  It is well known that the Casimir effect is an excellent candidate for the
stabilization of the extra dimensions. It has also been suggested that the
Casimir effect in higher dimensions may be the underlying phenomenon that is
responsible for the dark energy which is currently driving the accelerated
expansion of the universe. In this paper we suggest that, in principle, it may
be possible to directly manipulate the size of an extra dimension locally using
Standard Model fields in the next generation of particle accelerators. This
adjustment of the size of the higher dimension could serve as a technological
mechanism to locally adjust the dark energy density and change the local
expansion of spacetime. This idea holds tantalizing possibilities in the
context of exotic spacecraft propulsion.
