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Genergo: Propellantless space-propulsion system

satcom.digital

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Re: Genergo: Propellantless space-propulsion system

#31

Post by jfengel »

buildbot wrote: post #21
BurningFrog wrote: post #8

> "Genergo’s system generates thrust without using any propellant and without expelling reaction mass, by directly converting electrical energy into thrust through controlled electromagnetic impulses." Anyone have a clue how this might work?

Generating matter somehow via E/c^2=m? (I don't think you can do this but I'm not a physicist...)

You don't need to go that far. Light has momentum, and you can use that directly. It has the maximum possible specific impulse.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photon_rocket

However, it requires a lot of energy and we are nowhere near a practical model. It's also not "propellant-less"; the photons are the propellant.

Re: Genergo: Propellantless space-propulsion system

#32

Post by verzali »

Terr_ wrote: post #16

My money's on fake woo-woo. At first—like many others here—I thought it might just be a terribly-written explanation for a device that uses Earth's magnetic field, so that the planet itself is the "reaction mass" being pushed around... but I'm not seeing that in a quick patent search for the company. Instead, there's a bunch of stuff that seems like perpetual-motion-machine crankery, where their "motor" depends on a…

I think you are right. Either they have accidentally used the Earth's field somehow, or they are mistaking other effects (drag, perturbations...) for a thrust.

Re: Genergo: Propellantless space-propulsion system

#36

Post by hinkley »

beloch wrote: post #22

Satellites once used propellant for attitude control. When the propellant was used up, the satellite lost the ability to maintain or change orientation. Very much as this article describes, control moment gyroscopes took over because they didn't require propellant. They operate on the same principles that let a cat land on it's feet by twisting about as it falls. However, there's a key difference between attitude con…

Am I correct in thinking that in some cases gyroscopic orientation results in turning 270° the “wrong way” to cancel out net gyroscope speed due to friction losses?

Re: Genergo: Propellantless space-propulsion system

#38

Post by [deleted] »

beloch wrote: post #22

Satellites once used propellant for attitude control. When the propellant was used up, the satellite lost the ability to maintain or change orientation. Very much as this article describes, control moment gyroscopes took over because they didn't require propellant. They operate on the same principles that let a cat land on it's feet by twisting about as it falls. However, there's a key difference between attitude con…

[deleted]

Re: Genergo: Propellantless space-propulsion system

#39

Post by [deleted] »

beloch wrote: post #22

Satellites once used propellant for attitude control. When the propellant was used up, the satellite lost the ability to maintain or change orientation. Very much as this article describes, control moment gyroscopes took over because they didn't require propellant. They operate on the same principles that let a cat land on it's feet by twisting about as it falls. However, there's a key difference between attitude con…

[deleted]

Re: Genergo: Propellantless space-propulsion system

#40

Post by yreg »

maremmano wrote: post #20
wat10000 wrote: post #10

1. No info given about how this system works. 2. No info about how it supposedly produces thrust. 3. No numbers given except for number of hours tested in orbit. No thrust or power consumption figures. 4. Violates pretty widely accepted law of physics. Yeah, I'm ever so slightly skeptical.

It so happens that a friend of a friend of mine works at this company. I'll ask for some details.

Report back.
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