While NASA flew its last space shuttle this summer (or the last of this model shuttle anyways), the agency isn’t exactly shutting down as many people think. The next objective is Mars, the moon or an asteroid — NASA isn’t sure yet. In the meantime, we need to develop many new technologies to survive for long periods of time in deep space, so NASA has been on a technology binge.

One of the most interesting announcements the agency made last week was that it will fund a team at Goddard Spaceflight Center $100,000 to test different tractor beam technologies. Because, let’s be serious, everybody wants to have a tractor beam on their next generation spaceship.

Now sadly, this isn’t a magic blue beam like in Star Trek to pull in smaller spaceships or an invisible force field that can hold the Millennium Falcon in its grasp. What NASA is talking about is a beam of light with a minute force to pull in small particles for space instruments similar to the upcoming Curiosity Mars rover.

But come on, NASA is developing tractor beams, is that not amazing? We’re not physicists, but were surprised that a simple beam of light could be used to impart a force onto a small object. Perhaps someday we’ll be able to create the more massive force beams of science fiction, but that may take a while.

Right now, the researchers are going to look at the pros and cons of optical vortex beams, optical solenoid beams and “Bessel” beams. According to NASA, vortex beams use light to minutely heat rings of air to provide a propulsive force. Optical solenoids use electrical and magnetic fields to drive particles, even in a vacuum, in a specific direction. Bessel beams create small magnetic ripples to move particles around.

It is always amazing what technologies physicists can dream up and work with engineers to perfect. Today it’s a tractor beam, tomorrow it might be a laser gun or a teleport device.

So as you go about your work and studies, remember that the sky is literally the limit. Many technologies today were first dreamed up in science fiction — cellphones, television, humanoid robots, the Internet. If you can write about technology founded in science, there is a good likelihood that science can make it real someday.

Let’s make sure ] we continue to support the sciences as we leave Iowa State and keep groups like NASA, DARPA and the National Science Foundation in business to continue dreaming big. Without scientists at these organizations who believe that it is possible to do the impossible, life would not be what it is today. For this, we thank them and are happy to wait in anticipation of the technology of tomorrow.