NASA Studies ‘Tractor Beams’ for Stardust-Snatching Robot Probes (SPACE.com)
SPACE.com - Tractor beams don’t yet exist to snatch fleeing starships, but lasers in lab experiments have shown the ability to trap and move tiny particles. That has persuaded NASA to spend $100,000 to see whether lasers can be used on robotic space missions to capture stardust.