| Record | OBS-0403 |
|---|---|
| Category | Science/Suppressed Tech |
| Status | DEBUNKED |
| Summary | The EmDrive is a proposed propellantless spacecraft thruster that allegedly produces thrust from electromagnetic waves in a closed cavity, violating conservation of momentum. Proponents claim it could revolutionize space travel, but repeated experiments have failed to confirm the effect beyond measurement errors. |
| Origin | Proposed in 2001 by Roger Shawyer of Satellite Propulsion Research Ltd in the UK; later tested by NASA Eagleworks and others. |
| Claimed |
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| Evidence / consensus | The apparent thrusts are measurement artifacts, likely due to thermal gradients or other external forces. Independent tests by Martin Tajmar's group at Dresden University of Technology refuted all EmDrive claims by at least three orders of magnitude. |
Sources are external and provided for verification. Listing does not imply the Observer endorses their claims.