Tether applications in space transportation

Carroll, Joseph A.

doi:10.1016/0094-5765(86)90061-5

Cited by 91 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…The momentum exchange plays a bi-beneficial role which achieves free altitude gain of the ISS while deorbitting the payload back to the Earth [1]. In its basic form, the MET system involves a hanging tether aligned along the gravity vector, with one endbody on an upper orbit and the other on a lower orbit [53]. Two end-bodies initially move at the same orbital angular velocity as the overall center of gravity.…”

Section: Momentum Exchangementioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in dynamics and control of tethered satellite systems

2008

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The concept of tethered satellite system (TSS) promises to revolutionize many aspects of space exploration and exploitation. It provides not only numerous possible and valuable applications, but also challenging and interesting problems related to their dynamics, control, and physical implementation. Over the past decades, this exciting topic has attracted significant attention from many researchers and gained a vast number of analytical, numerical and experimental achievements with a focus on the two essential aspects of both dynamics and control. This review article presents the historic background and recent hot topics for the space tethers, and introduces the dynamics and control of TSSs in a progressive manner, from basic operating principles to the state-of-the-art achievements.

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Section: Momentum Exchangementioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in dynamics and control of tethered satellite systems

2008

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“…The control performance of 0 • case with the additional current control is even worse than that of the pure tension control case because the electrodynamic force is weak in controlling the out-ofplane roll motion and the almost uncontrollable out-ofplane libration influences the in-plane motion through a nonlinear coupling as shown in Eq. (2). Although the tension control effectively damps the in-plane libration, the fluctuations of pitch angle in 0 • case still occur because of the nonlinear coupling.…”

Section: Comparison For Orbital Inclinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tethers in space can be applied to various space missions such as momentum exchange [2][3][4], orbital debris mitigation [5], space target capture [6], and space exploration [7]. A tethered space system typically consists of two or more end-bodies and long flexible tethers used to connect the end-bodies [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Libration control of bare electrodynamic tether for three-dimensional deployment

2018

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Various promising applications of electrodynamic tether have been proposed for space missions over the past decades. A crucial issue of these missions is to deploy an electrodynamic tether under a rapid and stable state. This paper aims to stabilize the libration motions of a bare electrodynamic tether during its three-dimensional deployment. The tethered system under consideration consists of a main-satellite and a sub-satellite connected to each other through a bare electrodynamic tether. A widely used dumbbell assumption considering the tether as rigid and inflexible is adopted to facilitate the dynamic modeling and analysis of the tethered system. A pair of active control laws is synthesized by simultaneously regulating the electric current and tether tension to achieve an efficient stabilization of the three-dimensional libration of the bare electrodynamic tether in the deployment process.

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“…Although issues of scientific interest will be here considered, the fundamental area of application of tethers is propellantless transportation [4]. The magnetic force on a tether requires no ejection of propellant, as opposite rockets or electrical thrusters.…”

Section: E (Tether Frame) -E (Plasma Frame)mentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of electrodynamic tethers for science applications

Sanmartin

2010

Plasma Sources Sci. Technol.

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Abstract. A bare electrodynamic tether (EDT) is a conductive thin wire or tape tens of kilometres long, which is kept taut in space by gravity gradient or spinning, and is left bare of insulation to collect (and carry) current as a cylindrical Langmuir probe in an ambient magnetized plasma. An EDT is a probe in mesothermal flow at highly positive (or negative) bias, with a large or extremely large 2D sheath, which may show effects from the magnetic self-field of its current and have electrons adiabatically trapped in its ram front. Beyond technical applications ranging from propellantless propulsion to power generation in orbit, EDTs allow broad scientific uses such as generating electron beams and artificial auroras; exciting Alfven waves and whistlers; modifying the radiation belts; and exploring interplanetary space and the Jovian magnetosphere. Asymptotic analysis, numerical simulations, laboratory tests, and planned missions on EDTs are reviewed.

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Tether applications in space transportation

Cited by 91 publications

References 2 publications

Advances in dynamics and control of tethered satellite systems

Advances in dynamics and control of tethered satellite systems

Libration control of bare electrodynamic tether for three-dimensional deployment

A review of electrodynamic tethers for science applications

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