Getting advanced materials 'off the ground'

摘要

Floating in mid-air with no visible means of support or containment is a molten glob of glowing metal. Scientists gather around, observing and recording their measurements. Unlike the hovering sample, however, the onlookers are held firmly to the ground by gravity. This is the Electrostatic Levitator (ESL) at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Ala. — a unique facility for developing and characterizing advanced materials.