BUILDING a space station in orbit is a risky business. One false move while
tightening a bolt and an astronaut can go spinning off into the void, 200 miles
above the Earth. So the hunt is on for technologies that will let structures
assemble themselves.
One idea is, quite literally, repulsive. The idea is to use the mutual
repulsion of superconducting cables to hold a structure rigid. James Powell of
Plus Ultra Technologies, of Shoreham, New York, believes his company’s brainwave
will not only speed up construction times but also make space structures
cheaper.
Plus Ultra’s plan is to ship…
