Index Is travel between solar systems possible? Shows like Star Trek make many people think so. However, the majority of physicists believe otherwise. The laws of physics state that travel at the

Collision Sails speed of light is impossible. Einstein's Theory of Relativity implies that for a spaceship to approach light speed, the energy required would increase dramatically, as would the mass of the ship itself.

ASTP But what if scientists could find an unlimited supply of energy in space? What would that mean for space travel?

Fission and

Antimatter NASA'S Glenn Research Center is the headquarters of the Breakthrough Propulsion Physics

Project and the teams trying to answer these questions. This project is managed by Marc Millis.

Bibliography The scientists believe that it would be possible to warp spacial gravity and use the force to accelerate a spacecraft.

Figure 2. Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio

There are two main field drives, both involving gravitational pulls that the project teams are working on. In order for these hypothetical field drives to work, there must first be a field created around a spacecraft containing these drives. The first is the Bias Drive. The drive will reduce the gravitational force in the area behind of the craft while leaving the gravity in the front of the ship alone (Millis). This will cause the spacecraft to be pulled in the direction that it is headed. The second drive being designed is the Diametric Drive. This drive is very similar to the first because it too will change the gravitational pull in area behind the spacecraft. However, the Diametric Drive should be able to create a negative gravity field behind the craft (Millis). This gravity field will then push the spacecraft in the direction of the normal gravity field.

In order for these hypothetical field drives to work, there must be a field created around a spacecraft containing these drives. Once this field is created there is the problem of the changed forces of gravity affecting the space inside the field rather than the craft containing the drive. The scientists think that these drives will act on the craft itself and will go nowhere. This is why the scientists are focusing more on collision sails then these field drives.