Abstract A formation of distributed sensors has great potential to enhance Earth surveillance. This paper investigates the dynamics of tethering several subsatellites together in a three-dimensional configuration. To keep the system oriented toward Earth, the Likins-Pringle rigid body equilibria are used as a baseline design. A flexible lumped-mass model is used to assess the stability of the tethered system. Three parameters related to the formation size, masses and spin rate are varied in order to find designs that demonstrate desirable dynamic behavior. While none of the designs are Lyapunov stable, formations with a spin axis near the local vertical are well-behaved over time spans of several orbits.
Orbital Design of Earth-Oriented Tethered Satellite Formations
2005
Article (Journal)
English
Orbital Design of Earth-Oriented Tethered Satellite Formations
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