Downloaded from http://www.everyspec.com Tethers In Space Handbook - Second Edition - (NASA-- - I SECOND LU IT luN (Spectr Rsdrci ystLSw) 259 P C'C1 ? n: 1 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Space Flight Advanced Program Development NASA Headquarters Code MD Washington, DC 20546 Downloaded from http://www.everyspec.com This document is the product of support from many organizations and individuals. SRS Technologies, under contract to NASA Headquarters, compiled, updated, and prepared the final document. Sponsored by: National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA Headquarters, Code MD Washington, DC 20546 Contract Monitor: Edward J. Brazil!, NASA Headquarters Contract Number: NASW-4341 Contractor: SRS Technologies Washington Operations Division 1500 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 800 Arlington, Virginia 22209 Project Manager: Dr. Rodney W. Johnson, SRS Technologies Handbook Editors: Dr. Paul A. Penzo, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Paul W. Ammann, SRS Technologies Downloaded from http://www.everyspec.com Tethers In Space Handbook - Second Edition - May 1989 Prepared For: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Space Flight Advanced Program Development NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration Downloaded from http://www.everyspec.com FOREWORD The Tethers in Space Handbook Second Edition represents an update to the initial volume issued in September 1986. As originally intended, this handbook is designed to serve as a reference manual for policy makers, program managers, educators, engineers, and scientists alike. It contains information for the uninitiated, providing insight into the fundamental behavior of tethers in space. For those familiar with space tethers, it summarizes past and ongoing studies and programs, a complete bibliography of tether publications, and names, addresses, and phone numbers of workers in the field. Perhaps its most valuable asset is the brief description of nearly 50 tether applications which have been proposed and analyzed over the past 10 years. The great variety of these applications, from energy generation to boosting satellites to gravity wave detection is an indication that tethers will play a significant part in the future of space development. This edition of the handbook preserves the major characteristics of the original; however, some significant rearrangements and additions have been made. The first section on Tether Programs has been brought up to date, and now includes a description of TSS-2, the aerodynamic NASA/Italian Space Agency (ASI) mission. Tether Applications follows, and this section has been substantially rearranged. First, the index and cross-reference for the applications have been simplified. Also, the categories have changed slightly, with Technology and Test changed to Aerodynamics, and the Constellations category removed. In reality, tether constellations may be applicable to many of the other categories, since it is simply a different way of using tethers. Finally, to separate out those applications which are obviously in the future, a Concepts category has been added. The section on Tether Fundamentals now appears after the Tether Applications, and just before the section on Tether Data. These two sections go well together, and provide the user with the technical background necessary to understand the requirements and limitations of the applications, and perhaps to develop ideas of his own. A new section included here on Conference Summaries recognizes the fact that the tether community is growing internationally, and that meetings provide a means of rapid communication and interaction. There have been three international conferences, and several major workshops, both here and in Italy, and simply reproducing the programs can provide the reader with a quick reference of the literature and active participants in specific tether areas. All of these meetings are well documented elsewhere. Finally, the Bibliography section has been considerably updated to include all known references. These are listed by author and by subject and include the papers to be presented at the Third International Conference in May 1989. This second edition expands on the efforts of W. A. Baracat, and C. L. Butner of the General Research Corporation, who issued the first edition in 1986, and the authors are appreciative of their efforts. None of this, of course, would have been possible without the enthusiasm, dedication, and hard work of many tether advocates: in NASA, industry, the university, and certainly those in Italy. Paul A. Penzo Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pasadena, California Paul W. Ammann SRS Technologies Arlington, Virginia Downloaded from http://www.everyspec.com This page intentionally left blank. Downloaded from http://www.everyspec.com TETHERS IN SPACE HANDBOOK- SECOND EDITION TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Foreword..........................................................................................................j List of Acronyms/Abbreviations..............................................................................vi 1.0 TETHER PROGRAMS 1.1 Tethered Satellite System .....................................................................1 1 .1.1 TSS-1 ................................................................................1 1 .1.2 TSS-2................................................................................6 1.2 Approved Tether Experiments ................................................................ 7 1.2.1 Small Expendable Deployer System.............................................. 7 1.2.2 Plasma Motor/Generator...........................................................7 1.3 Proposed Tether Experiments................................................................ 9 1.3.1 Tether Initiated Space Recovery System (TISRS) .............................. 9 1.3.2 Get-Away Tether Experiment (GATE)........................................... 9 1.3.3 Kinetic Isolation Tether Experiment (KITE) .................................. 10 1.3.4 Tether Elevator/Crawler System (TECS) ...................................... 10 1.3.5 Tether Inspection and Repair Experiment (liRE) ............................ 10 1.3.6 Potential New Start Programs................................................... 11 1.4 Joint U.S./Italian Tether Task Groups.................................................... 11 1.4.1 Tether Applications In Space Planning Group................................ 11 1.4.2 Tether Flight Demonstrations Task Group .................................... 13 1.5 United States Tether Studies................................................................ 16 1.6 Italian Tether Studies........................................................................ 23 1.6.1 Science and Application Tethered Platform (SATP) .......................... 23 1.6.2 Small Tethered Pointing Platform ..............................................23 1.6.3 Tethered Space Elevator .........................................................24 1.6.4 Complex Tether Technology....................................................24 1.6.5 Payload Orbital Transfer and Reentry, Rendezvous and DockingFacility ..................................................................25 1.6.6 Space Station Gravity Gradient Stabilization by Tethers.....................25 1.6.7 Future Italian Tether Studies ....................................................25 1.6.8 Italian Universities and Research Institutions Tether Studies ...............26 2.0 TETHER APPLICATIONS 2.1 General........................................................................................29 2.2 Tether Applications Listing.................................................................30 2.3 Tether Applications..........................................................................33 3.0 TETHER FUNDAMENTALS 3.1 Gravity Gradient ............................................................................ 101 3.1.1 General................................................................101 ............ 3.1.2 Controlled Gravity...............................................................106 3.1.3 Constellations....................................................................110 'I' PRECEDING PAGE. BLANK NOT FILMED Downloaded from http://www.everyspec.com TETHERS IN SPACE HANDBOOK - SECOND EDITION TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 3.2 Rotation of Tether Systems................................................................ 114 3.2.1 General ............. ............................................................... 114 3.2.2 Controlled Gravity............................................................... 114 3.3 Momentum Exchange ...................................................................... 116 3.3.1 General - Conservation of Angular Momentum.............................. 116 3.3.2 Tether Payload Deployment.................................................... 117 3.3.3 Orbit Variations.................................................................. 118 3.4 Electrodynamics............................................................................. 119 3.4.1 General............................................................................ 119 3.4.2 Electric Power Generators...................................................... 119 3.4.3 Thrusters.......................................................................... 131 3.4.4 ULF/ELF/VLF Antennas....................................................... 133 3.4.5 Constellations...................................................................