Robert P. Hoyt
Encyclopedia
Dr. Robert P. Hoyt is a physicist and engineer who is famous for his invention of the Hoytether
. He also originated the MXER Tether concept, which combines momentum-exchange techniques with electrodynamic reboost propulsion to enable a bolo tether system to serve as a fully reusable in-space upper stage for boosting many payloads from LEO to GEO or lunar trajectories. He also has done work and collaborated with the late Robert L. Forward on electrodynamic space tether
s for use for deorbiting space junk and interplanetary transport. He was one of the authors of a paper on using tethers for cis-lunar transportation.
Dr. Hoyt also invented the Structureless Antenna technology, which uses electrostatic forces to deploy ultra-lightweight large-aperture antenna reflectors, enabling small spacecraft to deploy and use large, high-gain antennas. Other projects he has been involved with are an invention
to drain the Van Allen radiation belts and "Printable Satellite" technologies.
Dr. Hoyt is the CEO and Chief Scientist of Tethers Unlimited, Inc.
Hoytether
The Hoytether is a trademarked name of for a novel topology for a space tether, consisting of a lattice of strands, arranged in a circular cross-section with redundancy to handle potential damage from space debris and micrometeoroids....
. He also originated the MXER Tether concept, which combines momentum-exchange techniques with electrodynamic reboost propulsion to enable a bolo tether system to serve as a fully reusable in-space upper stage for boosting many payloads from LEO to GEO or lunar trajectories. He also has done work and collaborated with the late Robert L. Forward on electrodynamic space tether
Space tether
Space tethers are cables, usually long and very strong, which can be used for propulsion, stabilization, or maintaining the formation of space systems by determining the trajectory of spacecraft and payloads...
s for use for deorbiting space junk and interplanetary transport. He was one of the authors of a paper on using tethers for cis-lunar transportation.
Dr. Hoyt also invented the Structureless Antenna technology, which uses electrostatic forces to deploy ultra-lightweight large-aperture antenna reflectors, enabling small spacecraft to deploy and use large, high-gain antennas. Other projects he has been involved with are an invention
HiVOLT
HiVOLT is a concept proposed by Robert P. Hoyt and Robert L. Forward for removing the radiation fields of the Van Allen radiation belts that surround the Earth. A proposed configuration consists of a system of five 100 km long conducting tethers deployed from satellites, and charged to a...
to drain the Van Allen radiation belts and "Printable Satellite" technologies.
Dr. Hoyt is the CEO and Chief Scientist of Tethers Unlimited, Inc.
External links
- The Space Show: Interview with Dr Hoyt retrieved 4th Jan 2010