Index If space contains a medium that acts on an object from every side, and is equal across all space it may be possible to use this medium to move the object through space. If this medium is random radiation,

Field Drives electromagnetic waves or particles such as photons, it may be possible to harness this and use it to move your spacecraft. The scientists at NASA's Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Project have

ASTP designed a sail that would be able to do this. There are three versions of this spacecraft referred to as a Collision Sail. Each of these versions will be able to absorb the medium, allow it to pass through, or

Fission and intensify the medium (Millis).

Antimatter

Figure 3. The sail absorbs the medium from the right and reflects the medium from the left. This pushes the sail to the right.

Bibliography

Figure 4. The medium from the right is allowed to pass through the sail. But the medium from the left is reflected. This pushes the sail to the right.

Figure 5. The medium from the right is left to itself. At the same time the medium from the left is intensified. This pushes the sail to the right.

The idea of the Collision Sail was the most promising because the sail can act on the medium surrounding it and will be able to move. Unfortunately, the funding for the Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Project dried up, and the project stalled. But Team Encounter, a company based in Houston, Texas, has taken over this project. Team Encounter is building a collision sail that they call Humanity's First Starship. This starship is to be the size of a football field, and is set to launch in 2005. The down side to Team Encounter's plan is that they want to raise $50 million and have only raised about $3.5 million (Moyer). If Team Encounter fails to raise the needed money and launch the collision sail, there is another NASA program working on new forms of propulsion. This program is The Advanced Space Transportation Program.