Properties governing the equations behind Newton’s Law of gravitational force and Coulomb’s Law of electrostatic force are similar—namely, both share an inverse square distance dependency, as well as a product of some property of two interacting objects multiplied by a constant. Although the relationship between these similar forces has been explored as a theoretical endeavor, experimental study of electrostatic forces as a central force in orbital mechanics has been limited due to technical challenges. As we continue to push the frontiers of space exploration and expand our knowledge of the workings of our universe, an improved understanding of the electrostatic force will become increasingly important for various applications—from predicting behaviors of motion aboard spacecraft, to creating an orrery through which to understand systems on a cosmic scale. Successful experiments conducted on earth are a crucial first step in testing ideas that can be verified in low-earth orbit and further expanded into functional models. Previous ground experiments, the first of which was published by a team at Rhodes College in 2008, have explored the orbital behaviors of interacting charged spheres. My investigation aimed to demonstrate electrostatic orbits around a non-spheroidal object under microgravity conditions using Portland State University’s Dryden Drop Tower. Footage collected via a high-speed camera was analyzed and compared with orbital predictions obtained through theoretical analysis.

Global Positioning System (GPS) technology has revolutionized the way we navigate our world, yet there remain many practical geolocalization problems for which the technology is not directly useful, such as in urban environments and scientific field work where GPS satellite L.O.S. (line-of-sight) obstructions are ubiquitous. Motivated by our collaborations with the LEAF School of Anthropology, our work is focused on providing technological solutions for cm-scale GPS-like geolocalization; particularly for researchers doing field work in prohibitive and complicated field topologies through the use of field-configurable ad-hoc geolocalization subnetworks. We present our work on and our methods to utilize time-of-flight measurements from GPS-enabled acoustic and radio frequency sources placed at the boundaries of the field of interest to determine the geographical coordinates of any number of locations within that field.