This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63/282,282, filed Nov. 23, 2021, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING ELECTROMAGNETIC THRUST”, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to systems and methods for producing electromagnetic thrust.
Various different technologies are commonly employed to launch rockets into low earth orbit, lunar orbit and on interplanetary missions as well as, in the case of Voyager, interstellar travel. Most commonly, liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen are combined and ignited to create a controlled explosion pushing mass away from a craft resulting in an equal and opposite force forcing the mass of the craft into space. The great amount of energy released in such an explosion results in the rapid, if relatively brief, acceleration of the craft through the earth's atmosphere and into space. Additional thrusts may be applied to maneuver the craft, to perform subsequent burns of the engines and to slow the craft down when entering orbit around another body.
Because the fuel consumption required for a mission profile requiring achieving earth orbit is so great, there is not left over much fuel to hurl the craft towards a distant planet. Further, as the engines tend to remain dormant for months or even years before decelerating the craft, there exists the danger that the engines will not reignite.