Study of Tethered Satellite System

Abstract

Space tether is expected as a useful space system for the coming space utilization era. In the field of microgravity applications, the tethered system has been proposed as a variable low-gravity platform. The space tether will be widely applied to the space science and technologies, such as a multi-subsatellite system for ionospheric sounding, a tether elevator, a space power generator, and a momentum transfer system. A space tether experiment was carried out on the Space Shuttle in 1992 as a US-Italy joint space program (TSS-1). They could not extend the tethered satellite up to 20 km as intended because of a failure in the deployment mechanism. However, it was an epoch-making experiment to open the tether application in space. This article describes potential applications of space tether including gravity control, associated technologies, and a research program on the space tether now under way at ISAS.