[bjo590]

Some napkin math.

How long would it take a nuclear powered EmDrive to push a fully loaded semitrailer from 0m/s to the speed of the interntional space station?

The maximum mass for a semi-truck fully loaded is 36000kg. The EmDrive generates 12millinewtons per kw. 1n = 1kg*(1m/s^2). Leo ~=7.66km/s^. A nuclear reactor produces ~1gw. We would need 275760000N to accelerate a semi truck to leo speeds. A nuclear powered EmDrive would take ~265 days to push a semi truck to low earth orbit speeds.

The escape velocity of Earth's orbit is 11.19 km/s, and if you were going to take humans on the trip you'd need much more cargo than 36000kg. Granted, you wouldn't have to move the craft from 11.19km/s to 0km/s and then 0km/s to 11.19 km/s every time you entered and left orbit, but it would be a slow ride regardless.

[short_sells_poo]

I think we can't ignore the weight of the nuclear reactor though - we are not lifting just the truck, the reactor has to carry it's own weight. And a 1GW reactor will dwarf the 36t payload I think.

[raducu]

Please, stop with the 12millinewtons -- if the effect is real, the cavity can be made orders of magnitude more efficient.

But it is 99.9999% not going to work at all, the emDrive would just be a cheat at space travel.

Something that can transform energy into momentum without shooting stuff back is the Holy Grail of space travel -- after a warp drive.