Another IVO Quantum Inertia Drive Attempt 

H/T Stuart Brown
Where to find Proxima Centauri [credit: Wikipedia]

” data-image-caption=”" data-medium-file=”https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/sun_nbr.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/sun_nbr.jpg?w=614″ src=”https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/sun_nbr.jpg?w=300″ alt=”" width=”300″ height=”246″ class=”alignright size-medium wp-image-29270″ srcset=”https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/sun_nbr.jpg?w=300 300w, https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/sun_nbr.jpg?w=600 600w, https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/sun_nbr.jpg?w=150 150w” sizes=”(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px” />
Mike McCulloch’s quantised inertia (QI) theories of propulsion in space were left untested last time around in early 2024. Hoping for better luck now.
– – –
Another IVO quantum inertia drive is in orbit now and will be turned on within a few to ten weeks and then operated for many weeks or months, reports NextBigFuture.com.

The previous satellite had communications failure and the IVO drive was not activated.

The IVO quantum inertia drive is very controversial because it would go against many theories in physics.

Let us assume the 52 millinewton drive using 1 watt of power from a drive that weighs about 200 grams works.

We will only know that the drive works for however long the experiment is run. We will know if the 52 millinewtons of thrust from lab tests is achieved in space and if the thrust stays constant.

Changing Altitude and Speed

If the IVO inertialess quantum drive provides 52 mN of thrust for a few weeks (e.g., 3 weeks), it will significantly alter the satellite’s orbit by applying continuous prograde thrust.

For a 10 kg satellite, the orbit could increase from 400 km to over 11,000 km or even escape Earth’s gravity if it was operated for many weeks. For a 200 kg satellite, the altitude might rise by approximately 2,000 km). The orbit spirals outward, remaining nearly circular, with the center of mass elevated to a higher altitude. The drive achieves this by thrusting in the direction of the satellite’s motion throughout its orbit.

I think they will only operate it for maybe a dozen hours. I expect only tens of kilometers of orbit change.
. . .
Mike McCulloch thinks both power and thrust can be improved. But this all depends upon actual experiments. He designed a proposal where he has 400 watts of power from an RTG and scaling to about 20 newtons. This would get to Proxima in 12 years IF these things work.
. . .
Rowing a Boat to Wind Sails

All of our existing propulsion involves propellant. This is somewhat like rowing a boat where we must feed the rowers food. It is also like a coal powered ship where many tons of coal drive the turbine.

The new IVO drive could be a variant of wind sailships on earth or solar sail in space. The sail ships have no fuel or propellant but they are leveraging other processes and effects to capture thrust.

We have theories about how Quantized Inertia works, but we don’t know it if works yet (other than the lab tests which are disputed) and we do not know if the theories or any aspects of scaling are correct either.

Full report here.
– – –
Where to find Proxima Centauri [credit: Wikipedia]