For very long tethered systems the sum of the kinetic and potential energy can be positive. The system remains in a circular orbit as long as the masses remain vertically aligned. The system is unstable without constant control of the alignment. If the upper mass rotates forward in the direction of the orbital motion, the system escapes out of orbit. If the upper mass rotates backward, the system falls out of orbit and the lower mass impacts the body around which the system is orbiting.
Study of an orbiting tethered dumbbell system having positive orbital energy
Intl. Conference on Space Tethers for Science in the Space Station Era ; 1987 ; Venice, Italy
1988-01-01
Conference paper
No indication
English
Deployment of a tethered orbiting interferometer
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