Washington, June 12 (IANS): Imagine a space ship travelling faster than the speed of light. NASA scientists are working on a space ship that, if completed, will travel faster than speed of light - a concept inspired straight from Hollywood sci-fi movie "Star Trek".
NASA scientists Harold White and Mark Rademaker are working on the design of a warp ship what they call IXS Enterprise.
"We wanted to have a decent image of a theory conforming warp ship to motivate young people to pursue a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) career," a report in the Washington Post quoted Rademaker as saying.
"It does have some sci-fi features that might never transfer to a possible final design, unless we really want to," Rademaker added.
The warp ship, travelling faster than speed of light, will allow travel to interstellar space in a matter of weeks rather than, say, centuries.
The concept of warp ship seeks to exploit a "loophole" in Albert Einstein's theory of relativity that allows travel faster than speed of light by expanding space-time behind the object and contracting space-time in front of it, the report said.
In a crux, the empty space behind a space ship would be made to expand rapidly, pushing the craft in a forward direction.
"Passengers would perceive it as movement despite the complete lack of acceleration," the report added.
"If successful," White said, "the project will result in 'speeds' that could take a spacecraft to Alpha Centauri within two weeks."
Alpha Centauri is 4.3 light-years away from our planet.