Robert P. Hoyt (born September 15, 1968) is a physicist and engineer who is known for his work developing the SpiderFab[1][2] architecture for in-space additive manufacture of spacecraft as well as for his invention of the Hoytether.
[3][4] He also originated the MXER Tether concept, which combines momentum-exchange techniques with electrodynamic reboost propulsion to enable a bolo tether system to serve as a fully reusable in-space upper stage for boosting many payloads from LEO to GEO or lunar trajectories.
[7] In addition to his work on space tethers, Hoyt has pioneered methods for using additive manufacturing to create structures and components for spacecraft, both on the ground and in orbit, and has worked to develop self-fabricating satellites under funding from DARPA and NASA.
Other projects he has been involved with are an invention to drain the Van Allen radiation belts, development of robotic arms for small spacecraft, and development of tether-based methods to enable tiny nanosatellites to capture and de-spin asteroids and space debris objects.
Hoyt is the CEO and Chief Scientist of Tethers Unlimited, Inc. Hoyt also co-founded ScienceOps in 2007, a company that develops custom scientific algorithms and software for a wide range of industries, including biotech, online advertising, and aerospace.