TiPS dynamics analysis

E. M. Levin*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Tether physics and survivability (TiPS) satellite was launched on June 20, 1996 into a nearly circular 1000 km altitude orbit. It included two small end-bodies connected with a 4-km tether. After a year of a passive flight in orbit, the system showed significant decrease of both in-plane and out-of-plane libration amplitudes. Internal tether friction is believed to be responsible for this evolution. This article presents a theory of a long-term evolution of a tether system libration in orbit due to the internal friction in the tether, discusses a remarkable resonance between in-plane and out-of-plane librations, and applies the theory to the analysis of the TiPS flight data.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)527-534
Number of pages8
JournalActa Astronautica
Volume50
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2002

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