Tractor Beam Technology: From Sci-Fi to Reality

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.