Turns out it’s just 15 years. Not nearly as long as we all thought. Thank heavens we have these brilliant Russian geniuses to enlighten us. This is not a joke. They’re serious. Really.
Specialists of the [Russian] Institute for Space Systems conducted successful tests of the perpetual motion machine in space. Valery Menshikov, the director of the institute, said that the machine was installed at Yubileiny satellite which was launched into orbit almost a year ago. The satellite can now move from one orbit to another with the help of the engine, which discharges no reaction mass. The first tests were conducted in June and July of 2008. The tests revealed some problems that need further developments of the machine, but the orbital experiment was conducted successfully in general. The new engine lasts for 15 years and can be started about 300,000 times. It uses solar batteries for its power, engineers at the institute said.
The Russians consider 15 years worth of motion to be “perpetual.” As long as by “motion” you mean moving no more than 20,000 times per year, of course.
They also consider Stalin to be the third-greatest Russian who ever lived, and Dima Medvedev doesn’t think Russian democracy needs any reform.
What a country.
All they seem to be doing is using stored solar energy to use magnets against Earth’s magnetic field. If that is what they are doing it is… uh, nice. Why they would call that perpetual motion is hard to understand. It’s sort of like calling someone with a good ear for music a superhero.