Young K. Bae of the Bae Institute in Tustin, Calif., has received a $75,000 grant from the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts to develop an ultrahigh-precision spacecraft formation flying method. His photon tether formation flight system combines Kevlar tethers and photon thrusters, which amplify thrust tens of thousands of times through a proprietary intracavity system that bounces photons off mirrors between satellites, resulting in a reduction of thrust power to several watts per pair of satellites.

The technology provides mass and energy savings and contaminant-free operation, and has the potential to reduce launch weights and station-keeping costs.