NASA Studying Solar Powered "Space Tugboat"

Zothecula writes "Last year, NASA announced it was seeking proposals for mission concept studies of a high-power solar electric propulsion (SEP) system that could be used in a 'space tugboat.' Such a ship would be used to ferry payloads in low Earth orbit (LEO) into higher energy orbits, including geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) and Lagrange point one (L1) — saving on fuel and the use of expensive secondary boosters. NASA also anticipates an SEP system could be used to propel spacecraft into deep space for science missions and for the placement, service, resupply, repositioning and salvaging of space assets by commercial operators."

Re:Sigh

[Anonymous Coward]

Obviously Gingrich had this in mind when he proposed setting up a permanent base on the moon by 2020 and making it the 51st state. The guys a frickin' genius. I propose calling this type of propulsion a Newt drive.

In Another Newsflash

[NEDHead]

Dr. Einstein - a german patent clerk - has declared a galactic speed limit. It is estimated that this limit will extend our whale oil supplies well into the next decade.

Technical Question

[NEDHead]

How will this work at night?