In this episode, we’ll take you on a deep dive into the physics of space travel. Are we merely grappling with a challenging engineering problem or will new breakthroughs, an entirely new physics be required in order to utilize space to its fullest potential?

We will discuss this question with our guest, Professor Martin Tajmar, renowned Austrian Physicist, Professor and Chair of Space Systems at the Technical University of Dresden, and hurray, a Fellow International Space University Alumnus, a member of the family. Martin has worked at NASA, ESA, in South Korea, and the Austrian Institute of Technology, performing research on electric and miniaturised propulsion and on breakthrough propulsion physics. Professor Tajmar is the author of the book: “Advanced Space Propulsion Systems” and has received critical acclaim from the scientific community for his research on Electric Propulsion.

CONTENT

00:01:28 Intro

00:06:45 International Space University

00:08:26 The physics of space propulsion

00:10:36 The limits

00:13:36 Nuclear propulsion

00:18:50 Breakthrough propulsion

00:21:05 Option 1 | Inertial mass

00:22:40 Option 2 | Negative mass

00:26:10 Space X

00:38:08 Nukes for space propulsion

00:42:49 Option 3 | Negative mass self-acceleration

00:44:56 Option 4 | Zero-point Energy

00:45:26 Electric propulsion

00:51:20 Future