(Image credit: JAXA) The team at MIT sought to figure out if a little disk-shaped craft that was fitted with mini thrusters might produce enough repulsive electrostatic force to hover over a charged surface area. According to the statement from MIT, the researchers were able to effectively show that the boost from their design concept ought to be strong enough to levitate a 2-lb (0.9 kgs) automobile on either the moon or a large asteroid.The moons natural surface charge is strong enough to levitate lunar dust more than 3 feet (1 meter) above the ground, according to the declaration.” Engineers at NASA and elsewhere have just recently proposed harnessing this natural surface charge to levitate a glider with wings made of Mylar, a material that naturally holds the very same charge as surfaces on airless bodies … But such a design would likely be restricted to little asteroids, as bigger planetary bodies would have a stronger, counteracting gravitational pull,” composed MIT officials.” Similarly, we think a future mission might send out small hovering rovers to explore the surface area of the moon and other asteroids,” Oliver Jia-Richards, the research studys lead author and graduate trainee in MITs Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, stated in the statement.Follow Doris Elin Urrutia on Twitter @salazar_elin.
(Image credit: JAXA) The team at MIT looked for to figure out if a little disk-shaped craft that was fitted with miniature thrusters might produce enough repulsive electrostatic force to hover over a charged surface area. According to the statement from MIT, the scientists were able to effectively reveal that the boost from their design concept ought to be strong enough to levitate a 2-lb (0.9 kilograms) lorry on either the moon or a big asteroid.The moons natural surface charge is strong enough to levitate lunar dust more than 3 feet (1 meter) above the ground, according to the declaration.” Engineers at NASA and elsewhere have just recently proposed harnessing this natural surface charge to levitate a glider with wings made of Mylar, a material that naturally holds the very same charge as surface areas on airless bodies … But such a design would likely be restricted to small asteroids, as bigger planetary bodies would have a stronger, neutralizing gravitational pull,” wrote MIT authorities.