Who isn’t fascinated by flying saucers? Turns out, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are working on a new concept for flight.
In theory, the flying saucer could eventually hover above the moon one day and help out in exploration. Scientists are aiming to use the flying saucer mainly on the moon by using its natural charge to facilitate levitation. Asteroids, too, could be studied safely if no landing is required.
MIT / Slashgear
Why flying saucers have potential
In terms of moon and other airless bodies, MIT’s flying saucer would benefit greatly from lack of atmosphere. In the absence of protective atmosphere, moon as well as asteroids that are exposed directly to the sun build up an electric field. This field would essentially keep the flying saucer hovering.
On the moon, surface charge is powerful enough to keep dust levitating 1 metre above the ground. It could open a treasure trove of information regarding different airless planets and objects in our solar system and hopefully beyond.
Also read: NASA Shares Stunning Moon Pic Clicked By Galileo Spacecraft On Its Way To Jupiter
NASA has also toyed with this concept of a hovering flying saucer in the past. The approach was slightly different from MIT scientists.
The US space agency wanted to use a “levitating glider with Mylar wings”, SlashGear reported. The only problem with this design was that it would have worked only on small asteroids. The Mylar glider would have been useless on large planets that have a stronger gravitational pull.
iStock
With MIT’s flying saucer, a 2 pound vehicle could levitate on the moon and large asteroids. In addition, MIT’s “ionic-liquid ion sources” would help the vehicle gain more levitation on airless surfaces.
Also read: Climate Change Could Force Aircrafts To Fly Higher In Sky To Avoid Turbulence
The research team included MIT engineers Oliver Jia-Richards, Paulo Lozano, and Sebastian Hampl who simulated the concept in a lab-setting.
NASA
What do you think about flying saucers that could reveal more about the universe to us? Share with us in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.
References
White, M. (2021, December 31). This “flying saucer” could give future Moon missions a birds-eye view. SlashGear.