Tethers Unlimited, Inc. (TUI) is an American private aerospace company headquartered near Seattle, Washington, which performs research and development of new products and technologies for space, sea, and air.
Founded in 1994 by Robert P. Hoyt and Robert L. Forward, Tethers Unlimited began developing products based on space tether technologies, including concepts for removal of space debris[4] and momentum exchange tethers for launching payloads into higher orbits. TUI has since broadened its suite of technologies to include power, propulsion, actuation, and communications systems for small satellites, robotic technologies for on-orbit fabrication and assembly, optical fiber winding and deployment, software defined radio communications, and 3D printed radiation shielding.
In 2007, in collaboration with Stanford University, the company launched the Multi-Application Survivable Tether (MAST) experiment to test the survivability of tethers in space.[5][6][7] In 2016 it was reported by SpaceNews and Yahoo that the company's subdivision Firmamentum signed a deal with SSL to fly its in-space manufacturing technologies on SSL's Dragonfly program which is funded by NASA's Tipping point initiative.[8][9]
In December 2018 it was reported that Tethers Unlimited delivered a Refabricator to the ISS that accepts plastic material and converts it into high-quality 3D printer filament,[10] for the mission duration of October 2018 to April 2019.[11]
According to TUI's website, Firmamentum is currently working on building the 'Spiderfab' technology to "enable on-orbit fabrication of large spacecraft components such as antennas, solar panels, trusses, and other multifunctional structures."[12] Through this technology a spacecraft would be able to build structures far greater than itself in orbit.[13][14]
On May 6, 2020 it was announced that Amergint Technologies acquired Tethers Unlimited[15]
tethers, unlimited, american, private, aerospace, company, headquartered, near, seattle, washington, which, performs, research, development, products, technologies, space, tethers, unlimitedtypeprivateindustryaerospacefounded1994, founderrobert, forward, rober. Tethers Unlimited Inc TUI is an American private aerospace company headquartered near Seattle Washington which performs research and development of new products and technologies for space sea and air Tethers UnlimitedTypePrivateIndustryAerospaceFounded1994 1 FounderRobert L Forward Robert P HoytHeadquartersBothell WA 2 United StatesKey peopleRobert P Hoyt 1 Productsspace tethers orbital robotic assembly and fabrication technologiesNumber of employees 50 2019 3 Websitewww wbr tethers wbr comFounded in 1994 by Robert P Hoyt and Robert L Forward Tethers Unlimited began developing products based on space tether technologies including concepts for removal of space debris 4 and momentum exchange tethers for launching payloads into higher orbits TUI has since broadened its suite of technologies to include power propulsion actuation and communications systems for small satellites robotic technologies for on orbit fabrication and assembly optical fiber winding and deployment software defined radio communications and 3D printed radiation shielding In 2007 in collaboration with Stanford University the company launched the Multi Application Survivable Tether MAST experiment to test the survivability of tethers in space 5 6 7 In 2016 it was reported by SpaceNews and Yahoo that the company s subdivision Firmamentum signed a deal with SSL to fly its in space manufacturing technologies on SSL s Dragonfly program which is funded by NASA s Tipping point initiative 8 9 In December 2018 it was reported that Tethers Unlimited delivered a Refabricator to the ISS that accepts plastic material and converts it into high quality 3D printer filament 10 for the mission duration of October 2018 to April 2019 11 According to TUI s website Firmamentum is currently working on building the Spiderfab technology to enable on orbit fabrication of large spacecraft components such as antennas solar panels trusses and other multifunctional structures 12 Through this technology a spacecraft would be able to build structures far greater than itself in orbit 13 14 On May 6 2020 it was announced that Amergint Technologies acquired Tethers Unlimited 15 See also EditMade In Space Inc Varda Space Industries NewSpaceReferences Edit a b About Tethers Unlimited www tethers com Retrieved April 28 2019 TUI Engineering the Future www tethers com Retrieved April 28 2019 Tethers Unlimited space venture lays off 20 percent of staff due to NASA shutdown GeekWire January 13 2019 Retrieved April 28 2019 Schwartz Evan I May 24 2010 The Looming Space Junk Crisis It s Time to Take Out the Trash Wired p 3 Hoyt Robert Slostad Jeffrey Twiggs Robert 2003 The Multi application Survivable Tether MAST Experiment Tethers Unlimited Inc Greenfieldboyce Nell April 16 2007 Space Tethers Slinging Objects in Orbit NPR McKee Maggie March 28 2007 Inspector Gadget to star in space tether test New Scientist Tethers Unlimited s Firmamentum strikes deal to demonstrate orbital manufacturing finance Yahoo com Retrieved April 28 2019 Tethers Unlimited expands to fulfill additive manufacturing orders SpaceNews com December 8 2017 Retrieved April 28 2019 Tethers Unlimited Inc delivers 3D printer plastic recycler hybrid to NASA Design Engineering December 17 2018 Retrieved April 28 2019 Experiment Details www nasa gov Retrieved April 28 2019 TUI www tethers com Retrieved April 28 2019 Building lighter and huge in the low gravity of space NextBigFuture com www nextbigfuture com Retrieved April 28 2019 Several ways to 1000 meter space telescopes NextBigFuture com www nextbigfuture com Retrieved April 28 2019 Tethers Unlimited acquired by Amergint Technology May 7 2020 External links EditOfficial website Interview with Robert Hoyt on The Space Show August 1 2006 Tethers Unlimited on YouTube September 24 2010 Incredible Technology Spiderlike Robots Could Build Giant Space Structures Space com April 6 2015 This article about an organization in the United States is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tethers Unlimited Inc amp oldid 1086585194, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
