A former NASA engineer says gravity has a workaround. The last time we heard that, it didn’t end well; why are serious people listening again?
A former NASA engineer says his lab has a propulsion drive that pushes without propellant, built on electrostatics rather than hot exhaust. Charles Buhler of Exodus Propulsion Technologies has floated the idea of a “new force,” sharing early details at APEC and with The Debrief. The claim echoes the EmDrive saga, a headline-grabber that ultimately faltered when independent tests found no real thrust. With third-party verification now the hurdle, this story teeters between breakthrough and mirage.
A breakthrough that challenges Earth’s gravity
Imagining an escape from Earth’s grip has long belonged to science fiction, yet a bold assertion from Exodus Propulsion Technologies brings that vision into sharper focus. Co-founded by former NASA engineer Charles Buhler, the firm reports a propulsion approach that produces thrust without any propellant, a proposition that directly challenges established physics.
How does this propulsion system work?
The core concept centers on an electrostatic architecture that purportedly yields thrust without expelling mass. Removing the burden of onboard propellant could unlock spacecraft that travel farther, faster, and with far greater efficiency, reshaping mission design and the economics of exploration.
Buhler contends the device exploits a previously unidentified phenomenon he calls a “New Force”. The mechanism is not yet fully characterized or verified, and its extraordinary premise inevitably invites comparison to past attempts to bypass conventional dynamics.
Drawing parallels to the EmDrive
The EmDrive, proposed by Roger Shawyer, once ignited similar hopes for propellant-free thrust. Early reports of minute forces did not survive rigorous testing, with most signals ultimately traced to experimental artifacts and measurement error.
Given that history, researchers approach Buhler’s proposal cautiously. To many, the echoes of Shawyer’s EmDrive are unmistakable, and only robust testing can determine whether this new concept performs beyond the limits where earlier ideas faltered.
Charles Buhler and the claims of a “New Force”
Buhler is a veteran of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where he helped establish the Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory. He has shared details of the technology at the Alternative Propulsion Energy Conference (APEC), signaling a willingness to invite scrutiny and engage the wider research community.
He maintains that the device operates on a previously unexplored principle with implications for fundamental physics. Whether it heralds a paradigm shift or reflects a misinterpreted effect remains an open scientific question that demands careful study.
Skepticism and the road to verification
Transformative claims require decisive evidence. Decades of cautionary tales in propulsion research underscore the need for exacting experiments, transparent data, and third-party verification before any grand conclusions are drawn.
While the odds may be long, progress sometimes emerges from challenges to orthodoxy; definitive validation or refutation will come from independent replication under controlled conditions.