SAIC electromagnetic-gravity coupling study (1990)
From the UAP Encyclopedia, the open encyclopedia of UFO and UAP history · 🗓️ Event
Contents 6

| Date | August 1990 |
|---|---|
| Topics | Propulsion & physics (topic) |
| Testimony | Shellenberger testimony, p. 108 |
| Year | 1990 in UFO history |
| Timeline | 1990 on the UAP Timeline |
| Sources | 6 |
In August 1990 the U.S. Air Force Astronautics Laboratory at Edwards Air Force Base published "Electric Propulsion Study" (AL-TR-89-040), a report by physicist Dennis Cravens of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) that included an examination of whether electromagnetism and gravity might be coupled in ways usable for space propulsion.[1][2]
Background
The study was carried out from September 1988 to November 1989 under an Air Force technical assistance contract, with Franklin Mead as the Air Force task manager and physicist Pharis Williams as the main consultant, as part of the laboratory's look at future propulsion possibilities.[1]
Contents
The report reviewed theoretical ideas and claimed experiments, including the Biefeld–Brown effect, a "conductive submarine" and a "gravitational rotor", and explored the idea of inductive coupling between electromagnetic and gravitational forces. It concluded that such effects were speculative, with no confirmed basis for building a propulsion system, and recommended further study of radiation pressure and Biefeld–Brown effects.[1][2]
Context
The report was part of a long series of Air Force propulsion studies, from Project Outgrowth in 1972 to Veritay Technology's 1988–1991 tests of the Biefeld–Brown effect, which found no thrust in a vacuum. None of them describes working technology. The report is publicly available through the Defense Technical Information Center.[1][3][4]
People and topics
- SAIC — A U.S. defence contractor that carried out propulsion studies and remote-viewing work.
- U.S. Air Force — The U.S. military service that ran the official UFO projects from 1947 to 1969.
- Edwards Air Force Base — The Air Force flight test center in California.
- Project Outgrowth — Project Outgrowth
On the Timeline
- Steven Greer's 1990s private meetings (Mid-1990s) — Steven Greer alleges he met wealthy and connected figures at a private San Francisco gathering about UAP.
- Eric Walker and the Penn State alumnus (6 September 1990) — A Penn State alumnus says former university president Eric Walker attended secret UAP meetings.
See every 1990 event on the UAP Timeline →
References
- Dennis J. Cravens, "Electric Propulsion Study" (AL-TR-89-040, Aug 1990), DTIC (PDF) · apps.dtic.mil · archived copy
- "Electric Propulsion Study (1990)", UFO Scans · ufoscans.com · archived copy
- "Project Outgrowth: 1970 study on major propulsion developments", The Black Vault · theblackvault.com · archived copy
- "21st Century Propulsion Concept, April 1988, Veritay Technology Inc.", The Black Vault · theblackvault.com · archived copy
- Advanced Propulsion Concepts – Project Outgrowth, AFRPL-TR-72-31 (PDF) — DTIC · apps.dtic.mil · archived copy
- documents2.theblackvault.com · documents2.theblackvault.com · archived copy
This page was last edited on 29 October 2026. Articles are written in our own words from the sources listed under References; disputed claims are attributed to the people who made them.
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