Flying to the moon could take just FOUR hours thanks to a British invention that uses solar power to produce thrust.

The EM Drive, which has been compared to the impulse drive in Star Trek, was developed almost 15 years by British boffin Roger Shawyer but was originally mocked as being impossible.

Experts at NASA have since climbed down and admitted they believe it works while a scientist in Germany has been able to show how the invention produces thrust.

Martin Tajmar, professor and chair for Space Systems at the Dresden University of Technology, presented his work at the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics' Propulsion and Energy Forum, saying: "Our test campaign cannot confirm or refute the claims of the EM Drive but intends to independently assess possible side-effects in the measurements methods used so far.

"Nevertheless, we do observe thrust close to the actual predictions after eliminating many possible error sources that should warrant further investigation into the phenomena.

Invention: The EM Drive propulsion engine is thought to be possible

"Our measurements reveal thrusts as expected from previous claims after carefully studying thermal and electromagnetic interferences.

"If true, this could certainly revolutionise space travel."

It is believed the EM Drive works by using solar power to generate multiple microwaves that are held in an enclosed chamber and move back and forth.

Basically, the drive converts electrical energy into thrust without the need for rocket fuel.

Travel: If correct, the EM Drive could get people to the moon in four hours

Dr Harold White at the Johnson Space Center has also done theoretical testing on the invention and thinks it could work

According to the website Hacked: "White proposes that the EM Drive’s thrust is due to virtual particles in the quantum vacuum that behave like propellant ions in magneto-hydrodynamical propulsion systems, extracting "fuel" from the very fabric of space-time and eliminating the need to carry propellant."

The EM Drive has been compared to the Impulse Drive on board the Starship Enterprise in Star Trek, but continues to baffle experts as it goes against the principles of physics that state if something is moving forward there must be a force pushing in the other direction.