Exodus Propulsion Technologies, co-founded by former NASA engineer Charles Buhler, has reported the development of an electrostatic drive that purportedly generates thrust without expelling propellant. Buhler, who presented these findings at the Alternative Propulsion Energy Conference (APEC), stated that the device employs a "New Force" to generate sustainable force on an object's center of mass. These claims suggest an operation outside currently understood physical laws and are awaiting rigorous independent verification.
Reported Mechanism and Development
Charles Buhler, previously associated with NASA's Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory at Kennedy Space Center, clarified that Exodus Propulsion Technologies' research operates independently of NASA. He stated that the company's drive utilizes a "New Force" which allows electric fields to generate sustainable force on an object, enabling its center-of-mass translation without mass expulsion.
Buhler described the mechanism as dependent on an "asymmetry in either electrostatic pressure or some kind of electrostatic divergent field." He explained that this condition could produce a non-zero force component on a system's center of mass, facilitating movement without ejecting material.
The team, which includes individuals with backgrounds from organizations such as NASA, Blue Origin, and the U.S. Air Force, reportedly focused on electrostatics after years of investigating propellant-less drives. According to Buhler, their devices showed increasing thrust over iterations, culminating in 2023 with a drive that reportedly generated sufficient thrust to counteract Earth’s gravity.
Historical Context of Propellant-less Propulsion
The concept of propellant-less propulsion systems has been a subject of historical investigation and scientific scrutiny. A notable precedent is the EmDrive, introduced by British Electrical Engineer Roger Shawyer in 2001, which also claimed to be a reactionless drive. Initial reports by NASA's Eagleworks team in 2016 suggested measurable thrust from the EmDrive. However, subsequent rigorous investigations, including a study at Dresden University of Technology, found no measurable thrust, and by 2021, the EmDrive concept was largely considered discredited.
Exodus Propulsion Technologies differentiates its system from the EmDrive by focusing on electrostatics rather than microwaves.
Call for Independent Verification
Claims regarding propellant-less drives have historically generated significant interest, frequently followed by subsequent scientific refutation. The scientific community emphasizes that any claims of this nature, particularly those challenging established physical principles, necessitate rigorous, independent third-party verification to establish reproducibility and validity. The reported findings by Exodus Propulsion Technologies are currently awaiting such independent scrutiny.