This may be a space exploration that changes the rules of the game. NASA has successfully tested the "microwave thruster system" and does not require propellants to generate thrust. The engine is over-powered and nothing else generates propulsion. In the tests, NASA scientists said that they recorded a thrust of approximately 30-50 microNewtons (MN) from electrically driven test articles, using subatomic quantum particles. The test is performed at a low-thrust yaw, which is capable of detecting the force at a single digital level, and the stainless steel vacuum inside the door is closed but is performed at normal temperature and pressure. This means that NASA may be able to create a cheap long-term technology at little cost.
This discovery can also reduce the cost of maintaining the orbital stability of satellites and interstellar travel. "This unique electric propulsion device generates power that is not attributable to any electromagnetic phenomenon and may interact with the quantum vacuum virtual plasma," NASA said. NASA currently plans to run further tests to verify its findings.
