# Failed Satellite Experiment **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 2, 2012, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-satellite-experiment/626975 "2012-07-02T06:14:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zep\_Tepi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/59ef9b/32.png) [@Zep\_Tepi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zep_Tepi)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-satellite-experiment/626975/1 "2012-07-02T06:14:06Z")
Many years ago NASA had two satellites tethered with wire trying to generate electricity. They were looking at the wire whizzing around the Earth’s magnetic field generating electricity. All I know is that the satellites were disconnected promptly at the start of the experiment and nothing was ever heard of this experiment again. My thoughts on this were always that you need a second wire to complete the circuit and this wire would be getting the same EMF in the same phase and would therefor cancel out each other out. Anyone know the lowdown on this mission? ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failed-satellite-experiment/626975/2 "2012-07-02T06:58:25Z")
I’ve heard of using similar phenomenons to [deorbit satellites](http://www.electric-sailing.fi/papers/Plasmabrake.pdf) (Google “electrostatic deorbit” if you hate pdfs) You can also use the opposite effect that you mention in order to [reorient](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_torquers) your light satellite. Don’t recall anything about the mission you mention though. Oh hey! Looks like you’re thinking of the [Shuttle TSS-1 mission](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_tether_missions) that I just came across here.