Feb 2 2009
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics has published a new book, Frontiers of Propulsion Science, that compiles for the first time the emerging science of such novel propulsion concepts as space drives, warp drives, gravity control, and faster-than-light travel - breakthroughs that would revolutionize spaceflight and enable human voyages to other star systems.
While the subject matter may sound like science fiction, authors Marc Millis and Eric Davis point out that a growing number of reputable scientific journals are discussing such topics, although at this point very few research projects have advanced beyond the stage of making initial observations and formulating initial hypotheses. This emerging science, and the realization that rockets are inadequate for interstellar exploration, led NASA to support the Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Project from 1996 through 2002, to explore such concepts. The new book by Millis and Davis, written for graduate students and engineering professionals, covers that project as well as other related work, giving the reader enough starting material to comprehend each subject area, and decide if and how they might pursue their own research in the subject fields.
As noted American aerospace engineer Burt Rutan states in his Foreword, "This book offers the seeds for undiscovered breakthroughs."
Marc Millis led NASA's Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Project at the NASA Glenn Research Center from 1996 to 2002. In 2006 Millis created the Tau Zero Foundation to extend interstellar flight investigations beyond what is addressable within his day job at NASA. His work with NASA includes ion thruster designs, electronic instrumentation, and a cockpit display to guide aircraft microgravity flight. Eric Davis is a senior research physicist at the Institute for Advanced Studies at Austin, and the CEO of Warp Drive Metrics. He is a technical contributor and consultant to the NASA Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Project, a fellow of the British Interplanetary Society, and an associate fellow of AIAA.