Fuel-free space tethers to manoeuvre spacecraft in orbit
September 4th, 2010 - 3:04 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Sept 4 (ANI): A team at NASA is testing a chemical-free propulsion system that will use Earth’s magnetic field to move satellites and spacecraft in orbit.
Space tethers collect current when they fly near the ionosphere — the charged, upper layer of atmosphere — and magnetic field. The current flowing through the wire will be pushed on by Earth’s magnetic field, creating a force that can be used to raise or lower a spacecraft’s orbit.
Currently, satellites in Earth’s orbits have to periodically re-boost themselves owing to constant degradation of their orbits due to friction from colliding with atmospheric particles. The satellites have a limited supply of fuel for thruster rockets. When the gas runs out, the spacecraft’s days are numbered.
A tether could lower a satellite’s orbit so that it could, for example, more quickly re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at the end of its operational life and avoid becoming another piece of space debris.
“We want to demonstrate a tether propulsion system that someone can just go and copy it, and fly it,” Discovery News quoted Les Johnson at NASA, as saying.
“We really are interested in casting a wide net. We’re not going to specify the precise technology to be demonstrated,” NASA’s chief technology guru Bobby Braun said. (ANI)
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Tags: atmospheric particles, bobby braun, chief technology, discovery news, free space, ionosphere, layer of atmosphere, limited supply, magnetic field, nasa, operational life, orbit space, orbits, precise technology, propulsion system, space debris, space tethers, spacecraft, technology guru, tether