Constrained Motion of Tethered Satellites
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 18, Issue 4
Abstract
The orbital motion of tethered satellites is a highly complex nonlinear problem. This investigation formulates a new method that significantly simplifies the dynamic analysis of tethered satellite systems. This is accomplished using the fundamental equation for constrained dynamic systems, which was formulated by Udwadia and Kalaba. As a result of this new method, a study of the periodicity of tethered satellite motion is conducted and an extension to formation flying satellites is made. With varying fixed tether lengths, the system motion seems to transition from periodic to quasi-periodic. The simplified method is also applied to the computation of the control force required for formation flight.
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References
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 18 • Issue 4 • October 2005
Pages: 242 - 250
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Apr 5, 2005
Accepted: Jun 14, 2005
Published online: Oct 1, 2005
Published in print: Oct 2005
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