Ex astris, scientia
From the stars — knowledge
Discoveries in quantum mechanics in the 20th century laid the foundation for modern technologies. Discoveries in gravitational physics in the 21st century are expected to underpin the next generation of technological development.
We stand at the threshold of the greatest transformation in human history. A gaze directed into the depths of the cosmos is no longer that of an infant bound to its cradle — it is the gaze of an engineer, an architect, and an explorer, ready to move beyond the limits of the known. The Gravity Frontiers science & technology foundation brings together those for whom scientific curiosity, bold thinking, and boundless imagination are the primary instruments of discovery and technological progress. Our mission is to expand knowledge of the Universe; our task is to inspire society; our goal is to develop technologies that ensure the prosperity of all humankind.
History teaches a fundamental principle: transformative technologies that redefine entire eras do not emerge from incremental refinement of existing solutions. They arise from breakthroughs in our deeper understanding of how the world evolves. The technological landscape of the modern age — from silicon-based electronics to lasers and the internet — originated from the bold questions posed by 20th-century physicists who ventured to explore the quantum nature of reality.
Today, physics once again faces a profound challenge. We encounter horizons beyond which our theories begin to break down. Increasing discrepancies, unresolved questions, and unexplained phenomena all point to the incompleteness of our current understanding of the Universe. This is not a crisis — it is an opportunity. Our task is not to avoid these questions, but to confront them directly and seek answers. The purpose of our work is to expand humanity's knowledge of the fundamental nature of the Universe and, on this foundation, to create breakthrough technologies that will enable humankind to become a galactic species.
We are convinced that the next major breakthrough in physics will emerge from a deeper understanding of gravity. The enigmatic structure of spacetime — the very fabric of the cosmos — remains beyond our full comprehension. For this reason, we collaborate with colleagues from the Limitless Space Institute and other leading scientific communities, investing our efforts and resources into broadening our understanding of the natural world. We are confident that by uniting scientists, engineers, patrons, and investors, we will not only uncover the nature of gravity, but also acquire the capability to control it — just as humanity once learned to master light.
Our scope of interests may appear too broad, and our planning horizon — extending centuries into the future — may seem too distant. Yet mastering space is not merely another task on the list; it is the most ambitious goal humanity has ever set. It encompasses everything from the creation of exotic materials and advanced life-support systems to the development of propulsion technologies capable of traversing interstellar space. This is why we investigate the physics of wormholes, invest in space robotics, and inspire younger generations through science fiction literature and games. We are laying the foundations, shaping the future, and helping both children and adults feel at home within it.
Join those who do not merely look at the stars, but actively chart a path toward them. Only together can we generate the knowledge and build the technologies that will carry humanity from Earth's cradle into an endless adventure.
Below we present an excerpt from the manifesto of the Limitless Space Institute, which we believe fully aligns with our philosophy and the mission our Foundation has set for itself.
1. Introduction
Human exploration of the outer Solar System and the stars will require breakthroughs far beyond today's power and propulsion capabilities. The film highlights three approaches—from the known toward the unknown—to address time and distance in deep space. The first is nuclear electric propulsion (NEP): known physics, known engineering. The second is fusion propulsion: known physics, unknown engineering. The third is breakthrough propulsion at the edge of physics, exploring what may bridge quantum mechanics and general relativity—unknown physics, unknown engineering.
NEP
Fusion propulsion system
Spacetime curvature propulsion
Useful references on advanced propulsion:
- The Starflight Handbook [1] — a survey of interstellar methods: pulsed nuclear rockets, solar sails, beamed energy, fusion rockets, spacetime wormholes, and more.
- Frontiers of Propulsion Science [2] — concepts at the edge of physics; many chapters cover space drives, vacuum fluctuation propulsion, space curvature, and wormholes.
- Wormholes, Warp Drives and Energy Conditions [3] — a focused technical treatment of curvature and wormholes.
2. Nuclear electric propulsion (NEP)
The first architecture in the video is nuclear electric propulsion: a fission-based power source coupled to an electric propulsion system. The reactor splits fuel, generating thermal power that drives a thermodynamic cycle to produce electricity and waste heat. That electricity feeds electric thrusters that use electric and magnetic fields to ionize and accelerate gaseous propellant, producing thrust. Waste heat is radiated to space via high‑temperature radiators into the cold of deep space.
The video cites ~2.2 years to reach Saturn on a flyby from Mars and ~2093 years to arrive and capture (not merely fly by) at the nearest stellar neighbor, Proxima Centauri. Peak NEP cruise speed is ~0.00205c, total mission Δv = 0.0041c, from a simplified model assuming: gravity off; planetary orbital speeds ignored; radial trajectories.
- gravity disabled;
- planetary orbital speeds ignored;
- radial trajectories.
While NEP may seem imperfect for interstellar transit, it can take people to every world in the Solar System and lay the groundwork for a system-scale society and economy. See McNutt et al. [4] on NEP requirements for outer Solar System exploration.
3. Fusion propulsion
To shrink interstellar transit from thousands of years to centuries requires moving beyond the known—at least in engineering—toward fusion propulsion. One might simply swap the NEP heat source for fusion: plasma burning deuterium and tritium into helium, neutrons, and energy, driving a thermodynamic cycle (fusion electric propulsion, FEP). More likely, fusion will produce thrust directly: fusion product energy yields much higher specific impulse. This is the Direct Fusion Drive (DFD) approach—“fuel” being fusion ash directed through a magnetic nozzle.
The fusion spacecraft in the video has two counter-rotating elements at the nose of a long central truss for artificial gravity. Aft are high‑temperature radiators, propellant tanks, and the fusion engine module. Peak speed ~0.0476c, total Δv = 0.0952c. Fusion specific impulse can be 10–100× higher than NEP.
A near-term dark horse is hybrid fusion: a fusion rocket fed by an onboard fission reactor. If the fusion gain ~3 is insufficient for a self-sustaining thermodynamic cycle, a fission reactor powering a fusion rocket can add thermal power to the plasma propellant—effective jet power higher than pure NEP while keeping high specific impulse. Helicity Space explores this concept.
Fusion can enable cruise speeds of 5–10% of light. For higher speeds within known physics, antimatter propulsion remains—specific impulse from annihilation and particle speeds near c.
4. Spacetime curvature propulsion
General relativity sets a limiting speed (light) but allows two theoretical workarounds—space curvature (warp) and wormholes. A ship with paired pods would create exotic matter or negative vacuum energy density: spacetime contracts ahead and expands behind. Expansion and contraction of space are not limited by light speed, so effective ship speed can exceed c. Fig. 4 shows York time for the Alcubierre metric [5]—a 3D space deformation; the ring around the cylinder is the negative energy density system for the warp bubble; the cylinder is the crew module.
How realistic is this? Quantum mechanics and GR are not yet unified; new physics may open paths to such technologies. From E=mc² (1905) to splitting the atom (Cockcroft and Walton, 1932), the first reactor Chicago Pile‑1 at 0.5 W (1942), and Trinity (1945) took 40 years—without computers. Today the pace of discovery can be far higher.
Two circles on a Venn diagram that do not overlap hint that a larger circle must encompass both—a more general understanding in which mathematics successfully models both microscopic and macroscopic worlds. That frontier of physics is likely where new insight could supply ideas for breakthrough propulsion, warp drives, or wormholes. We know curvature and wormholes are mathematically possible; we do not yet know what to “build” to realize them— advancing the foundations of physics may turn these ideas into practice.
References
- [1] E. F. Mallove, G. L. Matloff. The Starflight Handbook: A Pioneer's Guide to Interstellar Travel. 1989.
- [2] Marc Millis, Eric Davis. Frontiers of Propulsion Science. AIAA, 2009.
- [3] Francisco S. N. Lobo. Wormholes, Warp Drives and Energy Conditions. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55182-1
- [4] Ralph McNutt et al. Human Missions Throughout the Outer Solar System. Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest 28, 2010. jhuapl.edu
- [5] Miguel Alcubierre. The warp drive: hyper-fast travel within general relativity. doi.org/10.1088/0264-9381/11/5/001
Original author
Harold «Sonny» White, Ph. D.
Director of Advanced Research and Development, Limitless Space Institute
Read the original on the LSI website