Deployment of an orbital tethered system with an aerodynamic stabilizer

Abstract

The control of an orbital tethered system (OTS) with an aerodynamic stabilizer (AS) is considered. The aerodynamic stabilizer is a light body of spherical shape with a relatively large ballistic coefficient. The system is deployed with the use of aerodynamic forces and with controlled braking by a special mechanism located on the main spacecraft (SC). A mathematical model describing the deployment and furthermotion of the OTS is constructed. The dynamic and kinematic control laws for the OTS deployment with and without feedback are analyzed. The influence of various disturbances on the stability of OTS deployment processes is estimated. An example where an aerodynamic stabilizer is used to ensure spacecraft descent from a low-earth orbit is given.