Cleaning up space debris—without having to touch it

A team of aerospace engineers from CU Boulder have taken a page from science fiction to design a real-world tractor beam. Researchers led by Hanspeter Schaub, chair of the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, are experimenting with a “virtual tether” that may one day remove derelict spacecraft from orbit around Earth. Best of all, the team’s tractor can clean up this space junk without ever having to get close to it. The key to the effort is a one-of-a-kind facility on campus that can replicate the complex environment of space from the safety of Boulder.

Read more on CU Boulder Today: https://bit.ly/3WK3Hfe

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