‘Space Tether’ Put To Test
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Irene Klotz of Discovery News writes:
A private company is flying an innovative experiment in space, which could lead to satellites that can navigate without expensive rocket motors and fuel.The premise is that rather than chemical power, spacecraft in low-Earth orbit could use a tether. Like a wire moving through a magnetic field, it builds up an electrical current as it flies through the planet’s naturally occurring magnetic field.
The push of the magnetic field against the tether’s electrical current can be used to raise or lower an attached satellite’s orbit, depending on the direction the current flows.
Looks like they’ve got a ways to go, but it’s a pretty interesting innovation. Time will tell if it’s the road to a stable technology or a dead end.
[tags]space, discovery channel, satellite, spacecraft, news[/tags]