U.S. Patent 12,424,887 Granted

The Future
of Space
Propulsion

The Centrifugal Impulse Drive converts electrical power into directional thrust — no fuel, no exhaust, no limits.

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1★

U.S. Patent Granted

0

Propellant Required

4+

Years GA Tech Testing

2010

Founded in Florida

Mission Launch

CID™ Powered.
No Propellant.
No Limits.

The Centrifugal Impulse Drive turns electricity into thrust — ready for orbital deployment. Two satellites. Tekniam partnership. Launch vehicle to be announced.

What is CID™

Electricity
Becomes
Thrust

Quantum Dynamics Enterprises, Inc™ has built the world's first propellantless magnetic propulsion system. The Centrifugal Impulse Drive (CID™) uses precisely engineered rotating magnetic fields to generate net directional thrust — no propellant loaded, expelled, or depleted. Only sunlight required.

01

Rotating Magnetic Fields

Counter-rotating magnetic assemblies are driven through a precisely tuned stator gap, creating a dynamic asymmetric force environment.

02

Centrifugal Asymmetry

At the stator gap, the magnetic field releases abruptly. At high RPM, the rotor arm cannot fully extend — creating a net force differential that doesn't cancel over a full cycle.

03

Net Thrust Vector

The asymmetry sums into a consistent, repeatable net force in a fixed direction — confirmed independently on torsion balances, water tables, and single-ring tests.

04

Infinite Endurance

No propellant is consumed. As long as solar panels provide electrical power, CID™ generates thrust — doubling or eliminating satellite lifespan constraints entirely.

Intellectual Property

Patent
Granted

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has formally examined, reviewed, and granted protection for CID™ — recognizing the Centrifugal Impulse Drive as a genuine, novel, and non-obvious invention.

U.S. Patent No. 12,424,887
Apparatus and Process for Conversion of Energy

2027 Mission

CID™ Orbital
Demonstration

Two satellites. Launch to Low Earth Orbit (~500km). CID™ activates, raises orbit without propellant, ground tracking verifies. The world's first in-orbit demonstration of propellantless mechanical thrust. Launch vehicle to be announced.

1

Launch — Low Earth Orbit ~500km · launch vehicle TBA

2

Stabilize — Satellite orients and initializes systems

3

Activate CID™ — Thrust begins. No propellant.

4

Raise Orbit — Altitude increases using CID™ propulsion

5

Verify — Ground tracking confirms orbital raise

Two satellites · Tekniam partnership · Launch vehicle TBA

Mission Overview

The 2027 Orbital
Demonstration Plan

No Fuel. Just Mechanical Thrust.

Leadership

The Team
Behind CID™

Led by inventor and CEO Harry Sprain, QDE brings together decorated aerospace veterans, defense executives, and satellite industry leaders.

Latest

Updates &
Research

🛰️

Propulsion

How CID™ Could Save Dead Satellites

Billions in satellite assets go dark each year when propellant runs out. CID™ changes the equation permanently.

Harry Sprain · March 2026

🔬

Science

What the Torsion Balance Data Shows

A plain-language breakdown of our most recent controlled test results — what we measured and what it means.

QDE Research · Feb 2026

📋

Patent

Patent Granted — What It Means for CID™

The USPTO has formally recognized CID™. Here's what that means for investors, partners, and the future.

Harry Sprain · 2025

Investor Inquiries

Interested in QDE?

Quantum Dynamics Enterprises is selectively engaging with qualified partners. Get in touch and we'll be in touch with next steps.

CID™ Video Library

Every Test.
Every Demo.

All footage below documents controlled, independently observable tests of the Centrifugal Impulse Drive — Faraday cages, remote operation, plexiglass shielding. No YouTube. Clean direct video.

01

Torsion Balance · Faraday Cage

Hands-Off
Controlled
Thrust

CID™ mounted on a torsion balance, operated fully by remote control inside a Faraday cage. Plexiglass shielding eliminates all airflow. Consistent directional deflection confirmed across every run.

02

Torsion Balance · Test 2

Repeatable
Results
Confirmed

Second independent torsion balance test showing the same consistent directional deflection under identical isolated conditions. Repeatability is the key scientific validation.

03

3D Animation · CID™ Explained

See How
CID™
Works

3D animation showing the Centrifugal Impulse Drive converting electrical power into thrust through precisely engineered rotating magnetic fields — without expelling any propellant.

04

Georgia Tech · Water Table · 2023

Four Years
of
Independent
Testing

CID™ on the Georgia Tech water table. High RPM produces strong directional force. Low RPM produces weaker but consistently directional force — exactly matching centrifugal asymmetry theory.

05

GA Tech · Single Ring · 2019

Where It
All
Began

The original single-ring CID™ prototype tested at Georgia Tech under Dr. Mitchell Walker — the first independent institutional validation of the CID™ propulsion effect.

06

SpaceCom 2024 · Orlando · High RPM

CID™ at
High RPM
Reverse
Thrust

CID™ on the torsion balance at SpaceCom 2024 in Orlando — demonstrating propellantless propulsion at high RPM with reverse thrust before aerospace industry executives and investors.

07

APEC Conference · Dec 21, 2024

Harry Sprain
Live at
APEC 2024

Harry Sprain demonstrates CID™ live at the Alternative Propulsion Engineering Conference — before the world's most technically demanding alternative propulsion researchers.

Full Video Archive

All Videos on
HarrysprainMagnet

All CID™ test footage, demonstrations, and research videos on the official YouTube channel.

CID™ Science

The Physics
Behind
Propellantless
Thrust

CID™ is a reactionless drive — propulsion not based on the expulsion of fuel or reaction mass. Here is the complete scientific framework, from first principles to test-validated theory.

Core Mechanism

How CID™
Generates Thrust

Rotors counter-rotate through a stator gap. As rotor magnets leave the magnetic field, centrifugal force attempts to extend the rotor arm outward. At high RPM, the arm never fully extends before the opposing magnetic field slams it back — creating an asymmetric centrifugal force profile that does not cancel over a full rotation cycle. This net asymmetry produces directional thrust.

Stator Gap Dynamics

When the rotor arm reaches the stator gap, the constraining magnetic field releases abruptly. The centrifugal force throws the arm outward — but at high RPM, the opposing field engages before full extension. This creates the force differential:

High RPM: Arm extends only partially → strong net force

Low RPM: Arm extends further → weaker net force (but still directional)

Fixed rotors: Zero force measured → confirms rotational dynamics are the source

Magnetic Spring Theory

Magnets
as Springs

Opposing magnetic fields act as a non-contact spring — storing and releasing energy while maintaining equilibrium between dynamic forces. In CID™, opposing magnetic fields dampen and balance the centrifugal and centripetal forces on the rotor arm, holding it in place until it reaches the stator gap, where the magnetic field releases and the arm is thrown outward, generating a propulsive impulse.

↓ Download Magnetic Spring Paper (PDF)

Magnetic Damping & Thrust

CID™ uses opposing magnetic fields to balance centrifugal and centripetal forces on the rotor arm. The arm remains in magnetic equilibrium — the opposing fields act as a spring, dampening outward force.

As the rotor approaches the stator gap, magnetic restraint releases. The arm moves outward and generates a directional impulse.

This controlled release of magnetic potential energy converts rotational motion into measurable thrust — without expelling any mass.

Not Gyroscopic Precession

Ruling Out
Every
Alternative

The most common objection: "Isn't this just gyroscopic precession?" Gyroscopic precession creates a rotating force that is inherently self-canceling over a full cycle. CID™ produces directional asymmetry that does NOT cancel — proven definitively by zero-thrust control runs. When rotors are mechanically fixed, thrust goes to zero. When rotors spin, thrust appears. The effect is caused by rotational dynamics at the stator gap — not gyroscopic forces, vibration, heat, or electromagnetic interference.

Zero-Thrust Control Protocol

Step 1: Baseline run — rotors fixed, everything else identical. Deflection: zero.

Step 2: Test run — rotors spinning at operating RPM. Deflection: consistent, directional.

Step 3: Return to fixed rotors. Deflection: returns to zero.

This protocol, repeated across multiple test configurations and locations, definitively rules out all alternative force sources. The thrust tracks the rotational motion — nothing else.

NASA BPP Alignment

Consistent With
Breakthrough Propulsion
Physics Research

The CID™ results are consistent with research by Marc G. Millis, former NASA propulsion physicist and founder of the Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Program. Millis' work explored how mechanical and electromagnetic interactions within a closed system could produce measurable net forces under dynamic conditions — the same principle CID™ demonstrates.

Scientific Foundation

The Nichols
Project

Dr. Robert H. "Bobby" Nichols, Jr.

1964 – 2020 · Ph.D. Physics · Washington University in St. Louis

Dr. Robert H. "Bobby" Nichols, Jr. was a physicist, planetary scientist, and educator whose pioneering curiosity extended from isotope cosmochemistry to advanced propulsion physics. He earned his Ph.D. in Physics from Washington University in St. Louis and served as a Senior Research Scientist at the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, later teaching physics and engineering at Cumberland University and Young Harris College.

Dr. Nichols published extensively in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta and NASA-supported studies on early solar-system materials. In his later years, he explored mechanical, propellantless propulsion concepts, producing the original Nichols Project Description (2011) that helped inspire and inform the continued research that became CID™.

He is remembered not only for his deep scientific insight but for his generosity, humor, and devotion to exploring ideas far ahead of their time.

↓ Download Nichols Project Description (PDF)

Independent Evidence

Designed to
Eliminate
Every Doubt

Every CID™ test has been specifically designed to rule out alternative explanations. The protocol is rigorous, repeatable, and independently observable.

Torsion Balance Tests

Multiple torsion balance setups show consistent directional deflection when CID™ is powered — and zero deflection when rotors are fixed. The gold standard for force measurement.

Faraday Cage Isolation

Tests run inside Faraday enclosures with remote-controlled operation. All external electromagnetic fields are shielded, eliminating EM interference as a cause of measured force.

Georgia Tech — 4 Years

Four years of independent testing at Georgia Tech Research Corporation under Dr. Mitchell Walker of the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering.

Zero-Thrust Control Runs

When rotors are mechanically fixed, zero thrust is measured. Confirms that propulsion arises exclusively from rotational dynamics — not vibration, heat, or static EM fields.

Plexiglass Wind Shielding

All torsion balance tests enclosed under plexiglass shielding. Airflow or wind interference as a source of the measured force is completely ruled out.

NASA BPP Alignment

Results consistent with Marc G. Millis' Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Program research on closed-system net force production under dynamic conditions.

Water Table Testing

Tested at Georgia Tech water table in 2023. High RPM produces strong directional force; low RPM produces weaker but consistently directional force — matching theoretical predictions.

Remote Operation Protocol

All controls handled remotely — completely hands-off start. Eliminates any possibility of operator physical interference affecting test outcomes.

Repeatable Across Configurations

The directional deflection is repeatable across multiple independent test runs, different operators, different apparatus configurations, and different locations.

Applications

What CID™
Makes Possible

Satellite Station-Keeping

Replaces propellant-based thrusters on GEO and LEO satellites — extending operational lifespan from years to decades, or indefinitely.

Dead Satellite Recovery

Billions in satellite assets go dark when propellant runs out. A CID™-equipped rescue vehicle could recover and reposition them.

ISS Orbit Maintenance

CID™ could maintain the International Space Station's orbital altitude without periodic propellant resupply missions.

Deep Space Missions

No propellant mass at launch means dramatically increased payload capacity for deep space exploration.

Debris Removal

CID™ vehicles could shepherd debris to controlled reentry without propellant constraints limiting operational range.

Constellation Management

Maintain precise orbital slots in large satellite constellations indefinitely — powered only by sunlight.

The Team

Leadership &
Advisory Board

Quantum Dynamics Enterprises brings together a decorated inventor, veteran aerospace executives, and defense industry leaders united by a shared belief in the future of propellantless propulsion.

Contact

LinkedIn Profile ↗

Founder · CEO · CTO

Harry Sprain

Harry Sprain is the founder, CEO, and CTO of Quantum Dynamics Enterprises, Inc™ and the inventor of the Centrifugal Impulse Drive (CID™). He has been in the research and development field for over 30 years, with his first commercial invention being a unique and effective environmentally safe insecticide that became the basis for EcoSmart Technologies.

That technology has spawned over 40 U.S. patents (10 issued) and numerous international patents across agriculture, commercial, pharmaceutical, and retail industries. Harry won "Inventor of the Year" from the U.S. Society of Inventors, received "Best New Product for 2000" recognition, and garnered press in Time magazine and Business Week.

Quantum Dynamics Enterprises was formed in Florida in 2010. Harry has led the company through four years of independent testing at Georgia Tech, the development of multiple CID™ prototypes, and the successful prosecution of U.S. Patent 12,424,887 — covering the full apparatus and process of the Centrifugal Impulse Drive.

Science Advisory Board

Independent
Advisors

Andrew Heaton

Co-Founder & CEO, Tekniam LLC · Strategic Advisor

Andrew D. "Andy" Heaton is a veteran technology executive with over 20 years of experience across five continents. As Co-Founder and CEO of Tekniam, LLC, he leads an elite team of DoD and Intelligence Community professionals developing mission-critical communications and Counter-UAS technologies.

He is the co-inventor of the Remote Universal Communications System (RUCS), a portable broadband solution for military missions, disaster relief, and first responders. He serves as Strategic Advisor to Complete Aerospace Solutions (CAEROS) and has integrated Rivada Space Networks' "OuterNET" LEO constellation into Tekniam's global connectivity systems.

Beyond his executive achievements, Heaton is a highly decorated athlete in the Highland Games — a two-time National Caber Champion and world record holder in the keg toss.

LinkedIn ↗

F. Brent Abbott

Veteran Aerospace Executive · Strategic Consultant

F. Brent Abbott is a veteran aerospace executive with more than 25 years of experience in commercial space, satellite systems, business development, and strategic market expansion.

Over the course of his career, he has held senior leadership roles including Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer at Rogue Space Systems Corporation, CEO of Kongsberg NanoAvionics U.S., CEO of ÅAC Microtec U.S., Head of Business Development for Surrey Satellite Technology U.S., and Business Development Manager at Honeywell Aerospace.

He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University. Brent currently consults with Quantum Dynamics Enterprises, supporting the company's strategic growth, partnerships, and commercialization efforts.

LinkedIn ↗

Jeff Gossel

Senior Space & Defense Intelligence Advisor · Founder, Jeff Gossel Consulting

Jeff Gossel retired from the United States Intelligence Community as a Senior National Intelligence Service member, concluding his career as Technical Director for Space and Missiles at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center — a Senior Executive Service member for his final ten years.

He played significant roles in standing up the U.S. Space Force, U.S. Space Command, and National Space Intelligence Center. His portfolio covered space domain awareness, foreign spacecraft, counter-space systems, hypersonic vehicles, and ballistic missiles. Jeff sits on the Board of Advisors for the National Security Space Association.

Official Biography ↗

SH

Dr. Shakeeb Bin Hasan

PhD Physics · Computational Electromagnetics & Multiphysics Modeling

Dr. Shakeeb Bin Hasan is a computational physicist specializing in advanced electromagnetics and multiphysics simulations. He holds a PhD in Physics from Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Germany, and an MSc in Optics from Delft University of Technology, Netherlands.

With over 10 years of deep-tech experience, his expertise includes finite-element modeling (FEniCSx and COMSOL Multiphysics), electromagnetic and multiphysics problems, and semiconductor metrology. Dr. Hasan completed a comprehensive 21-page FEM modeling study for QDE on CID™ — coupling magnetic forces with centrifugal dynamics to predict thrust performance. Co-author of peer-reviewed publications (h-index >12) and co-inventor on multiple patent applications.

View CID™ Modeling Study ↗

RN

Scientific Inspiration · 1964–2020

Dr. Robert H. "Bobby" Nichols, Jr.

Ph.D. Physics · Washington University in St. Louis · Originator of the Nichols Project

Dr. Nichols was a physicist, planetary scientist, and educator whose pioneering curiosity extended from isotope cosmochemistry to propellantless propulsion. His 2011 Nichols Project Description provided the theoretical inspiration that helped shape the early development of CID™. He is remembered for his scientific insight, generosity, and commitment to exploring ideas far ahead of their time.

↓ Nichols Project Description (PDF)

Press & Media

CID™ in
the News

01

Aerospace Defense Review

Quantum Dynamics Enterprises — Full Feature

Comprehensive coverage of CID™ propulsion technology, the company's history, and its vision for the future of satellite propulsion.

Aerospace & Defense Review Magazine

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02

Via Satellite

Quantum Dynamics Enterprises Reveals First Propellantless Drive