All articles tagged with #tractor beam
Scientists are developing a real-life electrostatic tractor beam that uses electrostatic attraction to safely move defunct satellites out of Earth's orbit, potentially helping to address the growing space junk problem. While promising, the technology faces challenges such as slow operation and high costs, but could become operational within a decade if funding is secured.
MIT researchers have developed a chip-based "tractor beam" that uses a focused beam of light to capture and manipulate biological particles without damaging them. This miniature device, inspired by "Star Wars," could revolutionize biological research by allowing the study of DNA, cell classification, and disease mechanisms in a sterile environment. Unlike traditional optical tweezers, this technology can manipulate particles millimeters away from the chip surface, avoiding contamination and stress on cells. The research, published in Nature Communications, was funded by the NSF and MIT fellowships.
Scientists are developing a real-life tractor beam, called an electrostatic tractor, to tackle the growing problem of space junk. The electrostatic tractor would use electrostatic attraction to safely move dead satellites out of Earth's orbit, preventing collisions and reducing the risk of debris falling to Earth. While the concept has several advantages over other proposed space debris removal methods, such as harpoons and physical docking systems, the main challenge is securing funding for the project. If successful, the tractor beam could be operational within a decade and help alleviate the space junk problem.
Engineers from the University of Colorado Boulder are developing a machine inspired by the tractor beams seen in sci-fi movies, which could be used to pull space debris out of Earth's orbit. The team is working on an early design concept that would allow them to move a several-ton object into a different orbit, including moving defunct satellites to higher graveyard orbits or deorbiting them altogether.
Researchers at the University of Colorado, Boulder, are developing a real-life tractor beam to tackle the growing problem of space debris. The team is using the electrostatic force to influence an object's motion, creating an attractive or repulsive force to change the trajectory of individual pieces of space debris. The team's experiments show that a pulsed beam fired in a rhythm can calm down the wild tumbling of defunct satellites in geosynchronous orbit. The researchers hope to launch a prototype electrostatic tractor into space in five to ten years.
Aerospace engineers led by Professor Hanspeter Schaub are working on electron beams that use attractive or repulsive electrostatic force to remove space debris from orbit, which could prevent Kessler Syndrome. Tractor beams would allow us to move debris and other objects out of the way without having to touch them directly. The team has been experimenting with a vacuum chamber to simulate a space environment and has shown that the beams could potentially pull an object weighing several tons about 200 miles in two to three months. The team is confident that they could be ready to send out the first electrostatic tractor in as little as five to ten years with the right funding.
Engineers at the University of Colorado Boulder are experimenting with a real-life "tractor beam" that could help clean up space junk without touching it. The device uses an electrostatic force to attract or repel objects from a distance, similar to the tractor beam in Star Trek. The researchers are testing their designs in a vacuum chamber that simulates space conditions. The technology could be a cheaper and safer way to remove space debris, which is becoming an increasingly serious problem in crowded orbits.