Gravitational wave research leads to a new patent for space travel
[April Fools’ Day! this post was an April Fools’ Day joke, the warp drive remains science fiction for now, but gravitational wave science will continue to let us explore the universe through present and future detectors.]
A new patent has emerged from research into gravitational waves that could revolutionise our ability to explore and travel in space. The patent concerns the potential engineering of the so-called space-time curvature engine, first theorised in the 1990s: the renowned aerospace entrepreneur Jack Pesos has already expressed an interest in its development.
Remember the warp drive that allowed the starships in Star Trek to travel faster than the speed of light? From today, this may no longer be just science fiction. The European Gravitational Observatory in Pisa (Italy), home of the Virgo gravitational-wave detector, has announced that it has filed a European patent which will enable the engineering of this previously known theoretical concept.
The concept of a warp drive became scientifically plausible thanks to the work of theoretical physicist Miguel Alcubierre in the late 1990s, who demonstrated that such a drive would not violate any fundamental laws of physics and was perfectly consistent with the theoretical framework of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. The missing piece needed to transform the theoretical idea into an engine model that can actually be constructed arrived, quite unexpectedly, only in recent months, thanks to the analysis of certain signals detected by the Virgo gravitational wave detector.
The analysis, carried out by researchers from the Virgo Collaboration at the Universities of Noonien in France and Borg in the Netherlands, has revealed the existence of microgravity phenomena – that is, small ‘spontaneous’ distortions in the space-time fabric of our Universe – which could be used to sustain and ‘power’ a warp drive. Thanks to the mechanism, described in the filed patent EPGW170817, it will therefore be possible to exploit these micro-fractures in space as a sort of slide capable of progressively accelerating a probe – and even a small spacecraft – to speeds never before imagined, and potentially exceeding that of light.
“This is, of course, a landmark discovery,” said research group coordinator Una Chin-Riley of the University of Noonien, “and we are proud and delighted that such a leap forward for all of humanity has come from research into gravitational waves. This field of research, long considered purely speculative, has not only extraordinarily expanded our ability to listen to the cosmos, but also heralds a new era in humanity’s exploration of the universe.”
US aerospace entrepreneur Jack Pesos has already expressed keen interest in the patent, although a consortium of major European aerospace companies is organising itself to secure priority access. Furthermore, given the complexity and wide range of expertise required to develop such technology, a European call for proposals will also be launched today, inviting small start-ups to develop specific engineering and technological solutions across various fields. Details on how to apply will be published today at 6 pm on this page.