Tethers in Space Handbook

A new edition of the Tethers in Space Handbook was needed after the last edition published in 1989. Tether-related activities have been quite busy in the 90's. We have had the flights of TSSI and TSSI-R, SEDS-1 and -2, PMG, TIPS and OEDIPUS. In less than three years there have been one international Conference on Tethers in Space, held in Washington DC, and three workshops, held at ESA/Estec in the Netherlands, at ISAS in Japan and at the University of Michigan, Ann Harbor. The community has grown and we finally have real flight data to compare our models with. The life of spaceborne tethers has not been always easy and we got our dose of setbacks, but we feel pretty optimistic for the future. We are just stepping out of the pioneering stage to start to use tethers for space science and technological applications. As we are writing this handbook TiPs, a NRL tether project is flying above our heads. There is no emphasis in affirming that as of today spacebome tethers are a reality and their potential is far from being fully appreciated. Consequently, a large amount of new information had to be incorporated into this new edition. The general structure of the handbook has been left mostly unchanged. The past editors have set a style which we have not felt needed change. The section on the flights has been enriched with information on the scientific results. The categories of the applications have not been modified, and in some cases we have mentioned the existence of related flight data. We felt that the section contributed by Joe Carroll, called Tether Data, should be maintained as it was, being a "classic" and still very accurate and not at all obsolete. We have introduced a new chapter entitled Space Science and Tethers since flight experience has shown that tethers can complement other space-based investigations. The bibliography has been updated. Due to the great production in the last few years %e had to restrict our search to works published in refereed journal. The production, however, is much more extensive. In addition, we have included the summary of the papers presented at the last International Conference which was a forum for first-hand information on all the flights.

[1]  L Howarth,et al.  Principles of Dynamics , 1964 .

[2]  Michele Grassi,et al.  Attitude dynamics of the Small Expendable-Tether Deployment System , 1995 .

[3]  Joseph A. Carroll.  Tether applications in space transportation , 1986 .

[4]  T. R. Kane,et al.  Tethered satellite retrieval with thruster augmented control , 1984 .

[5]  H. Matsumoto,et al.  Electron beam injection and associated LHR wave excitation : computer experiments of electrodynamic tether system , 1991 .

[6]  Thomas R. Kane,et al.  Deployment of a cable-supported payload from an orbiting spacecraft , 1977 .

[7]  P. Bainum,et al.  Motion and stability of a rotating space station-cable-counterweightconfiguration , 1969 .

[8]  F. Austin,et al.  Torsional dynamics of an axially symmetric, two-body, flexibly connected rotating space station , 1965 .

[9]  S. D. Drell,et al.  DRAG AND PROPULSION OF LARGE SATELLITES IN THE IONOSPHERE. AN ALFVEN PROPULSION ENGINE IN SPACE , 1965 .

[10]  D. Kessler.  Sources of orbital debris and the projected environment for future spacecraft , 1980 .

[11]  David A. Arnold.  The behavior of long tethers in space , 1986 .

[12]  Y. Alpert.  On some electromagnetic phenomena in the tether magnetoplasma cloud , 1991 .

[13]  Hans P. Moravec.  A non-synchronous orbital skyhook , 1977 .

[14]  Kenneth R. Kroll.  Tethered propellant resupply technique for space stations , 1985 .

[15]  D. G. King-Hele,et al.  Theory of satellite orbits in an atmosphere , 1964 .

[16]  Jordi Puig-Suari,et al.  Optimal mass for aerobraking tethers , 1995 .

[17]  Vinod J. Modi,et al.  On the control of the space shuttle based tethered systems , 1982 .

[18]  K. Champion.  Properties of the mesosphere and thermosphere and comparison with CIRA 72 , 1983 .

[19]  Arun K. Misra,et al.  On the deployment dynamics of tether connected two-body systems☆ , 1979 .

[20]  J. M. Whisnant,et al.  Deployment of a tethered orbiting interferometer , 1969 .

[21]  V. Chobotov,et al.  Gravity-Gradient Excitation of a Rotating Cable-Counterweight Space Station in Orbit , 1963 .

[22]  E. Allais,et al.  Dynamics of tethered satellites two alternative concepts for retrieval , 1979 .

[23]  J. A. Carroll,et al.  Guidebook for analysis of tether applications , 1985 .

[24]  Vinod J. Modi,et al.  General dynamics of a large class of flexible satellite systems , 1979 .

[25]  P. M. Bainum,et al.  Gravity-Gradient Effects on the Motion of Two Rotating Cable-Connected Bodies , 1976 .

[26]  Vinod J. Modi,et al.  On the Control of Tethered Satellite Systems , 1992 .

[27]  Jerome Pearson.  Anchored Lunar Satellites for Cislunar Transportation and Communication 1 , 1979 .