According to these researchers, it is possible to manufacture a warp engine

Warp engines, until now hypothetical systems capable of propelling a spaceship by distorting the fabric of space-time, may one day no longer belong in the realm of science fiction. Indeed, American researchers believe that it is possible to build such engines, at least in theory.

A subluminal warp drive

Traveling at incredible speeds through the cosmosthis would be the reason for the warp drive. This kind of system in theory capable of distorting space-time has been occupying some scientists for several decades now. Based in New York, the company Applied Physics and its engineers believe that nothing is impossible. A publication in the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity April 29, 2024, is evidence of work that is moving in this direction. For the time being, reaching a speed close to that of light only exists in science fiction works. In addition, the principle of the warp engine itself is hardly compatible with the current laws of physics. And yet, the researchers at Applied Physics believe that their study could be a game changer. Jared Fuchs, the lead author of the work, suggested the idea of ​​a “warp bubble” that surrounds a ship launched into space. This bubble is designed to protect the occupants from distortions in space-time, but also facing the terrible gravitational forces relating to travel at such speed. This involves a warp bubble that would operate within the known limits of physics and thus allow for constant-speed subluminal warp propulsion. In other words, it would allow travel at a speed close to that of light without exceeding it and thus, without endangering human organisms.
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What fuel for this engine?

However, several questions quickly come to the table, especially that of fuel. For researchers, this fuel could be what is called “exotic matter”. This is a matter that would not be made up of the same particles as ordinary matter and would therefore explain the origin of dark matter. However, the very existence of this exotic matter is still hypothetical today.

“Although such a design would still require a considerable amount of energy, it demonstrates that the distortion effects can be achieved without exotic forms of matter.”said Christopher Helmerich, another participant in the study. Finally, if the scientists seem convinced by their work, they point out that interstellar travel (between two galaxies) is not for tomorrow. Let us remember all the same that the Andromeda galaxy, the closest to us, is located 2.54 million light years away of the Milky Way, our galaxy.