Richard Banduric is CEO of Field Propulsion Technologies Inc., a Colorado-based startup engineering breakthrough spacecraft propulsion systems that operate without traditional propellant. As both the CEO and lead developer, Banduric is propelling forward radical ideas to reshape our understanding of how spacecraft can move.

From Aerospace to Entrepreneurship

Before founding his own company, Banduric served in key roles at major organizations: he worked as an embedded software engineer at Lockheed Martin, contributed to the Clipper Mission team’s flight software at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and later served as a senior software development engineer with United Launch Alliance. These experiences grounded him in the rigorous demands of aerospace and spaceflight systems, even as he honed his appetite for more experimental approaches.

The Science of Propellant-Less Thrust

At Field Propulsion Technologies, Banduric leads research into propellant-free propulsion—methods that generate thrust using relativistic electric fields, rather than ejecting reaction mass. The fundamental principle involves:

• Charging isolated elements and moving them relative to one another

• Amplifying differences in electric field intensity due to Lorentz contraction

• Creating thrust through what the company terms the Static Displacement Field Drive, which leverages these relativistic effects

Unlike traditional engines that rely on Newton’s third law (action and reaction), Banduric’s designs use complex electric field interactions to generate motion without expelling mass.

DARPA Support and Patent Portfolio

Banduric’s work is not just theoretical—it’s been backed by serious funding. Field Propulsion Technologies was awarded a Phase I DARPA grant (~$250,000) to develop and prototype devices that use electricity alone for spacecraft propulsion. Success in Phase I could lead to a Phase II grant of $10 million.

He also holds several key patents related to this technology, including:

• US Pat. 10,084,395 – complex electric fields and static electric fields to effect motion with conduction currents

• US Pat. 10,072,642 – interacting complex electric fields and static electric fields to effect motion

• US Pat. 9,337,752 and US Pat. 10,320,312 B2 – variations involving magnetic materials.

Alternative Perspectives and Experimental Insights

Banduric’s ideas stretch into speculative and metaphysical realms. In a discussion featured on “Beyond Conventional Physics”, part of the Deeper Thinking Podcast, he shared experiences with reverse-engineering advanced materials—some allegedly extraterrestrial—under classified programs. He described:

• Composite conductors that blend conductive and insulating properties, enabling longitudinal forces

• Nanoparticle structures where accelerated charges tunnel between closely spaced particles to generate thrust

• Materials that appeared to self-destruct, turning into dust when analyzed; microscopic particles that seemed to communicate with each other

These accounts drape his work in intrigue—narratives that straddle visionary engineering and fringe phenomena.

Reputation & Community Reaction

Discussions on forums like r/UFOs reflect the fascination—and skepticism—surrounding Banduric’s claims. Users have summarized his arguments about “smart” materials that vanish when probed and unnerving hints at hidden technologies deeply embedded in our world:

“Richard Banduric of Field Propulsion Technologies claims UAP materials are ‘smart,’ will ‘turn into dust’ when attempting to reverse engineer them, and the dust particles are very small and ‘seem to be communicating with one another.’”

These narratives add a layer of mystery to his story, though they remain controversial and at the speculative edge of current science.