with
harmful radiation but being in a rocket for six straight months is just not normal. We would have
no way to control the trajectory of the rocket and well accidents can happen anytime no matter
how perfect the plan is. The reality is there are no perfect plans, there are always uncertainties.
This is why Elon Musk would like to create something that would be able to not only supply
cargo but humans to Mars in a short amount of time. If we are going to colonize Mars,
then we will need to spend a lot of resources and if each expedition takes one year then the
whole process would just be very slow. Elon Musk does not want that, he wants things to be quick
and this engine right here is his best bet right now. Seeing a staggering speed of 135 thousand
miles per hour is literally a dream come true, it’s a speed that can not only take us to Mars but
open new paths for greater Space expeditions. I mean humanity won’t just be stuck with the
Earth and Mars, pretty sure we would want to visit planets even further, not just planets but maybe
even other stars? It’s a dream right now but could be a reality in the future, no one really knows.
Right before we jump into the next part,
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Is this the highest speed that we can achieve? Perhaps would probably be the best answer.
While there is a chance for technology to get even better for us to create engines
that can travel even closer to the light speed, it is highly unlikely. See no matter
how fast something can travel, it won’t exceed the number 186,000 miles per hour,
the speed of light. We can travel close to the speed of light but not at the speed of light.
This is because of the fact that when something moves at the speed of light,
it’s actually light and not mass! You get the idea. In scientific terms, if we want an object
to move at the speed of light, its mass would become infinite, which is of course not possible.
Plus the fact that the closer we get to the speed of light, the weirder we would feel.
We would see time slowing down, yes the clock itself would slow down as well given you have
one inside the rocket you are traveling at. Plus your vision would change a lot too, the stars in
front of your eyes would be blue while the ones behind you would be red. Nonetheless, whatever it
would be, the journey would be brilliant and fun. It would be an adventure of a lifetime.
Now snapping back to reality, how likely is it that the Light Speed Engine is gonna be real.
Very high chances actually. SpaceX had shown it to NASA and on paper,
it looks great so far. NASA said that this thing has potential. This can actually be created. If
Elon Musk pulls this off, he would be remembered forever, literally forever.
This whole project is extremely interesting so we shall just wait and watch what happens.
So far there has not been a fixed date that has been announced for the revelation of this engine,
it’s still in the making. Nonetheless, whenever it is made, it would clearly change the whole
Space Industry forever. What do you think? When will this engine finally come out? What are your
thoughts on traveling close to light speed? Do let us know in the comment section below!
Be sure to check this video over here!