Flight to Alpha Centauri

This document is a 1992 JPRS report featuring an article by Vladimir Lagovskiy regarding claims made by researchers at the Experimental Machine Building Scientific Research Association. The report discusses the development of high-temperature superconductors capable of losing electrical resistance at 80 degrees Celsius, with potential for even higher thresholds. The researchers, led by Vasiliy Shabetnik, propose that these materials could serve as the basis for a new type of spacecraft. The article describes a theoretical 'saucer' design that would sail within a magnetic field, utilizing a flux of fast-moving electrons to interact with the environment. The researchers claim that this technology could enable interstellar travel, specifically mentioning a 12-year round trip to Alpha Centauri. Furthermore, the report touches upon a concept termed 'energy conversion,' which the researchers claim can extract internal energy from matter, potentially replacing conventional power plants and providing fuel for space travel. The text frames these concepts as realistic scientific plans rather than mere hypotheses, asserting that they have discovered new fundamental laws governing the structure of matter.