starship-design: Boeing Internal Report Looks At Propellentless Propulsion

["L. Parker" <lparker@cacaphony.net>]

Boeing Internal Report Looks At Propellentless Propulsion

A report published July 29 by Jane's Defense Weekly says Boeing has
acknowledged it is conducting a variety of anti-gravity experiments that
could rewrite the economics of conventional aviation technologies.

According to Jane's Defense Weekly (JDW) the research is being done at
Boeing's famous Phantom Works facility in Seattle where Boeing is working to
gain the services of the Russian scientist Dr Evgeny Podkletnov who claims
he has developed anti-gravity devices in Russia and Finland.

But with the Russian government starting to realize that many of the
greatest treasures of the Soviet era are to be found scattered throughout
the country in forgotten science and technology projects, the bureaucracy
has begun to clamp down on high technology transfers to the West.

A briefing document obtained by JDW says the project is operating under the
internal name of GRASP - Gravity Research for Advanced Space Propulsion.
This document also sets out what Boeing believes to be at stake, stating:
"If gravity modification is real, it will alter the entire aerospace
business."

Behind the project rests many years of, initially, Russian research, and
later on American research at NASA and now Boeing - to investigate
'propellentless propulsion' the politically correct term for anti-gravity
machines. Much of the western research has been aimed at testing the
validity of Podkletnov's fundamental work with several projects over the
years at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.

In tandem, has been the need to examine possible uses of anti-gravity
technologies. Conceivably, uses could range from transport both
terrestrially and in outer space through fuel-free electricity to powerful
directed energy weapons.

In fact, one of Podkletnov's claims was that in high-power experiments using
a so-called impulse gravity generator he was able to generate a beam of
gravity-like energy that exerted an instantaneous force of 1,000g on any
object — enough, in theory, to vaporize it, and even more so if the object
is moving quickly.

According to the JDW report, Boeing recently approached Podkletnov directly,
but fell foul of Russian technology transfer controls. The GRASP briefing
document cited by Jane's noted that BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin have
also contacted Podkletnov "and have some activity in this area".

In conclusion the briefing document said additional "classified activities
in gravity modification may exist". But moreover, Podkletnov was strongly
anti-military and was only wanting to provide assistance if the research was
conducted out in the "white world" of open development.