NASA Begins Tractor Beam Research

[RaNDM G]

The concept of the tractor beam has been around since the '50s. Why did NASA wait until now?

 

[Thaluikhain]

You know NASA, if you want to eventually create Tractor Beam technology that could eventually pull things in space. You need to be in space first

Probably not. If you aren't able to actually go to space, but still want to look important, what better time to announce you're going to build some outlandish sci-fi machine?

Hrmm..I used to think tractor beams were cool, but I've gone off them since the LHC.

Guess I'm an ex-tractor fan.

*groan*

 

[ShindoL Shill]

so they want to build things that pull other things around in space.
didn't they stop making spaceships?
...
are they building the Enterprise?

but tbf, i went to sleep after reading about the tricorder. i wake up to the tractor beam. and yet people will still complain it isn't the future until we get flying cars.

 

[CommanderL]

first the tractor beam then the death star to install said tractor beam to -we are screwed-

 

[bakan]

You know NASA, if you want to eventually create Tractor Beam technology that could eventually pull things in space. You need to be in space first

Not necessarily, as one of their goals is to get rid of space junk and if it is possible to use with cloud penetrating laser frequencies they could push away all the little things from earth's surface without being in space.

 

[Yokai]

Ah, lasers. What can't they do?

 

[Sonic Doctor]

I highly support this. The Star Treks are the sci-fi series that I want the most technology from.

If I could travel into the future, I would travel to a point where we perfected Holodecks and Food Replicators.

You know NASA, if you want to eventually create Tractor Beam technology that could eventually pull things in space. You need to be in space first

It's not NASA's fault that they lost funding because Onumb-nut thinks space isn't important.

 

[Sonic Doctor]

and yet people will still complain it isn't the future until we get flying cars.

Yeah, I hate it when people complain about that. My response is always, "Make enough money to buy a small personal plane. Ta-da!! You'll have your flying car."

 

[The Lugz]

and yet people will still complain it isn't the future until we get flying cars.

Yeah, I hate it when people complain about that. My response is always, "Make enough money to buy a small personal plane. Ta-da!! You'll have your flying car."

flying cars exist, now people just cant afford them and even if they could the things are terribly impractical and inefficient

 

[John the Gamer]

first the tractor beam then the death star to install said tractor beam to -we are screwed-

No we're not. They already told us that the death star is too expensive.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/112946-Air-Force-Officer-Says-Death-Star-Was-a-Bad-Investment

 

[John the Gamer]

You know NASA, if you want to eventually create Tractor Beam technology that could eventually pull things in space. You need to be in space first
(...)

They could use tractor beam technology to build a space elevator and keep it from falling apart, or could push (sling?) spaceships into orbit.

Spoiler: Also

Yay they liked my news-hint!

And btw, everybody knows tracctor beams are closely followed by teleporters, so once they finish this gizmo, they'll be able to teleport ships into orbit. I hope. Because otherwise we just locked several astronauts in a russian warehouse for nothing.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars500/SEMMJXGURTG_0.html

 

[TimeLord]

And btw, everybody knows tracctor beams are closely followed by teleporters, so once they finish this gizmo, they'll be able to teleport ships into orbit. I hope. Because otherwise we just locked several astronauts in a russian warehouse for nothing.

Except that in Star Trek, teleporters were invented before tractor beams. At least on the NX-01 which had a "matter transporter" and no tractor beam until future versions.

 

[John the Gamer]

Gasp! my quote is gone. (...)

Except that in Star Trek, teleporters were invented before tractor beams. At least on the NX-01 which had a "matter transporter" and no tractor beam until future versions.

Maybe that's how they managed to make stuff go faster than light over at CERN... They invented the teleporter! Those sneaky fiends will undoubtedly use it to send each other memos and order fresh pizza from sicily or something.

 

[Epicspoon]

Double post. Start ignoring me. Now.

How DARE you. you're a monster.

*sarcasm sarcasm*

 

[Epicspoon]

Gasp! my quote is gone. (...)

snip

Maybe that's how they managed to make stuff go faster than light over at CERN... They invented the teleporter! Those sneaky fiends will undoubtedly use it to send each other memos and order fresh pizza from sicily or something.

nope. even a teleporter can't move things faster than the speed of light. the idea is that it breaks down matter into particles in order to move it to a set place as fast as possible. same way a tv obtains (or used to obtain i'm not sure how it works now) information.

thank you willy wonka.

 

[John the Gamer]

Gasp! my quote is gone. (...)

(...)

Maybe that's how they managed to make stuff go faster than light over at CERN... They invented the teleporter! Those sneaky fiends will undoubtedly use it to send each other memos and order fresh pizza from sicily or something.

nope. even a teleporter can't move things faster than the speed of light. the idea is that it breaks down matter into particles in order to move it to a set place as fast as possible. same way a tv obtains (or used to obtain i'm not sure how it works now) information.

thank you willy wonka.

Yeah, but at CERN they moved particles at speeds a few nanoseconds faster than light last month, so they might be able to do that with other types as well. Who knows what's possible with SCIENCE!?

 

[Torrasque]

While their tiny pathetic tractor beams might not be able to clean up the orbital debris mucking up the upper atmosphere, that should be their first goal in mind. All of that orbital debris is eventually going to become a problem, and what better use could tractor beams have, that doesn't involve getting rid of the extremely fast death particles, that can be recycled into use again?

 

[Epicspoon]

Gasp! my quote is gone. (...)

(...)

snip.

snip.

Yeah, but at CERN they moved particles at speeds a few nanoseconds faster than light last month, so they might be able to do that with other types as well. Who knows what's possible with SCIENCE!?

no they didn't. they realized that there was a miscalculation because they didn't factor in the earths movement.

 

[CommanderL]

first the tractor beam then the death star to install said tractor beam to -we are screwed-

No we're not. They already told us that the death star is too expensive.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/112946-Air-Force-Officer-Says-Death-Star-Was-a-Bad-Investment

you sir have made my day here is an internets

 

[John the Gamer]

first the tractor beam then the death star to install said tractor beam to -we are screwed-

No we're not. They already told us that the death star is too expensive.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/112946-Air-Force-Officer-Says-Death-Star-Was-a-Bad-Investment

you sir have made my day here is an internets

Thanks! I've always wanted one of those!

Here's the actual estimated cost of the death star btw: (Spoiler: Lost of numbers)

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/89214-The-Death-Star-Costs-15-6-Septillion