Orbital control of a tethered satellite system using tether-length variations

This study deals with orbital transfer of a tethered satellite system into a specified orbit (defined in the equatorial plane as a set of semilatus rectum, eccentricity, and augment of pericenter,) by using tether-length variations. While in the 55th IAC conference the tethered satellite system was assumed as a rigid dumbbell type satellite, the tethered satellite system dealt in this paper is not rigid, and the system has only one control input: tether-length variation. By comparing the nature of the systems to that of rigid satellite systems, this paper points out that the timing of changing the tether length on its orbital motion is a key of orbital transfer. And controllability of the system is discussed numerically by examining the distribution of the control effect.