Tether Capture and Momentum Exchange from Hyperbolic Orbits
- Paper number
IAC-07-D2.I.05
- Author
Dr. Paul Williams, Australia
- Year
2007
- Abstract
The tethered momentum-exchange concept has received a great deal of attention due to the ability to transfer payloads in space with little propellant expenditure. This paper studies the dynamics and control of a system for capturing a payload from a hyperbolic orbit using tethers. There are two possibilities that exist for such a system: 1) the payload is equipped with a tether that rendezvous with a large body in orbit around the target planet, 2) a large body has a tether deployed to capture the incoming payload. Here, the two ideas are combined to enable a double momentum-exchange to occur. An incoming payload is deployed from another spacecraft (mother) via a tether. A large body in orbit around the target planet has a tether deployed and is spinning abouts its center of mass. The incoming payload is also spinning on the end of its tether so that it can be captured with zero relative velocity. As a consequence, the mother spacecraft on the hyperbolic orbit is also moving at a faster velocity than that of the center of mass. When the payload is captured, the mother spacecraft gains a boost in its velocity. Optimal control is used to manipulate the dynamics of the two tether systems to achieve the required rendezvous states. The dynamics and control requirements are discussed in detail.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-07-D2.I.05.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.