carroll@uiucdcsb.CS.UIUC.EDU (11/13/85)
You could use it to boost to a higher orbit; just put some ion engines on the satellite, and use the electricity gained to boost. You get the energy from the Earth's rotation, so it would make the day slightly longer (snicker). This was the subject of a story in Analog not too long ago; unfortunately I don't remember the title or issue. It concerned a space station constructed of two rafts of Shuttle ET's, tethered. (Made a nice place to land, since there was a small effective gravity on either end).