Science Fiction to Science Fact (Maybe): Tractor Beams #SciFiSunday
Tractor beams are a trope in science fiction. Could they work in real life? Scientists have a lead on technology that might work. Here’s more from LiveScience:
The electrostatic tractor would use a servicer spacecraft equipped with an electron gun that would fire negatively charged electrons at a dead target satellite, [Kaylee 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.
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