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“The electrostatic tractor would use a servicer spacecraft equipped with an electron gun that would fire negatively charged electrons at a dead target satellite
by cwillu 3y ago
“The electrostatic tractor would use a servicer spacecraft equipped with an electron gun that would fire negatively charged electrons at a dead target satellite, Champion told Live Science. The electrons would give the target a negative charge while leaving the servicer with a positive charge. The electrostatic attraction between the two would keep them locked together despite being separated by 65 to 100 feet (20 to 30 meters) of empty space, she said.”
- plorg 3y agoSo by that description we're still talking space tugboats. I guess the advantage is supposed to be a lower chance of collisions damaging the tug and producing extra debris?
- sand500 3y agoPhysically attaching something is probably really complicated and you need to make sure the junk doesn't rotate out of control as you burn to de orbit it.