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From: Terry Blanton <commengr@bellsouth.net>
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 13:21:50 -0400
Fwd Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 16:36:30 -0400
Subject: NASA Propulsion Awards


From:

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/PAO/pressrel/99_66.htm

(Sorry, no pelican power propulsion.)

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NASA Glenn Announces Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Selections

NASA Glenn Research Center announces the selection of six
proposals for experiments and theoretical work in Breakthrough
Propulsion Physics -- research that may ultimately lead to
methods of practical interstellar travel.

The distances between stars is so great that with existing
propulsion technology a probe would travel tens of thousands of
years before reaching our nearest neighboring star. Even with
the most ambitious new propulsion technology based on known
physics, it would still be extremely difficult for a probe to
reach that far within 50 years. To overcome these limitations to
practical interstellar space travel, new propulsion physics is
being sought by the Breakthrough Propulsion Physics program.
These six research selections are an early step in this process.

"Intriguing developments have appeared in recent scientific
literature that can serve as starting points for this kind of
research," said Marc Millis, the project manager for the program
at Glenn. The Breakthrough Propulsion Physics program is the
beginning of NASA's effort to systematically assess these
findings and theories. "At this stage of research, success is
defined as learning more about these developments rather than
achieving breakthroughs," Millis added.

The proposals were selected after a two-stage peer review
process. In the first stage, 50 specialists from academia,
government and industry scored the 60 proposals received. In the
second stage, government reviewers selected a variety of
approaches from the top ranking proposals.

The proposers will negotiate for grants, contracts or
cooperative agreements worth a total program value of $430,000.
The principal investigators and a brief description of the work
they proposed follow:

(1) John Cramer (University of Washington, Seattle, WA) proposed
a test to see if rapidly changing electric fields can affect
inertia as suggested in 1991 by James Woodward, in the journal
Foundations of Physics Letters. If there is such an effect, it
may be exploited to develop a new method of space propulsion. In
any case, the research will add to the understanding of how
inertia is tied to the surrounding matter of the universe.

(2) Jordan Maclay (Quantum Fields LLC, Richland Center, WI) and
MEMS Optical Inc. (Huntsville, AL) proposed an experimental and
theoretical study of quantum vacuum energy. The experiments will
use micro-electromechanical devices to test force and energy
effects predicted by quantum electrodynamics.

(3) Harry Ringermacher (General Electric Corporate Research and
Development, Schenectady, NY) with the collaboration of
researchers from Washington University, St. Louis, MO, and
United Technologies Research Center, East Hartford, CT, proposed
a magnetic resonance experiment to test a theory linking
electromagnetism, mass, and time. Ringermacher originally
published the theory in 1994, in the journal Classical and
Quantum Gravity.

(4) Glen Robertson and Ron Litchford (NASA Marshall Space Flight
Center, Huntsville, AL) proposed an experimental study of
possible links between superconductors and gravity as recently
discussed in several scientific journals. They plan to use a
torsion balance, similar to those used to search for
material-dependant gravitational effects, to search for
superconductor-gravity effects.

(5) Kevin Malloy (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM) and
Raymond Chiao (University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley,
CA) proposed experiments and theoretical work on "superluminal
quantum tunneling," an effect where light appears to pass
through barriers faster than it travels through normal space.
The proposed research will critically examine some of the
faster-than-light hypotheses associated with this effect.

(6) Serguei Krasnikov (Altamonte Springs, FL) proposed to
theoretically assess the necessity of "negative energy"
suggested in recent scientific literature on hyperfast travel.
The possibilities for enabling hyperfast travel is more feasible
if negative energy is not required.

The Glenn Breakthrough Propulsion Physics program is part of a
continuing effort to provide the scientific advancements
necessary for future propulsion technology. It is funded by the
Advanced Space Transportation Program, managed by NASA Marshall
Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL, and the Advanced Concepts
Program of the NASA Office of Space Science, Washington, DC.

Summaries of the proposals are available at:

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/PAO/pressrel/99_66addm.htm