Dear Dr. Flower, I am most grateful for this valuable information, and I suggest that the Alpha Foundation may become interested in coordinating a proposal to NATO and NASA. As Presidium Member I will put this to the President, Prof. Milan Meszaros. Naturally I will give my personal support to anything that Tom Bearden or Terence Barrett may want to suggest. MWE cc colleagues on science groupings. ---------------------- FROM: INTERNET:chronos@enter.net, INTERNET:chronos@enter.net TO: "Dr. T. E. Bearden", INTERNET:tebearden@aol.com CC: "Dr. Terence Barrett", INTERNET:barrett506@aol.com Evans, FishnChips DATE: 25/11/97 07:40 Re: NASA "Breakthrough Propulsion" program Sender: chronos@mail.enter.net Received: from mail.enter.net (mail.enter.net [204.170.70.6]) by hil-img-6.compuserve.com (8.8.6/8.8.6/2.9) with ESMTP id HAA26801 for ; Tue, 25 Nov 1997 07:40:47 -0500 (EST) Received: from pm3pri-1-25.enter.net (pm3pri-1-25.enter.net [204.170.71.35]) by mail.enter.net (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id HAA02016; Tue, 25 Nov 1997 07:40:31 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <199711251240.HAA02016@mail.enter.net> Comments: Authenticated sender is From: "Robert G. Flower" Organization: Applied Science Associates To: "Dr. T. E. Bearden" Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 08:03:40 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: NASA "Breakthrough Propulsion" program Reply-to: chronos@enter.net CC: Evans , "Dr. Terence Barrett" Priority: normal In-reply-to: <199711250541_MC2-298E-3368@compuserve.com> X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.52) On 25 Nov 97 at 5:38, Evans wrote: > In my opinion progress would be best served if Louisville > offered you a visiting position for a year, so that you could work > with them on a daily basis. Their workshops could build apparatus > to your specifications, and their laboratories try out your ideas. > This would provide a basis for funding applications through the usual > channels (NIH, NSF, Dept. of Energy, Defense, etc.). If something > can be constructed and demonstrated to people it usually has a greater > effect than a million scientific papers. Dear Tom, These comments by Dr. Evans remind me of the NASA "Breakthrough Propulsion" physics program. This might be a receptive venue for furthering your own work in particular, and the entire SU(2) non-Abelian electrodynamics field in general. Background: The NASA "Breakthrough Propulsion" program aims to discover new propulsion methods that would eliminate the need for rocket propellants. This implies discovering fundamentally new ways to create motion by directly manipulating gravity, inertia and other interactions between matter and spacetime. Specifically, this includes the zero-point field (ZPF) of the vacuum (eg, the work of Haisch/Ruena), macroscopic quantum effects in superconductors (eg, work of Podkletnov at Tampere and Ling in Huntsville), and superluminal effects such as the Alcubierre Warp Drive. A workshop in August 1997 at NASA Lewis Research Center featured dozens of presentations of current research on these topics. For details, see: http://www.lerc.nasa.gov/WWW/bpp/ It is significant that a small group within NASA is seriously looking into ideas that are at (or beyond) the frontiers of mainstream physics. I have been following this work for purposes of reporting in the journal "Frontier Perspectives" published by Temple University (http://www.temple.edu/cfs). The NASA program is now shifting into higher gear, and will be funding a round of SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) grants next year (see below). The NASA group does not presently have information, as far as I know, about advanced electrodynamics along the lines developed by Barrett (eg, SU(2) and Yang-Mills theories), Evans and Vigier (eg, the B(3) field), or yourself (eg, asymmetrical re-gauging and the enfolded Whittaker-Ziolkowski superpotentials). Even though these developments have not been applied directly to the problem of "propulsion," they represent a very major advance in fundamental physics, and should be of interest to NASA. Therefore, I am forwarding this information you, and Drs. Evans and Barrett, for whatever follow-up you wish to take. Full details on the program are on the NASA website listed above. One obvious limitation of the NASA program is its narrow focus on propulsion for spacecraft. While this makes sense from the viewpoint of NASA's mission, it does mean that the advancement of fundamental physics is not the primary goal, but merely a possible spinoff. Enclosed below is e-mail from Dr. Mark Millis announcing the SBIR funding. Best regards, Bob Flower ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 17:42:25 -0500 From: "Marc G. Millis" Subject: DOD SBIR Advanced Propulsion Topic The following is an announcement for the DOD SBIR >topic in advanced propulsion: > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > >AF98-045 TITLE: Advanced Rocket Propulsion Technologies > >CATEGORY: BASIC RESEARCH; Aerospace Propulsion and Power > >OBJECTIVE: Develop innovative components, manufacturing and >processing techniques, and integration technologies aimed at doubling >existing rocket propulsion capabilities by the year 2010. > >DESCRIPTION: There is a critical need for novel, innovative >approaches to develop technologies which can double existing rocket >propulsion capabilities by the year 2010, and for bold, new, >non-conventional aerospace propulsion-related technologies which will >revolutionize aerospace propulsion in the next century. These >revolutionary concepts, based on sound scientific and engineering >principles, are essential in order to increase performance and >mission capability while either maintaining existing or decreasing >life-cycle costs. The proposed solutions shall emphasize dual use >technologies that clearly offer civilian/commercial as well as >military applications. Proposals emphasizing spin-on technology >transfer from the civilian/commercial sector to military applications >will receive additional consideration. Our technological goals >include: 1) Improve specific impulse and mass fraction for boost >and orbit transfer, spacecraft, and tactical missile propulsion. 2) >Reduce the stage failure rate and hardware and support costs for >boost and orbit transfer propulsion. 3) Improve the thrust to >weight ratio for liquid rocket engines. 4) Improve the total >impulse to net mass ratio for electrostatic and electromagnetic >satellite propulsion systems. 5) Improve density impulse of >monopropellants for satellite propulsion systems. 6) Improve the >delivered energy of tactical missile propulsion systems. > In the >conduct of rocket propulsion research we strive to reduce >environmental hazards from propellant ingredients and processing, >propulsion exhaust, and rocket motors while either maintaining or >surpassing current propulsion efficiency. Improvements in the >operability, reliability, maintainability, and affordability of space >launch applications, for example, might include development of novel >systems which can be launched with short lead times for a relatively >low life-cycle costs. An example of such a concept may include the >design and development of a rocket-based combined cycle (RBCC) >engine. Such systems would need to demonstrate high reliability and >maintainability levels. Subsets of advanced rocket technologies >would have lengthy shredouts of potential research subjects but are >not stated here in detail. These technologies might include the need >for innovative combustion and plume diagnostics (i.e. application of >electro-optical devices and sensors), performance predictions, >modeling of exhaust plume radiation and combustion characterization, >propellant and component service life prediction technologies, and >environmental contamination. Additionally, bold, new advanced >propulsion and related technological concepts and products for space >activities are solicited for development. These topics include >revolutionary concepts in very advanced fuels and oxidizers, >metastable high energy nuclear states, storage of antimatter in >chemical matrices, nanotechnology products and techniques applied to >rocket propulsion, enigmatic energy devices, and field propulsion >thrusters. Research in these advanced rocket propulsion topics are >included and structured to provide a maximum of innovative >flexibility while yielding promising commercial applications/dual-use >technology applications to prospective investigators. Proposals also >submitted for any other USAF Phillips Laboratory FY98 Small Business >Innovation Research (SBIR)topic shall not be considered for this >topic. > PHASE I: Further develop the concept and perform analyses >required to establish the feasibility of the proposed approach. PHASE >II: Complete the Phase I design and develop a demonstrator or >prototype. Document the R&D and develop a technology transition >and/or insertion plan for future systems and commercial ventures. >PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Advanced rocket propulsion >technologies will transition to new, higher performing and/or lower >cost U.S. Military and commercial rocket engines and motors or >advanced propulsion systems. This will enable the U.S. aerospace >industry to increase global market share for space launch >opportunities by reducing the life-cycle cost and increasing the >efficiency of inserting payloads in orbit. Advanced rocket >propulsion technologies also serve the commercial sector by enhancing >our ability to remanufacture components to maintain and monitor the >health of the U.S. ballistic missile fleet. > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * > >SBIR proposals are due January 14, 1998. Copies of the full >solicitation can be obtained on the web at: > > http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir/ > >or a hard copy can be obtained by writing to: > >DOD SBIR Support Services >2850 Metro Drive, Suite 600 >Minneapolis, MN 55425-1566 >Phone: 1-800-382-4634 ------- end of Forwarded Message ------- Best regards, Bob Flower ============================================= Robert G. Flower - Applied Science Associates > Scientific Software & Instrumentation < > Quality Control Engineering < =============================================