Frontiers of Propulsion Science (Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics) [Hardcover]

M. Millis (Author), E. Davis (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1563479567 | ISBN-13: 978-1563479564 | Publication Date: January 30, 2009

"Frontiers of Propulsion Science" is the first-ever compilation of emerging science relevant to such notions as space drives, warp drives, gravity control, and faster-than-light travel - the kind of breakthroughs that would revolutionize spaceflight and enable human voyages to other star systems. Although these concepts might sound like science fiction, they are appearing in growing numbers in reputable scientific journals. This is a nascent field where a variety of concepts and issues are being explored in the scientific literature, beginning in about the early 1990s. The collective status is still in step 1 and 2 of the scientific method, with initial observations being made and initial hypotheses being formulated, but a small number of approaches are already at step 4, with experiments underway. This emerging science, combined with the realization that rockets are fundamentally inadequate for interstellar exploration, led NASA to support the Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Project from 1996 through 2002. "Frontiers of Propulsion Science" covers that project as well as other related work, so as to provide managers, scientists, engineers, and graduate students with enough starting material that they can comprehend the status of this research and decide if and how to pursue it in more depth themselves. Five major sections are included in the book: Understanding the Problem lays the groundwork for the technical details to follow; Propulsion Without Rockets discusses space drives and gravity control, both in general terms and with specific examples; Faster-Than-Light Travel starts with a review of the known relativistic limits, followed by the faster-than-light implications from both general relativity and quantum physics; Energy Considerations deals with spacecraft power systems and summarizes the limits of technology based on accrued science; and, From This Point Forward offers suggestions for how to manage and conduct research on such visionary topics.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Marc Millis headed NASAs Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Project at NASA Glenn Research Center, and continues research on gravity control and faster-than-light travel on his discretionary time. This research gained wide public attention, including a 2001 cover story in Popular Science magazine. In 2006 Millis created the Tau Zero Foundation to extend interstellar flight investigations beyond what is addressable within his day job at NASA. Milliss other NASA work spans ion thruster designs, electronic instrumentation, and even a cockpit display to guide aircraft microgravity flights. He earned a BS in Physics from Georgia Tech and an MS in Physics Entrepreneurship from Case Western Reserve University.

Eric Davis is a Senior Research Physicist at the Institute for Advanced Studies at Austin, and the CEO of Warp Drive Metrics. His research specializations include breakthrough propulsion physics, general relativity, and quantum field theories. He is a technical contributor and consultant to the NASA Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Program. His graduate research included the Voyager 1 & 2 and IRAS space missions. Davis has authored papers on the vacuum zero-point energy, wormholes, warp drives, and laser propulsion. He earned an AA in Liberal Arts from Phoenix College, a BS and PhD in Physics from the University of Arizona, and is a Fellow of the British

Product Details

• Hardcover: 739 pages
• Publisher: AIAA (January 30, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563479567
• ISBN-13: 978-1563479564
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #899,090 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dr. Space and The Space Show Give A Resounding Yes To Reading This Book!, August 4, 2009

By 

David M. Livingston "Dr. Space (The Space Show)" (Tiburon, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Frontiers of Propulsion Science (Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics) (Hardcover)

This is an exceptional book and a much needed reference book. In addition, as host of The Space Show, both Dr. Davis and Mr. Millis were interviewed about the book and propulsion science on August 3, 2009 for nearly two hours. You can hear the interview at [...] While the science in this book is advanced, each chapter contains a summary that allows the reader to get all the chapter's high points without any difficulty. It's a fabulous tool adding value to this book. There is no la la land fantasy Kool Aid in this book. This is real propulsion science that goes out of the box to discuss and explore how we might be able to someday create a wormhole, mitigate or create antigravity, work with faster-than-light-travel, negative matter, and even accomplish interstellar travel. This book takes the reader to the edge of today's science and much more. You will also appreciate it because it places in one place the cutting edge research by the leading scientists on just how we might accomplish for real that which we read about and see in science fiction and when the sci fi is not real, you find out why and you learn what actually is real. I believe this to be a must read book and an essential research book for anyone with an interest in space development, science, science fiction, space travel, and our future. If you happen to be a student and are on the fence wondering what you should study in school or what careers might be available to you that are exciting and beyond cutting edge, reading this book will likely make up your mind to study the hard sciences and to get involved in the world of propulsion and related science. Listen to Dr. Davis and Mr. Millis on The Space Show and you will quickly understand why there book is the quality I say it is.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat a must, but with basic flaws, September 11, 2011

By 

Jorge Luis Hevia Casanova (Madrid, Spain) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Frontiers of Propulsion Science (Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics) (Hardcover)

Here I am again reviewing this great book that took most of my spare time from few months till now. In essence, I must agree with all the people that considers this book as a clear insight into real science, so its worth the reading to get the point about "official" investigations up to date.
Trying to sumarize everything within this book, I should state that contains all the most important breakthroughts at this time from inertial theories to metamaterials (although slightly mentioned and not directly studied), including Brown, Searl and Podkletnov amazing effects. To this point, and in my opinion, I must clarify that I DISAGREE with all the conclusions about this theories in this book. I should state, that in my opinion again, all this effects shares the same basis that make them to work. Therefore, I think the underlying effect in all of them has been omited and has not been properly investigated.

First, for example, concerning the Brown effect, I think ionization is just one part of the story, but not the real explanation. It is just a side effect, and it seems here research just stopped (officialy). For further information check secret's B2 bomber propulsion system. Again, real effect has not been explained, just one part of it.

Second, regarding SEG/MEC devices mentioned on this book, the non disclosure agreement within authors in book makes things to get not clear enough. Book treats this as just a "null result", when almost is undone yet with this device. By the way, and in any case, energy generation is just another side effect of this device, and not the real and important one (drop in temperatures and "levitation" effect). Also, the device shown in this book is also flawed, since its construction is not correct according to original Searl effect device.

Third, and regarding the previous point, they had missed something quite important in this book, although when mentioning it saying that "gravity properties of materials should be measured" somewhere in the first part of the book. This is in agreement with the on going future experiments that are shown in the book, but that does not respect original materials used within studied prototypes. I know there have been different authors in this book, but at least preserve the philosophy along the whole book. Therefore, results from this experiments are somehow incorrect in my opinion.

Fourth, although many theoricals approaches are mentioned, this is just theory, so it is cool to know all the possibilities, but till standarized, just paper work.

Fiveth, and to those people that believes on conspirations and so on, just check last chapter on this book, and then, check Secrets of Antigravity Propulsion: Tesla, UFOs, and Classified Aerospace Technology. Although I believe there are real data within that book, and I agree with proposed theory within, there are other channels to make information available to a broader extent.

To sum up, an impressive collection of work that is a must read for interested researchers (or potential ones) to get the picture. In any case, this work should not be considered as a Bible, so reservations on conclusions are also a must. Standard non research related people may get easily lost with that data and may obtain fast conclusions far away from the reality. This book is intended mainly for researchers, and JUST points you in the direction, not trying to teach you anything new about the studied effects. Reading references on book are highly recommended.

Anyway, a great job, so it deserves a great score.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique contribution - A must have for anyone interested into future propulsion technologies, June 13, 2011

By 

Tristan Renaud - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Frontiers of Propulsion Science (Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics) (Hardcover)

The book is for engineers or scientists and cannot be read that easily. But it is a must have. The exceptional review and descriptions of breakthrough technologies and - even more important - how we should evaluate / consider other new ways, concepts, ideas to let space journey to the star doable is really fantastic.