Aisha Mustafa, a young physicist from Egypt, has patented a next-generation quantum propulsion system that could send spacecraft to other solar systems without using a single drop of fuel. Mustafa says that this quantum effect can be harnessed with the dynamic Casimir effect, which utilizes a ‚moving mirror‘ cavity, where two reflective flat plates are held close together and then manipulated in order to interact with the quantum particles. By moving the silicon plates, energy is created out from nothing, and a net force is generated, which would be used to push, pull or propel a spacecraft.
