Difference between revisions of "Tether"

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A '''tether''' is a thin cable that connects two portions of a spacecraft.  Tethers have been flown in space with lengths of as long at 20 km.  Much longer tethers have been proposed.
  
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==Tethers versus Mass Drivers==
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Tethers have possible applications including space propulsion, power, and artificial gravity.
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There is an incorrect statement on exoplatz at http://www.exoplatz.org/index.php?title=Tether. It is written: "It (a tether) has an advantage over mass driver in that it can be used to soft land on the Moon as well as depart from the Moon."  When one considers that a mass driver can be built in orbit around Luna, it is not hard to see how a mass driver can be used to soft land cargo on Luna.  A mass driver can orbit as close to a Lunar mountain peak as a tether can.  If it accelerates cargo to the rear at orbital velocity relative to itself as it goes past a mountain peak, that cargo is brought to a stop relative to Luna.  Further, there is no physical law that would be broken to develop (at some future time) the ability for cargo in orbit to rendezvous with a carrier on Luna travling on a magnetically levitating track at orbital velocity and then slowing the cargo to a stop by regenerative braking (hopefully before reaching the end of the track). --[[User:Farred|Farred]] 01:31, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
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Possibly the simplest and most elegant use of tethers is for space propulsion, using the method of momentum exchange by tethers.  This concept has been analyzed, among others, by [[Tethers Unlimited]]<ref>[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9574513 Space Tethers: Slinging Objects in Orbit?] by Nell Boyce - National Public Radio - 16 April 2007</ref>.
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This could be built fairly easily, possibly cheaper than building a
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mass driver on the Moon.
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[http://www.tethers.com/papers/CislunarAIAAPaper.pdf Cislunar tether propulsion paper] in PDF format
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It has an advantage over mass driver in that it can be used to soft land on
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the Moon as well as depart from the Moon.  If the energy imparted by the cargo is balanced, the tether would require little if any energy input and minimal propellant usage.
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==See Also==
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[[Momentum from GTO]]
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==External Links==
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<references/>
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[[Star Technology and Research, Inc.]]
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Lunar Anchored Satellite [http://www.star-tech-inc.com/papers/als/lunar.pdf http://www.star-tech-inc.com/papers/als/lunar.pdf ]
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Space Elevators [http://www.star-tech-inc.com/spaceelevator.html http://www.star-tech-inc.com/spaceelevator.html]
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[[Tethers Unlimited]] [http://www.tethers.com http://www.tethers.com]
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[[Tether Applications]] [http://www.tetherapplications.com http://www.tetherapplications.com]
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[http://spacetethers.com http://spacetethers.com]
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{{Launch Stub}}
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[[Category:Transportation]]

Latest revision as of 07:44, 8 April 2019

A tether is a thin cable that connects two portions of a spacecraft. Tethers have been flown in space with lengths of as long at 20 km. Much longer tethers have been proposed.

Tethers have possible applications including space propulsion, power, and artificial gravity.

Possibly the simplest and most elegant use of tethers is for space propulsion, using the method of momentum exchange by tethers. This concept has been analyzed, among others, by Tethers Unlimited[1].

This could be built fairly easily, possibly cheaper than building a mass driver on the Moon.

Cislunar tether propulsion paper in PDF format

It has an advantage over mass driver in that it can be used to soft land on the Moon as well as depart from the Moon. If the energy imparted by the cargo is balanced, the tether would require little if any energy input and minimal propellant usage.

See Also

Momentum from GTO


External Links

  1. ↑ Space Tethers: Slinging Objects in Orbit? by Nell Boyce - National Public Radio - 16 April 2007

Star Technology and Research, Inc.

Lunar Anchored Satellite http://www.star-tech-inc.com/papers/als/lunar.pdf

Space Elevators http://www.star-tech-inc.com/spaceelevator.html

Tethers Unlimited http://www.tethers.com

Tether Applications http://www.tetherapplications.com

http://spacetethers.com


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