HiVOLT (High Voltage Orbiting Long Tether) is a concept proposed by Robert P. Hoyt and Robert L. Forward for removing the radiation fields of the Van Allen radiation belts[1] that surround the Earth. A proposed configuration consists of a system of five 100 km long conducting tethers deployed from satellites, and charged to a large voltage. This would cause charged particles that encounter the tethers to have their pitch angle changed, thus over time dissolving the Van Allen belts. Hoyt and Forward's company, Tethers Unlimited, performed a preliminary analysis simulation, and produced a chart depicting a theoretical radiation flux reduction,[2] to less than 1% of current levels within two [3] months using the HiVOLT System.
