This year the summer Olympics will return, and track & field is undoubtedly one of the most popular disciplines. Among the disciplines in track & field is the relay race. This race is often trickier than it looks with the crucial handoff from one runner to another, one misstep can be the difference between a medal or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now picture the air-to-air refueling of military aircraft. It\u2019s the same thing, an intricate ballet of two moving objects. The tanker and the jet, that must move three dimensionally in perfect harmony, or else the naval aviator, who might be very far away from his or her carrier, could be stranded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But let\u2019s take it to another level, literally<\/em>, in space. You may not be aware, but satellites don\u2019t orbit the earth indefinitely. They have a service life, and until recently, that meant that they would be eventually decommissioned. However, over the last few years, Northrop Grumman has invented a series of satellites that extend the life of existing satellites<\/a>. How do they do it? With the same intricate ballet and handoff that might exist in a relay race or in an air-to-air refueling mission!<\/p>\n\n\n\n